"Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he? Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy."
-- Ron Weasley (GF21)
Percy Weasley, an ambitious and rather pompous young man, is unquestionably the black sheep of the Weasley family.
He works hard and has always taken great pride in becoming Prefect (PS5) and Head Boy (PA1), earning twelve O.W.L.s (CS4), and getting a job (GF3) and then a two promotions (GF23, OP4) at the Ministry of Magic. Percy is tall and thin with red hair (like all Weasleys), and wears horn-rimmed spectacles (GF5). His goal in life appears to be to become the Minister for Magic (CS4).
Percy has always been devoted to rules and procedures, which of course earns him endless ribbing from Fred and George (GF5). His first job – working for Barty Crouch Sr. at the Ministry – seemed a perfect fit (GF23). However, though he became Crouch’s personal assistant just six months later (GF23), he didn’t seem to be particularly successful; Crouch described him as “overenthusiastic” (GF17) and referred to him as “Weatherby” (GF7), and Percy failed to notice when his boss was Imperiused for several months (OP4).
Despite his uneven record at work, Percy was offered a plum position on Fudge’s staff in 1995, and accepted it with pride. His parents questioned the appointment, though, wondering whether Fudge might not have wanted a spy in their family; this made Percy so upset that he broke ties with the Weasleys, moved to London (OP4), and wholeheartedly embraced the Ministry’s official denial of Voldemort‘s return to power. He even sent a letter to Ron that urged him to stop hanging around with Harry so much (OP14). Molly was distraught when he returned his Christmas presents (OP23).
Even after discovering that Dumbledore, Harry, and the Weasleys were correct and the Ministry corrupt, Percy found it difficult to accept; for two years he did not apologize to his family, and he skipped Bill’s wedding (DH8). Finally, with the Battle of Hogwarts imminent, Percy arrived at the school, sincerely apologized to his family, and joined in the battle (DH30), even joking as he dueled Minister Thicknesse that he was resigning his job (DH31). He was devastated when Fred died by his side (DH32).
Though reunited with his family, deep down Percy was always the same old Percy; nineteen years later when Harry ran into him, he was – what else – discussing Ministry regulations (DH/e). Percy and his wife Audrey had two daughters, Molly and Lucy (YL).
- Perfect Percy (Play on "Prefect," also referring to Molly Weasley's tendency - before Voldemort's return, that is - to dwell on Percy's qualities that she wanted his younger siblings to cultivate) (CS4).
- Pinhead (The twins bewitched Percy's prefect badge to say this) (CS12).
- Humongous Bighead (From the HB badge the Head Boy wears) (PA4).
- Bighead Boy (A play on "Head Boy") (PA4).
- Weatherby (Percy's boss Crouch called him this, indicating that Percy's hero-worship evidently hadn't made enough impression on him for Crouch to remember his subordinate's name. The twins then began using the name) (GF7).
- Humongous pile of rat droppings (Fred said this about Percy in an effort to comfort his mother when Percy returned his Weasley jumper at Christmas. Surprisingly, it didn't make Molly feel any better) (OP23).
Percy at Hogwarts (Gryffindor House)
Year 1 (1987-88)
Year 2 (1988-89)
Year 3 (1989-90)
Year 4 (1990-91)
Year 5 (1991-92) Gryffindor Prefect (PS6).
Year 6 (1992-93) O.W.L.s in all twelve subjects (CS4), the most one can receive. Girlfriend Penelope Clearwater nearly killed by the Basilisk.
Year 7 (1993-1994) Head Boy (PA4); of legal age the whole year.
Career: Percy went from a clerical job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation (GF5) to his boss Crouch's personal assistant (GF17), then was promoted to Junior Assistant to Minister Fudge. Percy was never Minister, though, under Minister Shacklebolt, Percy did become the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation (BLC, Pm).
Family
Mother: Molly (Prewett) Weasley
Father: Arthur Weasley
Maternal grandparents: Molly and Sirius are "cousins by marriage," (OP6) so Molly's parents are probably related in some way to the Prewetts listed on the Black Family Tree (see BFT and my notes).
Paternal grandparents: Septimus and Cedrella (Black) Weasley (see BFT and my notes).
Aunts & Uncles:
- Weasley: Arthur had two brothers but we don't know their names (JKR). According to Rowling, Ginny is the first female to be born into the Weasley family in generations, so we can deduce that Arthur had no sisters (JKR).
- Prewett: Molly's brothers Gideon and Fabian Prewett (OP9).
- Surname unknown:
- Uncle Bilius, who saw a Grim and died twenty-four hours later (PA6)
- Great Auntie Muriel who has a goblin-made tiara (HBP29) and apparently is a memorable kisser (HBP14).
Cousins: Mafalda, a cousin who never made it into the books (
JKR) and her father the Muggle accountant (PS6).
Siblings: Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny.
Grandparents: Grandfather who originally owned Ron's "old and battered" wizard chess set (PS12). This grandfather could be either grandfather Prewett (Ignatius? BFT) or grandfather Weasley (Septimus? BFT).
Location of childhood home: 'The Burrow,' near Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon.
Spouse: Audrey (maiden name unknown) (YL).
Children: Molly and Lucy (YL).
Pets: Scabbers the rat (who was actually Peter Pettigrew), and then Hermes, a screech owl given by Mr Weasley when he was made a Prefect (PS6, CS3).
Commentary
Etymology
Percy: Percy is possibly a nickname for Percival, though Rowling has never confirmed this. In Arthurian legend, Percival was a chivalrous knight who was given a glimpse of the Holy Grail.
Ignatius (OP8): Derived from the Latin word for fire. The name of several saints, most notably Saint Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits.
Weasley: Weasley=like a weasel? JKR: "In Britain and Ireland the weasel has a bad reputation as an unfortunate, even malevolent, animal. However, since childhood I have had a great fondness for the Family Mustelidae; not so much malignant as maligned, in my opinion" (JKR).
From the Web
Percy Weasley Deserves Our Love http://www.mugglenet.com/2018/03/percy-weasley-deserves-our-love/