[HPforGrownups] Re: Draco's Redemption

[Margaret Dean]

No: HPFGUIDX 23797

Kelly Hurt wrote:

> Malfoy has long wore the facade but it's of a brave strong person.
> Like most bullies, though, he's actually a MUCH worse coward than
> Neville.  He was afraid to go into the Forbidden Forest (PS), then ran
> screaming in the Unicorn scene (PS), wasn't too cocky when he & Harry
> were alone in the air (PS), and he ran from Harry's head (PoA).
> 
> Draco is a coward.  I'm not sure he'd have the guts to stand up to
> Voldemort.  Neville does.

Kelly, I think you're really onto something here.  Yes, Draco is
a coward, and his facade is "I'm not scared and I don't care." 
The final part of that is what produces that very nasty line
about Cedric that gets him blasted at the end of GoF, as well as
the taunting of Hermione at the Quidditch World Cup.  "=I= don't
need to be scared, you do -- I'm on the side that's going to win,
and therefore they won't of course hurt =me.="  It even fits in
with the Buckbeak incident, if you think about it; I'll bet Draco
was scared spitless of the hippogriff and, again, was trying to
cover it up by saying something very superior and nonchalant.

Given that, I suspect that his jealousy of Harry stems very much
from what he sees of Harry's courage.  When does he most
gleefully taunt Harry?  When Harry faints in reaction to the
Dementors, which =looks= like fear.  The whole fake-Dementor
trick was, again, intended to make Harry show fear (and boy did
THAT backfire!).

Therefore I suspect that Draco's redemption, if it happens at
all, will take the form of Draco finally acknowledging his terror
of what Voldemort and the Death Eaters are doing, and running to
Harry and his friends for protection.  (Or possibly to Snape? 
That would be an interesting twist.)  Kind of like a Pettigrew in
reverse . . .


--Margaret Dean
  <margdean at erols.com>