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

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 71311

Kelly wrote:
>
> 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.
>
Darrin replied:

> 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.
>
I never said he was.  Harry thinks he's Dudley the Second.  Harry hasn't
realized yet he's worse than Dudley.  I am trying to look at this
conversation from Draco's point of view.  I never once said that Draco was
correct, or that Harry *should* have been his friend or taken to him.
Someone asked why Draco may have been trying to befriend Draco.  A lot of
people were going on about Daddy wanting him to.  I was pointing out that
Daddy hadn't told him to yet because Draco didn't know that he was talking
to Harry Potter.

Darrin:
> 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."
>
Again, I can see Lucius being the same way, and reiterate that Draco relates
to people much the same way that his father does.  That is all.

> Yes, let's become friends with this kid.
>
Where did I ever say that Harry should ever become friends with Draco?  I
didn't.  There is no reason that Harry should become friends with Draco.  I
am trying to get inside the head of Draco for two minutes.
>
Kelly (me) again:
> > 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.
>
Darrin:
> Or a lackey. Can never have too many.
>
Perhaps.  Or perhaps he wanted to actually be able to hold an intelligent
conversation with someone his own age.  Yes, he would want someone that
thought as he did, bought into the purity of blood and the whole nine yards,
but yet someone who could do more than ask stupid questions and grunt, as it
appears Crabbe and Goyle are best at.
>
>
Kelly again:
> > 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.
>
>
Darrin:
> 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?
>
Did I ever say this was Harry's problem that Draco might not know how best
to relate to people without using Daddy as a role model?  No, I didn't.
Could you please read what I wrote instead of reading things into it that
aren't there.  One more time:  I was taking a look at the situation from
Draco's viewpoint with my own interpretations thrown in on why he might have
acted the way he did and said the things he did.  I am not saying I agree
with his views, nor am I saying Harry should agree with his views, befriend
him, and be his own personal psychologist while teaching him a new way to
relate to people.  *sigh*

Kelly:
> >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.
>
Darrin:
> 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.
>
I agree.  Their choices help determine who they are and what will become of
them.  Harry chose not to be in Slytherin.  He chose not to slap Ron in the
face and be friends with Draco.  Draco is also the one who chose to handle
his rejection at Harry's hands the way he did.  I personally admire how
Harry was able to stand up to Draco and tell him how he could determine the
wrong sort for himself without Draco's help.

> 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."

Never said they would be.  If Harry had chosen Draco over Ron, he would have
been showing that he was into the same sorts of things as Draco.  By
standing by Ron, he showed he'd rather be friends with someone because of
who they are inside, not because of their family status.  Draco would have
been exactly the same as he is now, except he would have had another person
with which to hatch schemes and talk about how Muggle-borns are inferior,
how purebloods rule, etc.  Actually, Draco may have even become more
arrogant than he already is, because Daddy would be extremely pleased with
him because he'd won over Harry Potter.

I apologize if my tone seems somewhat snippy.  I just get irritated when
people read things into what I write that aren't even there and that I never
tried to imply or wanted to imply.  I just like to look at things from other
people's points of view.  We have seen this scene through Harry's point of
view.  We look at it with our own points of view as well and our own
experiences.  I feel pretty much everyone on this list would agree with
Harry's view.  I just wanted to look at how Draco might have perceived it,
and then analyze why he might see it that way and why it might not have
worked for him that don't have to do with Harry specifically.

Kelly Grosskreutz
http://www.idcnet.com/~ivanova