Draco and Empathy ( Was, Re: The Dullest Redemption Subplot Ever)

[aurigae_prime <ZaraLyon@aol.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51636

--- Megalynn asked,
 
> So now I ask, are there any instances in canon where Draco DOES 
show 
> empathy? The train certainly wasn't one.

Well, this does present some problems to the reader. After all, how 
many 11-14 year olds empathize with their enemies? Somehow, I can't 
see Teenaged!Sirius, for instance, showing any sort of empathy for 
Snape. Now, for all we know, Draco might be perfectly kind to 
Slytherins his year and younger. Somehow I can't see him being 
friendly with older kids, as I'm sure his superiority complex would 
get in the way there. However, some of the younger Slyths may think 
he's wonderful, and he might be quite nice to them. We just don't 
know what Draco does when he's away from Harry. 
That said, I don't really see my scenario as all that realistic. I'll 
admit that I don't see Draco as having any particular empathetic 
skills. Then again, what qualifies as empathy? Is an empathetic 
person one who can always see every person's side in an argument? If 
so, I don't think there's a single empathetic character in the 
Potterverse. Even Dumbledore makes occasional missteps. Can a person 
still have empathy if they only have occasional flashes? And can you 
feel empathy for people you don't know? I would argue that Draco 
doesn't know Harry. Or Ron and Hermione, for that matter. He knows 
WHAT they are (famous, poor, muggle-born) but he has no idea WHO they 
are under the top layer.
My personal opinion is that we can't judge Draco as having empathy or 
not. We've only seen him have two conversations that didn't involve 
Harry per se (in Knockturn Alley, and when he spoke to Polyjuiced!
Harry&Ron in CoS), and in one of those he was being upbraided by his 
father (I was more empathizing with Draco at that point than watching 
to see if he was empathizing), while in the other, he either teases 
or insults Crabbe&Goyle (suggests they've been stuffing themselves, 
etc.). Truthfully, I think that he was no more being cruel to them, 
than Ron is when he calls Hermione a know-it-all. So, in neither of 
these scenes does he empathize, but then neither scene calls for 
empathizing on his part. After all, if we hadn't seen certain key 
scenes in which Ron and Hermione DO act friendly, we'd probably think 
they outright hated each other, what with all the sniping and 
bickering they do. So, I don't think it's fair to Draco to judge him 
at this point.

Rhiannon the RavenSlyth