A Closer Look at Percival Weasley

[Rayjo]

Discussion of The Burrow article A Closer Look at Percival Weasley by Tarah Toney.

[ix3MALFOY]

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 =)

[naina]

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?!

[JENGEORGE]

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!!!!

[BublGumPnkHar]

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.

[CrookshanksG]

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

[khomagic]

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!

[lwinner7]

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.

[winky498]

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.

[khomagic]

Originally Posted by naina

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.

[iheartduckies]

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

[Hermione57]

Originally Posted by BublGumPnkHar

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.

[naina]

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...!!!!

[Tweak]

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.

[lily313]

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)

[destany]

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?

[Canis_Major]

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"

[loony28]

Originally Posted by lily313

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.

[lily313]

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.