During our time in the Harry Potter universe, we have been exposed to Hippogriffs, Dragons, Puffskeins, and all sorts of other magical creatures. But the one that keeps subtly sneaking up on us, in many different forms be it real, ornamental, or metaphorical, is the serpent. In Book 1 we met the Boa Constrictor "Thanksss, amigo," in Book 2 the basilisk stole the show, in Book 4 we saw Nagini for the first time, and in Book 5 we spent quite a considerable amount of time in number 12 Grimmauld Place - a house displaying an amazing amount of snake paraphernalia.
But Salazar Slytherin was not the only wizard to use the serpent as his emblem. An Asp was the traditional emblem of Egypt, conspicuous on the royal diadem. No one bitten by an asp survived, and it was therefore an appropriate symbol of the invincibility of the Egyptian rule.
In the classical world the snake was thought to be wise, an idea continued in the Gospels: "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." However, in the Old Testament, the serpent had been synonymous with evil, and it's wisdom was the cunning of the Devil: "the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field." In Greek mythology Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons (three sisters who had snakes for hair and the power to turn anyone looking at them to stone) who was mortal, the sight of her head was so terrible that even after her death anyone who saw it was turned to stone... Or were they petrified? Her name is used allusively with reference to her snaky hair and stony gaze.
There is also a serpent gazing down at us from the night sky. The constellation Serpens 'The Serpent', and Ophiuchus, 'The Serpent Holder,' originally formed one constellation. The Serpent appears to be cut in two by Ophiuchus, with Serpens Caput (representing the head of the snake), to the west, and Serpens Cauda (representing the tail of the snake), to the east. Always related to the healer Aesculapius, a serpent's venom can cure as well as kill, and the shedding of its skin is representative of the renewal of life, two factors which strengthen this association.
The basilisk (also known as the King of Serpents) was according to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, by Newt Scamander: "first bread by Herpo the Foul, a Greek Dark wizard and Parselmouth". Muggles may not know this but they do know that the basilisk was a mythical serpent hatched from a ****'s egg, the king of serpents, which could reputably strike someone dead with it's stare. In fact, Pliny suggests that it is so called from a spot, resembling a crown on its head.
From the information gathered above, it is obvious that Salazar Slytherin chose correctly. But it is also interesting to note that although the serpent has been given quite a bit of negative press throughout history, it has also received a respectable amount of positive coverage. Thus proving the point that the world really "isn't split into good people and Death Eaters" (Book 5), nor is divided by lions and snakes.
I leave you with this charming quote from William Shakespeare's Richard III (1597):
Gloucester: Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine. Anne: Would they were basilisks, to strike thee dead!
2/14/04
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
The first time we met dementors was in the third book when they stopped the Hogwarts Express for a check. Dementors are repulsive creatures. Whenever they approach someone, he/she feels that he/she will never sense happiness again. Even Muggles can feel their presence, though they can’t see them. They nourish from happy emotions of people around them and they are guarding Azkaban’s jails. We can say that dementors are something between erinnyes and vampires. They have characteristics of both the above-mentioned “existences”. We’re going to explain the similarities between dementors and vampires in order to extend later to erinnyes.
General information about Vampires: Vampires are creatures of darkness. They live drinking blood from the living, and by using their two overgrown teeth they bite their victim to suck blood from it. Their appearance is 80% human; the only things that differ are the eyes, the teeth, and the ears. It is said that they die forever if they are nailed in the heart, see the daylight, drink blood from any dead, or touch a rose. It is also remarkable that they can live drinking blood from small animals such as mice and dogs. (The information is from the article of Orpheus Spiliotopoulos)
After a vampire attacks its victim, what is left behind is a lifeless and “cursed to hang around body”. They haven’t got will neither conscience, their only aim is to satisfy their necessity for nourishment. We believe that something similar happens with dementor victims. Rowling hasn’t yet explained to us what really occurs with them. Naturally, if vampire victims don’t turn into a vampire, they must die in 3-5 days because of lack of water. We don’t want to believe that dementor victims end up like dementors, and we think you agree!!
