Percy...

[gsanderson at cfl.rr.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 106964

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich 
<mgrantwich at y...> wrote:
> Do people really see Percy as ambitious?  I don't.  He doesn't crave
> power - he craves recognition.  To paraphrase Ron (I think), Percy
> wouldn't recognize power if it danced in front of him wearing 
Dobby's
> tea cozy.  For what it's worth, neither does Fudge, who is usually
> very uncomfortable when he actually has to exercise power as opposed
> to simply looking powerful.  (During OOTP, this changes, but only
> because Umbridge and Lucius Malfoy are busy stiffening his spine by
> telling him Dumbleodre is plotting against him; there are few things
> more rigid than an easy going person who feels that he's being taken
> advantage of by others.)
> 
> Lucius Malfoy is ambitious.  He understands that power is getting
> what you want out of other people and organizations, even if you
> sometimes have to go the roundabout way to do it.  He could care 
less
> about getting his face on the front page of the Daily Prophet on a
> weekly basis.  
> 
> Fudge and Percy love recognition - the front page photos, the
> speech-making opportunities, the busy work that comes from really
> getting into a particular area of government administration (and 
yes,
> cauldron bottoms ARE important - just ask Mungdungus Fletcher how
> much money he'd make off illicit thin-bottomed cauldrons!).  
> 
> What Percy is looking for is recognition for his wonderfulness.  
He's
> climbed the establishment, approved-good-son ladder rung by rung and
> reaped the benefits of Molly approval every step of the way.  And 
now
> that he has this wonderful new job his parents have changed the 
rules
> on him and implied that he didn't deserve it!  After all his efforts
> to be the Good Son!  That's not fair!
> 
> So Percy leaves in a huge huff and spends the year sulking and
> soaking up the approval of people in the MoM who are now his
> replacement family.  If Percy does help the Dark Side it will be
> inadvertantly and without realizing it.  Percy is not evil, not even
> close to turning evil.  He's just....Percy the Prefect in the real
> world.
> 
> Poor Percy.  Even prats have feelings.
> 
> Magda
> 

I have to disagree, slightly.  Not about Percy being a prat, but that 
he is not ambitious.  I used to have all the sections marked 
throughout the books to show all the foreshadowing of Percy having 
the issues he had in OOtP, but I have since removed them. However, 
some references I remember:

In COS when they were shopping in Diagon Alley, they found Percy in 
an old shop reading a book entitled "Prefects Who Gained Power"

Also in COS, when Percy found them outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom 
the first time they investigated it, he got mad at them and Ron 
accused him of wanting to look good to become head boy.  

In GOF when the twins actions (when they secretively were trying to 
get their winnings) were in question, Ron worried that Percy would 
turn them in - he even said at one point something along the lines 
of "Percy's very ambitous, you know."  

Then there's the description of his argument in OOtP with his parents 
that shows him believing ministry politics over his family and 
justifying his own promotion.  In the recent world book day chat, JKR 
did state he was acting on his own.

There were more, but I cannot remember the references.  All of these 
cases show, in my mind, that Percy is definitely ambitous.  He is 
probably ALSO looking for attention and recognition that he gets from 
no one other than his Mother.  I see this all the time in the real 
world with folks who have gone through school getting top marks and 
accolades, then expect to go into the real world at the top of the 
heap, only to be disappointed that they must start at the bottom of 
the ladder.  The fact remains, however, that Percy was in Gryffindor 
and is therefore brave in some way.  He does rush out with his Dad 
and brothers to fight the Death Eaters at the World Cup.  I hope that 
there's some sort of redemption/grovelling in his future! (not enough 
to vote on that option in the current JKR poll, though!!!)  

Kristen