Draco's motivation

[davewitley]

No: HPFGUIDX 36114

Jeralyn wrote:
>why would Draco want Harry's friendship?  What was his motivation?
> 
My answer is similar to Mahoney's, but not the same.  It strikes me 
that it is important to Draco to be seen as top dog.  He comes from a 
well known family, and has already acquired a couple of henchmen.  
His aim is generally to inflate his own importance and put down 
others (more on this dynamic in the World Cup scene in the forest 
another time, perhaps).

He sees famous Harry Potter as a rival, and so makes him a friendly 
offer whose real purpose is to establish himself as master and Harry 
as disciple: I will be your guide to the wizarding world.  He will 
then display Harry to his friends, as a trophy, as Mahoney says.

It is very similar to Lockhart's ambush of Harry in Flourish and 
Blotts: heading off a threat in the guise of good nature.

I believe, with less conviction, that Rita Skeeter's articles and 
Trelawney's put-downs serve the same purpose for them.

David