General information about Erinnyes: Erinnyes were Gods in Greek mythology. In Greek language, “erinnyes” means “remorse”. They punished every immoral action. Erinnyes were said to be older than the Gods who dominate with Zeus. Their appearance was horrifying. From their eyes came out fire and poisoned scum. From their mouth came out fire too, and they had a smelly breath, unbearable even for Gods. Their skin was dark like their clothes. They ran after the criminal on earth, in the sea even in the underworld, where they live. It was pretty easy to catch the criminal as they captured him in his remorse. They chased and punished him without caring for the reasons or the circumstances which dictate the crime (sometimes they ran after innocent people too). When they approached the guilty, they cut off his head, uprooted his eyes, whipped him, threw stones at him, and drank his blood.
Petrified? Well, it is pretty obvious that dementors are more like erinnyes. They, like erinnyes, capture the soul into the body and make it think of all the bad moments it had lived (perhaps those while it had been committing the crime); namely, they captured it in its remorse. Also, like erinnyes, dementors don’t care for the occasions of a crime neither, if the person said to be guilty is really one.
Finally, we put all of these together in order to get the general meaning of all the above:
1) Dementors look like Vampires in the way of “eating” their victim (“bite it”).
2) But they are more like Erinnyes in the reason of eating their victim (“punish it”).
2/23/04
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Editor's note: We realize that JKR recently said that Percy was acting of his own accord. However, this was written well before anything was known for certain. Plus, it's just fun to speculate.
Of all the theories that have come forward to explain Percy Weasley's behavior in Order of the Phoenix, perhaps the one that gets the least respect says that Percy is not his own man; he has been put under an Imperius Curse.
To be sure, there are other and simpler explanations for most, if not all, of his changed attitude toward Harry and his strange conduct toward his own family. His own ambition has blinded him. He has a tendency to believe the "party line," such as what the Ministry was publicizing about Harry. He shares the attitude with many of your darker wizards and witches, that the dignity of old wizarding blood (and galleons) counts for something. Or perhaps he has really gone over to the dark side of his own free will. Any of the same things could be (and have been) theorized about Fudge too. But the Imperius Curse? If Dumbledore didn't think Fudge was under one, why believe that Percy was? And where is there any evidence that Percy has been bewitched?
Okay, I'll admit, the positive evidence is a bit thin. But let's not be too hasty in dismissing this theory from view. It is, after all, possible. And until we have more information, until we see evidence that proves this theory impossible, we should keep it open and give it due consideration.
After all, Percy's behavior and attitudes in Book 5 really are shocking. Even taking into account his pompousness and ambition, and his refusal to apply critical thinking skills to anything that the Ministry says or does, it's hard to understand how this young man could much such a clean break from his family and Harry. How he could think the things of Harry that he expressed in his letter to Ron-— the one advising his brother to break off relations with that "deeply troubled boy"—- is beyond understanding, apart from some powerful force working on Percy's mind.
Percy must remember that Harry saved his sister from the basilisk in her first year at Hogwarts. And that Harry enabled him to win a dishonest bet against his girlfriend in the Quidditch season of Harry's third year. And that Harry has been all but a foster child to his parents, from whom Percy has heard all that Harry has gone through with his Muggle relatives and his confrontations with the Dark Lord. Percy must recall how Harry performed in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, proving not only that Ron is the most important thing in Harry's world, but that Harry would even risk losing 1000 galleons to help the mer-people's hostages to safety.
All these things from Percy's own experience, besides all Harry's triumphs and goodness that the Weasley family has discussed over the previous four years, ought to give Percy a good idea what kind of boy Harry is. How could he set aside this firsthand knowledge and simply, suddenly, adopt a completely opposite view—- even on the say-so of his hero Fudge? Either Percy has lost his mind, or he has made up his mind to be unjust to Harry (either out of self-delusion or pure evil), or his mind has been taken out from under his own control. Or of course, Percy could be faking the whole thing for any of several reasons. Any of these, really, is equally possible. We only lack specific evidence to point toward the Imperius theory. But we may find it in due time!
But who could have put Percy under the Imperius Curse... and when and how... and why?
