Chapter Text
Percy looked down at the shiny badge in the palm of his hand. A golden P, for a moment Percy thought of the students in other houses walking around with a Gryffindor inspired badge. Of course, magic could be used to make the badges in any color, but no one ever changed it, why would they when gold was the standard for the best?
Percy's line of thinking was interrupted by his mother pulling him into a hug. "OH! Another prefect in the family! Congratulations Percy! Your father and I are so proud." Evan, without looking Percy knew there were tears in his mother's eyes as she held his gangly body close to hers.
Percy wished he could have opened his letter privately, but the post was always delivered to the kitchen and trying to take the letter to his room would never be allowed. With a deep breath Percy decided he would have to cut in before his mother said anything else and before his younger siblings could jump in with their own opinions.
"I'm not accepting it." He stated firmly.
Everything in the busy kitchen seemed to stop. His mother’s arms suddenly loosened as she took a step back from him. The twins looked up with slack jaws from where they had been sitting on either side of Ron. Ginny, sitting at the far end of the table dropped her spoon into her portage bowl in her surprise. The loudest sound was the ripping of parchment as Ron, not paying attention to the rest of the room, focused on his first Hogwarts letter.
"Percy what do you mean? Is something wrong?" His mother asked.
Fred and George seemed to jerk back into life "Yeah isn't this your dream come true, a stupid title to lord over us lowly mortals?" Georg asked.
"Perhaps Percy is under some kind of spell." Fred said as he pulled out his wand. "We ought to check him thoroughly just in case."
Before Fred could start hurling spells across the table. Molly jumped into action swiping her own wand though the air to summon both twins’ wands to her waiting hand. "Absolutely no magic outside of school for you two, I want you both cleaning your room for the rest of the morning." She commanded.
Both twins stood from the table and stomped out of the room, knocking into Percy as they left.
Percy barely avoided rolling his eyes at his brothers. While he understood their frustration with both of them being punished for the acts of one, taking it out on him wasn't going to accomplish anything.
"Can you do that? Just say no?" Ginny asked.
"What can they do to force me to say yes? And students back out of the role all the time to focus on schoolwork." Percy explained.
"But they only do that for their NEWTS, if you're worried about your grades then I'm sure professor McGonagall will be happy to discuss it with you." His mother said in an attempt to comfort him. "Besides they wouldn't have offered it to you if they didn't think you could manage both prefect responsibilities and your grades, you really should think about it before just rejecting this honor."
Percy huffed out a frustrated breath. "There's only two Gryffindor boys in my year Mum, and Ollie will be made captain so it's not like they had much of a choice. I also have more important things to do than patrolling the school all night."
"What like you have friends to spend time with or something?" Ron asked, scowling as he clutched his letter. Percy felt a small sting from his youngest brother’s words but quickly brushed it off. He knew Ron was lashing out because he felt like his first Hogwarts letter was being overshadowed by Percy's drama.
"Ronald!" Molly exclaimed. She would have said more but a bang from upstairs caused her to rush out of the room to the twin’s room.
Percy once again wished his family would let him open his mail privately. He tucked his letter and unwanted badge into a pocket. "Congratulations on the Hogwarts letter Ron, I probably won't get a present for being made prefect, so maybe there will be enough to get you a new wand or pet."
Ron's scowl transformed into an excited smile as he stood from the table. "Yeah? Think I can get an owl of my own? Wicked, I'm going to go ask mum now." Ron ran from the kitchen, foul mood forgotten.
Before he could make his own escape, Percy was stopped by Ginny. "So, what's taking so much time?" She asked.
Percy glanced over his shoulder as he walked out the door into the garden. "I'll show it to you when you get to Hogwarts next year. It's better in person." Percy couldn't help but laugh at Ginny's frustration as he walked through the garden drafting his reply to the deputy headmistress.