Is Draco Evil & a true enamy of Harrys'?

[cassandraclaire at mail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25061

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Alyeskakc at a... wrote:

> The main reason why Draco wasn't among the other DE's is because he 
> can't Apperate. Also he doesn't have the Dark Mark on his arm yet 
so 
> that Voldemort can call him. If you recall Snape told Fudge that 
when 
> Voldy touches the Dark Mark the DE' were to Apperate to him 
> immediately. 
>  
> Draco is still an underage wizard. It's my understanding that you 
> can't take the Apperation exam until after you graduate. Also you 
can 
> not Apperate to or from Hogwarts or the grounds.  I think a special 
> exception was made for the Triwazard Cup Portkey, but it was 
supposed 
> to bring the winner directly to the front of the maze. IMO.
> 
> We don't really know if he's a true believer or not.  We do know 
that 
> Crookshanks didn't attack him during PoA, so he can't be all bad 
now 
> can he.  Only time will tell if Draco turns out to be good or bad.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kristin
------------------------------
Well, I wouldn't put it past Lucius to teach Draco Apparating early  
if he thought he could get some sinister use out of it. :) But I 
think Draco wasn't there because he's just a kid. He's not a Death 
Eater. In CoS when Harry and Ron posed as Crabbe and Goyle Draco made 
it quite clear that he didn't have the faintest idea what was going 
on, who the Heir of Slytherin was, or really, much of anything. His 
father's advice to him had been "Keep your head down, Draco" -- and 
that's all. From the available evidence I doubt Draco knows anything 
about the serious matters happening offstage -- Voldemort's return, 
etc.

I'm still in the camp that thinks redemption is certainly possible, 
if not inevitable, for D. Malfoy. We have an already-presented 
redemption paradigm with Snape, who probably did much worse things as 
a Death Eater before he turned spy for Dumbledore than Draco has ever 
done. I don't like what Draco said to Harry and co on the train, but 
ecen if he's spitting out hateful words, he still hasn't *done* 
anything that would make him unreedeemable via a trial by fire.

And Crookshanks and Sneakoscopes seem to like him. :) If JKR chooses 
not to redeem him, fine, but I'd be disappointed if a character we 
were first introduced to when he was eleven and who has occupied a 
place of some importance in the books turns out to have no depths to 
him at all.

Cassie