To Follow or Not to Follow?
"You don't understand, Mum. He's associating with Slytherins! They'll corrupt him and twist him into a shell of who he is!" Ron cried passionately, seeming to forget that he already thought that Percy was a horrible person.
Molly opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Fred cut her off. "First things first, ickle Ronniekins, don't be so loud. Percy's in his room upstairs, and if he heard us, this won't work."
"Secondly," George continued, "we all know that Perfect Prissy Prefect Percy doesn't like it when we question him, and we'll never get anything out of him if he closes up. As much as I hate to admit that he is good at something."
"Finally," Fred picked up, "he seems to have known these filthy Slytherins for a long time, so that's probably how he was corrupted in the first place, and honestly, I don't think he could get any worse if he tried. I mean, truly, Percy would probably sell us out to the Death Eaters if it would advance his career."
George opened his mouth to speak, but Molly interrupted him. "That's enough, you two. Percy's not corrupted, and he wouldn't ever sell us out. I know you don't like him, but that doesn't matter. Percy's family, and we will treat him as such."
"Exactly," Hermione said, in a tone of finality. "You're suggesting that we invade your brother's privacy by following him everywhere he goes and recording his interactions with others just to fulfil your personal vendetta against him. In the Muggle world, you could be sued for that! Not to mention the fact that Percy is a very high-ranking Ministry official, and his testimony against you could hold a lot of weight! You can't just do that! And anyway, how do you know that the Slytherins are completely evil? They seem to care about Percy. And you saying that they're evil because they're Slytherin, is just as prejudiced as saying that I'm inferior because I'm a Muggle-born!"
Harry shook his head at his friend. "We know that, 'Mione, but we have to. And it's not prejudiced; they have given us a reason to think they're evil. You haven't given us a reason to think you're inferior. If Percy's interacting with those SOBs, we have to help him. And if he's beyond help, we have to stop whatever plan they're concocting. This is for the best."
Hermione scowled in disgust. "And so you use the actions of a few to justify the condemnation of a quarter of the wizarding world! You lot are inhuman and idiots and bigots!"
"I'm sorry, Hermione, but you're overruled. Starting tomorrow, we will follow Percy and see where he goes," Arthur broke in, the lines in his face becoming more prominent as he said these words.
Hermione shook her head slowly. She couldn't believe these people.
Percy was confused. When he came down to breakfast, he immediately noticed that his family was acting very strangely. To start with, they all looked stressed, and Hermione had an air of anger around her that flared whenever anyone tried to talk to her. Furthermore, Molly looked as if she had been crying. Finally, everyone looked grim, as if they were walking into a terrible situation. Still, he kept quiet, because the rest of his family had been rather upset at him after they had walked into the clearing the week before, and he didn't want to set them off.
After breakfast, he declared that he was going to apparate to Muggle Devon, and tried not to sigh too loudly as the rest of the Weasleys, along with Hermione and Harry, apparated in about 30 seconds later (using silencing spells to disguise the pop) in what was obviously an attempt to follow him. It wasn't a very good attempt, but they seemed to think it was brilliant, so he rolled his eyes and pretended not to see them. He walked through Devon until he reached a small cafe along the side of the road. The tinkle of the bell filled the shop as he entered.
Percy smiled as he saw that Pansy, Oliver, Draco, and Blaise were already sitting in a booth at the back of the cafe. Theo and Daphne hadn't been able to come this time, due to unforeseen difficulties at home. Still, it was nice to meet with his "family" and be himself for an hour or two, until he had to go back home… except, of course, his biological family had decided to tag along, so that might make honest conversation a little harder. He couldn't quite restrain a flash of annoyance as he heard the bell ringing again and caught a flash of red in the corner of his eye. Focusing again on his "family", he saw a look of surprise in their eyes before they masked it.
"Morning," he said, grinning as he sat down next to Pansy and Oliver. "How's everyone today?"
The knot of individuals responded, before Pansy asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "What are they doing here?" she asked quietly, so the suspicious family and friends who had just sat in a booth close to them couldn't hear.
"Decided that I needed a follower, I suppose," Percy replied just as quietly. "I think that they're suspicious of me since they saw us in the clearing the other day, and want to 'destroy our nefarious plot'. I say we should act like the happy family we are. Maybe show them that not snakes are evil. What do you think?"
They all nodded, and Draco raised his voice. "Well, Percy, how is your family this week?"