As fans of detective fiction know too well, you need to know about Motive, Means, and Opportunity to answer these questions... or at least, to narrow down the list of suspects. When you don't even know whether the crime has been done, this is only a first step—- it proves nothing. But it may steer us toward the real evidence.
Motive is simple. What's in it for whoever might have bewitched Percy? What would they gain from having a member of the Weasley tribe under their thumb? Well, someone might want a spy inside the Arthur Weasley household. But if that's what they wanted, they haven't gone about it the right way; Percy couldn't have distanced himself more from the Weasleys without changing his name and leaving no forwarding address. He has moved out and has nothing to do with them, other than to write Ron pompous letters. He didn't even visit his father in the hospital, and he slammed the door in his mother's face.
More likely, the motive is to have somebody looking over Fudge's shoulder, and perhaps feeding Fudge shrewd ideas and deceptions to weaken the Ministry from the top down. Maybe Percy is a spy inside the highest levels of the Ministry... or maybe he is a saboteur, a mouthpiece for the Dark Side. Is his enthusiasm for destroying Harry Potter's reputation inspired by Fudge and Umbridge, or is he the one inspiring them? And is he blindly going along with Fudge's missteps and self-delusions, or is he the one putting the blindfold on Fudge? And if spying on the Weasleys or the Order isn't the motive (which now seems really unlikely), how do you suppose he rose so quickly in the Ministry anyway?
So there is a Motive, and it points to the Dark Side. How about Means and Opportunity? When and how could Percy have been bewitched? It seems to have happened sometime after the last time we saw him in Goblet of Fire, which (if I remember correctly) was at the judging of the Second Task. At that time, you remember, his boss Mr. Crouch was under the Imperius Curse, being held as a prisoner in his own home by Wormtail, who had also helped put the real Alastor Moody under an Imperius Curse and who further showed his readiness to do Unforgivable Curses when he killed Cedric Diggory. Maybe, some time after the Second Task, Percy made a call on the ailing Mr. Crouch and got himself Imperioed.
But it also could have been done to him at the Ministry, where dark wizards like Lucius Malfoy and Walden Macnair were frequently seen—- the former paying numerous visits to Fudge's office, the latter working in the same building and perhaps finding himself alone in an elevator with Percy. Even if Lucius didn't nail Fudge with an Imperius Curse, he might have stuck one on Percy. Or it could have happened in any number of other places, times, and ways that we don't even know about. But if Percy has been bewitched, I think we'll learn that either Lucius cursed him at the Ministry, or Wormtail at Mr. Crouch's house. And if they had meant him to turn spy against the Order of the Phoenix, they would have been more careful to make him stay undercover. His mission, instead, had to do with Fudge's office, and particularly Fudge's campaign to smear Harry.
Don't take the Imperius option off the table. We know that You Know Who's crowd used that curse more than once during Harry's fifth year. They bewitched Broderick Bode and probably Sturgis Podmore in their efforts to get the Prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. I think security wizard Eric Munch might have gotten hit with a load of dark magic too, considering that he was conveniently away from his post when the Ministry was crawling with Death Eaters, half-cocked kids, and Order of the Phoenix members dueling it out for all they were worth. So why not Percy?
The thing to look for, as we wonder about this possibility, is if... and how... Percy comes to his right senses in Book 6, and what he says about it. Other signs there are none. Since he didn't look at all sick when he stood at Fudge's elbow at the hearing and at the attempt to arrest Dumbledore, we can assume that if Percy is under the Imperius Curse, he hasn't learned to fight it yet.
But if the person who put the curse on him is Lucius Malfoy, and being taken to Azkaban has any influence on Lucius' ability to maintain the curse, we may see Percy coming to himself early in Book 6. If, however, Wormtail put the monkey on Percy's shoulder, we may not yet have seen the last of the tragic consequences. Like for instance, someone in the Weasley family being hit by a deadly curse that would have been avoided if Percy had been himself. And Percy getting clear, only in time to regret what he has done...it would be the very sort of twist to make the final chapters of Book 6 or 7 really emotionally intense. And on those grounds, I wouldn't put it past J.K. Rowling, consummate storyteller, to reveal that Percy has been Voldything's puppet all along.
