Undercover Percy

[hermionegallo]

No: HPFGUIDX 80996

reply to post 80992

Kelly snipped Deirdre:

I think the Percy-is-a-git theme has been building since Book One... 
I was very satisfied with his portrayal in OoP because it seemed the 
next logical step in his development as a character.   

Kelly replied (snip):
Saying that Percy has to  be good because he is a Weasley is the same 
as saying that Sirius had to be secretly bad because he is a Black.  
Percy's actions in OoTP were  exactly what I expected to happen 
before the book came out.  

hg replies:

Kelly and Deirdre are reading the series with their Occam's razors in 
hand, meaning, the simplest answer is most likely correct:  "It 
seemed the next logical step" and "exactly what I expected to happen" 
are how they see it.
As I've read the series, the simplest explanation is not usually the 
truest.  And as far as I've read most of the discussion surrounding 
Percy, I don't recall anyone using the argument that "Percy is a 
Weasley, ergo he can't be a git." 
We've seen since book 1 that Percy can be a pain in the neck, 
annoying, pedantic, strict, seeking a position of authority, etc, and 
as far as we know the Weasleys, I think it's safe to assume he's an 
anomaly in that regard.  
Kelly said that "it all comes down to DD's statement about the 
choices we  make rather than birth being the deciding factor in our 
lives (CoS)."  I totally agree.  Percy could have been faced with 
making a very difficult choice: hiding something important from his 
family and pretending to disown them, for the sake of a greater 
cause.  

I can't call your interpretation into question, Kelly or Deirdre, but 
only counterpoint that with JK, there's often more than meets the eye.

I'm moving on now, to post 80988, where  deedee88 brought up several 
issues I must address: 
 
1)DeeDee said that Percy could have sent word to his dad that the 
trial time had changed, but if you read the section, Arthur had no 
idea that the time or place had changed, and actually got Harry there 
late.  It's all in the book.

2)Regarding the strange wording of Percy's letter:  

DeeDee wondered if we had another writing sample from Percy.  Yes, 
please reread GoF p. 549, American, hardback.  
I would like to again point to my post 80225 in which I quote Percy's 
first letter, from GoF.  This writing sample is a clear divergence 
from the style or content of the letter in OoP.  Someone pointed out 
(forgive me for not recalling who) that in the same chapter, Harry is 
writing a cryptic letter to Sirius, and we can draw a parallel to 
that.  I think that's a likelihood.  DeeDee says:  "IF we say Percy 
is a spy for DD....How can Percy tell Ron to do something that DD 
ENcourages--namely his friendship with Harry."  But the inference 
with the Percy/Spy theory is that we are NOT to read the letter 
literally.

If, indeed, the Percy/Wormtail theory is correct, we can assume that 
the letter is a bit of unprovoked goading on Wormtail's part, an 
opportunity he can't pass up, much like he couldn't keep himself from 
talking with Bertha Jorkins when he bumped into her.  And that he 
would be itching to rub it in that the Death Eaters were on the loose.

3)Percy leaving Dumbledore's office:  DeeDee says, "did he leave 
because he was a spy...or did he leave sooner because his conscience 
was so torn between MOM and Hogwarts....and was becoming too much for 
him."

No, he left because Fudge told him to.  It says so in the book.  

4)DeeDee says, "Percy could, in fact pass information....but if he 
was in the passing info business, then we'd have heard from him 
earlier regarding the crouch incident."

This has been addressed also.  If indeed he has gone undercover, with 
only Dumbledore's awareness or the awareness of only Arthur and 
Dumbledore (and MAYBE Molly), it wouldn't have happened until after 
the Triwizard Tournament school year had ended, right around the time 
Arthur and Percy's fight.

All of DeeDee's points saying why Percy has potential to be a spy but 
cannot be one yet are the exact reasons anyone cites when considering 
that he IS a spy.  Returning the sweater, slamming the door, etc.

One more thing:  Percy's name isn't Percival.  It's Percy.  It's says 
so in the book, in the trial scene.

What's vexing to me is that so many of these points are answered -- 
by reading the books.

hg.