Percy = the modern Tom Riddle????

[keeron_man_boy]

im readin CoS atm and come across Percy reading "Prefects who gained power" "a study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers"

it could be that Percy is interested in goold ole Tom Riddle and his climb to power.
as Ollivander said "After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things—terrible, yes, but great"

it could be that Percy is not at all interested in the dark arts but more of also being a great wizard.

so i think it is possible for Percy to head on the LV side, not cause hes evil but cause he wants power

 

[Dr Winterbourne]

Percy may come from a good family, but surely he knew that most of them openly hated, or at least constantly rediculed him. Why would he care for Fred and George? Thus the loving family thing doesn't seem an adequate anchor to keep him from the dark side.

It'd be funny if he was premoted to headmaster at Hogwarts. If Voldemort seized legitimate power, would Percy opposed him? I see him redeeming himself eventually id he did, but he is that worst sort of tyrant that obsessively upholds the status quo. If Voldemort looks to be winning - like Saruman in Tolkein - I think Percy could be persuaded.

Defeating a powerful Percy single-handed would be a great ordeal for Ron to get through.

 

[Sirius Potter Fan]

im readin CoS atm and come across Percy reading "Prefects who gained power" "a study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers" it could be that Percy is interested in goold ole Tom Riddle and his climb to power.
as Ollivander said "After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things—terrible, yes, but great"

I'm sure in reading the book, that he was indeed looking for the paths the successful had taken, but I don't think he was paying any particular attention to Riddle. Why? First at that point in CoS It wasn't widely known that Riddle became Voldemort. As far as the book went, it would not have mentioned Riddle because it would have seemed that Riddle had just dissappeared, not that he had gained any power.

Dr Winterbourne, I agree with your post entirely (see it does happen!) I think Percy has talen to heart all the taunting and teasing, not just in his own family but also from those like Draco who taunt about the family poor means. Percy wants to rise above that . . . any way he can. I think even if it means going to the dark side. And yes, I do think a powerful Percy would be a very tough challenge for Ron, or anyone else as well.

One thing though. Percy was none the less a Gryffindor. As with Wormtail, I think both will show the mark of Gryffindor in the end, showing outstanding courage by turning and fighting for the good, even if it is their lives.

 

[Dr Winterbourne]

Does Gryffindor necessarity mean 'Courageous in the cause of good'? Can one act 'bravely' for evil purposes, or is that automatically 'ambitious'?

Does being a Gryffindor mean that you are not a Death Eater? Well, Wormatail is a Death Eater. Ah, but we don't even know for sure Wormtail was in Gryyfindor, do we?

I'd like to think that it wasn't as simple as 'Gryffindor=good, Slytherin=bad'. But maybe it is.

 

[Rory]

I don't have the book with me, so I can't check this, but -
In the first book PS/SS after Harry meets Draco at the robe shop, he asks Hagrid about the 4 houses. Does Hagrid say that all of the wizards who went bad were from Slytherin - or does he say nearly all? At that point the wizarding world believes Sirius Black betrayed the Potters. But we know he was Gryffindor. (Do DD and Hagrid already know differently?) We have been led to believe Wormtail was Gryffindor, just by the pattern. We see cross-house romances Harry-Cho, Percy-The Ravenclaw Prefect, but not friendships until HBP. (Ginny Weasley-Luna Lovegood)
There is also these quotes to Wormtail:
"When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter -- I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us... me and Remus... and James.."
and:
"I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for
anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in
hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you?"
JKR has confirmed that James, Remus, and Sirius were all Gryffindor. No mention of Peter P.

But these traits:
liking to be with people who are more peowerful
wanting 'big friends'
not doing anything for anyone unless there is something in it for you
sound an awful lot like Percy.

 

[DumbledoresArmy]

I believe Hagrid does say all witches and wizards that have gone bad were from Slytherin. Ron also says this in the opening chapters of SS, when Draco is put into Slytherin house by the sorting hat, Ron says "not a witch or wizards done bad that wasn't in Slytherin," just my two cents. I would hope that it isn't Gryffindor good, Slitherin bad but all the evidence we have points that way.

 

[Sirius Potter Fan]

I don't think that it was meant that all in Slytherin were doomed to be bad, but that of the wizards who did indeed go bad (and I am thinking seriously evil, not just snooty or prejudiced) all those came from Slytherin. Ambition is Slytherins "quality" and with excessive ambition, evil or dark ways are often used to achieve the ends the seekeker desires. I am certain that there have also been many from Slytherin house that though ambitions have not become evil tyrants. Percy hasn't . . . yet, become "evil", but he is blinded by his ambition, and like a lot of young adults, he cannot admit even to himself that his parents may just know some things that he doesn't. Percy is a Gryffindor, and for a reason, not because his family was - Sirius proved that it isn't family that tells the house, but because Percy has courage and loyalty, even if he hasn't shown it yet, he will! (Same goes for Peter Pettigrew.)