Happy Birthday, Draco

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 130094

Metylda <bamf505 at y...> wrote:
> Draco's birthday was noted on JKR's site today - June
> 5th.  That makes Draco a Gemini and older than Harry.


Hannah now:  It's also very interesting from the point of view of 
future plot developments.  Draco Malfoy is a 'baddie' - or has 
certainly been portrayed as one so far.  Last year his birthday 
passed without any comment from JKR on the website (it was up and 
running then, wasn't it?).  

Is JKR merely putting it there to please the legions of Draco fans?  
Or does it foreshadow a change in JKR's own attitude to Draco and a 
possible 'redemption' storyline in HBP?  I'm not a fan of Draco, and 
have in the past been against the idea that he might get 'reformed' 
at some point in canon.  But now I'm starting to wonder if there 
might be something of that sort after all.

I'm not talking about a fanfiction style full conversion, seeing 
Draco best friends with Harry, dating Hermione or Ginny, and 
generally an all round good guy.  But perhaps he will see the error 
of the 'dark side' and decide not to follow the same path as his 
father (or perhaps I've been watching too much Star Wars).  

JKR has said she finds the Draco worship very worrying - yet by 
wishing him 'happy birthday' she seems to be changing her tune.  
Then there's the infamous 'Draco's Detour' chapter of HBP, and that 
deleted scene where she'd 'wanted to show how Draco acted when with 
someone he considered an equal.'  It seems late in the day for JKR 
to bring about a conversion of her junior arch-baddie, yet I'm 
beginning to wonder if that is what she has in mind.

Or is she just leading along all the poor fangirls out there?  
Surely not.

Hannah