03/08/04
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
"You may belong to Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart.
Their cunning, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart."
SS/PS, the Sorting Hat
Thus begins the first magical year of Hogwarts for young Harry. Also, it begins a very small thing that takes up less than a page in the book, but is mentioned approximately once in the majority of the series. Of course, I am speaking of the dilemma of Gryffindor and Slytherin to Harry. "But where to put you?" asked the Sorting Hat. In the end, he is placed (thankfully) into Gryffindor, and all has been well since. Yet, you must keep in mind one thing: he had traits of both houses.
The same case goes for Hermione. Jumping forward about four books and a few chapters, we find out that the Sorting Hat had also seriously considered placing her in a different house, because she had traits of both. Of course, any person with enough sense knows that a personality isn't bound to one area, or in this case, house.
I believe that the Sorting Hat looks at almost every single major or important character and personality trait in the wearer as he tries to decide which house best suits him or her. Whichever house's description best fits the mind, or if a majority of them are in favor of that house, this is where he or she is placed. We all know why Harry and Hermione were debated over in their cases much too well. One's a teen genius and the other is, well... just remember the second book. The whole trading some of Voldemort's (gasp and shush) powers for a very bad life as a ghost-like figure thing should be some reference, I hope. Of course, I'm not here to analyze the Sorting Hat. I deemed it necessary to explain this, however, before reaching my actual point: if it happened once or twice here and now, it may have happened before and may happen again. The same problem must be held, shorter or longer, with many of the students (except Draco Malfoy, but we all know him).
So why not Percy Weasley?
Admit it. Ever since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, most people spit at the mention of that name! I probably would, too! We've now seen a side that we've never seen before from a Weasley child. Now, I know that there are many speculations that it was all a set-up, but it would have to be a VERY good one. All of his expressions fit a pure, go-happy, will-be top of the class soon if he plays his cards right, person.
Basically, I believe that Percy could've been placed in another house. Before I delve into that, however, I will have to recap on the rest of the Weasley family. There's Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. All are loyal, brave, they'll stand and fight, and they have a strong nerve to pluck. The four eldest are in the Order, one of them being a curse breaker and the other a dragon tamer (you have to be brave for that, I'd say). The 'Gred and Forge' twins are also in there. They'll stand up for anyone who doesn't deserve a picking at, and, let's face it, they aren't afraid of getting in trouble. Ron and Ginny have proved themselves a number of times, along with Harry, to fit perfectly into the Lion's den.
What about Percy? We don't know a lot about him, except that he's a rule-leader and -enforcer, has been a prefect and Head Boy, gets annoyed by the younger Weasleys, and loves his job. Before OotP, we knew only this much. Yet the newest release has opened up many points of young, foolish Percy that we have never known before.
Below, I have made a compare and contrast chart of Gryffindor and Percy.
Gryffindor:
1. Loyal
2. Strong
3. Brave
4. Makes the 'better' choices
5. Knows when to break the rules, but not always
6. Stands up for others
7. Has plans, but works things out when he get there
8. Strong Nerve
9. Works hard for what she wants/needs, but knows where the line is
Percy:
1. Rejected his family
2. Goes with the flow
3. Let's face it... he's kind of a wuss
4. Makes choices that go with the law and rules
5. Never, ever wants to break the rules
6. Gets people in trouble
7. Makes everything neat and perfect, then fumbles off somewhere else when it messes up
8. Cracked under pressure of the Ministry and went with them
9. Ambitious; will do anything to advance in his job
I'm sure that he must have some of the family traits, but I listed what some of the ones the Sorting Hat would look at to place him in a house. Does anyone see it yet? I believe Harry and Percy have something in common. I think the Sorting Hat may have considered placing Percy in Slytherin. As much as any good fan of Harry Potter likes to think it, we weren't there in the past of Hogwarts, even only a few years back. There is no way we could've seen or known how long Percy's Sorting took. How should we know how Percy's placement of all time went? I am assuming it was something like Harry's. But why was he put in Gryffindor, then? I shall quote good old Dumbledore when I saw that it was Harry's choice that caused the hat to place him in Gryffindor. Could the same be for Percy?
