A Closer Look at Percival Weasley

Discussion of The Burrow article A Closer Look at Percival Weasley (http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/theburrow/brucet01.shtml) by Tarah Toney.

EXCELLENT EDiTORiAL! everyting sums up but i doubt percy would be made minister of magic.. now that even fudge and the ministry are fully aware of voldemort's return.. but of course.. there is surprises! again.. awesome editorial =)

I luved the editorial..the best yet on percy!
Percy weasley, a grey and complex character much like snape. you never know which side they are on and yet we are left to wonder if there is a chance they might redeem themselves. they are on no one's side, they work for themselves. Percy revels in authority and power to influence:true, but then again there are the weasley genes.
remember the 'abnormal' behavior of percy rite after the second task? Ron's barely surfaced frm the lake and percy rushes to him (wets and muddies his dignified robes in the process)and hugs him wildly, all pretense of authority and position gone faster than you could say 'quiddich'...!! he does care for his family but his vision is clouded and his brain deluded by his ambition. Just as Ron detests being poor, so does Percy;but Percy's willing to go that extra mile beyond right and wrong to do something about it...although I'll bet that as soon as anything life threatening happens to any member of his family, he'll be by their side and take the threat of voldemort seriously! trust me, he jst needs a jolt back to reality. what say you magnumsuper hp sleuths?!

Interesting perspective on Percy. Just a few things to point out. The editorial quotes the passage where Percy is holed up in his room all summer sending lots of letters. At the end of COS when Ginny reveals that Percy has a girlfriend she says "That's who he was writing to all last summer..." So I am making the leap that there is nothing shady also going on. I just figure Percy wanted to keep it quiet so he would not be relentlessly teased by Fred and George (who looked like "his birthday had come early" when he found out).
I agree with Naina that Percy does love his family and that threat of harm on their lives by Voldemort might be kick he needs to see that family and love are more powerful than solitary ambition.
As for him becoming Minister of Magic- I cetainly don't see that happening in book 6. I think the magical community will be leary of putting anyone who was in the inner circle with Fudge into that position. Percy was very outspoken about his loyalty to Fudge and was even quoted in the paper. I think people will be looking to Dumbledore to help make that decision. We don't know if the position is appointed (if so, by whom?) or elected. I think everyone is becoming aware of how Fudge's love of his position blinded him to the return of Voldemort. Much caution will be used this time however the position is filled. Percy may someday fill that post, but I would like to think that it is only after growing up and becoming a little more well rounded. JKR once said something like-16 is much to young to enter politics (when asked if Harry would become Minister of Magic). I would like to think 20 is too.
Whatever the case may be, I think Percy has alot in store in book 6! I can't wait to find out!!!!

Bruce - Only one problem with your fine essay. Percy may be short for Percival, but Percy is Percy.

OoP Chapter 8 - the Hearing Page 139 US (cut) ..."Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley--" (cut)

Everybody is given their full name, even Dumbledore pronounces his own long name "... Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,"...

(Bolding by me)

Maybe this is where you got your "Percival". Harry is Harry James Potter, not Henry as you would suppose, (one page later). Ginny is not Virginia, she is Ginevra, "Extra Stuff" - JKRowling.com. I think Jo is very specific with her names, and always uses any chance she can to give you full names. Even the name of the owls and pets.

I know people who are very offended if you get their name wrong, either shortening it, or formalizing it, if it isn't their name. Not me, my real name is not open to change, and too short to be shortened even further.

Very good editorial!!!! You were very through, but I don't see Percy becoming Minister of Magic in book six, book seven MAYBE, but I see it mentioned (if he survives the war) in the epilogue, something like "after all his years of hard work, Percy Weasley finally was elected Minister of Magic and he began his own legacy."

Anyway, I do see the prospect of him forming closer ties with Voldemort a scary probability. I don't know if he'll go far enough to take the mark, but I don't know.

As for the family thing, we have seen one person emerge from their family completely before, Percy is not the first. Sirius. He was the only "good" person from his family of Dark wizards. It is a possibility that Percy could be the parallell of that. The only "dark" person from his family of good wizards of light. Hmmmm

I think this is a very good editorial. I have always thought it would be of some significance that Scabbers used to be Percy's rat, just where did he happen upon him? I think it's weird that Percy would have a pet rat Percy doesn't seem the type to just follow the fads but it doesn't say that students can have a pet rat specificly in the Hogwarts letter would he have taken him to school and taken that risk? Is that why he cast him off to Ron? We also don't know anything about Percy's friends at school (other than Penelope) yet we know who Fred and George are friends with as well as some of Ginny's friends. Could be that Percy doesn't have any friends he doesn't appear to have any outside of school either. Maybe Percy had a "Death Eater" desendent for a friend and that is where he got Scabbers from.

I found it interesting that you put two different conclusions because Percy is such a strange charater that he is almost of two minds. I was really made to think of Janus the charater with two faces. I am truely confused in my mind as to where I think Percy will ultimately fit, but he was in Griffindor house so I am holding out some hope for him. I think too that I have even read somewhere in these editorial pages that someone is of the oppinion that Percy could be the ultimate spy for Dumbledoor and that he is in the position that he is in the ministry for a reason.

Hopefully we will find out more in 39 days!

Just to point out something that people have said in the comments about if someone were hurt in his family, Percy would come around... That's already happened. Arthur was seriously injured and Percy didn't visit his, or even ask if he was alright.

i agree with lwinner on this one - i think that's an EXTREMELY important fact about percy, perhaps the strongest single indication of his character that jkr has included thus far (and the only important omission from the editorial)... his father almost died, and in that moment of truth we saw where his priorities lie. what if arthur had died and percy didn't get the chance to see him beforehand - would he be wracked with guilt? is doesn't seem so, since he went ahead and took that chance, knowing how close arthur was to death ("mortal danger" according to the clock)...

Good editorial, but I think you gave Percy too much credit. To me he seems to be a follower and not a leader. He is book smart, but I don't think he is like Hermione who has other qualities and knows how to humble herself. I agree with what some others said. He, like Ron, dislikes his social and financial status and is aligning himself with those whom he thinks will help him in that area. He is very righteous in what he believes and closed minded and I doubt would believe that someone he respects could be doing wrong (even with the weight of being wrong about Mr. Crouch and Umbride and Voldemort following him into book 6). I think he is rather stupid and cowardly and may eventually fall into the wrong crowd (Death Eaters) and when he realizes it, try to back out but be killed similar to Sirius' brother. I don't know if I think he will ever make amends with his family because then he would have to admit he is wrong, which is something that I feel would be extremely difficult for him (most especially after the horrendous way he has treated them). No matter what I can't wait to read what JK has cooked up for us.

