Draco/Harry "friendship"?

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 67929

Ratalman:

> I'm curious about the fact that Draco was interested in 
> befriending Harry when they first met on the train in SS.  Draco 
> told Harry that he could help him to make friends with the "right" 
> sort of people, and then he offered Harry his hand in friendship.  
> After Harry rejected that offer, Draco became unrelentingly hostile 
> to him.  I assume that Draco knew that Harry was not from a 
> pure-blood family, and yet he was willing to be Harry's friend or 
> benefactor.  I wonder what Lucius would have thought about a 
> friendship between Draco and Harry, should that have ever 
> occurred.  I also wonder how much Draco knew about his 
> father's involvement with the DE.


We know that Draco at first thinks Harry is a pureblood, from their 
brief meeting in the robe shop, because Harry tells him that his 
father was a wizard and his mother was a witch. 

Draco with his "so, it's true, is it?" at least feigns surprise about 
Harry's identity. And they didn't exchange names in the robe shop.

Now, if Draco described the kid to Lucius, maybe Lucius puts two-and-
two together and suggests Draco becomes friends with him. Remember, 
there could be a goodly portion of people who doubt Lucius' story 
that he was under the Imperius curse the first time V-Mort was around.
Were he able to point to his Ickle Drackiekins being friends with 
Harry, that would clear up some doubt.

Or, Draco really doesn't know who it is until the train, when he 
wouldn't have had a chance to talk to Lucius again, and he extends 
his hand.

Remember, this is after he has insulted Ron, who did laugh at Draco's 
name, which I thought was wrong, because I always thought Draco was a 
cool name. So, Harry, seeing his only friend to this point insulted, 
wasn't about to go along.

My guess is that he wanted the status of being around Harry Potter, 
or perhaps he was ready to take Potter in, and then ditch him at the 
first opportunity.

I do not, however, believe that Harry missed a chance at redeeming 
Draco by turning away from his outstretched hand. Draco has simply 
been too nasty since then to blame entirely on "Potter wouldn't shake 
my hand, wahhhh!"

My guess though, is that Lucius would have encouraged such a 
friendship, to be used for his own purposes later.

Darrin