[HPforGrownups] Draco's grades WAS What will come in Book 5ish

[Beth]

No: HPFGUIDX 51083

Cathy said:
 >I don't think Draco is any genius in his classes.  from CoS:

"I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin,"
said Mr. Malfoy coldly, and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "no offense, sir, no
offense meant -"

"Though if his grades don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy, more coldly still,
"that may indeed be all he is fit for - "

This gives me the impression of someone who is not anywhere near the top of
his class.  Draco goes on to blame the teachers for having favorites like
Hermione.  I think that when Mr. Malfoy went on to comment "I would have
thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every
exam"  it was just to embarass and shame Draco further.<

bel:
It doesn't give me the impression that Draco is any lower than second at 
all. IIRC, they only ever mention Hermione as having better grades. 
Granted, that may be because having a "mudblood" beat him stings more than 
the others that do, but I don't think so.

I do agree that it's done to embarrass and shame Draco -- hopefully into 
getting better grades. It's a disgrace to the name of Malfoy that he isn't 
first in his class, and doubly a disgrace that a "mudblood" is the one 
beating him every time. (I do think he may be third or fourth in one or two 
classes, with Hermione the only one better in EVERY class, but I still 
think his grades are very much at the top.)

I'm guessing (please do correct me if I'm wrong) that your impression of 
Draco's placement in class is because his father's comment (in front of a 
lowly shopkeeper, no less) is particularly nasty and degrading, and being 
second in class probably wouldn't merit that level of treatment. I have to 
disagree. While my father certainly wasn't nasty or degrading about it 
<grin>, he definitely let me know that getting the second-best grades in 
class were not acceptable. I remember bringing home a report card in high 
school with 5 As and 1 B. Dad looked at it grimly for a few seconds, then 
turned to me and said, "Why a B?" If my dad, who I loved dearly, could be 
that way about grades, I can certainly believe that Lucius Malfoy could be 
that way, with added malice and coldness.

Draco's good. He's just not the best. It shows in his grades, his 
Quidditch, his friends, his possessions (the Firebolt comes to mind), and 
the placement of Slytherin for the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup. His 
friendship was even considered to be inferior to that of Ron (by Harry in 
PS/SS). Draco is always second-best, and that's not good enough for a 
Malfoy. He's not a beloved son (except possibly by his mother, though I 
have my suspicions there, too); he's the HEIR. A tradition, a commodity, an 
investment. He knows exactly what it means to be a Malfoy, and he knows 
that he's failing at it.

Draco is a time bomb. He'll either overcompensate and kill someone, or come 
into his own and his family be damned. In either case, I think we'll lose 
him in Book 6, or fairly early in Book 7. (Which is heartbreaking, really. 
I think if he had grown up anywhere but under Lucius' thumb, he might have 
been decent. I've grown rather fond of the D/Hr and D/G ideas, and even of 
D/H. I don't ever see Rowling going that route, mind you, but I wouldn't 
see it as completely impossible for the characters post-Hogwarts if they 
both lived. I can say that now, mind you, because I don't believe that the 
characters are sexual enough in Book 4 to have their preferences solidly 
established. After Book 5, I may not be able to see it as a possibility 
anymore. <shrug>)

OK, off my Draco soapbox. How did I get on this thing at this time of the 
morning, anyway? Geez...

<grin>
bel