"Good. I think they're upset that we met in the clearing the other day." He smiled at the waiter who came to their table, and they placed their orders.
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Of course they are. They're Gryffindors, who think that all Slytherins must be evil, because they're Slytherins. Even the eleven-year-olds, who are probably terrified of going to Hogwarts, because they know they'll be sorted into Slytherin, and they know the decision the Hat makes when they're eleven will affect the rest of their lives and make everyone hate them. I don't suppose they ever thought that shunning them would make them turn to Voldemort? But if they accepted them, they might turn out okay?" Blaise was rambling, which Percy knew was a sign of agitation.
"Probably not," Draco made no attempt to mask the bitterness in his voice. "Typical Gryffindors. Hate us for being prejudiced, but they themselves are prejudiced against us. Remember the twins, Fred and George? They booed an eleven year old who got sorted into Slytherin. Guess what? After the ceremony, he was sobbing into Pansy's arms because he couldn't understand why all the other students hated him."
Oliver looked pained. He knew all about Percy's deal, and about the life Slytherins led, but he hadn't witnessed first-hand the persecution and hatred that followed Slytherins and outcasts in general. And it was nearly impossible to understand something like this when you'd never experienced it before.
"That's enough of the bitterness," Percy said with a false cheerful tone that everyone could see through. "Well, Oliver, how do you like having a Slytherin in your house?"
Oliver grinned. "It's surprisingly fun, to be honest. Pansy is always ready with a sarcastic quip, when I drop a dish or forget that something's been in the fridge for ages and is now moldy, but it's amazing how she manages to remember all the little details, and how she works behind my back to get revenge on someone who's been pestering me."
Pansy flushed slightly, and the others laughed. "Sounds like a true Slytherin!" Draco grinned cheekily, dodging the slap that Pansy aimed at him.
"Also, just the other day, I was reading the contract my managers wanted me to sign, and she just picked the thing right out of my hands and pointed out a dozen things that they'd concealed in the contract and could be used against me, forcing me to work for another few years. I'm telling you, Percy, Slytherins are bloody amazing!"
Percy smiled. "Don't I know it."
Draco cleared his throat. "I still want to know how you plan on getting your family to accept that not all Slytherins are born evil. Honestly, though, they're supposed to be against prejudice, but they might be the most prejudiced of all!"
Percy smiled grimly. "I suppose I'll just have to keep pestering till they accept it. Or I could try to find ways to get them to follow me, maybe stage a few encounters, so they will start to believe that not all Slytherins are evil. Stuff like helping a kitten out of a tree, or comforting someone who's crying, or explaining a concept to someone, or something like that. Something that will force them to think of you as humans, and once we achieve that, we can work on the rest. Do you feel up to it?"
The Slytherins nodded solemnly.
"After all," Draco added, "once Harry Potter and the Weasleys accept us, the rest of the Wizarding World will follow. Maybe there will be a drop in the number of Death Eaters."
Oliver looked confused. "What does acceptance have to do with the number of Death Eaters?"
Blaise sighed. "Just over half of the Death Eaters are Slytherins. Most of them are there because people judged them and made fun of them in school. It might not seem like a big deal, but students can be vicious. Over time, they can cause another person to become bitter and pained, a person who is always looking over their shoulder for the next insult, the nest hex."
Pansy picked up here. "Eventually, they develop a thirst for power, because they are tired of having to be on the lookout all the time. They want power because they want to feel safe, and they want their former oppressors to feel the same pain and terror that they themselves felt as students. And they want to feel like those taunts they endured were unfounded. They want to feel worthy."
Oliver looked horrified. "But Slytherins aren't bullied too much! I never saw…"
Draco cut in. "That's because you are a popular boy, and people don't want popular people to be upset at them. But it happens.
"That's why, right after the Sorting, when all the students go down to the common room, Snape and a few 7th years go over the rules and things, but they also tell students to go nowhere by themselves, but to always travel in groups of three or more, until they are well-versed in self defense and can hold their own against at least five 7th year students. They are also told that all disputes and arguments, any sign of divide, are only shown in the common room, because when they go out of that safe zone, they need to be able to rely on each other and trust the other to have an eye on them.
"The other students will pounce on any opportunity to attack."
Oliver looked even worse.
"Just goes to say," Percy reflected quietly, "that even seemingly small things like prejudice can cause great damage."
