[HPforGrownups] Re: Is Draco Redeemable?

[Teek]

No: HPFGUIDX 11593



> Schlobin at aol.com wrote:
> > Oh, goodness, any goodness of Draco is the fantasy of someone
> otherthan JKR (with respect to those who read fanfic it's just not
> there inthe books)

and Amanda Lewanski responded: 
> Couldn't agree more. Draco's a little toad.

Alright, I fully admit that from everything we've seen so far in the
books, Draco's a slimy little git. 
But I have several reasons why I think there's a chance he could (or
at least SHOULD) be redeemed:
1 - We haven't seen Draco as anything other than Harry's
wizard-supremistist schoolyard rival, but that doesn't mean he isn't
any deeper. JKR loves throwing us for curves like that - on first
read, did any of you see Quirrel, or Moody, as evil? There's no
definite proof that she's not planning something of the sort over the
course of the next 3 books.

2 - Slytherins are supposed to be cunning. So far all we've seen of
the entire slytherin house (except Snape, and to extent, Tom Riddle)
is mean spirited-ness and stupid jokes. I think that there should be
ways to use cunningness to fight for worthwhile causes. I think that
it's poor planning on JKR's part to show an entire house as nothing
but worthless children. She needs to come up with other three
dimentional characters who wrangle with moral issues (ie: Snape)if
she wants to show evil without softening it or trivializing it. Harry
needs to realize that no one can be (or should be... in the case of
Voldie the Cartoon Villain, I digress) pure evil. 

3 - At some point, I also need to make a post about the number of
death eater's children who are in Harry's year... for a group of 30
or so members in the graveyard, does it strike anyone else as weird
that *five* of them had kids (or kids with suspiciously similiar last
names that just happened to be put in Slytherin) born in 1980? With
that kind of company, is it any wonder Draco puts on a show about
being pro-voldemort? He's very interested in maintaining his
leadership through intimidation, not that the "cunning" slytherins
appear to be much of a challenge. 


Other various notes:
Draco's a teenage boy, and from my observations, likely a rebellious
one. Whether his father keeps him in total domination or not, he's
going to have some urges to rebel against the control he appears to
have over him, and the disrespect his father shows him. (see:
Knockturn Alley) I don't feel that teen angst would play a
particularly major role, however.

I've seen more fanfiction which convincingly shows the light
underbelly of Draco than fanfiction which convincingly shows the
transition of Ginny from Giggling Pre-Teen to Harry's Mature
Girlfriend. <cough, cough, shameless plug of Heidi's "Surfeit of
Curses" in hopes of seeing the next chapter soon> I think that that
says something about the canon leading some people to have clear
hypothesises about Draco's hidden good side; enough to write
fanfiction about it. Subtext in canon, or wishful thinking, I can say
not. Most Ginny-fics seem to skip straight to "Ginny is now a
successful businesswoman" or "Ginny has come back from France a
changed woman." I'm not saying it's impossible (or that, for example,
Penny and Carole had much choice), but I'd like to see someone WRITE
the transition itself. If anyone does, actually, know of a convincing
Ginny-Coming-Into-Her-Own story, I'd love a recommendation. 

My appologies for rambling slightly, and any repetition I may have
made of old conversations. I just get this feeling that there's
something more to the kid. And besides, bad boys have more fun. <g>

- Teek

(Slogan for the SS Leather Troussers, which I think for all canon
purposes, is a ghost ship: "Only the Good Die Young." Think that's
cruel enough for mudbloods and muggles Draco?)

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