[HPforGrownups] Slytherin composition (was Re: Draco is Evil)

[tillrules at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25272

In a message dated 8/30/2001 7:15:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
litalex at yahoo.com writes:

<< I think the original poster (sorry!) meant close
 contact where the possibility of friendship is looming
 close.  Draco doesn't...associate with Muggle-borns
 and therefore doesn't really have enough meaningful
 contact to change his mind.  I have no doubt that he's
 a spoiled little brat, but I still think he hasn't
 completely gone over to the Dark Side' yet.
 
 Talking about that, are there no Muggle-born or
 'half-blood' currently in Slytherin?  I assume they'd
 take offense to Draco continually mouthing them off if
 there are, but the Slytherin table always seems
 so...filled with commaradie. >>

BUt we've had it established that he interacts with "mudbloods" every class 
period (since the classes always seem to be mixed) and that partnering 
between members of houses is common in classes (Harry's worked with Ernie 
MacMillan and Justin Finch Fletcher in herbology, for example), so saying he 
has not had a chance to bond with others is not really a valid thing here.

There was also a point raised earlier that I found interesting.  The poster 
was parraleling Snape & Malfoy, which seems to be the hope for Draco's 
redemption by his fans, ie... Draco is to Harry what Snape was to James , 
thus Draco will become redeemed as well.

Again, we don't know what Snape did as a child, the evidence seems to be that 
he was simply a weaselly type.  He was a Slithiern and thus there was a 
natural rivalry between him & James.  We do not have evidence that his 
actions went beyond that rivalry in the way that Draco's have, to encompass 
a) racism and b) intentional attempts to hurt others.

Also, it should be noted that Snape did actually become a DE, so it took that 
extreme before he was rehabilitated.   The "life saving" by James did not 
rehabilitate Snape, he still went on to become a DE.   So again, it will be a 
stretch to see Draco rehabbed by actions in school.