First meetings: Draco and Friends

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 71463

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Scott Santangelo
<owlery2003 at y...> wrote:
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>>> Agree in part. Draco definitely looked for an "alliance" of sorts
at the beginning, but I think his envy of Harry is not based on his
inability to form the same sort of friendships. ... Crabbe and Goyle
are the perfect companions. Stupid, blind followers. I would also
suggest they are filling the same roles their fathers fill for Lucius.<<<

bboy_mn:

I guess then I agree with you in part. Draco is pursuing friendship in
the only way he knows how, and whats more, he thinks that is the best
type of friendship to have. Being human, he certainly has the capacity
for true friendship, but I don't think he has any role models, and
therefore, as of yet, he doesn't have the functional ability to form
that type of friendship.

In a fan fiction that I am in the process of writing (not suitable for
general audiences), Harry explores this theme of friendship with
Draco. Essentially asking him how he can continue to hang around with
Crabbe and Goyle? Doesn't he ever want someone who is an equal to him?
Doesn't he ever want to hold an intelligent conversation with someone?
 Doesn't he ever want people around him who are intelligent enough to
be an asset, able to make a contribution, in life, war, or business?
Crabbe and Goyle are great toadies, but they're never going to lend
any ideas or value to a business partnership. They certainly are
willing to do Draco's bidding, but are never going to be an asset
where dynamic intelligent free independant thinking are required. 


My own internal feelings are that this type of 'Crabbe/Goyle'
friendship, in the long run, will be very unsatifying; intellectually,
functionally, and emotionally. But, for now, Draco has made his
choice; he prefers toadies, lackeys, and minions over true loyal
friends. It's really just a matter of Draco role playing life the way
life has been presented to him.

Also, as I said before, there is a 'throw away' quality to alliance
type friendships. Think of the Dept of Mysteries battle in OoP, at one
point a DE is wounded, and Lucius says, 'Forget about him. Voldemort
isn't going to care what happens to him.', or something close to that.
The DE give a lifetime of service and loyalty (or at least that's when
he demands, and that's what they claim) to Voldemort, and he casts
them off like used tissue paper. That's great when your the one
casting off alliances, but suddenly not so great when you are the one
being cast off.

So if I understood you post correctly, we agree that Draco is capable
of true friendship, but has chosen an entourage of prestigious
followers over a circle of equal friends. To some extent, I also agree
that Draco is not so much envious of Harry friendships, but more of
the attention Harry gets. 

I have this feeling that Draco fancies himself 'King of Slytherins' or
are least king of Hogwart's Slytherin. He has the looks, and from a
Slytherin perspective, he has a dynamic charismatic personality, he
has wealth, power, social and political connections, his father is
friend (of the Slytherin sort) with the most powerful wizard who ever
lived (from a Slytherin perspective). I think Draco really thought he
would be the center of attention at Hogwarts when he arrive, and as
far as Slytherins are concerned, he probably is. But the fact that the
rest of the school doesn't recognise him as 'King of Hogwart Students'
is really a thorn in his side. I mean, you can't deny that Draco has a
serious dose of overblown ego.


>>> As for the "deep down" sort of thinking, it seems we often project
our "normal kid" ideas onto these characters when there is little (or
no) evidence/canon to suggest these analogies are applicable. Dudley
as an "abused child" is my favorite!<<<<

bboy_mn:
So are you saying that Dudley is not abused? I think his parent are
loving him to death; to a very early death preceded by a very
unfulfilling life. BUT I am not going to shed any tears for Dudley,
not when there are children in this world (fictional and real) who are
butally physically and emotional abused, and worse. I think his
parents are harming him, but he still lives a pretty damn good life.

>>>Harry should apologize to Snape is another. <<<

I see the point, but I'm not sure which side you are on. I think as
the story progresses, assuming we don't see Snape return to the Dark
side, we will see things improve between Snape and Harry, and might
even get some mild form of stated or assumed apology. But I also think
Snape has a heap of apologizing of his own to do. Harry is not James.
He has never acted the way James appears to have acted, and the hatred
Snape feels, should not be projected on to Harry.

>>>Deep down, Draco is a heel. Maybe he is redeemable, but I think
it's EXTREMELY UNLIKELY, particularly now that his dad's been "outed"
as a DE. Draco's going down the slide in the next few books!<<<<
> 
> Owlery2003

bboy_mn:

Deep down, Draco is a heel. Even if Harry and Draco reconcile and
Draco comes over to the good side, Draco will still be a jerk;
annoying and obnoxious, and he will still delight in teasing Harry. He
may improve but Draco is Draco and always will be. 

If Draco does come over to the good side, it will not be because he
chose the path of 'right', it will be because he saw the the path of
Dark was hopelessly doomed. A path which if followed, loses even if it
wins. I have always said that if Voldemort wins, he will show that he
is incapable of running an orderly and functional world. Look at the
entire span of world history, and it will without fail show that power
mad iron-fisted dictators like Voldemort are incapable leaders and
inevitably doomed.

"Tyranny is the architect of it's own doom."

Just a thought.

bboy_mn