Why Percy?

[icarus]

Someone emailed me and asked just what I saw in Percy of all people.

I like Percy because he's more irredeemable than Snape. His arrogance makes him blind to his own faults, and in an utterly well-meaning way Percy can do more damage than a Death Eater.

Underneath it, Percy believes he is right, and is a true believer in what is 'good' and 'noble' and 'just' -- he just sees it where it isn't. 'Truth' isn't found in 'Rules' and 'Authority', but Percy is far too blind to ever see that.

Slashing him has a particular poignancy, first, because I think that in canon he's the character that really flames. Second, because being gay goes against established authority and order, and for Percy that's a real come down. The slash itself actually puts a hole in his bullet-proof ego, because suddenly he's not a paragon in his own world.

So what does he do about it?
- Hide it?
- Make himself the exception to his own rules?
- Deny it?
- Does it make him crumble?
- Does it become, to him, a weakness that others can exploit, because he unconsciously allows others to abuse him in this arena as punishment to himself?
- Does it soften him?
- Make him cynical?
- Does he turn into an actual human being who can finally see others, now that he's no longer superior to them?
- Does he go through a period of humility, but then rebuild that bullet-proof ego with a new definition and become a vitriolic gay-wizards activist?

It depends upon who he's with, really.

For someone like Ron, slash might mess him up for a bit, but eventually he comes around to, "okay, I like that." Percy, it's much more difficult, and it's a possible doorway to redemption because that wish to 'Do Right' (according to His definition) is definitely there. He becomes much more pleasant once his world has crumbled around him and he has to accept that, yes, even he isn't perfect. It's the same with exploring Percy's relationship with the 'good' wizards and the 'dark.' Percy won't recognise evil when he sees it, so what happens when he wakes up?

He's very interesting and complex and neurotic in the way he responds.

*snuggles Percy*

Oh. Did I mention that the most uptight people are often the kinkiest? There's that much more steam to blow off, and it takes that much more for them to unwind.

Comments

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Underneath it, Percy believes he is right, and is a true believer in what is 'good' and 'noble' and 'just' -- he just sees it where it isn't. 'Truth' isn't found in 'Rules' and 'Authority', but Percy is far too blind to ever see that.


Funny, but I like Percy because he like rules and order. He's stubborn about making things make *sense* and obeying the rules. His problem being he follows the lead of the wrong people -- he's young, hopefully he'll wise up soon.

And because he's a non-conformist in a family of 'warm fuzzy' types by being a 'cool reason' type. I don't doubt he loves his family and will try to do Right wherever he can. It's just that what he sees is Right is not what his family sees as Right.

And boy, is he in a postion to do more damage that any Death Eater. Hopefully, he will do like Snape and figure out he's being placing his trust in the wrong people.

[electricandroid.livejournal.com]

that was the most perfect analysis of percy ever. *awe* (again - stop inspiring awe in my woman - there wont be enough left to go around)

And the most uptight people are the kinkyest... whooo. I am kinky (I am sure as hell uptight and controled in RL)

[srichard.livejournal.com]

I'd actually been meaning to approach you for a bit about this, and this seems the psychological moment. I've been vaguely considering that there really ought to be a sort of Percy version of pervy_werewolves...something specifically for Percy smut. If I were to go ahead with that, would you possibly be interested in co-modding?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Email me at icarus_ancalion@yahoo.com -- I'm interested. It would be this summer, right?

Icarus

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Very interesting! While Percy may not be my most favorite character (though he's in the top three!), he's probably the person I feel the most connection with. He's trying to do right, he wants to do good, he's just not mature enough to see he's not on the right path to that. He's a tragic character, and he touches my heart and makes me want to cry for him. That someone can want to do good but really be doing evil is just so painful! Especially since I suspect that in the books he won't be redeemed and will likely end up dead (or worse).

Did I mention that the most uptight people are often the kinkiest?

That, as well as the gay part, also help make him a really interesting character to me. The whole "no no this is wrong ... no no don't stop!" thing often does it for me in a fic.

Thanks for the interesting post!

[icarusinwax.livejournal.com]

Oh. Did I mention that the most uptight people are often the kinkiest? There's that much more steam to blow off, and it takes that much more for them to unwind.


yes! this is probably one of the biggest reasons that i love reading/slashing Percy. because of his issues with authority and what i can just imagine his reactions to things like being gay or even just having sex. The best i could possibly think of to show my canon!percy in a sexual situation of sorts is McKay's "Of control." It;s so obvious that if Percy were to do something sexual he wouldn't be satisfied with mere wanking, but would have to bring in issues like control etc etc.

