First meetings: Draco and Harry

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 71330

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kelly Grosskreutz"
<ivanova at i...> wrote:
> 
> > Talisha Shepherd wrote:
> > Why did Malfoy want to befriend Harry? Why, given Harry's history 
> > and Lucius' history of being a DE, would Draco want to befriend him?
> 

bboy_mn:

> ...sorry Kelly, I cut all of your post. I'm just going to make some
general observations.

I believe Draco's efforts were genuine, but I don't think they were
genuine offers of true friendship.

Draco is offering Harry a benevolent mutually benificial power
alliance.  To cunning ambitious people, true friends are a liability.
Friend that you care for can be used a weapons against you. But
cunning ambitious alliances alway yeild power, prestige, and
influence; and best of all, when the alliances become a liability,
it's easy to sever ties without all that mushy emotional involvent.

Draco offerred Harry contacts, connection, powerful allies, and
friendly relationships, probably even a lot of good times, but not
true undying ever-loyal heartfelt unselfish friendship which is what
Hagrid and Ron Weasley offerred him.

Draco and Harry would have been the perfect power alliance. The most
financially, socially, and politically powerful boy aligned with the
most powerfully magical, loved and admired, and very famous boy. With
the added benefit of being able to influence Harry's actions when and
if Voldemort return. What more powerful friend could there be for an
ex-Death Eater son to have in his pocket than the young easily
moldable mind of the 'Boy Who Lived'. It would have been like a trophy.

So, I do think that Draco was genuinely offering Harry the only type
of friendship that he could; the only type of friendship he knew. 

Harry on the other hand, is a nice polite boy who, growing up in an
abusive household, knows how NOT to make waves, knows how to avoid
conflict, would have certainly shaken Draco's hand just on general
principle, politeness, and courtesy. But, as others have pointed out,
Ron was the first true friend Harry ever had, and no matter how
impolite it may be, you don't shake hands with someone when that
handshake is an insult to your one and only friend in a lifetime.


Just some thoughts.

bboy_mn