Draco/Slytherin/Dumbledore/Ron&Hermione

[Melanie Brackney]

No: HPFGUIDX 37964


Manda Wrote: The first thing to remember about Draco is that we see him entirely 
through Harry's limited POV, perhaps more so than most of the
other characters.  We have a couple scenes where Draco isn't 
aware of Harry, but both are brief and occur when Draco's only 
twelve.  I am of the opinion that Draco has to have a large amount 
of depth that we haven't seen.  People are complicated, even if
they aren't good.  Since JKR apparently has constructed
backstories and personalities for even her minor characters, I 
think there has to be more to Draco than the little bit that he 
shows Harry, and that we thus see.  I would rather hope that 
people don't judge me by the perceptions of my worst enemies.  

That said, it remains to be seen whether Draco's unseen sides 
reveal him to be a really sweet, caring guy, who's just afraid 
to let the Gryffindors realize it, or whether his only concern in 
life is that so far, he hasn't gotten a chance to get out there 
and start ridding the world of Mudbloods himself.  I'd like to
see more depth to Draco's character, but I'm not real sure how
we'll see it, given the perspective.    

I respond:  Yeah I agree with that, I mean he is a little kid.  The sterotypical bully at this point in the game.  I mean I think it's part of his character.  But I do see some possibility of redemption there, kids grow up.  I also think a lot of what Draco says about Harry is a defense mechanism of sorts, he needs to feel the power and unfortunately I think at this young age he hasn't found another means to channel it.



     Manda also wrote: That makes sense, but I don't think that making us like a 
character on some level necessarily implies that the character will 
be good.  After all, we were made to feel an awful lot of sympathy 
for Crouch, Jr, in the Pensieve scene as well as the conversation 
with Sirius.  In many ways, it would fit with the increasing moral 
complexity to see a character who is sympathetic or rather likeable, 
but who is ultimately on the side of evil.  Sort of the opposite of 
the picture we're given of Snape, so far.  I don't think we
have that with Draco yet, though.  He's still pretty flat and 
unlikable at this point, IMO

Hmmm well I mean to me the difference between the Malfoy and Lucius scene was bassically that it really wasn't all that neccessary at that point from what we could see.  There wasn't any deep plot meaning given away at that point.  Maybe it will be important later, but I'm not sure.  As far as the Crouch thing yeah I felt like I understood how hard it must have been for him...I don't know if I felt sympathy for his character.  JKR is VERY good helping us to understand why something happens.  I mean Tom Riddle hate muggles cuz of his father, Peter Pettigrew just wanted to feel important and really fit in (although, I don't care what anyone says Peter is a very talented wizard, if he wasn't he would never have been able to become anigmus to begin with).  I mean it's not so much sympathy of the characterss but understanding of what might have pushed them to their breaking point.  With Draco I supposse one could argue that this is what it is..but I really see Draco as just a puppet for Lucius in many ways.  Like I really do think that he has the intrinsic thing that is saying what can I do make Dad proud?  And the whole hate Harry Potter, mugbloods, Weasley's that just goes along with that.  I also think it's fair to say that Draco is a show off..and I mean right now he is going to work with the people that are in his house he wants to play to them, if that would ever where off we may see a new side to Draco.  I just am not ready to write him off yet.  I think it is a very valid point that he could turn good, I just don't see it working without that.  And the other reason I see this happening is okay JKR isn't a bad writer, she is not going to make all the slytherins evil and all the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs good.  I just think that would be way too easy.

 

Anyways, a lot has been said about getting rid of the house of Slytherin, and I think that is ridiculous.  I am sure that there are many Slytherins that are not evil, it just appears that they all are when were looking at it from Harry's prospective.  Besides, I've said it before ambition is a wonderful virtue to have if you channel it correctly.  And besides...I would love to know which of the "old crowd" is a Slytherin.  I personally think it is possible that Dumbledore (who is such a mysterious character really) could have been a Slytherin.  I have really know cannon evidence to back this up with except that it's just a rumor that he is Gryffindor, we don't know this for sure.  Perhaps, that is why Lily and James were afraid to give Dumbledore the job of Secret Keeper?  Perhaps, in the back of their mind their is a possibility that he may not be entirely good.  I mean that is a bit of a stretch but we don't know really. I also wonder about Dumbledore a bit, I never could grow to trust him.  I mean I don't know I just am uneasy about him.  Part of me thinks it's cuz he's almost too good.  I mean we haven't really seen any faults in him like we have in the other characters which makes me a bit worried, I mean he is way too good to be true. It's definitely JKR's writing style to surprise us with the person being the most evil the one that we least expect, or the one that we are the most fearful of to be the least evil (in Sirius's case). 

Okay, I've stayed out of the ship debates mainly because I love the idea of Harry/Hermione and I think that while the Ron/Hermione theory is plausible..I don't think it will lead for a lasting relationship I think JKR wants us to think it will .  I really don't think that Hermione likes Ron, I mean the conversation that is most often cited to say that Hermione likes him is the one on the stars outside the common room after Hermione went to the Yule ball with Krum (which I saw coming way before then).  I think she was just being a normal 14 year old girl who was very hurt by the fact that her neither of her two guy friends even thought to invite her to the Yule Ball, until last resort. I think yeah Ron likes Hermione this is obvious, I mean he initiated the fight.  But I still think we would have seen the same reaction from Hermione if it had been Harry who initiated the argument.  I may be wrong but I mean there is really no evidence to say that this isn't plausible.  Also, I agree Draco was making a statement of the obvious about Ron and Hermione, they are going to be targeted first they may die in the process.  I mean that is just common sense that Voldemort is going to start at the weakest but closest link that he has to Harry.  In which case, Ron would be the first to go most likely. Although, I am not sure if this really works becuase I'm fairly certain if Ron does die...it won't be until the very end.  I mean Ron's lack of presence would be leave a huge hole in the book in my oppinion.  Like I hated the parts in GOF when Ron and Harry weren't talking to eachother it was just not all that interesting and because you wanted to see them friends again.  But I think Ron is a character to watch, not only do I see him toying with the dark side but I just see a lot of hard feelings start to develop towards Harry in general I think GOF was just the start of the underlying inadequacey that Ron feels.  But ultimately we know that Ron is a good character and will be redeemed.  

 

Yeah that was a long post, if you actually read it wow thanks.  I hope you have a great day!

Melanie



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