Draco, the Sacrificial Ferret (was: Re: Draco to the Light Side?)

[chthonia9 <chthonicdancer@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48349

Apologies for the delay in replying to this


A while ago (post 47728), Richelle said:
>> [If Draco dies] I think it may be more of a, what's
>> the word, casualty? No. Martyr? No. Anyway, can't
>> find the right word. Something like Voldemort 
>> killing/torturing him when he gets in a mood and
>> Lucius standing idly by. Able, but not willing
>> to save him. What's the word for that?

and Scheherazade added:
> Like Othello, he learns the truth about his actions,
> then dies. But I doubt he'd kill himself like Othello did.

 
Richelle made the same point over on the movie list (hope it's OK
to 
bring this over – seems more on topic here than there) and Wanda 
replied (HPFGU-Movie post 4218):

> I think this goes with the general "unnaturalness"
> that follows Voldemort wherever he is powerful. I
> wouldn't be surprised to find that one of his
> followers would be willing to sacrifice his own
> child - would anyone take a bet that if Voldemort
> had wanted Draco killed as part of his
> "resurrection", Lucius would have refused? I don't
> think so.

Now me:

I'm not normally a betting person, especially where the mind of
JKR 
is concerned, but this seems to be a fairly safe one as we'll
never 
find out for sure!

I certainly don't think Lucius would have *willingly* sacrificed 
Draco at the end of Book 4 – he may not love or like his son but
that 
doesn't mean he regards him as dispensable.  Whether he might
have 
done it under duress depends on his relationship with Voldemort, of 
which we know too little IMO to judge.

I wouldn't discount something like this happening in the future,
but 
not unless Lucius has secured the family line in someone he considers 
more worthy than Draco, or unless Draco turns against his father and 
it becomes too dangerous to let him live.  And, unless we have some 
considerable Draco character development soon, I think that is only 
likely to happen if Voldemort preys on Lucius or Narcissa first.

But I'm quite ready for JKR to prove me wrong; I've never
managed to 
outguess her so far!

Or perhaps Voldemort will require Draco's sacrifice as a test of 
Lucius' loyalty, but I doubt he's going to do so for the next
couple 
of years – he needs Lucius to keep pulling the wool over
Fudge's eyes 
(or to help Evil!Fudge do same to the rest of the MoM) until he can 
establish his reign of terror again. Hmmm, how about that for a 
deliciously tragic end to the Malfoys: Lucius betrays Draco, only to 
be betrayed himself by Voldemort – both finally realising the
error 
of their ways as they die...

Anyhow, I couldn't resist playing the initials game with the
theory:

S.A.C.R.I.F.I.C.I.A.L. F.E.R.R.E.T.:

Son's Attitude Change Results In Father's Implicit Collusion
In Awful 
Lord's Family-Embracing Ritual Requiring Evil Torture

Any takers/improvements?

Chthonia
(hoping against hope that the Malfoys will avoid meeting a
`sticky 
end')