Why did Draco do it?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 125311


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Julia" <jolka55 at p...> wrote:
> 
> I've just reread a few first chapters of PS/SS and there is one 
> think I can't stop thinking about.
> 
> Why did Malfoy then, in the train, came into Harry's compartment? 
He 
> didn't do it just to take a look at Potter but he intended to have 
> him on his side. What for?
> I can't think of any good explanation... Did Lucius tell him to do 
> this? or he was just curious?
> 
> It doesn't make sense because he had to know that first, Harry 
isn't 
> a pureblood, second, he is certainly not on the evil side, third, 
> how would Harry be useful for Draco?
> I know that probably it wasn't good to be openly against Harry and 
> that Lucius probably told Draco to pretend that he has nothing 
> against Potter. But it still doesn't obligate him to make friends 
> with Potter - everybody knows that the Malfoys isn't a welcoming, 
> nice family - it wouldn't be suspicious if Draco would just ignore 
> Potter. And he actually wants to shake hand with him - it wasn't 
> just a formal think that he HAD to do because dad told him to 
> behave...
> He actually wants Harry to be on his side! He is nice to him and he 
> introduces his goons... He didn't have to do THAT! Even Snape 
didn't 
> do this!
> 
> I'm wondering now why Draco did it... was it because Lucius told 
him 
> to do this (and if yes then why - what was the purpose of having 
> Potter on their side???) or he just thought it would be nice to 
have 
> a famous person beside him?? (but then again - everybody knows that 
> they are on different sides - it's not the secret - at least Snape 
> doesn't make any secret of it...)
> What do you think about it? Can anybody explain it to me?
> 
> 
> this is the quote btw:
> Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it 
> was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. 
> He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown 
> back in Diagon Alley.  
> "Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that 
Harry 
> Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"  
> "Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them 
> were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of 
> the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.  
> "Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy 
> carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's 
Malfoy, 
> Draco Malfoy."  
> Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigget. 
> Draco Malfoy looked at him.  
> "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My 
> father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more 
> children than they can afford."  
> He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding 
> families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go 
> making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."  
> He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.  
> "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he 
> said coolly.  
> Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale 
> cheeks.  
> "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless 
> you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They 
> didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with 
> riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on 
> you." 
> 
> Julia who is now really confused about the purpose of this 
> encounter...

Geoff:
I can see two angles to this.

>From Draco's point of view, I assume that he knows little or nothing 
about Harry's take of the Wizarding World. Perhaps he can get Harry 
on his side or at least get Harry to acknowledge him fairly affably 
which would improve his street cred no end in the school. Does he 
know that Harry is a complete tyro so he might be able to influence 
him?

>From the story point of view, Harry's rebuff rubs Draco up the wrong 
way. To re-word an English saying, "Hogwarts hath no fury like a 
Draco scorned". The chance for peaceful co-existence seems to have 
been blown out of the water. The scene is set for confrontation at a 
slowly increasing level of hostility.

Though I would still like to see some sort of rapprochement between 
the two of them before the end credits roll....