I luved the editorial..the best yet on percy!
Percy weasley, a grey and complex character much like snape. you never know which side they are on and yet we are left to wonder if there is a chance they might redeem themselves. they are on no one's side, they work for themselves. Percy revels in authority and power to influence:true, but then again there are the weasley genes.
remember the 'abnormal' behavior of percy rite after the second task? Ron's barely surfaced frm the lake and percy rushes to him (wets and muddies his dignified robes in the process)and hugs him wildly, all pretense of authority and position gone faster than you could say 'quiddich'...!! he does care for his family but his vision is clouded and his brain deluded by his ambition. Just as Ron detests being poor, so does Percy;but Percy's willing to go that extra mile beyond right and wrong to do something about it...although I'll bet that as soon as anything life threatening happens to any member of his family, he'll be by their side and take the threat of voldemort seriously! trust me, he jst needs a jolt back to reality. what say you magnumsuper hp sleuths?!

His dad Arthur received a near fatal snake bite in OoTP and that didn't bring him back to reality? Sorry to point that out but it is a glaring example.

wow amazing editorial...though quite unlikely i was thinking about how much of a twist and how odd it would be if Percy did have connections to voldemort...hmmm

Bruce - Only one problem with your fine essay. Percy may be short for Percival, but Percy is Percy.

OoP Chapter 8 - the Hearing Page 139 US (cut) ..."Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley--" (cut)

Everybody is given their full name, even DD pronounces his own long name "... Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,"...

(Bolding by me)

Maybe this is where you got your "Percival". Harry is Harry James Potter, not Henry as you would suppose, (one page later). Ginny is not Virginia, she is Ginevra, "Extra Stuff" - JKRowling.com. I think Jo is very specific with her names, and always uses any chance she can to give you full names. Even the name of the owls and pets.

I know people who are very offended if you get their name wrong, either shortening it, or formalizing it, if it isn't their name. Not me, my real name is not open to change, and too short to be shortened even further.

Percy's name is definitely Percy, which means "valley prisoner". It seems to me as though he might be torn between two sides in the war (the sides of the valley), and is a prisoner between the two.

This is completely unrelated to the editorial, but Percival also means "pierce the vale", which is meant to imply piercing a veil of mystery. This is interesting because, as was pointed out, Percival is one of Dumbledore's names, and there is the veil through which Sirius fell the in the Department of Mysteries, thus piercing the veil.

o my! Iwinner & khomagic, i completelllllllllllllllly forgot about mr. weasley's snake insident! i dont have the fifth bk with me so i cant check....was percy informed about his father? i think i vaguely remember that Bill or someone went to knock some sense into him...no i cant rmember correctly. can anyone let me know?
although i have to say, i thought Percy's reaction after the second task was rather endearing...its the first time i ever thought that he mite not be such a git after all...!!!!

Thought provoking editorial. Poor Percy, such a git. While I do think he is very much a follower, at the same time, he is very ambitious and if the power he craves is available to him by adopting amoral beliefs and actions...so be it. He is a character who causes great concern.

Good thought provoking editorial. I do doubt however, that Percy will be Minister of Magic in book 6 or 7. He's too young, inexperienced and not really all that well known in his own right. He has ambition but seems to lack the killer instinct needed for politics. Not visiting his father was sulky and immature. Unlike Umbridge who would do anything to keep and obtain power and Fudge who will look the other way even though in PoA he admits Voldemort's return is a possibility, Percy's more of a plumped up self righteous peacock than a manipulative and cunning politician.

I do see him being easily manipulated, as he was by Fudge and Umbridge in Ootp, into unwittingly helping one of the unnamed death eaters against the Order and Dumbledore. He would think he was about to score a real coup and repair his reputation but would in actuality be working against the Order unawares. I would like to think he learned his lesson after Ootp and be humbled by his demotion but I'm not sure that he has or would be willing to admit it just yet. I could see him trying to make amends, not by admitting he was wrong but by trying to prove what a good Ministry soldier he is and all the while being misled by the dark side.

I believe in the end, however, that once he discovered the truth he would die trying to correct this wrong. Sirius may have come from a dark family but he was correctly assigned by the sorting hat as a Griffindor and so was Percy. He may be a git but he's a courageous git, as he showed on that night in GoF when he raced with his brothers and father into the fray to rescue the muggles, and that will eventually rule out. Unfortunately, it just may be the last thing he does.

I think he still has a roll to play in these books but not as Minister of Magic. (don't make me eat my words Jo)

What a facinating editorial, great read! I agree that it's unlikely Percy will become Minister of Magic, again, he's too young and I think the wizarding community will be very selective this time around. Not only because of Fudges enormous errors, but with the threat of Voldemort being eminant, I don't think anyone in their right mind would put a 20 year old in charge, especially one that was as close to Fudge as he was.
As for the rest of it, I do see Percy as being the sort that would go where the power leads him. But Percy doesn't want to be undersecretary to the minister, he wants to BE the minister himself. No, Percy's not content with second in command, just as he was headboy at Hogwarts and flaunted it, he wants to be the top dog. I don't see him running second to anyone, not even Voldemort. Though he does seem very corruptable in the sense that he's blinded by ambition. I imagine, having grown up being poor, with the stigma of the Weasley name, he's grown a bit resentful of his family over the years. As much as he does seem to love them, I think he's embarrassed of them to a degree.
I do see alot of paralells to other characters in the story. He does seem alot like Tom Riddle, for instance. But he may be pompous, he's not so full of hate and vengance as Tom. He seems to want to be where the power is, he's not needy, clingy or weak as Wormtail. And while he's terribly ambitious as Barty Crouch, Barty never seemed to have much love for his family even before the threat of dark association could tarnish his reputation. And even though it appears Percy sold out his family to further his carreer, I think his actions could have been much more personal than that.
Percy's ambition, to be the Minister of Magic makes me think he idolized the Minister himself. The Minister of Magic is the epiphany of success, something to strive for, someone to model yourself after. If the Minister of Magic says that Voldemort has not returned, Percy believes him. To think that the Minister of Magic would be wrong would shatter Percy's sensibillities. Why strive for an image of perfection your entire life only to find out that your image of perfection was completely wrong? I think that's what it all comes down to, Percy BELIEVED he was in the right. I don't think he meant any ill will or harm to his family, only that they had been holding him back his whole life, and he came down to having to make a choice. His lifelong dreams, or the family that has been a source of shame and embarrasment his whole life. And lets face it, even though Ron loves his family dearly, the Weasleys are frowned upon in the Wizard community and Ron has felt it. Even the so called "pureblood" status affords them no respect among those who feel such a thing is socially important. Selfish as he might seem, I don't think there was anything sinister behind Percy's motives.
Although, Percy seems quite gulible, blinded by his desire to rise above his family stigma, and while he may not intentionally sell out altogether, he does seem quite vulnerable to being misled.
Personally, I'm hoping he will come home and apologize to his parents, his siblings and Harry. I'm looking forward to watching him grovel a bit and admit he is not infalable. Perhaps it will be the truth itself that wakes him up. It could be possible, we see a much more humble Percy than the one we've come to know. Fun to think about huh?

