DM specifically

[linman6868 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 20580

Amy Z[apper, bugs, for the elimination of] wrote, quoting Neil:

> >Assuming Harry's POV, I'm fairly sure that a boy of 10 or 11 would 
> not
> >describe another boy as "remarkably good looking," even inside his 
> own head,
> >and is much more likely to make a cursory assessment of looks. 
> 
> I thought of that, but then in my experience boys of 14 won't 
describe 
> other boys as "remarkably good looking" either (at least, they 
won't 
> admit it) and yet that's what the narration gives us in GF.  I 
dunno. 
> 
> Anyway, my point is I didn't think we could conclude from the 
> narration whether Draco was particularly unattractive OR attractive 
at 
> 11/12/13/14<snip>

Actually, this ties together a few recent threads in my mind 
concerning Draco Malfoy, Snape-as-vampire, ugly Slytherins and JKR's 
nifty little surprises.  I've noticed that whenever JKR includes 
description of Malfoy in his various dealings with Harry, Mad-Eye 
Moody, and his father, etc., "paleness" is the defining 
characteristic.  (I could go all Richard Dyer on you, but I won't.)  
JKR takes care to mention that he doesn't "go red" when angry or 
embarrassed, but turns a very delicate shade of pink.  His hair is 
fair to white.  (Perhaps this heightens his vicarish look when 
wearing dress robes.)  I hazard a guess as to why JKR goes out of her 
way to emphasize Draco's (and Lucius's, IIRC) paleness.  ::getting 
out her ACME asbestos cloak -- thanks, Wile E.::  Which is that if 
anyone's got vampire heritage in HP, the Malfoys do.

Mind you, my knowledge of vampires is limited to mainstream culture 
and Annette Curtis Klause's THE SILVER KISS -- but it's the latter 
that made me think of it.  The child-villain in that book, one 
Christopher, is thought to be "albino" by the adoption agencies that 
farm him out century after century -- they issue warnings to adoptive 
parents that his pale skin won't take the sun.  He has fair-to-white 
hair and possesses an unusual amount of childlike charm, which is how 
he gets his victims.

Now, Draco doesn't appear to have superhuman strength, nor has JKR 
mentioned him getting a bad sunburn in CoMC, nor does he seem to be 
out of kilter with normal wizard growth and development, nor does he 
carry around his native soil in the hem of his cloak (that we know).  
But every time JKR mentions Draco as pale I always think, gee, that 
sounds like Christopher.  If Draco's looks aren't an indicator of 
vampirism Rowling-style, then I'm not sure what these little 
descriptor tags are for -- but they seem a little more pointed than 
the usual "Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly" or "Percy had 
already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes".  (Maybe 
*Percy* is a vampire -- clerihew, Amy?  [JUST KIDDING. I have no 
desire to incur the wrath of Percy Lovers Unite!])  Draco's 
descriptors seem much more like the ones for Mad-Eye Moody, the ones 
that we interpret one way when we think he's Moody and another way 
when we've found out he's Barty Crouch, Jr.

Hmmm....

Lisa I.
_____

Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.  --Oscar Wilde