Hermione was frustrated. No, more than frustrated. She was infuriated. The Weasleys had refused to listen to her, overruling her in their family meeting. Honestly, if they considered her family and wanted her opinion, they could at least pretend to listen to her reasons.
But they hadn't. Still, she continued to respect them. So she didn't say anything when Percy came down the stairs, or when the others were blindingly obvious in following Percy, or when Fred got out the Extendable Ears with Notice-me-Nots and repelling charms so people didn't step on them. And she didn't say anything when Percy and the Slytherins started talking and the Weasleys and Harry looked shocked at what they heard, even though she smirked smugly.
They had just entered the café (only thirty seconds after Percy – she found it hard to believe that they honestly thought they were unobtrusive) and sat down at a table before Percy and the others started talking.
"Well, Percy, how is your family this week?"
Ron turned red with anger as he clenched his fist. "Those slimy gits – they have no right to ask about us!"
Hermione stared at him coolly, not offering any comfort. Seeing the detached expression on his girlfriend's face, Ron was confused. He couldn't think of why she was so upset.
"Of course they are. They're Gryffindors, who think that all Slytherins must be evil, because they're evil." They'd probably missed something.
Fred and George started speaking.
"Well, of course we are…"
"Because they are evil…"
"Because they are snakes!"
Hermione was hard pressed not to punch him in the face. She had been able to overlook the slight prejudice they had shown before, but it was rearing its ugly head now. And she hated it.
"Even the eleven-year-olds, who are probably terrified of going to Hogwarts, because they know they'll be sorted into Slytherin, and they know the decision the Hat makes when they're eleven will affect the rest of their lives and make everyone hate them."
Hermione saw Ron and Harry exchanging nervous looks. It was clear that they hadn't thought of that. She was glad that they were finally starting to think clearly and (hopefully) leave behind their mindless prejudice.
"I don't suppose they ever thought that shunning them would make them turn to Voldemort? But if they accepted them, they might turn out okay?"
She couldn't help a very Slytherin smirk at the shocked looks of the Weasleys. Fred and George still seemed like they were sceptical, but Harry, Ron, Charlie, and Molly were definitely thinking.
"Probably not," Malfoy spat with a large amount of bitterness in his voice. "Typical. Hate us for being prejudiced, but they themselves are prejudiced against us. Remember the twins, Fred and George? They booed an eleven year old who got sorted into Slytherin. Guess what? After the ceremony, he was sobbing into Pansy's arms because he couldn't understand why all the other students hated him."
Molly rounded on the twins fiercely. "How could you do that? I thought I had raised you better! He would have been a child!"
The twins shrunk back. "We thought that he had a thick skin. He was a Slytherin, Mum!"
"That doesn't change the fact that he was just a child! I've a right mind to take you home right now and give you a good spanking, regardless of the fact that you are of age and have moved out! Honestly! I'm ashamed of you!"
"Mrs. Weasley," Hermione interjected. "I think it would be prudent to stay until the end of their meeting. It might help them to understand their mistakes." And help Mrs. Weasley to find more ammunition against them, she thought silently. Hermione was generally an easy going, kind person, but the prejudice that this family showed was unbelievable! It was the same prejudice that early Americans showed the free African Americans, and it just made her blood boil.
"That's enough of the bitterness," Percy said, obviously faking cheerfulness. Hermione wondered how much of this prejudice affected him, if he was so obviously close to the three Slytherins. "Well, Oliver, how do you like having a Slytherins in your house?"
Oliver's Scottish brogue was heard next. "It's surprisingly fun, to be honest. Pansy is always ready with a sarcastic quip, when I drop a dish or forget that something's been in the fridge for ages, but it's amazing how she manages to remember all the little details, and how she works behind my back to get revenge on someone who's been pestering me."
There was a chorus of laughter from the table.
"Sounds like a true Slytherin!" Draco laughed.
Hermione raised an eyebrow in challenge to the other occupants of her table. That would show them that Slytherins could be nice and have fun.
"Also, just the other day, I was reading the contract my managers wanted me to sign, and she just picked the thing right out of my hands and pointed out a dozen things that they'd concealed in the contract and could be used against me, forcing me to work for another few years. I'm telling you, Percy, Slytherins are bloody amazing!"
"Don't I know it."
