Draco and Daddy (was: Why did Draco do it?)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 125392


Betsy:
> Draco is not pampered by his parents. When he is introduced, he's
> been left alone in a shop while his parents split up to get the
> other shopping errands done (including buying his wand, which I
> thought was an Ollivander no-no). This is not the actions of people
> thrilled and excited about their only son's upcoming trip to
> Hogwarts. It's what people do when they want to move as quickly as
> possible to get an annoying job done.


SSSusan:
OR it's the actions of parents who never *make* their child do 
anything for himself, but rather do everything *for* him, which is 
how I took the shopping outing.


Betsy:
> In CoS, Lucius acts like he's been *burdened* by his son's company.
> And he interacts with Draco as little as possible. Also in CoS, 
> Draco is left at Hogwarts for Christmas. This after mocking 
> Harry's lack of loving parents the Christmas before. I'm sure 
> Lucius was looking for updates on the Chamber Monster situation 
> (and way to worry about his son's safety, by the way) but none the 
> less, Draco is not brought home for Christmas.


SSSusan:
Right.  I think Lucius wanted progress reports from Draco.  He 
didn't want to be *out* of the know.  So Draco had a function to 
serve for Daddykins, which is why he stayed.  I don't think they 
left him there because they couldn't be bothered with him but 
because he could be useful.


Betsy:
> Whenever Draco quotes his father, it sounds like pronouncements 
> made from on high, not shared wisdom from private conversations.


SSSusan:
To me they sound like episodes of *bragging.*  As in, "MY father 
[who is better than your father, of course] said X or Y, and it's 
IMPORTANT, which is why I'm pronouncing it as if he were a king."

I don't think the family is close in the sense of 3 people who just 
love spending all their free time together or who sit and have heart-
to-heart talks all the time.  I think Lucius is likely stern with 
Draco on occasion.  So I'm with you that far.  But I don't get the 
sense that Draco is ignored.  

Again, when he said he needed to go bully his dad, I believe he knew 
he could say this because he *had* done so successfully before.  
Kind of like how Dudley could have bragged to his friends that he 
bullied his parents into giving him two additional birthday 
presents.  Now, I do not picture Lucius going to the extreme that 
Petunia & Vernon did in that situation, but I do think Draco is used 
to often getting his way.


Betsy:
> I'm not sure if Lucius would see that Harry Potter being attached 
> to his family would be a good thing. <snip>  The only people who 
> really reached out to Harry were the Weasleys.


SSSusan:
I agree that Lucius would likely not want Harry *attached* to their 
family.  Nor do I think that if he did tell Draco to see if he could 
get to know Harry it was by way of *reaching out* to Harry.  Nope, 
not at all.  In my mind it would've been more about intel gathering 
and strategic placement.  That is, Lucius would think it was wise to 
find OUT what Harry was like, or for Draco to get in Harry's good 
graces if that was possible.  It's about being in a strategic 
position to find things out.  

THAT'S how I imagine Lucius' relationship with Draco:  he spoils him 
some, dresses him down other times, but I think he likely does look 
at Draco in terms of what he can offer to him [Lucius] or the 
cause.  Draco's well placed to gather intel, for instance... This is 
not to say that Draco understands he's gathiring intel or that Daddy 
has necessarily shared why he wants information Draco.  Draco blabs, 
so Lucius probably selectively reveals things to Draco.


Betsy:
> As to curiosity, we're forgetting one thing. The best source of 
> information on Harry Potter that Lucius has is Severus Snape. We, 
> the readers, know that Snape is Dumbledore's creature, but Lucius 
> is not aware of this. And who better to tell him all about a 
> student at Hogwarts than one of the Hogwarts' professors? Snape 
> would certainly have a clearer view of Harry than a boy of eleven, 
> and Snape could share the latest staff-room gossip about Harry.


SSSusan:
I think Snape might provide Lucius with some information, yes, 
assuming he is still trying to maintain his cover as a DE with 
Lucius.  But if Snape is on DD's side for real & true, I don't think 
he'd be providing a full picture.  Lucius wouldn't know that, of 
course, but I still believe Lucius would be interested in any 
supplemental info Draco could provide.  Call it the student-level 
perspective, something to which Snape wouldn't necessarily be privy.

In sum, I think Lucius likely does use his own son.  So in that way, 
they're not a close-knit family, no.  But I think you can pamper a 
child, teach him that he's special & important & one of the Entitled 
Ones at the same time that you don't mind using him a little to 
advance your own agenda.

Siriusly Snapey Susan