[HPforGrownups] The Importance of being Draco Malfoy

[Gabriel Fey]

No: HPFGUIDX 114318

(snip)
Chris wrote:

> Here are my thoughts:
> 
> Malfoy's upbring though spoilt is also of a arroagant nature. This 
> much is obvious, but I cannot see how he will change in anyway, 
> especially go against his father, who in my opinion he idolises as 
> much (if not more than Tom Riddle). Malfoy, in simple terms, will be 
> on the opposite side to Harry come the end of the series. I cannot 
> see how it could be any other way.
(snip)

Hi...first-time poster here, still working my way through the 237 
still-unread messages in my folder for this group, so I'm terribly sorry 
if I repeat anything.

That much being said, I think that Draco has a chance, if not a great 
one, of defecting to the..."side of light," I guess I'll call it. As you 
said, he's spoiled and arrogant, and this is true. However, no matter 
how much he idolizes his father, he *is* a very spoiled boy, and at some 
point, when the plans made by Harry, DD, and company start working out, 
he's going to stop getting what he wants on an epic scale (spoiler for 
those who haven't read OoP - this has already started, with the elder 
Malfoy in Azkaban), and it seems like what he wants is power and attention.

Being arrogant, he's also not going to want to be on the losing side, 
and I think the Malfoy men are probably taught to be cold enough to 
abandon their family members to further themselves. Despite being 
biased, Draco's an intelligent kid, and if it looks like Voldemort is 
going to lose, he'll break away pretty quickly. If it looks like 
Voldemort wins, he'll stay. Either he gets to be part of the second 
generation of loyal supporters of Voldemort, or he gets to follow in his 
father's footsteps again, but go a step further - "I was brainwashed and 
misled by those terribly evil people, but despite danger to my life, I 
am going over to the side of light and right and other things rhyming 
with that. Am I not wonderful?" Both possibilities would indulge his own 
arrogance, and both would indulge his spoiled nature - a (probable) 
member of the new ruling class or the brave defector who faced 
unspeakable odds.

If this comes up, I agree that yes, Snape defected, but he didn't get 
any press attention - but Snape was older at the time, and thus would 
have probably been considered more able to hold up under such pressure. 
He was also, all things considered and (I think) all indications noted, 
less popular, less handsome, and less well-bred than Draco is.

So if I try to conclude this post logically, I'd say that Draco isn't 
*definitely* going to defect, but it does seem like a possibility.

Please do debate this, especially if you see any gaping holes in my logic...


- Gabriel Fey