Percy...was Ron's "poor me" syndrome.

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 106678


Don't start me on Percy again :-) !

Shannon wrote :
> But it bothers me that Percy aligned himself against his 
> family after a lifetime of nothing but support and praise from his 
> parents, 

Del replies :
He turned against them when they withdrew that support and praise.
It's just as childish as Harry stopping to like Cedric just because he
invited Cho to the Yule Ball. Many people remain childish way into
their adulthood where their pride is concerned, it's really not unusual.

Shannon wrote :
> after four years of knowing Harry and having at least some idea of 
> what went on with him (especially when his own sister was involved), 

Del replies :
Percy never actually knew Harry. Harry couldn't be less concerned
about knowing the first-years personally in OoP, and that's the same
age gap between he and Percy.
And we just don't *know* what Percy knows about Harry. How much was he
told about the CoS, we simply don't know. Molly and Arthur might have
kept it all secret.

Shannon wrote :
> and only one year of employment in a job where his boss couldn't even
> be bothered to remember his proper name.

Del replies :
Only one year, yes, but a year in which he invested himself *very*
heavily in his work. The Ministry became his second family so to speak. 

Shannon wrote :
> All the traits that are common in the others never seemed very 
> visible in Percy.

Del replies :
I disagree. I wrote a post about that some time ago, post number
97645, where I expressed my conclusions that Percy is *very much* a
Weasley indeed.

Shannon wrote :
> I mean, he couldn't even be bothered to go see his father, who almost
> DIED.

Del replies :
Well yes, he almost died. But by the time Percy learned that, he also
learned that his father was *not* going to die after all. He did *not*
go through the anxiety that the younger Weasleys experienced, not
knowing whether their father was going to live or die. Percy knew
right away that Arthur would live. It makes a big difference.

Shannon wrote :
> And why? Because he didn't want to be held by being associated with 
> the Weasleys and, by extension, Dumbledore.  I find that very hard to
> forgive, especially based as it was on the one moment in Percy's life
> when his parents were not 100% supportive.

Del replies :
Let's try to see things from his perspective, shall we ?
Let's say my brother has been associating with bad people who keep
creating troubles.
I warned him about them, but he won't listen to me.
We end up ignoring each other and not talking to each other.
One day, I learn that he was badly injured while doing something
reprehensible for those bad people, but he's going to be OK.
Well, of course I'll be scared for him retrospectively.
But most of all, I'll be *angry* at him.
And I'm not sure I would go and see him in hospital. Not sure at all.

Del