Percy and Arthur (Was Is Percy a Spy?)

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 111136

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <b_boymn at y...> wrote:


> Now on to Percy, I don't think Percy is or was a spy because I 
think
> his /blow-up/ with his family was real, and I sympathize with him
> because I think I can very clearly see his position. As far as I'm
> concerned Arthur hold equal if not greater blame for the incident 
than
> Percy, although Percy is certainly carries a significant share. 



I'm having a hard time with the notion of Arthur sharing "equal if 
not greater blame" for the rift with Percy.  I have read your 'Good 
Son' posts and while I agree with much of your analysis of Percy's 
psyche,  I strongly disagree with the notion that Arthur's attempt 
to open his eyes to what's really going on in the WW makes Arthur 
responsible for *any* of the ill-will resulting from the 
confrontation.

In reviewing JKR's explaination for the rift between Percy and his 
family, it seems painfully obvious to all concerned that Percy's 
promotion is extremely fishy.  Only weeks earlier, Percy is in 
a "load of trouble" with the ministry and the subject of a formal 
inquiry.  Even if the inquiry didn't reach the conclusion that Percy 
was directly to blame for the Barty Crouch disaster, he could 
hardly have come out smelling like a rose.  By the time Percy comes 
home crowing about his latest triumph, the stakes are very high 
indeed.  Even with his hyper-focus upon his own career goals, he is 
smart enough and certainly old enough to have wondered about this 
sudden promotion to a job which would seem to be out of reach for an 
employee only one year out of school.  It just doesn't make sense.  
I don't think Arthur had any choice in pointing this out to Percy as 
soon as possible. If he hadn't, he'd have been putting the Order at 
risk, as well as his family.



Steve continued:
 
> However, I could conceive of the possibility that after the 
Quibbler
> interview with Harry came out, Percy might have been swayed from 
his
> position. And, considering this possibility, Dumbledore might have
> made a 'no hard feelings' peace offering. Essentially, contacting
> Percy and trying to talk some sense into him. While that would not
> have healed the riff between Percy and his father, it could/would 
have
> brought Percy back to Dumbledore, and in the process laid the
> groundwork for a more complete reconciliation.


Well, the trouble is that Dumbledore's plate is quite full at this 
point in the story.  He's the last one standing in the way of 
Umbridge and Fudge's total takeover of Hogwarts, and there's also 
the little problem of thwarting Voldemort's attempts to penetrate 
Harry's mind and steal the prophecy.  I don't think that dealing 
with Percy's lack of loyalty and respect for him is all that high a 
priority.  As far as Dumbledore's concerned, Percy is an adult and 
responsible for his own behavior.


Steve wrote:

> I don't think this beak between Percy and his family is directly
> related to Voldemort's return. I think Percy is seriously offended
> that his own father didn't believe that a Perfect, Head Boy, 
student
> with 12 outstanding OWLS, and a significant number of highly graded
> NEWTs could get a job on his own merit. That is the true heart of 
this
> misunderstanding.


But, he didn't get the job on his own merit, which should be 
patently obvious, even to him.  I think that Percy's ambition and 
egotism have robbed him of any common sense or decency.  I was 
genuinely shocked at his treatment of Molly when she attempted to 
reach out to him by visiting (apparently on her own) and then by 
sending him the jumper at Christmas.  Percy was extremely cruel on 
both occasions and while I'm sure Arthur and Molly will be willing 
to forgive him, I don't think that I ever will.

I've always cut Percy a lot of slack in spite of his pomposity and 
generally unpleasant behavior, because I thought that he was 
fundamentally decent and that he loved his family.  Although I still 
don't believe he's an evil person or will become a DE, his OOP 
behavior has put him beyond the pale for me.  When push comes to 
shove, protecting his fragile ego is more important to him than his 
family.

My sympathies are entirely with his parents who in no way deserve 
this shabby treatment.


Jo Serenadust, former Percy sympathizer