/takling rubbish but i'm sure you know what i mean

[stustustu.livejournal.com]

Can't comment on the whole slashing aspect, but.. was having an interesting discussion with someone on the way home from work yesterday on something similar to this..

Who is more evil? Umbridge, Lucius, Dumbledore or Pettigrew. I think you've got the gist of the argument with your Percythoughts though - he's so implacably *right* that whatever he's doing *must* be the right thing - no matter how it seems to an outside source.

I may just make a post on that later in fact :) Thanks !

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh cool! I had no idea you read my journal, Stu.

As for the question of Percy and "who's evil?" a boss of mine once pointed out that no one can do more damage than someone who means well. I think it's because calculated evil is (ultimately) pragmatically selfish: where it's not to their benefit, they'll stop. So you can predict how far they'll go.

But a well-meaning, misguided person who believes they have a "just cause"? They'll keep going well past the point where they're doing damage to themselves, for the sake of "the greater good." That's why cult members (you can tell I just watched Helter Skelter) are more dangerous than cult leaders, because they'll go to the extremes on behalf of the leader, although the leader is the root problem. So I'd imagine someone like Bellatrix, discounting magical power, is more dangerous than Voldemort in just how far she'll go.

How evil is Percy? It depends on how much his involvement in the Ministry is motivated by personal belief, and how much is pure ambition and wanting to be respected. The former is much more dangerous, particularly if he picks up the pureblood prejudices along with his new wardrobe and friends. I think, given his willingness to blow off his parents, that a lot of it is personal belief.

Icarus

CanonLove vs. FandomLove

[balfrog.livejournal.com]

Movie Percy just isn't there long enough to make me happy,
and bookwise, I'm partial to the twins.
But somehow, canon characters just don't appeal too much in the fandom to me-
perhaps because the possibilities are too precisely played out.

fandomPercy is just a sweet relief for me-
when the fandom Weasleys (and canon Weasleys) get just a bit too loud and Harry too violent.
(slowly opening eyes to fandom possibilities seeping into canonHarry: violent and a bit callous, and getting scared and sad. !! )

Ah, Percy Percy Percy...
formal, by-the-rules, orderly clueless nubbins.
But, he is so the rebel, in a less loud, but undoubtedly distinct way.
I love the way he does his own thing -
my poster boy for nerd-pride.
and we know we're going to rule the world you silly Quidditch jocks!

more,
but off to go ramble on in my own lj, and not clutter others' space..
there should be more extensive Weasley-love nit-pick thread..

[honeycakehorse.livejournal.com]

You just so hit the nail with this. All the reasons why I like Percy, written much more eloquently than I could.

*dreamy sigh* I'd love to see Percy as a gay activist. Would probably be hilarious. *g*

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

eternaleponine with me, has got me hooked on Percy, so much so that when I went to see the latest movie, my reaction was not "Percy, you are an annoying idiot," but "Percy, sweetie, you've got to stop covering up being scared by turning into an officious git."

We're working on plot that revolves around him, but we couldn't resist pouring Firewhiskey into him and tossing him into the center of a four-boy orgy, completely out of the continuity, just because it DID take that much for him to relax.

Oh, and as for "how does it affect him?" Our answer is first "weakness, allowing others to abuse him," specifically Lucius Malfoy, and then, later, "turns him into an actual human being" once he's nicely settled with Oliver Wood. Because we are hopeless mushy romantics.

*loves Percy*

[lyricalnights.livejournal.com]

Word. I love Percy b/c he reminds me of me, esp. of the me that existed several years ago (though I hope I wasn't THAT uptight.)

But anyway, underneath the most rigid people is often just a huge wellspring of passion that hasn't necessarily been ignited in a positive way. He has that potential; you can see it in the way he stands up to his brothers and his willingness to stick to his course once it's chosen.

I just think he's caught in a cycle of being different and being treated differently within and outside of his family. At home, he's the oddball, but in the Ministry, he's found the niche where (he thinks) people appreciate him. That he may be very very wrong about this is likely to be the event that either makes him into a truly noble and passionate character (nothing like a reformed sinner, yeah?) or a broken man.

*pets and snuggles her brilliant, misguided Percy and hopes for the best*

[sevter.livejournal.com]

*cuddles icarusancalion*

There really aren't that much Percyfic going round.