I also see Percy as more of a follower. Percy is a status lover, much like Fudge. I see him coming around now that the ministry is admitting that Voldemort has returned. Remember what Sirius said "Don't worry about Percy, He'll come round. It is a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open; once he does, the whole ministry's going to be begging us to forgive them"

I think he still has a roll to play in these books but not as Minister of Magic. (don't make me eat my words Jo)

You just may have to eat your words. If I remember right Jo said that there would be a tie in with CoS. Now we know that Percy's ambition is to become the Minister of Magic as we find out in CoS. We also know that there will be a new Minister in HBP so Fudge will step down or be voted out. This leaves the position open for anyone to apply and I doubt that many will apply with Voldemort back. Let's face it, if you were a witch or wizard in Harry's world would you want to take on the top post in the country with Voldemort around? I dare say many of you would not and that would be true in Harry's world. Now say that your Percy and your undersecretary to the Minister. You've just seen Fudge lose his position as Minister and you have planned on becoming the Minister anyway so why not take this opportunity and apply for the job? After all, you did become the undersecretary to the Minister only a year after leaving Hogwarts. How many of you, if you were just any witch or wizard would apply for the position of Minister of Magic with Voldemort back and how many of you, if you were Percy would apply? Oh by the way, great editorial.

Good Point regarding who would want the job, even still it just seems highly unlikely that they would elect or hire a 20 year old as Minister of Magic. That's like President or Prime Minister. They have rules governing underage magic use and the age at which you can apply to disapparate. I would assume there would be limits as to how old you must be to be Minister of Magic. No, I agree with whoever said it earlier that should Percy survive thru book 7 he might be in the Postscript as becoming Minister of Magic years down the line but not at 20 or 21. I would frankly be disappointed to see that. It just seems a bit farfetched even for the potterverse.

thanks for the great editorial...
Rereading GoF I just noticed, that Percy calls Mr. Weasly Father...
just like our old friend draco. I think all the other Weasleys call him Dad. Sorry if this was mentioned elswhere...

From Destany-
Percy's ambition, to be the Minister of Magic makes me think he idolized the Minister himself. The Minister of Magic is the epiphany of success, something to strive for, someone to model yourself after. If the Minister of Magic says that Voldemort has not returned, Percy believes him. To think that the Minister of Magic would be wrong would shatter Percy's sensibillities. Why strive for an image of perfection your entire life only to find out that your image of perfection was completely wrong? I think that's what it all comes down to, Percy BELIEVED he was in the right. I don't think he meant any ill will or harm to his family, only that they had been holding him back his whole life, and he came down to having to make a choice. His lifelong dreams, or the family that has been a source of shame and embarrasment his whole life. And lets face it, even though Ron loves his family dearly, the Weasleys are frowned upon in the Wizard community and Ron has felt it. Even the so called "pureblood" status affords them no respect among those who feel such a thing is socially important. Selfish as he might seem, I don't think there was anything sinister behind Percy's motives.

Well said! Percy has put all his faith in Fudge to further his ambitions. I think Percy shows his immaturity through his actions. We must hope that this has been a learning experience for him and allows his character to grow in a more positive light.

Also-Several people have mentioned that Percy didn't come to help his father. Remember that we only learn information from Harry's POV. We don't know how Percy responded when he heard his father was hurt, or how/from whom he heard. We only know that he didn't come to the hospital and that he sent his Christmas jumper back without a note or anything. By the time he heard what had happened, he was probably also told that Arthur was going to be OK. He may not have been given the whole truth to how Arthur was injured. Remember- Dumbledore fabricated a story for the Ministry to explain what Arthur was doing there. Knowing how close Percy was to the Minister- the Order may have felt it best to not fill him in on the truth. My guess is that to Percy the incident mearly reinforced his idea that running around with Dumbledore and Harry would only lead to trouble.

I liked it. I'm sure if I were a teacher I'd give you an 'A' well deserved mind.

I'm not sure if Percy would become the Minister, but with what you pointed out that Percy likes to over look unpleasent truths and what someone said early about no one wanting the job, becoming minister within the next two books is very plausible for Percy.

I also noticed that you emphasize Percy's instinct for self preservation. If he were the minister do you think in order to over look the horrible truth he would attempt to make deals with Death Eaters and maybe Lord Voldemort himself. I don't think Percy has intensionally tried to be evil in his pursuit of power but I believe that in his quest to keep power he would make deals with Voldemort thus proving his possible connection to dark wizards.

o my! Iwinner & khomagic, i completelllllllllllllllly forgot about mr. weasley's snake insident! i dont have the fifth bk with me so i cant check....was percy informed about his father? i think i vaguely remember that Bill or someone went to knock some sense into him...no i cant rmember correctly. can anyone let me know?
although i have to say, i thought Percy's reaction after the second task was rather endearing...its the first time i ever thought that he mite not be such a git after all...!!!!
I'm not 100% sure he was told personally by one of the family, but he works at the ministry of magic surely he would know his dad is absent from work it would have been a scandal of some sort where he was when he got bitten I think?

As the title says, this editorial was quite persuasive. It has made me dislike Percy more than I did, and to tell the truth, I didn't exactly hate him like most other people did. Of course, I will not argue that I hated what he did in OotP...

In this editorial, it was stated that Percy is quite like Mr. Crouch. Now, if we remember what happened in GoF, Mr. Crouch died. I sisncerely hope Percy doesn't follow that route.

First off, I just want to say that I enjoyed your article very much. It was well written and well researched. You definately brought up some good points (many of which I had never heard before).