His entire family had been and is in Gryffindor, so it is obvious that he, as Ron had, was feeling anxious to be in this house, too. A sign of family loyalty, perhaps, it was? A choice based on loyalty may have altered the hat's view, but we will never know.
No one but Percy would know, obviously, because he would definitely wish for the secret to be kept on tight watch by him. Maybe he asked Dumbledore. Maybe not. It may all be his choice whether or not we ever know.
This probably brings more comparisons to mind. Neville and Hufflepuff could be the next wonder, but for now, my thoughts are on the Git Percy, Personal Assistant to the Minister and Weasley disowner. I wish him the best of luck and some sense kicked into his little noggin. If any readers are fans of Percy and/or believe he is misguided, I realize this, too, and not only apologize for any offense taken, but think this, too.
Is he really lion-hearted, or do his eyes cry snake? We may never know...
03/14/04
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
In a recent online chat, J.K. Rowling said that, in Order of the Phoenix, Percy was acting entirely of his own accord. This rules out one popular theory: that Percy had fallen victim to the Imperious Curse. But another theory exists that hypothesizes that Percy is secretly working for the Order.
Admittedly, evidence to support this theory is scarce, but it is there if you look hard enough. The most commonly sited piece of evidence is Percy's letter to Ron. It's true that Percy lets Ron (and by extension Harry and Hermione) know about the upcoming Daily Prophet piece, as well as in imprisonment of Sturgis Podmore; he also hints at Umbridge and Fudge's plans to replace Dumbledore within the year. He has the letter delivered at night so Ron can "read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions," which could mean one of two things: he either wants to avoid Harry seeing the letter or Umbridge seeing the letter.
Either version is a little hard to understand. If Percy wants the letter to stay hidden from Harry... well, he should honestly know better. Percy's been with Ron and Harry; he knows they share everything, that they stay up late together in the common room. However, why Umbridge would be particularly interested in any letter Ron gets seems a bit of a stretch, too; she's far too concerned with Harry to be bothered about Ron. The delivery time, therefore, is shaky evidence at best.
Setting the letter aside, Percy still has moments that seem suspicious, for good or ill. His comments as reported in the Daily Prophet are among those moments. Again, this could be interpreted in two different ways. One is that he's a pompous "Big Head Boy" who will say and do most anything for attention and power. The other is that he's again subtly giving subversive advice and information to the members of the Order. For a news source, he's awfully resourceful. He knows a lot about what's happening and isn't shy about sharing it. He knows the whys and wherefores of Umbridge's appointment to Hogwarts; he knows that she sends reports to Fudge about what happens at the school; he knows about Fudge's "plan to get to grips with" a Hogwarts education (at least he knows about its phases). All in all, regardless of where Percy's loyalties lie, he is exceptionally good at giving out a lot of information.
Another two-sided moment comes before the school year even begins, at Harry's hearing. Percy is there, of course, as official court scribe. He's been working for Fudge for about six or seven weeks by now. To Harry, he appears very cold and distant, not even looking at Harry. Percy could be acting like that to impress his new boss, which is entirely likely. Then again, if he's working with the Order, he'll have been in contact with Dumbledore. Perhaps Dumbledore warned him not to look in Harry's eyes for fear of him (or even Voldemort through Harry) guessing at the intrigue. If Percy is working undercover, then the fewer people who know or guess, the safer the espionage is. Imagine if Fudge saw Percy looking over at Harry, hoping to catch his eye. It would compromise Percy's position. In cases like this, it's best to avoid the eyes.
Unfortunately, this theory is not without its holes, the biggest of which is the fight between Percy and his parents. According to Ron, it was a pretty intense row, which seems rather unlike Percy or Arthur. After Arthur's attack, Percy doesn't visit. Percy sends back his Christmas presents. His photographic self walks out of the family portrait. This is all pretty ominous behavior. However, it doesn't necessarily have to read that way.
