Draco's bigotry and leadership

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 144757

> I too think Blaise is smarter than Draco in terms of his command 
of 
> words and logic, and that, 

Magpie:

I agree with your take on the scene, though I think it might be even 
unwise to assign logic and intelligence to someone when we really 
don't know them that well.  What I got from his scenes in HBP was 
that Blaise doesn't show interest in *anything* much less his school 
or career plans.  That's his thing, to put on airs of being haughty 
and disinterested--it's a note hit a lot in his short page time. 
Ginny claims his one talent is posing.  

There is one time when true curiosity shows through the mask--when 
Draco is hinting about working for Voldemort by saying he might be 
on to "bigger and better things" than school next year.  Blaise 
scoffs (haughtily) that this couldn't possibly true--a 16-year-old 
helping Voldemort?  But does not reply when Draco appears to be 
telling the truth.  I don't think his "scathingly" reminding Draco 
of his age and unqualified status means Blaise himself is interested 
in his own studies or career or thinks it's better to do that (not 
that you've said that here, I'm just responding to the whole 
discussion at once).  He just doesn't believe Draco is actually 
doing something important and adult.  He is being logical in 
suggesting that Draco's no use to Voldemort as a kid, but of course 
he's actually wrong.  People tell Harry he's being illogical about 
this and he's really not; Harry knows Voldemort better than some.;-)

I also don't even think this dismissive act he puts on is supposed 
to indicate he'd dismiss Voldemort himself either.  To me they 
sounded like two ordinary boys who were both ambitious and one of 
them had been given a big adult job.  It seems a given that all the 
people in that compartment see Voldemort as a good thing--a stupid 
idea in itself.

I get the feeling that Blaise does represent something bad and 
actually, possibly not that smart.  He *appears* smart because he's 
got a veneer of sophistication, but we don't ever hear about him 
doing anything particularly interesting one way or another.  
Schoolwise we don't know how well he does--perhaps he just works 
hard enough to get by. At times he's on top with Draco in the scene, 
at times Draco gets the edge.  But on instinct I think Draco's 
probably got more potential just because of his commitment. Lucius 
also sometimes seems smart in that he's slippery, but I don't think 
he really is either.:-)

-m