Draco's Redemption

[Kavitha Kannan]

No: HPFGUIDX 23821

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Kelly Hurt <klhurt at y...> wrote:
> --- smurfs143143 at a... wrote:
> 
> >I believe Malfoy has put up a "facade"
> >in the last four books, which is now
> >ready to come down.
> 
> 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 the Yarn Junkie

Somehow I don't think Draco is a coward for those reasons.  He may be 
a frightened piece of scum...but remember, Harry was so frightened 
and racked by pain from his scar that he was rooted to the ground and 
couldn't find it in him to scream.  Harry and Draco were probably 
pretty close on the scale of fear, they just reacted differently.  
As for Draco turning to the good, I doubt he'd do that through regret 
or anything vaguely resembling regret.  For one thing, he's too proud 
to apologize, or act in a way that could be constituted as a silent 
apology.  Going to Harry's side would betray his personality.  And 
then, he hates Harry, and is jealous of him, so he would never join a 
force against evil which had Harry as leader, which it would when the 
time for assembling such a force comes.  Dumbledore may be the leader 
in name, but Harry would lead the age group.  So, just to be spiteful 
and malicious, Draco would refuse to help Harry.  
However, I still think he may switch sides.  But, it would be through 
something involving family honor, which I think the Malfoys would be 
big on.  Perhaps Voldemort will kill Malfoy or Narcissa, and Draco 
will take it upon himself to hold blood fued and go after Voldie, and 
so he may fight alongside Harry, but he wouldn't be fighting under 
Harry, and maybe not even with his forces.  It would be more of 
a "the enemy of my enemy is an ally, but I still hate his guts.  He's 
just the lesser of two evils now.  When i'm done with Voldie, I'll go 
spit on Harry, but the alliance is to valuable to waste over personal 
enmity right now.  Besides, revenge is better cold." You know, that 
sort of thing.  
As for his defending his mother, that doesn't show any emotional 
ties, its just upholding family honor, and a feeling that only Lucius 
and Draco can abuse Narcissa.  Its their privilege, but if anyone 
else does...beware the wrath of ferret-boy!  
So...i think JKR would be shortchanging us by having Draco "come to 
the light" in a fit of regret and thinking things over and a desire 
to do good.  I think, I hope that JKR won't do that...but if she 
does, I'll be a big girl and not cry to hard at the betrayal of his 
very self, of his identity as the foil.  
Out of curiousity, why is the Dark always considered evil?  Light can 
kill, if you're in the sun too long, but noone ever died from sitting 
in a shadow.  That always annoys me...but that's just one of my 
quirks. *Shrug*  I love the fact that Draco, the epitome of foulness 
is blond and pale while Harry, the do-good hero, has black hair and, 
i think, more tanned skin.  Cliched blond heros bother me at times.

>