My personal beliefs are different though (I might just be in denial!). I agree with others in this discussion in thinking that Percy is the ultimate spy. Percy being a spy would be so perfect, just think about it!

You pointed out that he did not visit his father in his time of need. That's what supports my theory. He ran to Ron after the second task in the Triwizard Tournament. That right there is his true nature, at that point he didn't care what others thought. He did what was in his heart. That says to me that he would have done the same for his father.

So then you might ask, "Then why did he choose to NOT visit his father?" The answer is simple... Because he cannot lose his cover! He has worked so hard to try to get close to the Ministry of Magic that he had to restrain himself from going. This was probably Dumbledore's idea. I'm sure that Dumbledore told Percy to think of his sacrifice (not seeing his father) as a favor to all of humanity.

There is much more to Percy than we think. We know that he would have visited his father if he could, but he had to put his selfish feelings aside and help the Order of the Phoenix. And remember, being the "ultimate spy" means that no one must know of his involvement with the Order of the Phoenix. NO ONE, not even his parents.


Well, that's my two cents. What do you guys think?

-Erika Baez

I'm sorry if anyone has already made this point, but regarding Percy's anxiety over Ron (GoF) and his lack of interest in his father's attack (ootp)
What if the Percy by the lake was only behaving like that to get attention or something? Or because of Fleur's hysterical screaming he thought it would be the 'right' thing to do? Remember how concerned he is about keeping to the rules..............and if he didn't make a fuss over Ron everybody would be wondering why not!

Percy's name isn't Percival. It's Percy. In OOTP, during Harry's trial, full names are stated of several people. Percy's? Percy Ignatious (sp.) Weasley. However, one of Dumbledor's middle names is Percival.

There are three sides to this war so far in OotP:

1. Harry and Dumbledore lead this group. It is based off of Harry being wittness to LV's return. The Order members, Weasley kids and Hermione make up this group. They know that LV's back and are critisized by others who think they are going insane.

2. This is the second group which consists of most of the general public and of the Ministry. This is the group that believe that LV is dead or something of the sort. They make a fool out of both Dumbledore and Harry just to make themselves look good.

3. This is the third group. These are Voldemort supporters (aka Death Eaters) and they are here to do LV's work. Things like killing Muggles and just anybody they feel like it. Their main goal is, of course, Harry Potter.

Now, we all know that Percy is in group number two. He doesn't think that LV is back and turns his back on his family when they have never done anything to him. He chooses his career over his family who have always been there for him.

Since Percy is in this middle group, he has two choices. There is no longer any doubt in anyone's mind that LV is back and so the second group no longer exists. Percy could follow his dream to have all of the power and become a Death Eater (bad decision in my mind) or go back to his family and help with the Order and coming war.

We need to make a decision as to what kind of person Percy is. He loves his family (see Second Task, GoF) but then he loves his work, too (Ron mentioning that Percy wouldn't leave if Mr. Weasley didn't make him).

If Percy returns to his family, he can have both a good career and also his family. However, if he goes to the Death Eaters, he loses family and gains power. This decision is up to Percy (and JKR!). We'll hopefully find out next month.

Very good editorial. I was thinking that if Percy become Minister of Magic on HBP that something smells in England. ( hehehhehe, couldn't resist ) It would indicate that Percy is either in with V or being manipulated by V and company for their ends. This would look very bad for Percy's survival. Now if Percy is shown as being sacked or demoted and comes back to his family, shows he has learned from his mistakes and slows down his quest for power then we can hope for good things for Percy. It once again comes down to choosing between what is easy and what is hard but right.

Mercer

MaggieWeasley - If you will read the first page of this thread, you will find I have already posted the exact same thing, including the quotes from the book.

It is always recommended that you read at least the first and last page of a thread before posting and this was only 3 pages long. Good luck on future sleuthing.

I just remembered something else about Percy that makes me wonder if it is significant. Percy was the person who talked Harry and Ron into taking Divination in the first place. He said it was a facinating subject or something on that order. Wonder what Percy learned in divination? Or if he even took that subject. Seems like he'd be more interested in ancient runes or the like as Hermione is. Maybe he was told to help Harry along into taking that subject?

Great Editorial. I really don't know what to think of Percy. At this point he could really go either way. I am hoping that he stays true to the Ministry and decide that he belives what Harry and the lot have been saying, and go back home.

Good thoughts - in the editorial and replies I think. But I'm not sure that Percy will in the immediate future (he might eventually) be either a death eater or a Dumbledore supporter. His likeness to Crouch Sr. seems to indicate that for a while he might go the way Crouch did - as Sirius sais in "Padfoot returns" in GoF (sorry, can't give the Page number right now): "Times like that (Voldemort being in power) bring out the best in some people, and the worst in others... Crouch's principle's might have been good in the beginning, but he... turned as cruel and ruthless as many of the dark side" - and this, I might add - against Voldemort. I think that's what we'll hear of Percy in HBP - taking a ruthless, rather un-principled course against everyone even vaguely Death-eater-like (or just Anti-Ministry....) A bit like fighting terrorism by force and using the very means one's set out fighting against... (authorisation of unforgivable curses against suspects anyone? That was Crouch's measure, and Percy might be similar.)

Excellent editorial.

I don't really see Percy becoming Minister of Magic. There is a lot of politics involved in obtaining a top position anywhere. Percy is a newbie to the Ministry. There is no way Percy will be elected to the office over the seniority of other members of the Ministry.

With that being said, I can see one situation where Percy can become head of the Minstry of Magic. When Fudge resigns, Percy become the Acting Minister of Magic, until a new Minister is found. :)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Percy! I find that as we get closer to the end of the series :upset: the tone of the books gets darker and darker, and Percy's actions reflect this very well.

In the first three books, he's just a pompous "git" (I love that word!), as we all know. In fact, he's really quite comical, in a different way from Fred and George, and I don't mind that they give him an extra hard time because someone like that needs to be reminded of the lighter side of life (I speak from experience, as Percy reminds me a little of myself when I was younger - I was very serious). And then in GoF, he moves towards his major decision in OoTP, when he completely ostrasizes his family. And I'd like to ponder this for a moment because I remember times when I didn't like the way my family was going and I wanted to totally be different from them. I easily duped myself into believing that someone who I'd known for a year or two knew me better than my family who had known me for all of my life.

So it really made me sad when I read what he'd done it in book 5. However, it is the next step for someone who is not checked and brought back into the fold, which may in fact be partly Arthur and Molly's fault. Could there be something in that?

