[HPforGrownups] Re: Draco's Unlikely Redemption

[Margaret Dean]

No: HPFGUIDX 33493

lucky_kari wrote:
> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., Margaret Dean <margdean at e...> wrote:
> > lucky_kari wrote:
> >
> > > PS Amittedly, I perhaps have in mind Maglor in the Silmarillion,
> > > who stands by when they throw his father, Eol, over a cliff.
> > > Admittedly, Eol deserved it, but so would Lucius deserve Azkaban.
> >
> > That's Maeglin,
> 
> Oh yeah, of course. :-) Maglor was the last of Feanor's sons left
> standing right?

Yes, and who (for all we know) may =still= be wandering around
singing sad songs.  :)
 
> > and that's a very interesting parallel!  Because
> > the crime for which Eol certainly deserved death (throwing him
> > over the cliff was a formal execution) was the attempted murder
> > of Maeglin himself, which turned into the actual murder of Eol's
> > wife/Maeglin's mother Aredhel, when she jumped in front of the
> > spear.
> >
> > Yeah, I can almost see Lucius doing that if sufficiently
> > motivated.  Not quite as sure about Narcissa...
> 
> Narcissa seems, from all textual evidence (which isn't much) to be
> very concerned over her son. The mileage one could get from this
> story is pretty good, actually. Draco would be redeemed, but not
> really. After all, Maeglin ends up betraying Gondolin and making life
> not so pleasant for the woman he falls for, Idril. Draco, Maeglin?
> Hermione, Idril? Ron or Harry, Tuor? But as you said, it's unlikely
> JKR has read the Silmarillion!

You're right, the Maeglin scenario doesn't really redeem Draco --
in fact, just the opposite, because Maeglin basically got taken
in by the good guys after his parents' death, and then betrayed
them under pressure from the (then) Dark Lord, motivated also by
his jealousy of Tuor and Idril.  Mind you, the only problem I'd
have with this plotline re: Draco is that at the moment I can't
see Our Side being in a position to (or wanting to) take him in
if he were orphaned.

But Maeglin was definitely a Slytherin type.  In between his
parents' death and his betrayal of Gondolin he certainly was
ambitious and made a name for himself.


--Margaret Dean
  <margdean at erols.com>