Predestination Re: Harry v. Malfoy/James v.Snape

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 35715

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "charisjulia" <pollux46 at h...> wrote:

<Snip some very interesting discussion about the parallels between
Marauders vs Snape and HRH vs Draco

> Having said all this however I do hope that Neville won't turn out
to 
> be a second Peter. That really would be taking it too far. 

I certainly agree, not just because I'm very fond of Neville, but also
because I have a lot of distaste for the idea that the HP universe is
stuck in some sort of vicious cycle of fate, with the current Hogwarts
generation doomed to inevitably repeat all the mistakes of the
previous one.  This is why I keep hoping for some sympathetic
Slytherins in future books, too.  The idea that all those kids are
doomed to become Death Eaters just because their parents were Death
Eaters is just... well... too EWWWW to be TREWWWW for me.

And I do think there are enough differences all around to indicate
that history is not repeating itself.  Harry is like James in a lot of
ways, but he's different in a lot of significant ways, too.  He lacks
James' easy confidence, and he's neither a prankster nor a
trouble-maker.  The only time he ever breaks a rule for fun is when he
sneaks in Hogsmeade in PoA, and I think it's fair to say he learned
his lesson after that one.  (It seems, BTW, that Fred and George serve
to fulfill the "prankster" function of the Marauders, since HRH are
falling down on the job in that respect.)  Draco is not the greasy,
unpopular, Dark Magic-spouting geek that Snape apparently was.  And
the whole HRH dynamic seems different from the Marauders.  With the
Marauders I got the general sense that while James and Sirius may have
been the ringleaders, the focus of the group revolved around providing
a support system for Lupin.  But the HRH focus is not all about
supporting Hermione (who's doing just fine for herself, thank you);
it's about supporting Harry.  And Neville isn't tied in to it as
closely as Peter was.

So I think there are ground to be optimistic that Neville will not
turn traitor, and Ron will not make any well-intentioned but misguided
decisions that get Harry killed.  What this says about Draco is
ambiguous, though.  Say he doesn't follow the exact same path as Snape
-- does that mean he'll never go evil in the first place, or that
he'll go evil and stay evil?

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com