Someone cleared his throat. "I still want to know how you plan on getting your family to accept that not all Slytherins are born evil. Honestly, though, they're supposed to be against prejudice, but they might be the most prejudiced of all!"
Hermione wondered if Percy had seen them and told his friends about his followers. It seemed like a Slytherin thing to do, and Percy definately hung out with them. They were certainly giving the family a strong wake-up call. Maybe too strong to be a casual conversation.
"I suppose I'll just have to keep pestering till they accept it. Or I could try to find ways to get them to follow me, maybe stage a few encounters, so they will start to believe that not all Slytherins are evil."
"Brilliant idea," Hermione muttered.
"Stuff like helping a kitten out of a tree, or comforting someone who's crying, or explaining a concept to someone, or something like that. Something that will force them to think of you as humans, and once we achieve that, we can work on the rest. Do you feel up to it?"
Hermione had a feeling that she knew what they were going to say. It appeared that she was right, judging by Draco's next comment.
"After all," Draco added, "once Harry Potter and the Weasleys accept us, the rest of the Wizarding World will follow. Maybe there will be a drop in the number of Death Eaters."
The eyebrows of the less accepting people at her table (Arthur, Bill, Fred, George, Ron, and Harry. Really, Harry should know better) furrowed together. They didn't know what to make of this statement. But Hermione thought that she knew why they said that.
"What does acceptance have to do with the number of Death Eaters?" Oliver seemed just as confused as the Weasley's and Harry.
Someone sighed. "Just over half of the Death Eaters are Slytherins. Most of them are there because people judged them and made fun of them in school. It might not seem like a big deal, but students can be vicious. Over time, they can cause another person to become bitter and pained, a person who is always looking over their shoulder for the next insult, the next hex."
Mrs. Weasley gasped in horror at this. "I never knew! Oh, Arthur! We need to help them!"
Arthur looked pained. "There's not much we can do."
Before Molly could reply, Hermione held a finger up to her lips. Someone else was speaking.
"Eventually, they develop a thirst for power, because they are tired of having to be on the lookout all the time. They want power because they want to feel safe, and they want their former oppressors to feel the same pain and terror that they themselves felt as students. And they want to feel like those taunts they endured were unfounded. They want to feel worthy."
Hermione couldn't even bring herself to smirk at the thought of her friends finally starting to see that their prejudice was unfounded and hurtful. The tragedy of what had happened was too great. Maybe, maybe, if they had known this a couple of decades ago, this war wouldn't even be happening. Maybe Voldemort wouldn't have had so many followers, and his uprising could be put down.
But it was too late now. They would never be able to reach the people they had alienated. She felt like crying.
"But Slytherins aren't bullied too much! I never saw…"
Draco cut in. "That's because you are a popular boy, and people don't want popular people to be upset at them. But it happens."
Harry frowned. He hated it when people didn't let him know what was going on. Maybe, if he had known… but he hadn't. And maybe's didn't help anyone now. They could only move forward, not backward.
"That's why, right after the Sorting, when all the students go down to the common room, Snape and a few 7th years go over the rules and things, but they also tell students to go nowhere by themselves, but to always travel in groups of three or more, until they are well-versed in self defense and can hold their own against at least five 7th year students. They are also told that all disputes and arguments, any sign of divide, are only shown in the common room, because when they go out of that safe zone, they need to be able to rely on each other and trust the other to have an eye on them."
The tears were flowing down Hermione and Molly's cheeks. The others tried to awkwardly comfort them, but it didn't work. There was so much evil here, hidden in the corners and the dark. It was a part of life that no one really questioned. This world could certainly learn some things from the Muggle one.
"The other students will pounce on any opportunity to attack."
Ron looked furious. He hated Slytherins, but he hated injustice even more. Bill and Charlie were confused. They had never seen anything like that before. But, like Draco had said, they were popular and never saw the darker side of things.
Fred and George had known. But they had always thought that the gits had deserved it. That they were unquestionably evil. But maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe they had caused some people to go to the dark side. It was a horrible thought.
"Just goes to say," Percy reflected quietly, "that even seemingly small things like prejudice can cause great damage."
You can say that again, Hermione thought bitterly. But maybe this meeting wasn't completely useless. Maybe the Weasley's, Harry, and Hermione had learned something valuable. Maybe this conversation would help them to start changing their thinking. It wasn't perfect, and they still had doubts. But maybe they would start giving second chances.
Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Con Crit? Reviews? Ideas?