Based on characters created by J. K. Rowling

Weasley Family Values Challenge for HPFC #7. The great advantage of living in a large family is that early lesson of life's essential unfairness.

Replacements

The younger Weasleys didn't stand a chance against Bill and Charlie. The worst had to be Percy. Percy was a sickly child and his mother doted on him more than the others, which meant Charlie and Bill were left to their own devices most of the time. Bill was the natural leader and Charlie, well, he was devoted to his older brother. Whatever harebrained ideas Bill came up with, Charlie was always ready to go along.

Bill and Charlie convinced Percy that their mum and dad had the other kids only as replacements and by law (Section 94, Code mark 239, subsection 8B paragraph 94-F of the Big Book on Siblings), if the older kids didn't die off or weren't killed by dark wizards, their parents could, at their will, kill the younger ones off because they really didn't need them.

"See, if mum and dad don't need you," Bill ran his thumb across his neck, "they get to kill you off."

"I don't believe you," a very frightened Percy said, shaking violently.

Bill shook his head and shrugged. "Yeah, that's what poor Chester used to say."

Charlie shook his head sadly. "Yeah, I always liked little brother Chester."

"I never heard of Chester."

"Exactly." Bill and Charlie nodded together.

"Mum!" Percy ran screaming from the room.

Molly was in the kitchen as usual stirring up a cauldron of something when Percy ran to her. He wrapped his arms around her legs.

"Mum," he sniffled. "You do love me, don't you?"

"What a silly question, Perce, of course I love you," she patted him on the back reassuringly. "What's the matter?"

Percy wiped his nose on his mother's skirt. "It's just…"

"Hi, Mum," Bill said strolling into the kitchen with Charlie right behind him. "Charlie and I are hungry and would love some of your delicious strawberry cake."

"Bill, you know you can't have any cake. It'll spoil your supper, and besides it makes Charlie too hyper. It's bad enough with the twins running around like banshees; I don't need a sugared-up Charlie." Molly was distracted by Bill; Charlie walked up close to Percy and ran his thumb across his neck like his brother did in a warning gesture.

And so it went. Percy got a mild respite when the twins got old enough to be Bill's and Charlie's targets, but they quickly grew to give better than they got, and spent so much time plotting against their parents that Bill and Charlie gave them their seal of approval and went back to torturing Percy. Then when Ron came along, he thought that they would pick on the little brother, but Ron got on Bill's or Charlie's good side, leaving Percy once again at the mercy of the older brothers.

When Molly became pregnant again, Percy was elated! Surely they would leave him alone and go after the new kid. But alas, it was not to be. First of all, they welcomed a beautiful daughter to the Weasley clan, an amazing accomplishment since the Weasley's were notorious for producing only male heirs, and finally when little Ginerva got old enough, she proved she could hold her own against any of her older brothers. The kid had spunk.

"It's not fair," Percy whined to himself after another miserable day of fielding both the older and younger brothers' abuse and getting a sock in the eye from Ginny.

"Well," said Ginny, "if you weren't such a git, maybe they'd leave you alone. Besides, who told you life was fair?"

A/N: So maybe life was fair to everyone BUT Percy. I've noticed that my challenge stories are usually very short. I hope you enjoy. --Rita