The Perils of Being Percy

Percy Weasley lay sleeping on his desk at the Ministry of Magic, exhausted from working all day, everyday, and well into the night, for two months straight. He slept mouth open, dripping drool onto the parchment under his cheek. A mortally sharp Quill point protruded beneath his head, dangerously close to piercing his ear lobe. He wore his glasses skewed across his forehead as though he were a Cyclops in need of a lens for viewing with his third eye.

Percy was restless that night. Because he couldn’t sleep he left Penny alone in their bed. (She slept soundly enough for the both of them.) He went out into the kitchen to pace. He was very worried about the effect that Umbridge’s reign would have on Harry and Ron (mostly Harry, though). Ron could go along to get along. He hadn’t lived almost sixteen years as the youngest brother of the Weasley clan for nothing.

Percy is in over his head at the Ministry. Fudge is an incompetent loser who suffers from Dumbledore paranoia. Umbridge is a power-hungry toad on the war path for Harry, and Dumbledore is worried about the future of Hogwarts and Wizarding rights. Will Percy have time to come up with the perfect evidence to help Dumbledore's cause *and* maintain his relationship with Penny too?

Halloween arrives and Penny thinks she's on her own, as usual. But Percy arrives home unexpectedly and they share a rare evening at home together, which provides them with an opportunity to talk about the past, old pets, sibling nicknames, and why Percy sometimes feels so alone.

Percy's first Christmas apart from his family has him questioning some of the choices he's made, as well as giving Penny some good reasons to suspect that he's just being stubborn. When a surprising late night event that occurs in the midst of their quarrel adds fuel to the fire and puts Percy on the spot.

Percy and Penelope went on quarreling very bitterly early Christmas morning after the inevitable occurred. Penny, about to leave the flat for her shift at St. Mungo’s, asked Percy one last time to come with her and visit with his father on the holiday.

Cornelius Fudge, working himself into a state of distress over the recent reptilian visit to his Ministry, became overwrought and cracked up at his desk in the office. Percy summoned a Healer. While administering a powerful Draught of Peace, the Healer advised the Minister of Magic to go home and take to his bed for a few days until his nerves had settled.

Chaos reigned at the Ministry of Magic. Under the auspices of Cornelius Fudge, and his chief financial political contributor, Lucius Malfoy, little was being done to capture the ten psychopathic Death Eaters, or to prevent any more from joining the Dark Lord’s ranks. Percy expected to Apparate into work any day now and report to Lord Voldemort himself.

Percy was on a mission for Madam Umbridge. She’d owled him first thing that morning from Hogwarts with the request that he drop everything he had to do for the day and visit Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley. Saying in her note that she was desperate for some good reference materials that would help her ruin…that is to say run…Hogwarts more effectively in the future. Attached to the memo was a list of books she wanted Percy to pick up and send along.