Let's assume that Percy is working undercover for the Order. Obviously Dumbledore knows about it. Who else would know? Though everyone is trusted, it's simply not safe to have an entire organization know who their mole is; it could potentially jeopardize the mission. What if Dumbledore and Percy are the only ones who know about this mission? Wouldn't it be simpler and more secure for Percy if he didn't live at home? Living at home promotes an ease of conversation, which isn't something you want in a spy. But, his parents wouldn't really be too keen on his leaving, seeing as how it would leave just them in the house for the majority of the year. Really, if Molly thought it was a bad idea, she could probably convince Percy out of it. So, the best way to break out of the house is to break off relationships. It's harsh, but it has to be done. Besides, if Percy had already decided on leaving, regardless of his parents, he very well may have gotten into a fight with them (though perhaps not as large a one). A fight makes the parting much easier if you can be mad at them; you can't miss someone you're mad at.
Percy is an enigma wrapped in a mystery (covered in a secret sauce ) throughout Order of the Phoenix. His behavior is at once so like the character we'd grown to tolerated yet so unexpected. Needless to say, we won't know for certain what was going on in Percy's head until J.K. Rowling tells us (hopefully) in the sixth book.
03/22/04
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Although I was not surprised by Percy's actions in Book 5, I found myself cursing the rat-faced weasel. Why? Percy has shown signs from Book 1 about how far he takes his ambition. Ron has even taken the time to warn us that Percy would betray his family for prestige and power. Why should I be angrier at Percy than I am at Voldemort or even Umbridge? What is it about this character's betrayal that cut at me deeper than Umbridge's conniving smile?
After my third read, and hours of thinking, I believe I finally understand why Percy gets to me. Unlike Umbridge or Voldemort, Percy has shown redeeming qualities since day one. Although ambitious, Percy has always tried to do what is right and has shown care for his family. When I think of Percy, I think of the middle of Book 4 when Ron comes out of the water after the second task. Percy turns pale as he runs to see if his brother is okay. He forgets about his demeanor and his place at the tournament, he throws all appearances away to make sure that Ron is okay. But, how can I reconcile this image with the heartless Percy in Book 5?
Thus, it occurs to me that we are given two separate Percy's throughout the five books. On one hand we have the Percy that embraces pride. This is the ambitious Percy that follows rules stringently and looks down on anyone that crosses even the thinnest line. This is the Percy that lusts for prestige and sides with those who have power. On the other hand we have the Percy that embraces love. This is the Percy that had (has?) a girlfriend. This is the same Percy that drops everything to make sure Ron is okay. Now that I recognize these two very different and opposed facets of Percy's character, the question remains of how to reconcile them into the one person.
It is my belief that we cannot simply take Harry's view of things as the only view to understanding the characters. Through Harry's eyes, Percy is an older brother, the Head Boy that went off to work for the Ministry, and the boy that sat at Harry's hearing as though Harry and Percy had never before met. But who is Percy through Percy's own eyes?
True, Percy is one of Ron's older brothers, but Percy is also a younger sibling. How easy was it for him to follow in Bill and Charlie's footsteps? Bill and Charlie were the first two children that got to grow up before the house filled with five other children. Both Bill and Charlie were successful, though perhaps a little rebellious (fang earring, anyone?). How would this middle position make Percy feel and act? With Percy growing up with both younger and older siblings he had to do well and set examples. Like many older siblings, Percy took the role of father when the kids were away at school. In Book 2, he forces Ginny to take medicine and lectures Ron about going into girls' restrooms. Perhaps this is a large part of where Percy's ambition came from. It's not easy growing up in a big family, much less getting lost somewhere in the middle. True, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have always given their kids lots of love, but was it that way from Percy's view? Did he feel that he had to do well to earn attention? It is a large possibility.
Whatever Percy's reasons for wanting prestige, it is clear that this is a defining part of his personality. Percy wants not only power, but he wants a clear-cut world where all rules are followed and those deemed important and leaders are out to do what is right. And there perhaps is the real reconciliation of Percy's character. While he wants power and admiration, Percy wants to do what is right. Yes, he may feel important for little things such as working on shabby cauldron cases, but he does mention that it bothers him because people might get hurt. Yes, Percy may have sided with the Ministry, but doesn't he make it clear that he does this not out of hate for his family, but because he feels the Ministry is correct.
