If I had to choose between Ron and Draco...(was: Draco & broomsticks & lines)

[blpurdom]

No: HPFGUIDX 38199

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "heiditandy" <heidit at n...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "uncmark" <uncmark at y...> wrote:
> > Now, it puzzles me that Draco redemptionists don't really want 
> > him to have anything to be redeemed from. 
> 
> I think he's been nasty, mean, destructive, prejudiced and 
> occasionally violent. He's played dirty and been malicious and 
> spiteful.
> 
> I also think, in degrees, that Ron's been mean and destructive and 
> certainly prejudiced ("Get away from me, werewolf!"; house elves 
> like work; giants are "not very nice".) . 

To be fair, at the time he said that, Ron was under the impression 
that said werewolf was conspiring with Sirius Black to kill Harry 
(and Sirius had just managed to break Ron's leg--have you ever been 
terribly coherent and sympathetic/empathetic while suffering this 
type of physical pain?).  He also bravely and loyally offered up his 
own life while suffering from the broken leg.  Afterward he was fine 
with Lupin.  And Hagrid and the twins say exactly the same things 
about house elves that Ron does, but we don't think less of THEM for 
it.  And when Ron was saying that giants are "not very nice," he was 
soft-pedalling it for Harry; he could have put this in much more 
graphic terms, as giants had evidently done some truly horrific 
things.  He's Hagrid's friend also, and he quickly says that he 
doesn't think Hagrid is that way.  Ron is not bad-mouthing giants--
he's being truthful, so Harry knows exactly how bad it will be if 
anyone finds out about Hagrid.  Ron is very realistic about these 
things, IMHO. 

OTOH, if Lupin hadn't quit after Snape "outed" him as a werewolf, do 
you think either Draco or Lucius Malfoy would have let the matter 
rest?  He left under his own power before he could be kicked out or 
before someone like Draco decided to come after him with silver.  The 
Malfoys OWNED Dobby, remember, and I'm betting that Draco is one very 
big reason why Dobby was so shocked by Harry's niceness when they 
met.  I wouldn't want to be Draco's slave, I'll tell you that.  
(Okay, people, get your minds out of the gutter!)  And the Malfoys 
had it in for Hagrid even before the giant mess hit the press.  In 
CoS, Lucius comes along with Fudge when Hagrid is taken to Azkaban, 
insults his home, and tells Dumbledore that the governors are 
removing him as headmaster.  Fun dude.  Draco is DEFINITELY learning 
nastiness at his father's knee.  Then Draco expends all that energy 
pretending to be hurt by Buckbeak, all because it will get Hagrid in 
a huge amount of trouble and distress him when Buckbeak is killed.

> Hermione's engaged in at least one act of violence - slapping 
> Draco. 

??  She wasn't sleeping, and he definitely had it coming.

> Harry's played dirty in Quidditch to some degree 

When did Harry ever play dirty in Quidditch?  What is playing 
dirty "to some degree?"

> and been destructive (admittedly when provoked) at the Dursleys'. 

Provoked?  Is that what we're calling his hell-like life there now?

> And let's not even talk about Snape. 

'Kay. <g>

> And I do think that if he doesn't get a good sharp shock, he's 
> going to meander behind Lucius in perpetuity and never think for 
> himself or do anything that's a result of his own conclusions, 
> rather than his father's. And that's what I mean when I say that 
> his characterisation is set up for a redemption - because it's a 
> fascinating way to show how important thinking for yourself and 
> making a choice, even if that choice goes against what you've been 
> raised to do, as long as that choice is to do the right thing. 

Well, given that JKR has pretty roundly denied that Harry and Draco 
will be fighting evil together, making the argument that the text 
seems to be pointing in that direction is almost a moot point.  (She 
could of course change her mind.)  All in all, we have someone who's 
lived all his life in the lap of luxury and his father and mother 
have indicated to him that winning is the most important thing, not 
how you get there.  Appearances matter above all else.  While Ron 
sometimes errs in this direction, (the conversations about who he's 
going to ask to the Yule Ball spring to mind) it doesn't sum up his 
character and can probably be put down to his age.  All three members 
of the Trio have had their moments of succumbing to the lure of 
appearances, but it's the rule and not the exception for Draco Malfoy.

--Barb

http://groups.yahho.com/group/HP_Psych
http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Barb

New Triangle Prophecy Cookie!
http://www.fictionalley.org/fictionalleypark/forums/showthread.php?
s=&threadid=8190