IS Percy ambitious? (was: Re: Is it all Percy's fault?)

[Tracy Hunt]

No: HPFGUIDX 87130

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kathryn Cawte" <kcawte at n...> 
wrote:
> > greatlit2003
> > Arthur Weasley as we do, I have no doubt that he loves all of his
> > children and wants to reconcile with Percy. He didn't insult Percy
> > by telling him that Fudge promoted him to be a spy. Arthur was
> > trying to save his son from an awkward situation. Percy, always
> > ambitious, took his advice the wrong way.>
> 
> 
> K
> 
> Arthur may not have *meant* to be insulting - but the insinuation 
that Percy
> only got the job because Fudge wants to manipulate him is insulting 
(even if
> it might be true). I suspect Arthur wasn't terribly tactful about 
it either.
> Percy is *very* ambitious (not necessarily a bad thing) and would 
have been
> really pleased to get a promotion. To be told by his father that he 
didn't
> get it on merit but was being manipulated - especially when we 
don't even
> know if that's right and Arthur has no evidence of it is insulting 
and I
> suspect Percy would have found it quite hurtful. Arthur should have 
waited a
> while and then suggested that since Fudge doesn't like Arthur or 
Dumbledore
> he might now take advantage of Percy's promotion to try and spy on 
them and
> suggested Percy is very careful about what he says.
> 
> K


Tcy here:

Kathryn, your third sentence raised a flag for me.  I'm not sure why 
I hadn't questioned it before...but here we go...  If Percy is *so* 
ambitious (that is to say, it's a major character trait of his), why 
was he placed in Gryffindor?  Seems to me that his more dominant 
traits would have to be that of bravery, "daring nerve and chivalry" 
(SS, US hardcover, pg 118) to be placed in Gryf.  If he *were* highly 
ambitious, wouldn't he have been in Slytherin? 

Perhaps, he's not really that ambitious.  Maybe his motivation is 
something else?  It sounds to me like Percy is young and just 
rebelling the only way he can.  As he matures, he'll see the error of 
his ways and his Gryffindor qualities will be able to shine.

Tcy
(not sure I believe this...but it's a thought)