But also, in thinking about the end of OoTP, we don't hear how Percy reacts to the news that LV is back. We aren't told if he goes back to his family. He might, it is a viable option, but that would be too tame for JKR, don't you think? He'll probably prolong the family feud and stay away, proudly polishing his wand and climbing up the corporate ladder of the Ministry. I'm sure we will see something of this in HBP, though, because Percy's not out of the picture by a long shot.

I want to know just how much Scabbers influenced Percy. Percy was in Gryffindor, yes, but that sorting may have taken place before scabbers was able to really get at him. Scabbers would not have been able to do much with a kid that couldn't USE magic, and would likely have been found out if he had tried to first influence Percy at home, so, really, Hogwarts fist year would have been ideal for "letting the RAT out of the bag." Remember, Wormtail wouldn't have had to expose himself, just run off to some place, i.e. a particulair shelf in the library, or a room in the castle or even off grounds, and just make Percy chase him.

I don't see Percy as getting any farther in the ministry, He's all too obviously a power hungry kiss-up. Fudge exploited that, and if Fudge can see that, then any other wizard can too. My guess would be someone like Madam Bones stepping up, while Fudge's cabinet gets flushed out. Most likely, percy handles this rejection badly and someone ( like Malfoy, if he wasn't locked up) seizes the oppertunity to give the boy an offer he can't refuse. It's then that he makes amends with his family with the purpose of betraying them.

I don't believe that Percy wants to go to Lord Voldemort. I believe that Lord Voldemort wants Percy. I don't think Percy at the age when he got Scabbers, which was probably younger than 14, went looking for Lord Voldemorts most faithfull servent. Yet he still found him. His family does not give him much reason to rebel either. Voldemort can do many thinks. Even sway Percy Weasley from his morals and ethics taught by his family? I don't know! Just a theory!

I don't believe that Percy wants to go to Lord Voldemort. I believe that Lord Voldemort wants Percy. I don't think Percy at the age when he got Scabbers, which was probably younger than 14, went looking for Lord Voldemorts most faithfull servent. Yet he still found him. His family does not give him much reason to rebel either. Voldemort can do many thinks. Even sway Percy Weasley from his morals and ethics taught by his family? I don't know! Just a theory!

Wormtail isn't Voldemort's most faithful servant. He is a coward and had not considered returning to Voldemort until after the incident at the Shrieking Shack in PoA. Barty Crouch Jr. is the the one that Voldemort refers to as his most faithful servant. Percy would have had to be younger than 14 when he received Wormtail/Scabbers as his pet. I believe it had been 12 years that Scabbers had been in the family, and Percy was either 17 or 18 in PoA, so he would have been 5 or 6 years old.

I really enjoyed the article and brought up some good points, but as many others have stated, I doubt Percy will become the next Minister of Magic.

This is a BRILLIANT editorial, and one that gives the reader loads of perspective and stuff to think - and think hard - about.

However, there is one thing in the books that was not mentioned in this editorial, and to me it screams FORESHADOWING!

Unfortunately I'm at work and cannot access my Harry Potter books to double-check this reference, but I believe in GoF there is an exchange between Ron and Harry (in reference to Mr. Crouch sending his son to Azkaban). Ron says that Percy would put his family members in jail if Percy felt his amibitions (or reputation) were threatened by said family member.

Given the fact that Percy severed his relationship with his family in OotP and advises Ron to avoid contact with Harry and a separation from Molly & Athur's ideals, I see definitely have the feeling Percy will attain a higher level of power and possibly throw Arthur, Molly, or even Ron in prison for their actions regarding Voldemort.

Does anyone, especially the editorial's author, have a comment on this? :huh:

Thanks, everyone, for such a good discussion on an interesting editorial. Percy has always fascinated me because he is--as the editorial notes--so very different from the other Weasleys. This point seems crucial, particularly when thinking about Jo's depiction of family and character throughout the HP books. So many characters mimic their families (Draco, for instance), but there are also characters who stand in striking contrast to their families, like Sirius and Lily. Because Percy is so different from the Weasleys, it seems that Percy is an excellent example of Dumbledore's point in CoS: our choices make us who we are.

That Percy represents a Weasley who is very un-Weasley-like seems to reinforce the idea that people's characters are not determined by their families. I'm not sure if a convincing case can be made that Scabbers influenced Percy to move away from his family's values; there isn't enough textual evidence for that yet. As englishqueen0 points out, we know from GOF that a betrayal may come if Percy feels that his position is threatened, and we can tell from his involvement in the "deeply boring" Prefects Who Gained Power that he has ambitions. Percy has always valued prestige and power more than the other Weasleys; it is in OOtP that we realize that he values them more than his relationship with his family. He seems to be gradually making that shift, especially when thinking about his position as a Gryffindor.

One would think that Percy would have ended up in Slytherin, considering that that house values prestige and power as much as Percy does. However, he was sorted into Gryffindor, which suggests either that he did not care that much about prestige when he started at Hogwarts or that he does value courage over social power more than he indicated in OOtP. QueenLindzi notes that Percy is one of those people who did not believe Harry but also did not actively support Voldemort. I think that Percy was willfully misinformed but that he may show his courage and chivalry if push continues to come to shove. If not, though, that suggests that he has chosen not to follow in the Weasley footsteps, and this choice, however infuriating and stupid it may seem, is still his to make.

I must say, though, I can't imagine that he would become the Minister of Magic. Like others have noted, he's too young and inexperienced. At least, that's what he is now. Because we know that the books will not continue after book seven, I think it's safe to assume that he will only be around 19 when he leave him, and that strikes me as too young. Maybe if the books continued until volume 17 or so, he'd be the Minister. But, alas, there will only be seven books. :upset:

--faraday black

excellent point looney28, I thuroughly enjoyed the editorial. I too believe Percy has a larger roll to play and you might just have hit the nail on the head, Minister of Majic, Percy, what a great twist that would be. I hope your right........ EXCELLENT!!!

Faraday Black -- Good point about Percy being in Gryffindor and not Slytherin. I Percy really was only out to do whatever it took to be on top, the sorting hat would have seen it, and put him in Slythering. That's why I don't think Percy is power hungery. I just think that he is obsessed with following the rules. I think that he sees his being made a prefect, and head boy and his position at the Ministry as signs that he has followed the rules. And he frowns on his family, Harry and Dumbuldor for thier willingness to bend the rules.
Because I think Percy sees the Order as attacking the Ministry and thus, the rules, I could see him being taken in by Valdamort and becoming a Death Eater, not because he wants power, but because he would honestly believe that he was doing the right thing.

