With the likelihood of a Harry Potter TV series down the line, there are certain mistakes from the movies the show needs to avoid. One of these elements being how they ignored some characters and adapt them only half-heartedly, Percy Weasley being one of these characters.
In his case, even the books didn’t do him justice as the readers didn't see Percy didn't reach his full potential, meaning most characters and readers themselves misunderstood certain aspects about him. Still, that's not to say some fans weren't justified in not liking him as there were certain things he did that brought out the worst in him.
Worst: Slamming The Door On His Mother's Face
Percy’s estrangement from his family was easily the most heartbreaking aspect of his arc. However, fans didn't like the way he treated their separation as if it was Mrs. Weasley's fault despite the fact that she had never said anything to Percy to deserve any harsh treatment.
As Harry found out, Mrs. Weasley had visited Percy at his apartment in London to convince him to return, only for him to slam the door right in her face without even hearing her out. This kind of disrespect was unheard of in the Weasley family.
Misunderstood: He Greatly Cared For His Family But Was Shunned
Nobody really puts Percy in the list of most likable Gryffindors, but it went unnoticed that he did display care toward his family. Percy frequently kept tabs on Ron and even Harry’s whereabouts at Hogwarts whenever he saw them chasing after danger. It was made to appear as if he was being nosy, but this was actually Percy looking out for them.
Similarly, Percy was shown trying to raise Ginny’s spirits when she was down in Chamber of Secrets, along with him hurrying to pull Ron out of the lake in Goblet of Fire when he thought his brother was in danger. Unfortunately, his well-meant efforts were always shunned by his siblings.
Worst: Using His Mother To Get Scrimgeour To Harry
There are more than a few bad things about the Ministry officials, but Percy went especially low by using his mother’s love as a way to weasel himself into the Weasley home. In Half-Blood Prince, Percy arrived unannounced for Christmas by pretending he wanted to meet his mother.
However, it didn’t escape anyone’s understanding that this was simply Scrimgeour’s attempt to reach Harry, who had been ignoring him until this point. Molly was eventually left in tears when Percy stormed out after Scrimgeour was turned down by Harry and due to a prank pulled by the twins and Ginny.
Misunderstood: Mrs. Weasley Defended Him Rather Than Favor Him
It always seemed to appear as if Percy used his mother’s favor to steal attention from his siblings. Molly certainly took Percy’s side on paper, but the fact is that she did so because the rest of the family kept taking shots at Percy’s expense.
It was noted by Harry that everybody would frequently laugh at Percy except for Molly, who would then tout all of Percy’s achievements. Percy never actually tried to use Molly’s favor to his advantage, as his mother did it on her own accord and with the intention to keep his pride.
Worst: His Attempt To Use Ron To Antagonize Harry
Harry had never directly done anything to Percy, being one of the few to not make jokes at his expense and even indulged in Percy’s pompous attitude without comment. However, Percy disregarded any connection he might have had with Harry by trying to make Ron cut their friendship.
In Order of the Phoenix, Percy wrote to Ron in a lengthy letter where he attempted to make Harry appear as if he was a danger to all. He might have had some genuine concern for Ron, but by and large, this was an attempt by Percy to continue the Ministry’s antagonism of Harry by taking away his best friend.
Misunderstood: He Was Seen From Harry's Biased Point Of View
It wasn’t until the climax of Deathly Hallows that Harry saw Percy from an unbiased point of view, marveling at Percy’s bravery and confession of regret. Previously, Harry had taken on Ron and the twins’ point of view of Percy, meaning he considered Percy to be something of a prat from the start.
This also makes Percy misunderstood to the reader, as the narration was set according to Harry’s thoughts and feelings. From a third-person standpoint, Percy’s personality can be considered far less arrogant without Harry buying into the Weasley siblings’ perception of him.
Worst: Not Admitting That He Was Wrong
After finding out that Harry had been telling the truth about Voldemort for a year and that he had wrongly sided with Fudge, Percy still didn’t make amends with his family. It was implied that he didn’t do so out of shame, but that’s not really an excuse.
After all, there really wasn’t any reason left for Percy to consider his family to be in the wrong, not when they had been proven to be right all along. This comes down to Percy’s extreme pride, which left his family feeling estranged and resentful toward him.
Misunderstood: No One Explained The Order's Motives To Him
In Percy’s defense, he didn’t really know of the heroic sacrifices made by the Order of the Phoenix members, as nobody ever explained it to him. From his point of view, he arrived one day at home and was told the Ministry was evil and to ditch all his hard work to get to his position.
Percy didn’t get informed about the Order or what it entailed and Ron’s explanation to Harry made it clear that Percy was simply expected to follow along rather than be told what was happening. It’s understandable why he reacted with such cynicism when he was never really looped in.
Worst: His Open Disrespect Of His Father
It was one thing to not agree with his family and a whole other to be disrespectful to them. Percy was shown to be particularly disrespectful towards Mr. Weasley, going so far as to call his own father an idiot right to his face while the whole family watched.
He didn’t even have the courtesy to visit his father after he was nearly fatally attacked by a giant serpent, instead of returning Mrs. Weasley’s Christmas present without so much as a note asking about Arthur’s health. Later, Percy was shown ignoring his father completely whenever they came across each other.
Misunderstood: His Ambitions Were Never Encouraged
While Percy certainly wasn’t the kind of guy to invite as a guest over for the holidays due to his knack of being pompous, he also didn’t deserve to be ignored completely. Sadly for him, that’s just what happened as none of his achievements were ever given consideration, only being mocked.
The reason why this isn’t clear is due to Harry having a laugh at Fred and George’s jokes about stuff, like Percy becoming Prefect and Head Boy, getting perfect O.W.L.s, as well as him landing a job with Barty Crouch. These actually were very remarkable achievements, yet went disregarded as his ambitions to reach big heights in his career weren’t encouraged.