Naive Draco (was: Elkins' Draco Malfoy Is Ever So Lame)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 124698


SSSusan earlier:
> > I've always gotten rather the opposite impression. That is, that 
> > Lucius shares a LOT of information with Draco. 

Betsy replied:
> I read it more as Lucius forgets about Draco's presence, or maybe 
> underestimates how much Draco takes in and retains (a common 
> mistake amongst adults).  Because Draco is *very* careless about 
> sharing information he gains with others.  I cannot see how telling 
> Harry that the Malfoys' know Sirius is an animagus can help the 
> Death Eater cause at all.  ... I'm sure he'd have told Draco to 
> keep quiet about it.
> 
> When Lucius has information he *really* doesn't want to share (e.g. 
> who is Slytherin's Heir) he does make sure to keep Draco out of the 
> loop. 


SSSusan:
I took it a bit differently.  That is, because Lucius knows that 
Draco has loose lips, he *plans* these conversations with Draco.  
That he didn't tell Draco about the Heir of Slytherin/Chamber of 
Secrets speaks to just how much he didn't want that one to get out to 
anyone while it was still in the works, methinks.  OTOH, the Sirius 
as animagus "slip" of Draco's was, I believe, Lucius' way, via Draco, 
of issuing a threat.  An "Oh, you Order of the Phoenix people.  You 
think you're SO smart and sneaky.  Well, we know ALL about you" kind 
of thing.

 
SSSusan previously:
> > But naivete?  Not a word I'd have thought to use for Draco.  
> > Would love to hear more canon on that one.
 
Betsy:
> Mainly I think Draco is naive because of how forthrightly he states 
> his opinion.  The entire school knows he hates Potter and friends.  
> The entire school knows he hates Muggle borns.  When Mrs. Norris is 
> petrified, Draco, rather foolishly, yells out his support for the 
> crime. 


SSSusan:
When I taught high school social studies [oh no! there she goes 
again!], I worked in an area of my state which has a rather nasty 
reputation as being a hotbed for KKK and/or racist activity & 
indoctrination.  Not that there were necessarily any *more* people 
with that mentality there than one would find in any other small town 
in Indiana, I'm afraid, but simply that by virtue of its real history 
and its reputation, people who held those views were much more 
comfortable openly espousing them.  Do you know what I mean?  There 
was a cockiness & a confidence in making snide or threatening 
remarks, whereas in other small towns I'd been in, people who felt 
that way at least knew enough to be *quiet* about those beliefs.  

I see Draco as the same way.  He's in (or believes he's in) his 
element in Slytherin House.  He's got those other DE kids to hang 
with.  He's got Snape as HoH, who I'm sure he assumes shares his 
worldview.  I think it's comfort level a little more than naivete.


Betsy:
> Draco has shown himself to be a physical coward, and he's got 
> some intelligence, so I can only reconcile his open aggression with 
> a naive view on whether a war is coming and what it will look like.

SSSusan:
This much I can agree with, Betsy.  I see what you mean about its not 
being *real* to him yet.  At least, WASN'T 'til Daddy was thrown in 
Azkaban.


Betsy:
> I also doubt his father is busily teaching him the 
> Unforgivables over summer break. 

SSSusan:
Now, actually, I think I might wager the opposite on this one. :-)


Siriusly Snapey Susan, not a Draco fan