Draco in Potions

[uncmark]

No: HPFGUIDX 38140

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Felicia Rickmann" <feliciarickmann at d...> 
wrote:
>  I'm still guessing that Snape gives Malfoy the top marks in the 
> class.  He may or may not deserve it or be as good as Hermione; 
> that's another debate.  But in Potions, at least, he does seem to 
> know what he's doing.  Snape would have to do a lot of backpedaling 
> to justify praising someone who was incompetent or merely adequate.

So how difficult is potions as a subject and how good a teacher is 
Snape? From the stories I'm guessing that exams up through fourth 
year they were graded on potions that they could make in an hour. 
Despite Snape's abuse Neville is able to pass as are the 
Neanderthalic Crabbe and Goyle.

I mean it's not the hardest subject.  Even up through fourth year 
(GofF) the class hasn't done any potions as difficult as Polyjuice 
Potion which HRH succeeded in creating in SECOND YEAR!!!

> I always get the impression that Draco is a bright student and that 
> his good marks may be justified.  However, his marks in other 
> classes are not always up to snuff;  see his father's comments in 
> the shop on his poor performance. This may be because he could not  
> get away with trouble-making, say, in Tranfiguration the way he 
> does in Potions.  * Conjures  - put downs - McGonagall would employ 
> on Malfoy and grins * Sometimes the brightest students in the class 
> are the ones who fool around most because they are bored and can't 
> be bothered.

Is Draco bright? Certainly by comparison to Crabbe and Goyle, but 
considering he's the poster-boy of a House whose chief quality 
is 'ambition', where does he he spend his energy?

In books 1 and 2, despite the MASSIVE amounts of time HRH spend in 
the library researching both the Sorceror's Stone and Heir of 
Slytherin, we never see Malfoy doing any sort of homework. His main 
focus of energy in ChoS seems to be buying his way onto the Quidditch 
team, but doesn't work at it that much once he's on it.

In PofA, Malfoy puts more energy into faking his injury than getting 
good marks and in GofF his focus seems to be sucking up to Krum and 
making Harry miserable. Do you think he charmed the Potter Stinks 
buttons himself or just paid someone?

Hermione's high marks are by no means a given conclusion. Whenever we 
see her, she is reading and doing EXTRA work. Caould you picture 
Draco doing extra work for ANYTHING? His ambition seems to be to 
buully his way through on his father's name, not through any effort 
of his own (but than hard work is the Ravenclaw ideal, isn't it.)

Still, I'd like to see Draco evolve past the 1-dimensional bigot. I'd 
still like to see an intra-house competition beyond simple Quidditch. 
Maybe the Wizard's equivalent of Academic Bowl or something.