Take a look at the letter Percy sends to Ron. We can learn multiple things in this letter, such as the fact that Percy still cares about Ron, warning him about what Percy thinks is a danger. Remember, Percy has cut off all ties to his family in order to remove the stigma of being a Weasley (298, US Edition), but yet he is trying to reach out to Ron; if caught he might be re-stigmatized. Also, Percy truly believes the Ministry that Dumbledore is wrong. "I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer. It pains me to criticize our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore...." This line may drive us to punch the nearest wall, but in Percy's eyes he is only saying what he feels is true. "I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realize how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes." Again, Percy is removing himself from those he feels are breaking the rules.
Taken from this view, perhaps Percy is not so evil after all. Perhaps Percy's real flaw is naivety. Striving for power and ambition, Percy has blinded himself to what is real. He honestly believes that people in high places are there because they are honest and good men. He looks up to them, and wants to follow in their footsteps. Examining Book 4, we see much of this in how he hero-worships Crouch. How many times does he defend Crouch and blindly believe whatever is happening? When it comes to Winky picking up a wand, Percy is all about the rules and image. He truly thinks that Crouch is blameless as long as he follows the rules. So what happens when Crouch turns out to have broken some major rules? What happens when the letters start coming with orders? Percy follows the letters to his own detriment. Surely someone in a high position couldn't hurt him, right? Yet, Crouch did break rules, and everything fell apart. This, more than being a Weasley, stigmatized this once prefect.
After years of searching for ambition, trying to do what is right, and living with the Weasley name, Percy is foiled by his own ignorance. How low must this have made him feel? How angry must he be at his father for adding to this stigma? In Percy's eyes, he has done nothing wrong, has followed the rules, but yet he has constantly been pushed down.
Now take this same ignorant Percy and look at how his character acts in Book 5. It starts to make a lot more sense. "I count myself very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people-- the Minister really could not be more gracious to me-- and I do hope, Ron, that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents' beliefs and actions either" (298).
After all the bitter disappointments in Book 4, Percy finds himself at a crossroads. He can either believe that world is upside down with corrupt leaders and evil men, or he can choose to remain ignorant and believe the world is as it ought to be. When Fudge offers him an assistantship, it was a saving grace to Percy. His career is not only not finished, but he can even be promoted. He can have the prestige he always wanted, and someday outdo Bill and Charlie in excellence. True, his parents would look down on him now, but from his view this would change when they learned the error of their ways.
So Percy, believing (or convincing himself) that he is right, continues to work for the Ministry. He enters a world where it is all or nothing, and he must cut familial ties to survive. He sends back the Christmas sweater and doesn't even visit Arthur in the hospital. It makes us as a reader mad, but not necessarily surprised. Yet, there is comfort in knowing he is doing what he feels is right. This means that once he learns that he is in fact the one in error, he may find redemption in the love of his family. For even if he is willing to turn his back on them, I do not believe Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could ever turn their back on Percy.
Perhaps my first inclination to be madder at Percy than at Voldemort or Umbridge is a hasty one. Percy is not yet a bad guy, just misguided. He angers me because he could know the truth if he didn't allow himself to so easily be blinded by ambition. Yet, I know that Percy is at heart a good man. Despite every transgression he commits in the fifth book, I still picture him running to help Ron. To me, this is the true look into his character. When it comes down to what's right, Percy will drop appearances and all else to help out. For unlike Voldemort, Percy does love. It is my hope that this love will bring him back home where he belongs.
03/29/04
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
While they're not, strictly speaking, siblings, the relationship between Harry Potter and his cousin Dudley resonates with classic themes of sibling rivalry. Ever since the very first pair of brothers on earth (Cain and Abel), it seems it has been the nature of brothers-or at least, boys raised under the same roof-to think of each other, and treat each other, the way Dudley and Harry do. The exceptions, I think, are few enough to be treasured.
Maybe I'm just saying this because I have a brother myself-very close to me in age, but very far from me in personality. And maybe birth order has to do with it. That raises complex issues I don't want to get into at this time. But let me lay out what's on my mind, plain and simple.
