Sirius's owl post / trial-Azkaban / M.Fletcher / canon Draco's a snot not DE

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 41575


> 
> Darrin wrote:
> 
> << Let's just say that his bragging about Cedric being dead wipes 
> that one out. >>
> 
> I don't think Draco was bragging about Cedric being dead. I think 
> that Draco set out to tell Harry that Harry's friends and himself 
> were on the death list, in the spirit of "I told you so!" (Huh, 
ickle 
> Drakey's ickle feelings are *still* hurt that Harry rejected him in 
> favor of Ron and Hermione). 
> 


Whatever Draco set out to do, and I don't want to spend any more time 
inside the little jerk's head than necessary, he ended up 
saying "Mudblood and Muggle-borns first" and then "No, Diggory was 
first," which is bragging about how V-Mort's supporters (including 
his dad) have killed a popular student.

Draco's feelings weren't hurt. His pride was hurt. Harry rejected him 
publicly. I seriously doubt Draco lies awake at night, saying: "Why 
didn't Harry choose me? I'll kill him!"


> But, along with being enough to shout out his loyalty to the Dark 
> Lord in the middle of the Hogwarts Express despite his father 
having 
> advised him about discretion), he also was dumb enough to interupt 
> his own dramatic declaration ("Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first!") 
> with an awkward factual correction ("not first, Cedric was first"). 
> 


How about it being an equally dramatic correction? When I read that 
scene, Draco's whiny little voice in my head isn't stumbling over 
words, awkwardly making corrections. I hear him saying: "You first... 
oh wait, that's right... WE ALREADY GOT ONE!"


 
> Certainly Harry, Hermione, and Weasleys *understood* it as Draco 
> gloating over Cedric's death, but I think Draco might be displeased 
> that Cedric is dead and even hold it as a grudge against Harry 
(like 
> making up his mind that Harry had deliberately used Cedric as a 
human 
> shield). Because Cedric was a handsome and talented boy from an old 
> pureblood family, and therefore would have been a valuable recruit 
to 
> the Voldemort/Malfoy/racist side, if only someone had had a chance 
to 
> explain to him how wrongheaded his father's pro-Ministry ideas were.
> 
> If Draco ever understands how V ordered Cedric terminated without a 
> thought, then Draco would know that the purity of his blood and 
even 
> his father's power do not protect him against his murderous chosen 
> Dark Lord. That could cause him to turn to Dumbledore and Harry's 
> side purely for the sake of self-preservation ... as foreshadowed 
by 
> him running away from V drinking unicorn blood in the Forbidden 
> Forest, as so many people have mentioned in this thread.


OR, Lucius could explain to Draco that Diggory would have caused 
complications. When Cedric and Harry arrived, it was just Wormtail 
and baby V-Mort. Had they not killed Cedric, it would have been more 
dangerous for a vulnerable Voldemort because Wormtail would have had 
to keep an eye on Cedric while he tied up Harry, cut him for his 
blood, cut off his own hand, and mixed the potion.

Had Cedric freed himself, he could have either distracted Wormtail or 
ran back to the portkey to get help (Wormtail, writhing in pain, was 
in no position to stop him.)

By killing Cedric, no matter the purity of his blood -- and we don't 
know how many generations that purity goes back -- V-Mort ensured his 
safety. Weigh it from Draco's point of view - Dark Lord back and more 
powerful than ever versus keeping a 17-year-old pureblood alive. I 
think he'd take option #1.

However, I could see the little coward running to Dumbledore. Maybe 
that's how Snape got started. Snape had something to offer 
Dumbledore -- potions mastery and a willingness to spy. Wonder if 
Draco will do the same?


Darrin
-- Prefers what JKR writes. Isn't that why we're all here?