Okay, for any of you who have been following them, I am taking a short break from my 'Prodigal Son' series to write yet more stories about Percy. If you're wondering, I'm still in the process of writing the second to last, and I'm starting to get the feeling that as far as length goes, this one's gonna be a monster.
Anyway, this is just speculation going on the belief that Ron might not have been the only member of his family Percy corresponded with during his breach with the Weasley family. It's also a mostly humorous but at times more serious take on what Percy might have said to his siblings/parents and vice versa.
There will be seven chapters, one for Ron, Ginny, the Twins, Bill, Charlie, Arthur and Molly. All of them will be rather short. The first up is Ron's, providing a perhaps non-canonical but much-cherished suspicion of mine concerning the letter Percy sent his brother during Order of the Phoenix.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Percy knew—knows—that Ronald Weasley is not even at the best of times the soul of discretion, and that he's more prone to getting himself into trouble than is perhaps advisable. If anything, Ron is ridiculously reckless; that's common knowledge.
Well, this year, Percy knows full well that Ron can't afford to be reckless.
So he puts quill to parchment and writes.
When he's done, Percy looks at his work and gnaws on his lip for just a little bit, wondering if this will help at all, if he's doing the right thing. More than anything though, he wonders if Ron will get the message he's trying to convey.
He can't afford to be open with his brother, not entirely. It's common knowledge to anyone at the Ministry that Dolores Umbridge has made it a practice to open the student body's mail while installed at Hogwarts; Percy's flirted with political suicide and potential unemployment before and he has no desire to do so again.
There's really no way Ron won't see what he's trying to tell him. Percy's laid it on so thick that Ron will have to see that the letter's contents are too unctuous and sycophantic to be his actual opinions.
Percy is proud that Ron managed to become a Prefect. To be honest, he's a bit surprised too, but he always knew Ron had the potential despite all the troublemaking he involved himself with. He does think that Umbridge will be in charge of Hogwarts very soon; Dumbledore will have to make way for that woman whether he likes it or not.
Percy does not on the other hand, think that Madam Umbridge is a "delightful" woman; he doesn't know anyone that does. However, there is no shortage of unsavory rumors following her around, and Ron would do better not to make trouble with her; personally, Percy would do better not to make trouble with her too, which is why he uses veiled language.
Nor does he think that Harry Potter is a rabid lunatic. Definitely either lying or seriously deluded as to Voldemort's return, but not a lunatic, and probably not dangerous (Percy can't be sure). The mention of a 'mere technicality' lays it on even thicker for Ron, trying desperately to get the hint across.
He looks at his work and sighs.
Then he signs it.
Your brother,
Percy
The moment he does so, he wishes he hadn't said anything about their parents, but it's too late now—he has to get that letter to Ron as soon as possible.
As Percy watches Hermes flies away, he starts to gnaw on his lip—such a nervous habit; he must learn to stop it, really.
It's all subliminal messaging; he prays Ron will be able to read between the lines. All it takes is a little subtlety.
Then, Percy hides his face in his hands and groans.
Ron isn't going to get it.
Ronald Weasley, as Percy knows very well, is as subtle as a troll. He wouldn't understand what subtlety was if it danced naked in front of him singing "I've Got the Magic in Me".