I have to stick up for Percy - I'm a big believer that people can have competing motives, and make serious mistakes, but still recover. Whenever we've seen Percy really believe that someone in his family is in danger (e.g. GoF after 2nd Task, also CoS after Ginny was taken into the Chamber), we've seen Percy behave very differently than usual - he is pale, silent (in the CoS scene), unrefined, in a panic, and unconcerned about how he appears. The problem is that when he is in denial about his family or anyone else being in danger, then his usual insecure ego rises to the surface and he tries to convince every one around him of his value (in a very superficial manner). He is the ultimate middle child in the Weasley family (excepting the twins, who are their own phenomenon) - in fact, he grew up almost in parallel with the twins (+ or - 2 years), and he probably has always been keenly aware that people like the twins a lot more than they like him. I remember when I was young that, just like Percy, in my insecurity, I held up all my academic awards for people to see (metaphorically), as if I thought people would like me better - I learned the hard way that it doesn't work quite like that. I think Percy might be capable of learning that he has value as a caring human that has nothing to do with the superficial honors and titles he currently covets.

In SS/PS (I think, no books in front of me, but I know it's somewhere in the series), Dumbledore mentions to Harry that just like Ron, he used to want all the same kinds of academic honors and titles (I think this is in the Mirror of Erised scene), but that changed over time. Ron and Percy are similar in their insecure want of respect from others, except that Percy is just a bit further down the path of obnoxiousness than Ron. I think that Percy, with a little bit of shock, can change too.

There is a very sweet scene in SS/PS, when we see all the Weasleys and Percy get their Weasley sweaters for the first time. Percy resists putting on his sweater at first, but when the twins stop teasing him meanly and invite him in a more loving manner to put on the family sweater, he acquiesces with humility.

And don't forget, we only have Harry's point of view, and Harry's point of view is heavily influenced by Ron and the twins, and Ron also is heavily influenced by the twins. And (especially in CoS, but in the other books as well) the twins are notoriously bad at understanding Percy's motivation for anything. They constantly accuse him of corrupt motives, when really, Percy just has a girlfriend (and probably acts a bit pompous to try to impress her, too). I think it is possible that the fallout in OotP might have more involved in it than we realize, because Ron and the twins are simply not capable of understanding Percy in an unbiased way. We didn't hear the conversation Percy had with his parents. We only heard most of it through the younger Weasleys (who all just believe the twins), since the parents don't want to talk about it. Parents and children can some times have huge disagreements that outwardly appear to be something simple, but are actually very complex.

Anyway, Percy is a complex guy. He still has choices to make, and some more emotional things to work out - let's not pass judgement on him as being a Death Eater or anything else corrupt until we, with our own eyes and not those of his siblings, see him make those choices.

Night Owl --- your point is well made. You explained better than I did what I believe Percy's possition to be. I don't think he's power hungery and I don't think that he is evil. I think he believes he is doing what is right.
He believe Flich over Dumbeldor because he has always believed that Dumbeldor was a little mad... and his believeing Harry's fair fetch story about Voldimort just proves it.
When I say that I could see Percy becoming a dealth eater, it's because I could see him falling in to Valdamorte's trap and being perswaded that certain people have to killed for the greater good. In the end Percy will probably see the light, but not before he gets himself into some real trubble.

Thanks! I enjoyed reading your editorial. I wonder how poor Percy's ego is going to handle the fact that Voldemort has indeed returned and that he was batting for the wrong team (you know what mean) all along. My guess is that he'll still be blind to these obvious facts.

Have you ever noticed the FAQ section on JK's website? Nine paperclips surrounding a tack.... I've always thought of them representing the Weasley family around Harry. Note when you next have a look that there are two side by side ( the parents perhaps), two lying down crossed over (the twins perhaps......I get a bit freaked out about this because I have grave fears about Fred and George but that's another story). Anyhow one of the paperclips is noticeable distant to the others!!

And don't forget, we only have Harry's point of view, and Harry's point of view is heavily influenced by Ron and the twins, and Ron also is heavily influenced by the twins.

That, I think, is the meat of the matter. We have precious little direct account of Percy's actions during OotP, having to rely on the narration of his siblings. Personally, I think taking anything any of the Weasleys (except Percy, to be frank) at face value is unwise, since they've clearly demonstrated an inability to be frank or even make an attempt at unbiased reporting. It's clear from PS/SS that none of Percy's siblings like him very much (I hesitate to go so far as saying that they hate him, but with the amount of grief Fred and George give him even before his falling out with Arthur I do sometimes wonder...), so anything any of the Weasleys say to Harry (and subsequently the audience) about Percy shouldn't be taken at face value.

In any case, I find this essay (http://www.livejournal.com/users/calanthe_b/84346.html) to be an interesting counterpoint to the things raised in the editorial this thread is devoted to.

I loved this editorial. I prefer reading editorials on people over situations because I love character analysis, so this was kick *****! The thing that got me though was when the author said that we only see Percy at Christmas as the butt of the twins' joke. Yes, they were poking fun at Percy, but at the same time, they imparted upon us a very important observation: Percy began alienating his family even eariler. They had to force Percy to wear his mum's sweater which we all know is a clear cut give away as to family affiliation. They also had to frog march him from the room, insisting that 'Christmas is a time for family,' and that he could not sit with the prefects for the day. He was already disregarding his family for his authority, just like in CoS with the bathroom and the five points from Gryffindor, only eariler than noticed.

Great editorial. One inportant quote that was left out was Ron saying Percy would throw he family to the dementors if they obstructed his ambitions (534 GOF, American Hardback edition)
This more then anything shows Percy's similarities to Crouch, both have ambitions that are more important than anything. I feel that Percy is more likely to mirror Crouch (Sr) is character and possibly have an equally hard fall from grace.

Like everyone else has said, great editorial!
although i have to say, when it comes to percy's almost embbaressment of his family's situation ity doesnt seem that far fetchted to me. I dont think Percy is showing Voldy like ambish tendencys but rather image creating. Again great editoral, charecter analyisis is the best!

:tu: How very insightful, I think you're on to something. BRAVO. There is definatley something fishy going on with Percy. Being as knowledgeable as he is, it would be appropriate for him to be suspcious towards why his rat had lived for such a long time, but he has not displayed suspicion. There is a fair chance there that he knew that he was harboring Pettigrew.

my personal gut feeling about percy is that he is blinded by ambition into following the wrong people...for now...I do believe he will come to see that he going the wrong way, but he will be in too deep.

