Why did Draco do it? / Dudley

[deborahhbbrd]

No: HPFGUIDX 125397


> Betsy:
<snip>
> Draco was interested in being Harry's friend from the moment he saw
> him, before he knew who Harry was.  For some reason, all his attempts
> at friendship were rebuffed in the dress shop, so I think Draco saw
> this as an opportunity to try again.  Of course, since he's not sure
> what went wrong in the first place, he does an equally poor job on 
> the train. <snip>


I've always thought that what puts Harry off Draco in the beginning,
and keeps him hostile, is Draco's eery resemblance to Dudley in
character and upbringing. OK, Dudley does his own beating up and Draco
needs his hit squad, but apart from that ...

Indulged by parents with material goods, but there's no sign of the
parents interacting with their sons as people. Spoilt rotten, babied,
prone to use parents and therefore to use other people, but with the
insecurity that makes them hit out, show off, whine, and resent anyone
they can't control. Both boys are victims of child abuse,
psychological of course, and have difficulty in developing an adult
personality, since being Mummy and Daddy's little boy has always
worked for them. Except it hasn't ... but it's all they know about and
they lack the gumption to move on.

So, until D and/or D can demonstrate some kind of growth in
self-knowledge, I don't expect Harry to look on them with any warmth. 

Deborah