Work Text:
The King
Once upon a time, there was a powerful king.
He ruled half of the world, he ruled half of everything.
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Percy Weasley, student, turned Prefect, turned Head Boy. He was always top of his class.
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I mean, some really loved him, some really liked him, man,
They must be really dim.
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Penelope Clearwater and Oliver Wood, his two best, and only friends.
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His smile shook the stenches of the rotten undergrounds,
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His smiles were always faked, forced for the pleasure of others.
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His snake-like words manipulated those around,
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He only wanted everything to be perfect.
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But nobody cared cause he’s the king of the world,
And around him,
We never got bored.
Jester, jester, come tell those funny jokes,
The king doubles over, he laughs, and he croaks,
Hiding his insecurities behind a great, grand cloak,
***
He pretended that it didn’t hurt when Fred and George called him Perfect Prefect Percy, like it was a joke, like he found it funny, too. He laughed along with them.
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What a fantastic, powerful bloke.
Knight, great knight, say where art thou,
With your fancy sword, and your Turkish bow,
Please, sir knight, make the king feel superior,
And while you’re at it, call in the fiddler.
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He relied on Penny and Oliver to make him feel worth, like he was loved.
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All these distractions, and all of his might,
Couldn’t help the king win his deep internal fight,
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No matter what Penny and Oliver said, though, he would always feel worthless, he would always believe he was unlovable.
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With his army, he’d won many a battle,
But this one, this one was different.
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He had always pride himself on his intelligence, but his mind couldn’t help him anymore. It had turned against him.
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The king sat high on his throne that was filled with hurt,
While all of his peasants below just moped in the dirt,
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He often thought of how many times he had seen his family hurting, how many times he had caused that pained expression to come to their faces.
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He sat high on his throne, both day and night,
But he was shaky, hiding behind his great might, yeah,
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All confidence he once held was gone.
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All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
couldn’t put him back together again,
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No matter how many times Penny and Oliver tried, they couldn’t pull Percy out of the black hole he had fallen into. He was gone.
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because he abused, and used, and showed off his powers,
but that’s a story for another hour.
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He had only been trying to make his parents proud. He wanted them to love him. He wanted his siblings to look up to him, to point him out in the crowd, and to say “that’s my brother” with love, and affection. That’s all he’s ever wanted.
***
Once upon a time, there was a fucked-up king,
He wore a fake crown, and took all of everything,
The throne that he sat on was made out of lies,
So maybe, just maybe, he’d fit in with the guys.
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He wasn’t as naturally intelligent as everyone assumed. He studied, Day in and day out, hoping that if he were the best in his class, they would finally want him.
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Messing up his arm at three A.M.,
His favorite hobby ever since the sacrifice lamb,
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During second year, he begun to cut himself. It grounded him, allowing him to study through the night, as well as serving as punishment for never being good enough for his family.
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His servants and peasants saw right through the show,
This king, this ruler, was beginning to slow.
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Penny and Oliver began to see Percy change. He was distant, and quiet. He no longer answered questions in class, he didn’t show his intelligence, his eyes were always glossed over.
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You see, his kingdom was falling, and so were his walls,
You could see right inside, see his true inner calls for help,
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His family began to see the change, too. He no longer corrected them, only sat quietly, always checked out.
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He would scream, both day and night, but why would we help him,
He’s the king with all his might.
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They preferred the new Percy. Or, at least, they thought they did.
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So, his peasants then left him on the floor to yell and bleed,
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Fred and George had seen his scars.
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Another good story to tell, or so it seemed.
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They laughed and told him to get over himself.
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Then one day, they realized their fatal mistake,
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It was mid-summer at the burrow. A Sunday, to be precise. They had family dinners every Sunday. Molly went to Percy’s room to tell him it was time to eat. He didn’t respond. She turned the doorknob, surprised to see that it was unlocked. She entered, only to scream and begin to sob.
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The king,
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The rest of the Weasleys entered, finding their mother, sobbing on the ground. Gasps emanated through the room, sobs following.
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now dead,
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Percy lay lifeless on the ground in front of them, blood pouring from his wrists. Fred and George sobbed the loudest, knowing it was them who had pushed him over the edge.
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burned himself at the stake.
