[HPforGrownups] Re: Draco being redeemed

[Tandy, Heidi]

No: HPFGUIDX 23991

Amber, you know I adore you, but...

> Draco has grown up all his life in a certain atmosphere, with 
> particular 
> messages. While it *is* possible for the child to reject 
> their upbringing, 
> I'm under the impression its rare. However, feel free to 
> enlighten me if I'm 
> wrong.

Happens every day. In canon, Barty Crouch (to come full circle :) rejected
whatever messages he heard at home that Dark Wizardry was something not to
be practiced, yet he knew every unforgivable curse (likely when he was in
his teens). Tom Riddle was likely not raised to be a serial killer, yet he
turned out to be one. As a child, Peter Pettigrew never gave his friends any
indication that he would commit mass murder, or that he would betray his
friends to save his own skin, yet he did. 

And on the other side, Harry Potter was raised in a house of intolerance,
bigotry, snap opinions, belief in the death penalty and a hatred of
imagination and wizardry. And look what he's turning out to be.

In the real world, it's also a daily occurance. Look at all the people who
change religions, for a simple example. Or the newspaper article I read
about a year ago about the granddaughter of one of the men involved in a
race-related killing in the South in the 60s (it has been 2 years or so
since I read the article, but I think he was involved in the Birmingham
Church Bombing). Of course they all needed to see and especially *feel*
something to make them effect the change. But it does happen.