Draco's redemption

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 37799

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Rohit Puskoor <columbiatexan at y...> wrote:
> First things first, before I forget, Alina, NAGINI'S
> BANE was a really clever acronym Tabouli came up
> with--I don't remember exactly what it stands for (you
> can look it up though, it's in one of her more recent
> posts), but it basically states that the thoroughly
> underestimated Neville and Ginny will prove to be far
> more formidable than they've been given credit for

Neville... dear Neville. The one who's magic gets harmful in stress.
 
> But I don't think it's likely to happen, because I
> don't think a redemption of Draco Malfoy is likely to
> happen.  I think this redemption and this particular
> pairing is going to have to remain squarely in the
> readers' imagination; I would have bought it all the
> way until the end of Book 4, because until then,
> Malfoy's comments have been solely restricted to the
> realm of being a snotty, bratty little rich boy.  But
> his comments at the end of Book 4 (right before Harry,
> Hermione, the twins, and Ron hit him with the barrage
> of curses) to me indicates where his future path lies.
>  What he said about Hermione, Ron and then WHAT HE
> SAID ABOUT CEDRIC was so cold-blooded, so atrocious,
> so disgusting, it made me lose any hope I had for his
> redemption and any sympathy for him at all.

Me too - He *was* a death-threat to Ron, Harry and Hermione, so well, 
those curses were necessary. Are Fred&George going to tell about it 
or not? Will Harry tell Sirius? They *should* tell someone. At least 
if Hermione really lets Rita Skeeter out... *what* will prevent her 
from registrating and *then* writing the story?

>  Unless
> Narcissa Malfoy is secretly a good person trapped in a
> loveless marriage (and so far, all we know about her
> is she's a very snobby rich woman with her nose in the
> air looking down at everything), I just don't see
> where he's going to get the guidance for redemption. 
> Dad, Mom and the Slytherins... well, I suppose there
> have to be some decent Slytherins in the bunch, and
> Snape's there (though he may not be there next year,
> at school I mean).

And I'm not quite sure of Snape's loyalties. True, Voldemort will 
kill him if he gets near enough, but... how do we know that Snape 
isn't just waiting for a change to becoming *another* Voldemort-like 
character?
 
> They should just get rid of Slytherin House or
> something--why don't they just rename it Dumbledore
> House, and make it representative of something
> else--people who are very philsophical and wise and
> kind hearted.  They can get into fights with
> Ravenclaws over which house is the *real* haven for
> intellectuals...

No-- since that's the one where the 'baddies' usually dwell, by 
having it there... Keep an eye of them, knowing them... besides, 
Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor - and I think there *are* people 
from other houses, too, that joined Voldemort.

-- Finwitch