I actually think Percy is going to die in book 6 or 7, after he tries to escape the dark side...

dunno why...just a gut feeling...

on the other hand, it could be that Percy is to be on the wrong side, to show that in good families some people may be bad, as in evil families some people may be good...

I want to know just how much Scabbers influenced Percy. Percy was in Gryffindor, yes, but that sorting may have taken place before scabbers was able to really get at him. Scabbers would not have been able to do much with a kid that couldn't USE magic, and would likely have been found out if he had tried to first influence Percy at home, so, really, Hogwarts fist year would have been ideal for "letting the RAT out of the bag." Remember, Wormtail wouldn't have had to expose himself, just run off to some place, i.e. a particulair shelf in the library, or a room in the castle or even off grounds, and just make Percy chase him.

I don't see Percy as getting any farther in the ministry, He's all too obviously a power hungry kiss-up. Fudge exploited that, and if Fudge can see that, then any other wizard can too. My guess would be someone like Madam Bones stepping up, while Fudge's cabinet gets flushed out. Most likely, percy handles this rejection badly and someone ( like Malfoy, if he wasn't locked up) seizes the oppertunity to give the boy an offer he can't refuse. It's then that he makes amends with his family with the purpose of betraying them.

I wish we had more info on Percy with Scabbers. Like where he got him from etc. It's like I said somwhere else Harry needs to learn to ask questions!

First I will have to say that I will eat my shorts if Percy is the next Minster for Magic.

He is an ambitious git, and he tried to further his career by attaching himself to Crouch and then Fudge. Not a bad move; as both Fudge and Crouch have much influence and power in the Ministry and they are well positioned to bring along a young mans career. Of course this all becomes a complete mess. First Crouch is proven to have done something very illegal and ultimately very damaging to the Ministry. Then Fudge is proven to be a complete failure since he refused to believe that Voldemort had returned.

Where does that leave Percy? As the underling to two people who suffered spectacular failures within the last two year, Percy can only be considered damaged goods. What do you do with damage goods? Either throw them out or shove them into the corner. You certainly do not make them Minister.

I think it highly likely that he will be shoved into a very detestable {from his point of view (POV)} job. From his POV he will feel that he can't go back to his family and he will feel abandoned by everyone. I do not think he will knowingly help the Death Eaters but in his desire to somehow regain his footing he will be manipulated into to something for the death eaters.

Whether or not things transpire like I see it, JK surely has some interesting plans for this flawed character.

BTW gg on the editorial.

It's an awesome editorial and I think that maybe Percy does have something to do with Voldemort, even if it is one of those things were you wish it isn't true. :upset:

I'm confused, in CofS Percy is allowed to dock points from Gryffindor. But in OOP the prefects weren't allowed to dock points, Malfoy was allowed by Umbridge to dock points when he became part of her Inquisitorial Squad....

quite interesting editorial indeed!

good points, good writing..

however, i do not feel anything for the argument of Percy being the best next minister of magic.. i do feel percy being a good minister of magic if he would be the follow-up of Fudge in his position before he finally sees with his own eyes that Voldemort is back.. so the ministry cannot doubt the fact that voldemort is indeed back.. which i guess will be seen in book 6, when Fudge resigns, i do not think a follow-up could deny anymore that voldemort is back!! And my guess is that Voldemort will manifestate himself more clearly within the magical world in the next books..

and m155th4ng, good point! Or can head boys dock points and was percy already a headboy then?!

sorry 'bout my english if it aint that good!! Im from holland..

Jesse//

I think that was a brilliant editorial. Although I could see Percy possibly becoming Minister Of Magic I think, as some have said before, that he isn't a leader. I think that he isn't really fit to be MoM, just as I don't see Fudge fit to be MoM. But since Fudge and Percy have similar characteristics and Fudge IS MoM,then even through my disapproval its possible that Percy COULD become MoM. Though with the clues given, I don't think Percy would actually turn to the dark arts. I would be greatly dissappointed if he did. But anything can happen.

First I want to say thank you everyone for reading my editorial. This is my first one, so I was unsure of how it would be received. I seem to have missed a few vital points, and perhaps made a few mistakes, but I'm so glad that it sparked your curiousity and you were ready to let me know about it! Firstly, I completely skimmed over Harry's Trial in OoTP and did not notice that Percy's name was not, in fact, Percival, however, I couldn't find a meaning for the name Percy other than, it was short for Percival, therefore, I used the definition of Percival.
Given the fact that Percy severed his relationship with his family in OotP and advises Ron to avoid contact with Harry and a separation from Molly & Athur's ideals, I see definitely have the feeling Percy will attain a higher level of power and possibly throw Arthur, Molly, or even Ron in prison for their actions regarding Voldemort.Does anyone, especially the editorial's author, have a comment on this? :huh:

I think that is a very interesting speculation. However, I also could see Percy making Crouch's mistake (as many of you have pointed out) and once he accepted that Voldemort was a threat to his beloved Ministry, deciding to fight fire with fire, which is not the most effective/ moral way to go about things. I could see him getting himself into trouble!

I also wanted to point out that I don't have a vendetta against Percy. I must admit that I personally do not want Percy to join Voldemort, nor do I 100% believe that it will happen, I was simply exploring the possibilities, because it was a path not many had investigated thoroughly. I sincerely hope that Percy sees the error of his ways, and returns to his family, and fights side by side with the Order against the evils of Voldemort. I just don't see Jo laying it down that easy, is all.

I agree with many of you that there is a large possibility that Percy will go to neither side, but remain in a quest for authority. (Also, authority is not always a bad thing, however, he does show a tendency of letting it go to his head, so in this case, its not his most endearing quality)

Thank you so much for reading and discussing my editorial. I look forward to writing more in the future.
Thank You!!

]Great editorial! Percy is one of the many complex characters of Potterverse, and I am very interested to see how he turns out in the end. I think from the very beginining of HP, you kind of sense something fishy about Percy just because he is so very different from the rest of the Weasleys. He prefers to be alone, he is rather uncaring and aloof, and he doesn't show any real love/care for his family. Take the instance with the snake bite: 1) Either Percy didn't know at all that his father was hurt, since I don't think he was in the Weasley household at all to check their clock. And since no one reported it in the Ministry of Magic, he wouldn't know. Or no one in the family bothered to tell him. Or...2) Percy is an uncaring, unsensitive, ambitious git :grumble: who "needs to get his priorites straight". I am really anxious to see how Percy turns out.