From Dudley's point of view, Harry is the classic younger brother. He is resented from day one because he has moved in on a good thing Dudley expected to have to himself, forever. Namely, his parents' love, their time and attention, space in the home, and a lot of belongings too. Harry has taken possession of a lot of things that used to belong to Dudley (though mostly ones that were too used up to matter much, like outworn clothes). He has even taken over one of Dudley's bedrooms. And perhaps, in some deep, dark corner of Dudley's insecurity, Harry is eating food that was meant for Dudley. Maybe this explains, in part, Dudley's pathological greed and gluttony.
Of course it doesn't matter to Dudley whether he perceives things as they really are. For instance, the part about his parents' love-anyone but Dudley would hardly guess that the Dursleys loved Harry by the way they treat him. No, but what matters is that Dudley feels this way, and it affects the way he gets along with Harry. He is fundamentally afraid that Harry is going to take away what is his. Ironically, this may contribute to Dudley's weird combination of hyperactivity (notice all the broken toys and games he has lost interest in?) and laziness (for never was there a more inactive lump of a boy). He is simply discontented with everything, because whatever he has reminds him of all the things Harry could take away from him...and so he moves from one interest to another, mercurially.
To make matters worse, Dudley realizes that Harry moves in a circle that is forever closed to him: the world of magic. He has powers Dudley does not understand, and Dudley fears them because they give Harry more power to take away what belongs to Dudley. Dudley compensates by using the powers at his own disposal to keep Harry down and to exclude him from the circle over which Dudley has influence. Dudley is motivated to be a leader, a competitor, a fighter, and a bully.
And finally, from Dudley's point of view, Harry is an ungrateful wretch. Harry treats the Dursleys as if they have deprived and mistreated him. Dudley is revolted when Harry acts as if the Dursleys have shown favoritism to Dudley (which, considering Dudley's insecurities, he would find preposterous). Dudley thinks Harry is a whiner, who just wants more for himself. And Dudley is disgusted that Harry would stoop to putting on the "You always give Dudley everything and you never give me anything" act. I'm sure this fills Dudley with a sense of righteousness, by which he feels justified when he uses whining and tale-telling to bend his parents to his will. It's what he feels he must do to keep Harry in his place!
Why would I bother to look at things from Dudley's point of view? (Blush) Because between my brother and me, I'm probably the one on the "Dudley" end of the stick. The one who got to do everything he wanted, while the other had to kow-tow to all kinds of rules, etc. At least, that's how my brother views things, and that's how Harry looks at the situation too. Probably a lot of younger siblings feel that way, and that adds to the appeal of the fantasy. How many of you haven't wished, at times, that your parents would suddenly tell you that you were adopted or switched at birth, and that your real parents (rich, nice people who were going to love you to pieces) were on their way to take you home? Or that a marvelous creature like Hagrid would come and tell you, "You have magical powers that the other people don't have," and take you to a place where your gifts could thrive?
Harry is the underappreciated younger sibling in so many of us. In his case, he really is less loved, less fed, less well clothed, less provided with toys. His adult providers (virtual parents) are disengaged from his life and interests. His "older sibling" has stolen not only their love, but the possibility of friendship with anyone else in the neighborhood. Harry is the frustrated loner, longing to break away and find his own place in the world, longing to be appreciated, longing to be admired and liked.
In real-life families, I suppose it's the younger of the two siblings who usually ends up growing bitter and discontented. But Harry's hopes come true, while Dudley's nightmare goes on and on. And while his time at Hogwarts, and in the wizarding world, sometimes gives Harry even more freedom and fame and excitement than he can handle, Dudley's insecurities have become an inescapable trap in which he runs round and round, turning in on himself, devouring himself-physically, and mentally.
So in the end, ironically, Harry will be the one who turns out to be successful and well-adjusted. And Dudley will be, well...a total loser.
As for my brother...well, he does have a scar on his forehead. I shouldn't have brought it up at all.
Robbie Fischer, still nicer than Dudley
4/4/04
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
03-06-2004 04:38 AM
) throughout Order of the Phoenix. His behavior is at once so like the character we'd grown to tolerated yet so unexpected. Needless to say, we won't know for certain what was going on in Percy's head until J.K. Rowling tells us (hopefully) in the sixth book. 
