Order Only: Percy
May. 25th, 2013 07:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_billPercy sent me a message yesterday and asked me to meet for lunch. He was upset because he'd just heard that Theodolphus Higgs has been elevated to the Council, whereas Lucius Malfoy has been discouraging Percy from even applying, saying he's not ready yet.
Minerva, I gather from what he said that there have been a number of elevations lately? Besides Higgs, he threw out two or three other names, and was particularly scornful at the idea of someone named Rufus McLaggen. Apparently, from what Percy knows of one of the man's relatives, a Gryffindor student at school by the name of Cormac McLaggen, he's not inclined to be impressed.
This was the first time I can think of where he expressed bitterness about Lucius Malfoy and his mentoring. However, when I probed at this gingerly, he flared up like a dragon clutching and completely contradicted himself. Lucius Malfoy wants nothing but the best for him and was taking great care to guide him from any missteps.
I then asked, what he considered the best to be. Could it really be following a career path that leads to the Council, if such unprepossessing characters were joining it? But he immediately rejected that argument. On the one hand, the Council has members such as Lucius Malfoy, and Dominic Selwyn, and Stephen Rosier and Barty Crouch--fine, upstanding examples to us all (!). On the other hand, if newer candidates were less impressive, it was practically his duty to join, to be a counterweight in upholding Our Lord's purebred ideals.
And then, in a throwaway comment that almost took my breath away, he added that it was what Dad would have wanted him to do.
I fiddled with my sandwich until I could reply without giving myself away. With all the mildness I could muster, I asked him whether he had ever discussed the idea of joining the Council with Dad.
He looked abashed and admitted that no, he had not, that he had been--he broke off at that point. I had the impression he had been on the brink of saying he had been afraid to mention it. Maybe there's an ember of conscience still alive in Percy, that makes him dimly realise that he's on a path that Dad would have hated. But Lucius bloody Malfoy is doing his utmost to smother it.
So I talked with him about Dad. About how Dad loved his family, and tried to help people, and was kind to everyone he knew, without paying attention to blood or rank. Would joining the Council and working towards its goals please him?
A mulish look drifted over his face, and my heart sank. He ended the lunch abruptly not long after that, saying he had to get back to work.
Minerva, I gather from what he said that there have been a number of elevations lately? Besides Higgs, he threw out two or three other names, and was particularly scornful at the idea of someone named Rufus McLaggen. Apparently, from what Percy knows of one of the man's relatives, a Gryffindor student at school by the name of Cormac McLaggen, he's not inclined to be impressed.
This was the first time I can think of where he expressed bitterness about Lucius Malfoy and his mentoring. However, when I probed at this gingerly, he flared up like a dragon clutching and completely contradicted himself. Lucius Malfoy wants nothing but the best for him and was taking great care to guide him from any missteps.
I then asked, what he considered the best to be. Could it really be following a career path that leads to the Council, if such unprepossessing characters were joining it? But he immediately rejected that argument. On the one hand, the Council has members such as Lucius Malfoy, and Dominic Selwyn, and Stephen Rosier and Barty Crouch--fine, upstanding examples to us all (!). On the other hand, if newer candidates were less impressive, it was practically his duty to join, to be a counterweight in upholding Our Lord's purebred ideals.
And then, in a throwaway comment that almost took my breath away, he added that it was what Dad would have wanted him to do.
I fiddled with my sandwich until I could reply without giving myself away. With all the mildness I could muster, I asked him whether he had ever discussed the idea of joining the Council with Dad.
He looked abashed and admitted that no, he had not, that he had been--he broke off at that point. I had the impression he had been on the brink of saying he had been afraid to mention it. Maybe there's an ember of conscience still alive in Percy, that makes him dimly realise that he's on a path that Dad would have hated. But Lucius bloody Malfoy is doing his utmost to smother it.
So I talked with him about Dad. About how Dad loved his family, and tried to help people, and was kind to everyone he knew, without paying attention to blood or rank. Would joining the Council and working towards its goals please him?
A mulish look drifted over his face, and my heart sank. He ended the lunch abruptly not long after that, saying he had to get back to work.
Private message to Charlie Weasley
Date: 2013-05-25 01:03 pm (UTC)But Charlie...I think he's just about entirely lost to us for good.
Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley
Date: 2013-05-25 01:10 pm (UTC)I wonder if maybe going the other way might work best. Not trying to keep Percy away from them, but encouraging him to find out more about what they do when they aren't having fancy tea parties and visiting the opera. I'd like to think Perce would think twice about torturing people.
Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley
Date: 2013-05-25 03:22 pm (UTC)Higgs and I used to work in the same department, back when I was in Communications, although I really didn't know him well at all. He was the bloke that Selwyn cruciated and sacked for leaking private messages.
They really are letting any riff-raff join the Council now, aren't they?
Why?
Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley
Date: 2013-05-25 04:08 pm (UTC)I don't suppose you could feel out Selwyn about what's going on here? Or do you think that would call too much attention to you?
Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley
Date: 2013-05-25 04:50 pm (UTC)Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley
Date: 2013-05-25 04:59 pm (UTC)Maybe Minerva will have something to share with us. Although, have you noticed, she hasn't been giving us any of the detail on the Council that she used to? Used to be, she could pass along some things. Now ... she's awfully quiet.