Writing > Fannish
Amid all the recent speculation about deaths at the end of the final Harry Potter book, I see a lot of people bashing Percy Weasley. Hoping he dies, or suggesting that death is the only way he can "redeem" himself.
Problem is, when I look closely at the text, I see far more reasons the rest of the Weasleys owe Percy an apology than any reason for Percy to apologize to them.
Let's start with the schism between Percy and the rest of the family.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter Four
A conversation among Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny:
'Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad,' Ron told Harry in a tense voice.
'Why not?'
'Because every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying,' Fred said.
'It's been awful,' said Ginny sadly.
'I think we're well shot of him,' said George, with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face.
'What's happened?' Harry said.
'Percy and Dad had a row,' said Fred. 'I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts.'
'It was the first week back after term ended,' said Ron. 'We were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted.'
'You're kidding?' said Harry.
Though he knew perfectly well that Percy was highly ambitious, Harry's impression was that Percy had not made a great success of his first job at the Ministry of Magic. Percy had committed the fairly large oversight of failing to notice that his boss was being controlled by Lord Voldemort (not that the Ministry had believed it - they all thought Mr Crouch had gone mad).
Oh yes, Percy committed a fairly large oversight!
Mind you, no-one else noticed that Mr Crouch was being controlled.
Checking the HP Lexicon timelines, Percy had been Crouch's employee less than six weeks before Voldemort started controlling him. Not a lot of time to get to know someone. Dumbledore knew Crouch for decades and failed to pick up on the deception. Heck, Dumbledore knew Moody longer and missed the signs right under his nose. Where's the condemnation for that little failing?
Not only that, but although a few people (Bagman, Skeeter) commented on Crouch's absences, nobody ever expressed any concern that the department was being mismanaged. No vacuum at the top. So Percy was apparently perfectly capable of keeping things running smoothly.
'Yeah, we were all surprised,' said George, 'because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realised Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge, he wasn't going to complain.'
'So how come they promoted him?'
That's exactly what we wondered,' said Ron, who seemed very keen to keep normal conversation going now that Harry had stopped yelling. 'He came home really pleased with himself - 'even more pleased than usual, if you can imagine that - and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts: Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think.'
'Only Dad wasn't,' said Fred grimly.
'Why not?' said Harry.
'Well, apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore,' said George.
'Dumbledore's name is mud with the Ministry these days, see,' said Fred. They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back.'
'Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks,' said George.
Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession.'
By the way, notice something Percy hasn't done. Percy clearly knows his family is in contact with Dumbledore, yet at no point has Percy informed on his father to the Minister. Arthur may be under suspicion, but the Minister never gets proof, not even through Percy.
'But what's that got to do with Percy?' asked Harry, confused.
'I'm coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family - and Dumbledore.'
Harry let out a low whistle.
'Bet Percy loved that.'
Well, wouldn't you?
I mean, just imagine the situation. Nineteen-years-old, brimming with excitement because you just got offered a plum job, and your father says you don't deserve it.
Arthur just accused Percy of being a willing dupe, disloyal to the family, and unqualified for the position he was offered.
Is it any wonder matters quickly got out of hand?
Ron laughed in a hollow sort of way.
'He went completely berserk. He said - well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been - you know - 'not had a lot of money, I mean - '
So, yes, Percy said a lot of nasty things to his father, but you must admit he was sorely provoked.
Something else strikes me about all of this:
Arthur Weasley may not be much of a social climber, but he's quite astute politically. The background of Book Two involved a Muggle Protection Act he was pushing through the Ministry. He did a favor for Ludo Bagman sufficient to earn the best seats in the house at the Quidditch World Cup for the entire family (plus Harry and Hermione). Ten seats in the top box at the greatest sporting event in the Wizarding world! He was also "the only one who can get Mad-Eye off" when Moody got into trouble.
Like I said, quite politically astute when it comes to things he wants.
So why were his comments to Percy so blunt?
What kind of response was he expecting to get?
"Gosh, Dad, you're right. I'll refuse Fudge's offer and find another job."
[The only other reasonable response I could see from such an accusation would be trying to get Percy to spy on behalf of the Order or become a double-agent. But if that's the case, it's an awfully clumsy way of going about it.]
Obviously, Arthur wasn't a reacting rationally, but emotionally. What could've hurt Arthur so badly?
I think Arthur was pulling strings to get Percy a job in his own department!
It makes a certain amount of sense. Percy was in a bit of disgrace with all the inquiries -- a similar position to Crouch after the trials, where he got shunted off to a dead-end position.
Only natural Arthur would try to find Perce a place working for him, where he could spend more time with his son and teach his boy the ropes. He'd probably been thinking of this for a while -- maybe even since Percy started working for the Ministry: Weasley and Son. A nice bit of egoboo.
Percy taking Fudge's offer was therefore a more direct rejection of Arthur, and -- if Arthur turned around in the conversation and suggested Percy work for him instead -- also explains why Percy responded by attacking his father's lack of ambition and poverty wages. Percy's not merely insulting his father, but saying that he wants better for himself.
Pure speculation, but it does fit the facts at hand.
'What?' said Harry in disbelief, as Ginny made a noise like an angry cat.
'I know,' said Ron in a low voice. 'And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he - Percy - knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family any more. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now.'
One last thing I'll point out, probably the most important fact of all:
- Arthur claimed Percy's only use to Fudge was to inform on the rest of the family.
- Percy responded by moving out of the house, cutting off contact, and making sure everybody knew.
- That means that Percy no longer has access to any family information that Fudge could use.
- And Percy still kept his job.
What does that say about Arthur's accusation?
Jumping ahead to Half-Blood Prince, Chapter Five contains this little sanctimonious exchange:
'And what about Percy?' asked Harry; the third-eldest Weasley brother had fallen out with the rest of the family. 'Is he talking to your mum and dad?'
'Nope,' said Ron.
'But he knows your dad was right all along now about Voldemort being back - '
'Dumbledore says people find it easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right,' said Hermione. 'I heard him telling your mum, Ron.'
'Sounds like the sort
of mental thing Dumbledore would say,' said Ron.
Reread the description of the argument. Even when described by characters unsympathetic to Percy, who was more in the wrong?
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