Your editorial is rather thought provoking, and I enjoyed it a lot, but I disagree with the conclusions that you've made ona couple of areas.

The "Hermes" Connection - I agree that JKR does not make references to ancient mythology lightly. "Hermes" was the messenger to the gods. He was not considered one of the pantheon of gods himself. I think having Percy's owl named "Hermes" reflects more upon who he is (and will be). He is always the assistant or junior to the real "power." He is a glorified errand boy (being sent in Crouch's place) who sees these tasks as justification that he is advancing - but is he really advancing or being dillusional? He is an assistant to Fudge because Crouch is no longer there. In a bureaucracy, people are shifted around from job to job rather than fired - that's just how it works. I think that Percy's unfaltering loyalty to whoever happens to be in charge (Fudge or Crouch) is more proof than anything that he will never rise to the places of power that he dreams of. His close association to their policies and principles (i.e. Voldemort has not returned) will reflect on him too greatly if were to assert himself as a possibility for Minister of Magic.

I do believe that there is something more-than-meets-the-eye where Percy is concerned. It seems odd that he would desert his loving family so completely just to fuel his own ambitions - although this is possible. As for him being a death eater or leaning toward Voldemort's side - wouldn't it be wiser for him to remain closer to his family? He would be given access to the OotP because of his family and all of the secrets there within. If I were working for Voldemort - and as ambitious as we've been lead to believe Percy is - I would be right there mucking it up to my family to get all the scoop so I could report back to my mentor. It just doesn't make sense any other way.

There's my two cents - for what it's worth. :)

that was brilliant!! that was awsome! very thought prvoking. these are very good questions about perce. i've allways questioned weather perce's intentions towards power are based on who has the most. weather or not he will be minister i another article in itself.

Wow, great editorial! I really really enjoyed reading more about Percy. I think that he has always been a bit "off" when compared to the Weasley family and I wasn't surprised when he left the family altogether in OotP. I think that he is the typical "do anything for power" type and I could picture him as Minister of Magic, or even as a Voldemort suporter (although I don't think he's been one in the past 5 books, but maybe in the future). I think that he shouldn't be Minster in the next book(s), though, because now that the Ministry has accepted that Voldemort is back, then they do need someone that is a lot older and wiser than Percy... who I can imagine trying to cover everything up again. Overall, great editorial and brought out a lot of things to think about- too many for me to address right now.

Hi!
Your edidtorial was really great :tu: but there was one thing I dont think was right. When Harry was going for his hearing, :td: they were announcing everyones full names. Percy was announced as percy, not percival, and I dont know whether this was you mistake or JK Rowlings :huh: just wondering!

Anyways, I say again your editorial was great :clap: just thought id mentoin it!
Callster

Percy's greatest ambition was to become Minister of Magic. Ron's as we know because we saw it in the Mirror of Erised is to be the best of his brother's headboy, win the Quidditch cup and become Quidditch Captain he's on the path to becoming all of these so would JK Rowling do the same type of thing with Percy (give him what he wants) I think so

I think that was some keen insight into Percy. But I don't know if I agree with all of it. Well, mostly any of it. Since it is all theory anyway. I have never been comfortable with the huge blow up between Aurther and Percy.

I have been toying with the idea that Percy is not as bad as we might all think he is. There are so many things happening in these books, and it seems to me that Dumbledore is behind 99% of it. I have wondered if Percy is working for Dumbledore. If he has very loudy severed ties with his family, to gain acceptance into the Ministries inner circle. I this it's double agent action that we haven't seen since Snape came into play.

I think Dumbledore is keenly aware of Percy's ambitions. He might have used this to convince Percy to be his spy. It's a Win Win situation. Percy gets to move up in the world and Dumbledore gets his inside information and he can also have Percy place stratigic comments or things like that.

[QUOTE=Rayjo]Discussion of The Burrow article A Closer Look at Percival Weasley (http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/theburrow/brucet01.shtml) by Tarah Toney.[/QUOTeYeah I like what you wrote. Maybe perhaps all those discriptions like what kind of owl Percy has a significants but I doubt it. However, I do think that Percy's full name being Percival has a certain significants.

good editorial....interesting perspective...i have this weird feeling that percy might murder one of his family members (Ron,Ginny,Fred/George,Molly,Arthur) if he makes friends with the wrong ppl...tell me what u think

I haven't read what everyone said so sorry if I am repeating anything.

I have been re-reading the GoF. It didn't really strike me as much on my first read just how much Percy's brother's don't trust him. More than his insistance of his importance to the Ministry, I think that his brother's (espceially Ron's) opionin of him really reveal his character.

When the Trio suspect Fred and George of blackmail -- Ron theorizes that Percy cares so much about power that he would turn his own family memebers in (like Crouch did with his son) in order to prove his loyalty..... is he for shadowing something? Will Percy not only totally sever ties with his family... will he betry them for the promise of power?

Thanks again guys for all the great discussion about my editorial! I was just skimming over a comment that I saw frequently, and I'd like to propose some more food for thought...

Many of you have pointed out that Percy was sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin. In order to analyze this, one must consider Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat. It felt certain that Harry would do well in Slytherin, and my feeling is, surely if Harry would do well in Slytherin, Percy would all but prosper. So perhaps it was Percy's obligation to his family that he chose Gryffindor? Well this certainly is a strong vote in Percy's favor, however, it took a lot of courage to stand up to his father for what he believed in, despite how wrong he was about the situation, and perhaps this is an example of Percy using his Gryffindor courage for the wrong team? Maybe by mistake, maybe by change of heart?

Just a thought...Thanks so much for all your wonderful commentary!!

Percy is too young to know he's too young to know jack. It usually takes years and lots of mistakes to learn the hard lesson that you don't have all the answers - and even longer to learn that you don't even know all the questions! Percy is at the point now where he could either become a bureaucratic jerk, selling his soul to the MM in exchange for status and money, or realizing that his family is worth more than anything he could ever gain from the MM. That's one of the things I wish Harry would have said to Ron when Ron was moping about being poor - Ron has all the things Harry would trade everything for: A loving mother and father, a home, brothers and a sister - in short, a loving family. All Harry has is a lot of gold in the bank and a scar.

Percy is a rather misunderstood character in the series, and I hope new light will be shed on him in book 7.

I think Percy is more concerned with prestiege. He basically sucks up to people whom are in charge and powerful. He does this on his own accord, trying to "weasel" his way up amongst the ranks.
I do hope in the end he is loyal to his family.