Draco's Choice (was:Re: The Twins are bad, Harry is bad, but Draco is good...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 136980

> >>vmonte:
> <snip>
> Draco made his choice to become a DE willingly, of his own free   
> will. He made a pact with the Devil and the Devil is not going to 
> let him off the hook so easy...

> >>Alla:
> <snip>
> ...BUT the fact is that he took this asignment initially because  
> he wanted glory for himself as he tells his fellow Slytherins on  
> the train.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Did Draco freely choose to become Voldemort's assassin?  This is 
important because by the morality of the books Draco's choice tells 
us a great deal about the make-up of his character and the direction 
he'll most likely be taking in book 7.

Narcissa doesn't seem to think Draco had a choice.  

"That's why he's chosen Draco isn't it?" she persisted.  "To punish 
Lucius?" (HBP scholastic p.33) 

According to Narcissa, a choice was made *by Voldemort* (the "he" in 
the above quote).  And Bellatrix appears to agree with her sister.

"The Dark Lord is granting him a great honor.  And I will say this 
for Draco: He isn't shrinking away from his duty..." (ibid)

The use of the words "granting" and "duty" certainly don't suggest 
choice on the part of the recipient.

Also, a great deal is made of Draco's age.  He is sixteen, still a 
child by WW custom.  Both his mother and later Arthur Weasley make 
mention of that fact.

"Harry, I doubt whether You-Know-Who would allow a sixteen year-
old..." (135)

Again, Arthur is using language ("allow") that suggests that even if 
Draco has been marked the choice was made by Voldemort, not Draco.  
Because Draco was too young to make the choice himself.

Draco, himself, doesn't act like he's got a choice in the matter.

"No one can help me," [...] "...and unless I do it soon...he say's 
he'll kill me..." (522) 

"I haven't got any options!" [...] "I've got to do it!  He'll kill 
me!  He'll kill my whole family!"
[...]
"I can help you, Draco."
"No, you can't," said Malfoy, his wand hand shaking very badly 
indeed.  "Nobody can.  He told me to do it or he'll kill me.  I've 
got no choice." (591)

So, to me anyway, it seems that there is a clear indication that 
Voldemort *took away* any ability to choose that Draco may have 
had.  First, he picked an underaged child.  Second, he threatened 
Draco's life and the lives of his family.

Enter Dumbledore, who famously said in CoS: "It is our choices, 
Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

When Dumbledore is finally able to confront Draco, what does he do?  
He allows Draco time to make a choice.

"I -- I've got a job to do"
"Well, then you must get on with it, my dear boy," said Dumbledore 
softly. (585)

Dumbledore gives Draco something Voldemort would never allow, a 
choice.  And Draco... does nothing, which proves to Dumbledore 
something he must have suspected all along.

"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."
"How do you know?" said Malfoy at once. (585)

Interestingly enough, Draco doesn't seem sure that he's not a 
killer.  It is Draco who brings up the near deaths of Katie and Ron 
by his actions.

"You don't know what I'm capable of," said Malfoy more 
forcefully.  "You don't know what I've done!" (585)

Honestly, I think that when Dumbledore gives Draco a benediction of 
sorts, ("you are not a killer") the very fact that Draco then feels 
the need to confess ("but I've done things that don't bear that 
out!") speaks to Draco's remorse.  If he hadn't cared about what 
he'd done to Katie or Ron I don't think he'd have thought to bring 
them up.  Especially since, as Dumbledore points out, they were 
examples of some rather pathetic attempts on Draco's part.

So Dumbledore again reminds Draco that he has a choice here.

"Perhaps you ought to get on with the job alone," [...] "I have no 
wand at the moment...I cannot defend myself." (586)

And again, Draco chooses not to kill Dumbledore.  And so again, 
Dumbledore delivers his benediction.

"I don't think you will kill me, Draco.  Killing is not nearly as 
easy as the innocent believe..." (586)

Dumbledore reaffirms that Draco is not a killer, he is in fact an 
innocent.  Draco's choice has proven this.

What's fasinating to me is that Draco (after a little lesson in 
proper word-choice) again asserts that he's a killer and again 
Dumbledore refutes it.

"You care about me saying 'Mud-blood' when I'm about to kill you?"
"Yes I do," said Dumbledore... "But as for being about to kill me, 
Draco, you have had several long minutes now, we are quite alone.  I 
am more defenseless than you can have dreamed of finding me, and 
still you have not acted..." (589-590)

That's three times Draco and Dumbledore have given a back and forth 
on Draco being a killer or not.  Draco, with the guilt of Katie and 
Ron on his shoulders and the pressure of Voldemort's attempt to 
shape him into something he's apparently not, says he is a killer.  
Dumbledore gives Draco the chance to prove that he is and then 
assures Draco that he is showing himself to *not* be a killer.

Then we have Draco telling Dumbledore that Voldemort has taken away 
Draco's ability to choose ("I've got no choice").  And Dumbledore 
*gives it back to him* along with a third and final benediction.

"Come over the right side, Draco... you are not a killer..." (592)

This is followed by that incredibly powerful exchange:

"You're at my mercy...."
"No, Draco," said Dumbledore quietly.  "It is my mercy, and not 
yours, that matters now."  (592)

And Draco, with the freedom to choose finally returned to him, 
lowers his wand.  Even with the temptation of the four Death Eaters, 
who five times by my count try to turn Draco into a killer, Draco 
shows us (and Harry) who he truly is: he is not a killer; he is an 
innocent.

> >>vmonte:
> <snip>
> I have a question for you. Have you ever seen Draco do anything   
> nice for anyone? Have you seen him show compassion or tolerance   
> for anyone other than those connected to the DEs in some way?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I would say not killing Dumbledore showed a great deal of 
compassion.  And in a round about sort of way, keeping his friends 
out of his tangles with Voldemort showed a form of compassion too.  
Other than that, well, we've not really gotten a good look at Draco 
have we?  There is something suggestive, IMO, in the fact that he's 
still well liked by the Slytherins even though the Malfoy name is 
looked down on by the WW and the Death Eaters alike.

I think the true measure of Draco's worth will be found in book 7.  
Thanks to Dumbledore, Draco will finally be allowed to make the 
choices that will show us who he is.  Based on his first major 
choice, I think Draco will turn out well.

Betsy Hp