Percy Weasley: Ministry Scape-Goat

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 128193

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, tara scarbro
<sneakoscope2001 at y...> wrote:

> 
> Milz, I feel that Percy was relied on by Crouch Sr.
> because he was a new employee and would not ask any
> questions about responsibilities given to him by
> Crouch Sr. due to his admiration of Crouch Sr. and
> simply doing as he is told .  Others such as Barty or
> Mr. Weasley would have likely began questioning Crouch
> Sr.'s absences.
> 
> sneakoscope2001


bboyminn:

I have a problem believing Percy will get blamed for the Crouch
Fiasco. It seems that that investigation has already been concluded.
Also, let's not forget that Percy was Crouch's Personal Assistant,
that makes his duties very much different from the rest of the staff
working for Crouch. 

It is certainly fair to wonder and ask, why when Mr. Crouch fell ill,
he didn't give some senior member of the staff the job of looking
after things. But being a personal assistant means that with Crouch
gone Percy has nothing to do, and the logical extension of that is
that all the remaining more senior staff have more things to do.
Consequently, Percy, the guy with nothing to do, was given the task,
like judging the Tri-Wiz Tournement, that would have pulled the other
staff away from the real work that needed to be done. 

Also, I suspect all Percy really did when he was at the office was sit
behind a big desk dreaming about how important he was, and getting tea
and filing papers for everyone else. Though, I'm sure he generated a
report or two that he felt was terribly important. Don't get me wrong,
I'm sure Percy did have some administrative duties, but I don't think
he was as grand and important as he made himself out to be. Further, I
think Percy's self-important belief was re-enforced by his getting the
high-profile Tournement duties.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, in reality, I don't think Percy was in
a high enough position with enough true responsibility to be held at
fault for anything. Certainly more senior members of the staff, those
who knew Crouch well and worked with him for years, should have been
the ones to raise the alarm or express concern. 

Percy getting blamed is a great theory, and a nice twist to the plot,
and while it is fun speculation, I personally don't see Percy in a
position that allows the blame to be put on him. Especially, not now
when Fudge is being thrown out, and a more (hopefully) Dumbledore
friendly Minster is coming in. 

I could actually see Fudge trying something like that, but Fudge's
days are number, he's in total disgrace, and has likely lost all power
and support. Any new Minister worth his salt is going to know there
are more important things to deal with than the 'old news' case of
Barty Crouch Sr.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn