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

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 125405


> 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.
> 
Hannah:  You argue your case very well, Betsy :-)  But I'm still 
with SSSusan on this one.  Draco *is* pampered by his parents.  
Aside from the argument SSSusan gives above, look at the broom 
buying (OK, so he wanted Draco to have a nice broom for the family 
honour, as you say yourself, but did he need to get them for the 
entire team as well?)  And the constant packages from home full of 
sweets.  Those are doubtless from his mother, but *she* at least is 
spoiling him. And who's to say Draco didn't *want* to stay at school 
for Christmas in CoS, since we know he himself was trying to find 
out who the heir of Slytherin was?  If his parents didn't want him 
around at Christmas, why does he go home in PS/SS and PoA?  And why 
did Narcissa not want him to Durmstrang because it was so far away, 
if she at least didn't want him to come home for holidays?
 
> 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.

Hannah:  But Lucius, at this point, is trying to appear 
respectable.  He's schmoozing politicians, such as Fudge, who was 
quite keen on Harry at that time, making donations to St Mungo's, 
etc.  He's practically renounced his old 'master' by claiming he'd 
been under the Imperio curse when performing whatever crimes they 
accused him of the first time round.  As far as I can see, Lucius 
has behaved in character, and switched to the winning side as fast 
as possible.  So I don't think he'd worry what LV would say.

I think having Harry Potter as his son's friend would be a huge boon 
for Lucius.  For one thing, Harry has grown up away from the 
wizarding world, so he's a 'blank canvas' in terms of wizarding 
opinions.  Just look at the huge influence Hagrid had on Harry early 
on, simply by being the first contact he had with the world.  
Imagine if Lucius Malfoy had got himself into the position that the 
Weasleys actually hold with Harry - he could have indoctrinated him 
with his own prejudices.  

I'm not saying that this would work, knowing Harry isn't all that 
daft.  But Lucius would certainly have wanted to try.  As for it 
only being the Weasleys that reached out to Harry... I don't know if 
it was only them, more a case that they got in there first.  Even by 
the time that Draco sought him out on the train, Harry was firmly in 
the Weasleys' 'camp.'  Then he got Sorted into Gryffindor... 
families hoping to entice him onto the 'Dark side' had their work 
cut out almost straight away.  If Harry hadn't met Ron, if he had 
been treated kindly by the Dursleys and Dudley, if he'd been Sorted 
into Slytherin... things would have been very different.

> SSSusan:
<snip>
> 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... 
<snip> 

Hannah:  I left that in because it's a great summary of how I see 
Lucius' relationship with Draco.

> Betsy:
> > As to curiosity, we're forgetting one thing. The best source of 
> > information on Harry Potter that Lucius has is Severus Snape.
<snip>  
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.

Hannah:  Snape, give a clear view of Harry?  If Snape were any other 
teacher, then I would agree with that.  But we know that Snape right 
from the start - probably before he even meets the boy - has an 
image of Harry that is completely distorted, thanks to his hatred of 
James.  His rivalry with Harry's father appears to be common 
knowledge (Quirrel knows, for example), and Lucius, who has been 
linked to Snape from when both were at school, would certainly 
know.  So Snape isn't a reliable source on this, though I'm sure he 
is on other Hogwarts matters.

Hannah