Percy Weasley: Harry Potter Series Character Analysis

For those of us familiar with the Harry Potter series, we are intrigued by the array of characters J. K. Rowling was populated her wizarding world. Prominent in that band of red-headed Weasleys is Percy, one of the older brothers of Harry Potter's first and best friend, Ron. In the Harry Potter series, each character offers so much depth, but in the Weasley clan, Rowling seems to have taken more care in developing this particular Weasley.

Percy is first introduced on Harry's first journey to Hogwarts. With their mother Molly leading her small herd, Percy is the one that enters the barrier first. He is a prefect and very persnickety. Percy is ashamed of his family's poverty, ambitious and very fussy about rules. He aligns himself with the establishment, because he believes that power will somehow help him escape the stigma of the Weasley name.

Percy has many of the same traits as the other favored characters. He is brilliant like Bill, who was also a Prefect and Headboy. He is hardworking like Hermione; however, Percy is the complete opposite of twins Fred and George and an irritant to cooler and more macho brothers, Bill and Charlie. He's an exceptional wizard, but his loyalty is often blinded by power and pride. Still, he appears to be Molly Weasley's favorite son and Arthur Weasley's greatest frustration (second to Fred and George, that is.)

Rowlings uses Percy as a vehicle to show how a person can have good intentions that evolve into estrangement and ultimately clarity and redemption. By the end of the series, readers realize that Percy loves his family and is a good person.

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Percy is introduced as simply a guide to young Harry. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Percy wants to be a hero, but also guard the reputation of Ron and his family. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third Weasley son wants to prove that he can be responsible and a leader. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Percy has moved on from Hogwarts and gets a taste of power working in the Ministry of Magic. By Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Percy has sided with the Ministry and against his family. By Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Percy has allowed his pride to blind him to the peril that he and the rest of the wizarding world is in. Finishing in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Percy has realized the mistakes of the establishment and comes to aid his family in saving the wizarding world. By the end of the series, readers experience joy in Percy's redemption and share in his grief of the sacrifices his family ultimately makes to stop Lord Voldemort and the Deatheaters.

Percy Weasley represents those, who struggle in balancing personal ambition and family loyalty. This third Weasley offers a unique dimension to the Harry Potter series and while prominent in the films, he is clearly an interesting character is the books.