Percy vs Sirus Question

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 85455

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ghinghapuss" 
<rredordead at a...> wrote:
  
> I'm sure Sirius' parents loved him, in their own way, and like to 
> believe it must have been just as difficult for Sirius to turn his 
> back on his family as it was for Percy. Despite the fact that the 
> Black family is stereotypically 'evil' and the Weasleys are 
> stereotypically 'good.'  I love that Molly and Arthur are acting 
in a 
> similar way to Mrs. (and probably Mr.) Black. Turning their backs 
on 
> their son and refusing to talk to him.  I also was thinking that 
we 
> witnessed the Mrs. Black and Sirius relationship after 20 years of 
> ill feeling and the embarrassment and slur of her having a son in 
> prison of 15 years.  We are witnessing the Percy and parents 
> relationship at the beginning of their split. 


I'm not so sure that Sirius' parents actually *did* love him the way 
that Percy is loved by his.  Arthur and Molly have not turned their 
backs on their son in any way, nor have they ever regarded him as 
the "black sheep" (pun not intended) of the Weasley family.  Listen 
to Sirius, speaking of his brother, Regulus on p112 of OoP (US 
edition):

"He was younger than m," said Sirius, "and a much better son, as I 
was constantly reminded."

If anything, Percy is the favored son, at least from Mrs. Weasley's 
perspective before OoP.  She consistently defends him from Fred and 
George's ridicule and makes it clear to all concerned how very proud 
she is of all his accomplishments up until the time he's appointed 
to his new job as Fudge's assistant. Even after Percy, in effect, 
disowns his family and reveals his contempt for his father's choices 
in life, Molly still attempts to visit him in London whereupon the 
lovely Percy <sarcasm intended> slams the door in her face.  Molly's 
shown as being utterly devistated by her son's defection.  Somehow I 
doubt that Mrs. Black was still knitting jumpers for Sirius after he 
moved out of Grimmauld Place <g>.

Mandy continued:

I also was thinking that we 
> witnessed the Mrs. Black and Sirius relationship after 20 years of 
> ill feeling and the embarrassment and slur of her having a son in 
> prison of 15 years.  We are witnessing the Percy and parents 
> relationship at the beginning of their split. 
Whose to say Mr. and 
> Mrs. Weasley wont get as bitter as Mrs. Black after 20 years of 
> mutual hate.

I can't really say whether or not Percy actually *hates* his parents 
(I really, really hope not), but I am very, very confident that in 
spite of his truly shameful behavior, Molly and Arthur do not hate 
him.

Jo Serenadust