"Did they really break up in the end?"
As Albert recounted what had happened between Penelope and Percy, Isobel could not help lamenting how fragile love was and how fickle people could be.
"That's perfectly normal. I knew it would turn out this way from the very beginning."
Albert stuffed the tub of popcorn into Isobel's hands and took a large gulp of his iced cola. Seeing the look she gave him, he smiled and explained, "Percy Weasley is a man who craves power. If he wanted to climb any higher, he was bound to split up with Penelope sooner or later."
"Why?"
Katrina, who had been staring fixedly at the movie screen, turned her head to ask.
"Because Penelope couldn't help Percy advance any further at the Ministry of Magic." Albert spoke of some relatively secret, ugly affairs as though telling a story. "In the Ministry's upper circles of power, pure-blood wizards have a great deal of influence, especially wealthy pure-blood wizards. However, although the Weasley family is also pure-blood, they aren't well regarded among pure-blood circles. Not only can they not provide Percy with any support, they might even become an obstacle to him..."
"So Percy Weasley cut ties with his family?" Katrina had heard Albert mention it before.
"More or less."
Albert picked up a piece of popcorn and tossed it into his mouth.
"Percy is clever, so he readily accepted my proposal and got his wish of becoming the Minister of Magic's assistant. Look, even if he can no longer remain at the Ministry, he can easily clear his name and get out, while still earning the respect of most Order of the Phoenix members."
"Weasley dumped Penelope so he could marry a pure-blood witch and use that to rise higher in the future?"
It was