UnFunny Things; Perspective; Chapter 37 Comments - LONG

[catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 16282

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., heidi.h.tandy.c92 at a... wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Haggridd" <jkusalavagemd at y...> wrote:
> > I entirely agree with Naama.  In the canon there is precious 
little 
> > about Draco Malfoy that is good.  I can recall no saving graces, 
> and 
> > no setup foreshadowong any manner of redemption.  This is in 
> > contradistinction to many fanfics, where speculation is rife.  I 
do 
> > feel that some of the posters have been mixing apples with 
oranges, 
> so 
> > to speak.  I would be very interested in any citation in the JKR 
> books 
> > to the contrary.
Heidi wrote:
> There are citations to the books. They are veiled and subtle, but 
> there are places in the books that have been published to date 
which 
> would support JKR if she does decide to have a manner of redemption 
> for Draco in future books. 
> 

> 2. It is *arguable* that when he saw Hermione in the woods at the 
> World Cup, he was actually trying to warn her to get out of the way 
> of the Death Eaters. It's about as arguable and as supported by 
canon 
> evidence as any conclusion that Hermione likes Ron is. 

<bg> I think we're going to have to agree to differ on that one.

> 4. Professor Snape seems to trust him. In book 4, Snape accepts 
> Malfoy's statement about what happened when he & harry were trying 
to 
> curse each other. *IF* you believe that Snape has Dumbledore and 
the 
> Old Crowd's best interests at heart, it is possible that he would 
> support a completely evil and unredeemable Draco, in the interest 
of 
> getting Draco to change his ways and be on Snape's side, but it is 
> equally probable that Snape does not see Draco as being completely 
> evil and unredeemable *at this point*. If he's not unredeemable, 
then 
> it is possible that redemption and a turning away from Lucius and 
the 
> Death Eaters (tm) will happen in the future.

I see this two ways.  One, that Snape truly believed that Lucius 
Malfoy wasn't a DE, and was just favouring Draco because he is in 
Slytherin.  Entirely plausible by the sudden start (or whatever) he 
gives when Harry lists Malfoy as among those who went back to 
Voldemort.
Another alternative, depending on some far-sightedness of Snape, and 
perhaps Dumbledore, is that Snape knew that at some point he would be 
returning to Voldemort as a spy for Dumbledore, and wanted the 
Malfoys to believe that he was still on the "dark side" by still 
favouring the Slytherins - every little detail helps in a situation 
like this.
Finally, does Snape trust Malfoy?  He certainly favours him, but this 
seem to me to be more as a way of disfavouring the Gryffindors and 
making them suffer.  Therefore, not purely for Malfoy's benefit.

Catherine
Btw: I agree with you. I couldn't be a prosecutor either.