Percy Weasley, weak link

[annemehr <annemehr@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49255

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Oona <srsiriusblack at a...>" 
<srsiriusblack at a...> wrote:

> 
> Sorry I am just replying to this post- been a bit under the weather 
> and just now getting back into all of the wonderful things that have 
> gone on here in the past week...
> 

It doesn't matter how long it takes you to reply -- an interesting 
thought is interesting any time.  And I hope you're feeling better! :)

<snip> 
> 
> Looking at everyone at the Burrow, the only problem I see *is* 
Percy. 
> First off, he is overly dedicated to the MoM. "He'd never come home, 
> if dad didn't make him" ( please forgive the paraphrase). Fudge 
> leaves at the end of GoF after a row with Dumbledore on how things 
> should proceed in light of Voldie's return to power. I, for one, 
> think that Percy will side with Fudge. Thus, Percy learning of 
Sirius 
> is dreadfully dangerous. He wants to get ahead in the world and in 
> his job at the MoM. What better way that to capture Sirius Black- a 
> man still considered by most Voldie's right hand man?
> 
> I see a grave future here... I so long for Percy to shed his uppity 
> skin and let loose, but I think that his constant need for 
perfection 
> and power- as he showed in all of his Humungous Bighead talk- is 
> going to be his downfall... I just pray he doesn't take Sirius with 
> him.
> 
> -Snuffles

While I agree with you that Percy is in terrible danger, I'd like to 
add a ray of hope.  It comes through Bill, who heard in the hospital 
ward the fact that Crouch Sr. was killed by his own son, a DE who 
helped bring about the return of Voldemort.  In GoF "The Parting of 
the Ways," as soon as Fudge leaves Dumbledore, Dumbledore sends Bill 
off to the ministry to alert Arthur.  Bill and Arthur would have also 
told Percy what had happened -- so Percy's first news about these 
events would have come from his family.  Okay, I don't know this for 
sure, but I can't see how Arthur would *not* have told his own son 
right away that Voldemort had returned and they were all in terrible 
danger.  On the other hand, Percy's boss is dead, and Percy's very 
junior status would most likely keep him out of Fudge's coucils of 
strategy with his upper-level ministers.  For the immediate present, 
Arthur is Percy's closest contact in the Ministry.

  Now think back to the riot scene after the Q. World Cup -- Arthur, 
Bill, Charlie *and* Percy all run off to help restore calm.  Granted, 
they were doing that *with* the MoM, but still, Percy did it *with* 
his family also.

When Dumbledore sent Bill off, he said, "Tell him what has happened.  
Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly.  He will need 
to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the 
Ministry --"  So Arthur (and by extension at least all the Weasleys 18 
or over) are soon to hear details from Dumbledore, and that there *is* 
a parting of the ways -- hence the need for discretion.  The ray of 
hope that I see in this is that Percy is very likely to be forewarned 
of all that's happened *before* anyone from Fudge gets around to 
giving him any orders, and that we have seen Percy working with his 
father against DE's already (I'll be very happy to take that as 
foreshadowing as long as I can!)

I am hoping that this will be enough to save Percy from his Ministry 
ambitions and any possible transference of loyalty from the deceased 
Crouch to Fudge himself or somebody worse.  He can work long hours for 
Dumbledore now instead of Crouch, and Percy *did* look up to him.

Annemehr
who has a lot of sympathy for Percy as she used to believe in the need 
for following *every* little rule herself...