First meetings HP/DM, JP/SS was Re: Always bothered me

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 71302


 He asks Harry about
> his parentage, his Quidditch team, they talk about Hagrid, and 
right before Harry leaves, he asks Harry's surname but doesn't get an 
answer.  Harry's scar must be covered in this scene since there is no 
indication that Draco saw it at all.  Therefore, Draco is being 
friendly to this dark-haired boy with glasses who says he's from a 
wizarding family.  He has no idea it's> Harry Potter, but he still 
seems to be interested in befriending him.  It is
> this scene I have always found interesting when it comes to Draco, 
and that> is a lot of the reason.  The other part is because he is 
willing to talk an awful lot about his views and opinions to this boy 
he's never seen before.

That's the thing about racists who are protected from Daddy's 
influence. They usually aren't shy about spreading their views.

I think this is a very sanitized version of that conversation. I 
mean, Draco isn't exactly giving Harry a good vibe the entire time.

Draco insults Hagrid, who is Harry's only friend so far.

Draco gives Harry the Dudley vibe by bragging about bullying his 
parents.

Draco insincerely, to Harry's ears, offers condolences about his 
parents, then jumps right into asking if they were a witch and 
wizard, as if any other answer would mean "hey, no great loss."

And then Draco begins spewing his ideas of discrimination.

When Harry checks with Hagrid, he finds that his own mother would not 
have been accepted by this boy's views. "Look at yer mom. Look at 
what she had fer a sister."

Yes, let's become friends with this kid. 


> It's after he leaves Madam Malkin's that Draco finds out who the 
boy was. He probably asks his dad, and somehow Lucius was able to 
figure out that the boy was Harry Potter.  Before he found out the 
boy's identity, Draco may have wanted to befriend Harry because he 
actually wanted a friend. 

Or a lackey. Can never have too many.



> Then they meet again on the train, and he sees that Harry and Ron 
Weasley are getting along fine.  I still think that Draco truly did 
>want to be Harry's friend, but might not have known how to actually 
do so.  He treats  Harry like he sees his father treat people.  As we 
>all know, Harry spurns his hand and Draco as a person.  


AFTER Draco insults the only other person to show Harry kindness so 
far, Ron, and insinuates that some families are better than others, 
which Harry already has reason to be suspicious of.

And, well, I'm sorry Draco doesn't know how to be nice, but how is 
that Harry's problem? If a doctor doesn't know how to be a doctor, 
should you go under his surgical knife out of sympathy?

>Over the years, other reasons have been layered
> into his treatment of Harry, but I believe at the heart of it all 
>is Draco being hurt and angry over being rejected by Harry Potter.

His pride got hurt, I'd agree with, but Harry clearly wants nothing 
to do with what Draco wants most - House Slytherin. Draco talks about 
leaving if he's not picked for Slytherin. Harry begs the Hat not to 
put him there.

That is a fundamental difference, in views, attitudes and goals and 
dreams. 

They are natural enemies, and I have difficulty believing that 
Draco's mudblood filth, his deviousness and his lack of conscience 
would have been somehow staved off had Harry overlooked all the flaws 
and said, "Sure, let me slap my new friend Ron in the face and be 
your friend."

Darrin