[HPforGrownups] Re: House Choice doesn't Equal Personality for Life

[Suzanne Chiles]

No: HPFGUIDX 85238

Jen said:
> I'm not totally convinved Percy isn't spying for DD, and has to play
> along with the subterfuge for that reason. But your idea that
> bravery can be used to make wrong decisions would fit in better with
> JKR's Choice Theory (and is also supported by Harry's brave, yet
> mistaken, decision to go help Sirius). This idea also fits in with
> the shades-of-gray theme regarding ethical decision-making in OOTP--
> no character can be seen as purely good or purely evil anymore
> (except LV, and I'm not 100% sure there won't be more to his story).

I can't seem to make up my mind about Percy. But I did get a bit of insight
from watching the
"Cambridge Spies" series the last few weeks on BBC America. In this series,
the four spies were quite visible concerning their anti-Facist,
pro-Communist leanings while at Cambridge. Upon leaving Cambridge (and
becoming spies for the Soviet Union), the four men decided that they must
present themselves as right-wing as possible, even to the point of
expressing support for Hitler. Amazingly, they were able to convince the
higher-ups in British government that they really held those views and had
renounced their anti-Facist, communist views as some kind of school-boy
flirtation. Based on their "new beliefs," they were made privy to many
secrets leading up to and during WWII, which they were able to pass on to
the Soviets.

This kind of reasoning may indeed support Percy's actions in OoTP. Like the
Cambridge spies, Percy is acting the 110% Fudge supporter, almost more than
Fudge himself. Like the Cambridge spies, he shows not one iota of doubt
about his "new" viewpoint, even to the point of turning his back on his
family. I can imagine that if it were a "real" conversion to to Fudgedom, he
would have at least been kind to his mother regarding her Christmas present.

Suzanne