Percy question

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 79418

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mochajava13" 
<mochajava13 at y...> wrote:
> Percy is gone for good, in my opinion.

I must admit, I have not the slightest idea, which direction my 
second favorite Weasley will take. Or better, I have several ideas, 
but I'm not sure which to believe. But I want to comment on this. 
First of all, Albus Dumbledore, who is sort of a voice for JKR, seems 
to be a strict believer in second chances. He gives nearly everybody 
a second chance, including Severus Snape, who, as much as I like him, 
as a Death Eater, has very probably done far more evil things than 
Percy right now.

> JKR's been foreshadowing 

True, but
 
> Again, at Christmas, the twins had to get Percy and 
> force him to spend the time with the family.  They immediately 
> thought he would spend the time with the prefects.  The twins 
played 
> pranks on him, but they also tried to include him.  They stopped 
> trying once it was pretty clear that Percy didn't want to be 
> included.

Are you sure he didn't? I haven't read PS for a pretty long time (and 
I lent it to a friend months ago, and he still hasn't returned it), 
but if I recall right, Percy seemed to enjoy Christmas with his 
brothers. He was forced in the jumper by George and Fred, that's 
true. But later, he seemed to have fun, trying everything to help 
Harry in chess and all. 
> 
> He tells off 
> Ron for being in a girl's bathroom because of what it would look 
> like to other people.

Well, if my little brother came out of a girls bathroom, I would 
probably be stunned, too. But I think Percy didn't tell him off 
because Ron came out of a girl's bathroom, but because the girl's 
bathroom was at the place, where the first attack had happened. And 
Percy (as well as Snape) is IMO right, of course it is entertaining 
to read about Harry's adventures, but from the point of view from the 
characters in the books, Harry and his friends of course shouldn't 
play detective.

<I snipped a lot of points, with which I agree> 

> He's portrayed as a brown noser in 
> GoF, and loyal to the ministry: he argues with his father over Ludo 
> Bagman's ability to lead the sports department.

So what? Percy was absolutely right. Ludo Bagman is incompetent. And 
I think Arthur knows this, too, as well as Harry and most other 
characters in the book. 

And now you have mentioned every scene, that shows, that Percy is a 
pompous prat. But you didn't mention the scenes, that show, that he 
still cares for his family. The most obvious is IMO the second task 
in the Triwizard Tournament, where he really cared for Ron's safety. 
He was also the only Weasley brother in COS, who recognised, that 
something was wrong with Ginny. 
 
> He made it quite clear that he wants nothing to do 
> with his family, even his brothers that work for Gringotts (and was 
> also an ex-head boy) and with dragons.

Well, he wrote something different in his letter to Ron. The letter 
alone, prooves, IMO, that he still cares for his family, or at least 
for Ron. It was a totally horible letter and the advice he gave to 
Ron was wrong, but he didn't need to give him any advice at all. But 
obviously he hoped to remain in contact with at least one Weasley 
member. I do agree, however, that his behaviour, especially around 
Christmas, was absolutely horrible and that he has a lot to do, to 
win the trust of his family back, if he ever comes back to 
apologize.  
> 
> Nope, Percy's gone from the family.  If he even tries to come back, 
only Molly would tolerate him.  None of his brothers or Ginny would 
welcome him back, 
> especially not the twins.  The twins dropped out of school but 
still 
> see their parents, even though Mrs. Weasley probably argues with 
> them about it non-stop.  And they came to get the family members at 
> Kings Cross.  The twins think their family is important; they're 
not 
> going to forgive Percy easily.

If they think family is important, they should forgive Percy, because 
Percy is their family, too. I agree, however, that it isn't that 
easy, and I have no idea, how I would react, if I were one of Percy's 
silblings and he came back to apologize. I do think, however, that 
they will at least try to tolerate him, if only, to make Molly happy. 
But as I already said, I have no idea, why Percy should be an 
exception, in a series of books, in which the wisest and least evil 
of all characters, believes that everyone deserves a second chance.
> 
> Also, Percy just didn't care that Voldemort could be back; he 
> latched onto the official position.

Or he really didn't believe it. Of course he has known Harry for 
years, and shouldn't believe the DP article about him. But even Molly 
believed the DP article about Hermione. 

Hickengruendler, who thinks it is amusing, that the twins, whom I 
also like, joked about Percy's behaviour to apparate all the time in 
GOF, did exactly the same in OOTP.