Draco an underdog?

[phoenixgod2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 131954

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:

> > >>Alla:
> > <snip> 
> > Also, I don't even view Draco as underdog in his relationship 
with 
> > Harry, because IMO even thought he loses, he is not supposed 
to    
> > lose.
> > Harry often wins against all odds in the situation which Draco 
> > himself starts and that is why it is such immense satisfaction 
for 
> > me  to see Draco loose over and over again.
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> See, that's because *Harry* thinks, "gosh, how could I possibly 
win?" 
> but he's got the school's smartest witch, the WW's most powerful 
> wizard, an incredibly powerful wizarding family, his family's 
money, 
> and his own prodigy-like skills on his side.
> 
> Draco only ever has his bravado and a good front.  Which is all an 
> underdog ever has. 

I think both of you are wrong ;) I don't think either Draco or Harry 
are underdogs in the relationship with each other.  While I wouldn't 
call Harry a golden boy (too much %^%&* piled on the poor guy for 
that) I don't see Draco as quite as pathetic as you do, betsy.  I 
also think that you are working under differing definitions of 
underdog.  To me, and I think to Alla, an underdog is a good person, 
not really looking for trouble, but ends up in some anyway, without 
the ability to get out of it easily. It's the Bad News Bears, or the 
Cleveland Indians from the movie Major League. It's Rodney 
Dangerfield, and the Absent Minded Professor. In common usage (at 
least imo) an underdog  for the purpose of literature and movies is 
a person who *isn't* looking for trouble but finds some at the hands 
of a more competent and dangerous person. The underdog then manages 
to win despite the odds stacked against him.  Draco picks every 
fight he gets in with Harry and then loses.  Harry doesn't ever go 
around looking to duel Draco, he only reacts to Draco's 
provocation.  Underdogs by nature don't provoke fights because they 
understand their limitations.  Draco has no understanding of his. 
That doesn't make him an underdog, it makes him a dumb teenager.

While I agree that generally, Harry is only an underdog in his own 
mind, I think you make too much of the Weasley family support and 
Dumbledore's. While Dumbledore has saved Harry's life upon occasion, 
he has also made it dance to his tune without regards to Harry's 
feelings or own desires, and provides little real day to day support 
for Harry. He is at best a double edged sword. Plus, I can totally 
see DD inviting Draco to his office and making an offer to listen if 
the boy wanted to talk, but there isn't a chance in hell that Draco 
would take up that offer. Still, doesn't mean it wasn't made. I 
think Dumbledore would go to the mat for every last one of his 
students if he had to.

even the really annoying ones :0)

phoenixgod2000.

Happy 4th to every american on the list, at home and abroad. Stay 
safe and eat a lot!