The Scarlet Pimpernel (Harry Potter fic)

Fanfiction
Title:	The Scarlet Pimpernel
Author(s):	AMarguerite
Date(s):	2007-08
Length:	50,000 words
Genre(s):	Adventure/Humor
Fandom(s):	Harry Potter
Relationship(s):
External Links:	The Scarlet Pimpernel (Wayback Machine)
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The Scarlet Pimpernel was a Harry Potter fic by AMarguerite originally published to FanFiction.Net in 2007. The fic was completed in 2008, but has since been removed from the site. It is preserved on the Wayback Machine.

Percy Weasley recieves some fictional inspiration before realizing that Authority, though Authority, is not always right. Through DH, he tries to do the right thing, rescue Muggleborns without losing his life or his job, and find the right laws. Complete. -The Scarlet Pimpernel (summary)

The title and inspiration for the fanfic is the novel by Baroness Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Contents

Summary

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a canon-compliant fic set during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A disillusioned Percy Weasley, while working for Dolores Umbridge at the Ministry of Magic, concludes that the laws in place against Muggle-born witches and wizards are in fact unlawful and begins using his position in the Ministry to free Muggle-borns wrongly imprisoned in Azkaban.

The fic ships Percy Weasley with Penelope Clearwater and shows Oliver Wood and Eloise Midgen as Percy's allies.

Quotes

Pecry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. The law as good- it had to be. It was absolute and detailed and was put in place by those in authority to protect everyone from their baser impulses. It was what made the world make sense.

But, Percy thought, clenching his fists and almost breaking his glasses in the process, the world had not made sense from some time. And the new laws he read contradicted other laws, and the framework of the world, the entire structure that held up the magic and the witches and wizards began to crumble away under the weight of the contradictions, in the weaknesses of the laws that upheld it. The laws needed revision.

Perhaps, he thought, just perhaps, the laws were so far gone they needed to be reworked entirely. The old laws had to be upheld, supplemented by the new, or revised entirely based on principles so old even Merlin had known of them. Percy felt frightened at the enormity of his thoughts. Breaking the law, breaking the rules- there wasn't any excuse for it, was there? There couldn't be.

But if the laws were wrong, if they contradicted each other, if they no longer made sense and brought order- if the new laws weren't actually laws-

-The Scarlet Pimpernel

"So you've chosen a life of filing and incredibly dangerous subterfuge against the Ministry when you've run out of paper clips?"

Percy contemplated this a moment. "That seems to be the gist of it, yes. I must say, I am so very pleased to hear you use the word 'subterfuge' correctly. I didn't know you knew it."

"Subterfuge has to do with tactics," Oliver explained patiently. "Tactics have everything to do with Quiddich. Of course I'd know it. But Perce- really? You've been smuggling Muggleborns out of the country?"

"After I break them out of Azkaban, yes. It's actually beginning to sound more dangerous now that I'm talking about it… ah, there's the blind terror kicking in, just as expected." Percy collapsed onto the couch, put his head into his hands, and suddenly thought that it would be quite horrible to die. "Oh God, I'm going to be dead by Tuesday."

-The Scarlet Pimpernel

Reception

When the author's page on FanFiction.Net was last captured in 2018, The Scarlet Pimpernel had 432 reviews across 14 chapters and 812 favs.

Reactions and Reviews

Thank you for this amazing story. I read The Scarlet Pimpernel decades ago & Percy makes a fantastic SP. He is beautifully written - endearing , admirable & infuriating in equal amounts. His fraught relationship with his family reads authentically- forgiveness isn't easy ( & perhaps shouldn't be, sometimes) . His personality is consistent & what makes him a good bureaucrat makes him a superb hero.

The portrayals of Oliver & Penelope/Audrey are great & my only regreat about this story is that I finished it so quickly. There are some lovely references- thanking the Americans even though they arrived late, Percy's attempts to protect himself against the effects of Madame Delacour & so many others.

Thank you

Oh, this is bloody brilliant. Kudos for making the motivaitons of a character usually reviled by the fandom into a truly sympathetic character - I thought that your explanation of his motivations in this chapter was very well done indeed.