Dangerous Contempt - Harry vs Draco

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 129283

>>bboyminn:
>First, it's hardly one against three; it's more like three 
intelligent people (Harry/Ron/Hermione) against three self-
aggrandizing idiots (Draco, Crabbe, Goyle); not to mention another 20 
or so DA Club members on Harry's side.<

Betsy:
Except you're ignoring the fact that Draco only chose to confront 
Harry at Hogwarts after first making sure Harry was alone.

"Harry had just descended the last marble step into the entrance hall 
when Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle emerged from a door on the right that 
Harry knew led down to the Slytherin common room. 
[...]
Malfoy glanced around.  Harry knew he was checking for signs of 
teachers.  Then he looked back at Harry and said in a low 
voice, "You're dead, Potter."  (OotP scholastic p.851)

And you're also ignoring the fact that when Draco (and I'll assume he 
was the ringleader here) attempted to attack Harry outright he did so 
when Harry was apparently alone and out of reach of teachers and 
friends.

"Firstly, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who had clearly been waiting all 
week for the opportunity to strike without teacher witnesses, 
attempted to ambush Harry halfway down the train as he made his way 
back from the toilet.  The attack might have succeeded had it not 
been for the fact that they unwittingly chose to stage the attack 
right outside a compartment full of D.A. members, who saw what was 
happening throught the glass and rose as one to rush to Harry's aid." 
(ibid p. 864)

You'll note that the students are a mix of Hufflepuffs and 
Ravenclaws, no Gryffindors.  Draco may not have realized how loyal 
some DA members are to Harry. (I'm saying some, because I don't want 
to assume.)  No Slytherin attended the meetings, and the DA members 
tried not to call attention to themselves so I doubt they mingled too 
much outside the club.  Draco does stage the attack away from Ron and 
Hermione and away from other Gryffindors.  And without six other 
students coming to his rescue, we're told "[t]he attack might have 
succeeded".  So it wasn't completely harmless.

I imagine that both boys learned something from the train incident.  
Draco probably learned that Harry has more folks on his side than 
just his fellow Gryffindors, and *hopefully* Harry learned that he 
needs to pay more attention to the possibilities of an ambush.  
Wandering about alone has become a slightly more dangerous habit for 
Harry.

>>bboymin:
<snip>
>Draco blunders, blusters, and bullies his way through life with a 
royal sense of entitlement and privilege. That sense of entitlement 
and privilege isolate and prevent him from considering the wisdom and 
timing of his actions. He was stupid to attack Harry on the train, 
but like all self-important people, the lowly commoners and ordinary 
people need not be taken into account when making decisions.<

Betsy:
Yes, Draco has been the typical bully, annoying and antagonizing 
Harry over hurt pride and schoolboy jealousy for several years now.  
But the ante has been well and truly upped and I think Harry would be 
incredibly foolish to just assume he could take Draco.  He's never 
taken him before (not in a fair fight) and I don't think Harry's seen 
Draco well and truly angry.  I'm not saying Draco's suddenly become 
Billy-badass, but he could put some serious hurt on Harry during a 
time that Harry cannot afford to be made vulnerable.

Draco had the patience to wait until Harry was alone.  He 
miscalculated the unity of the other Houses (and remember, Harry was 
not consistently the popular boy at Hogwarts during OotP) but he 
staged his attack away from any Gryffindors.  I doubt he was going to 
*kill* Harry, but if Harry had been left in the same state Draco, 
Crabbe, and Goyle have been left the last two years he would have 
been extremely vulnerable to any Death Eater parent fetching their 
children from the train.  The war has started and Harry needs to be 
careful. 

>>bboymin:
>It's that same thinking that dooms Voldemort time and time again.<

Betsy:
I haven't seen evidence of this. Not Voldemort taken down by ordinary 
folk anyway.  (Actually, the everyday members of the WW have played 
quite nicely into Voldemort's hands - see the sudden unpopularity of 
Dumbledore and Harry throughout OotP.)
 
>>bboymin: 
>Harry really doesn't have to do anything, and in truth, Harry has 
only extremely rarely initiated action against Draco, and even then 
he was provoked, all Harry has to do is stand back, and Draco will 
self-destruct. Of course, Draco is certainly capable of doing 
collateral damage in the process of self-destructing.<

Betsy:
It's exactly that collateral damage that I'm talking about.  It's 
like that poem about the kingdom being lost all for the want of a 
nail.  I don't see Draco as capable of taking down the Order, but if 
they overlook and dismiss Draco's anger, and don't adjust their 
thinking a bit (they being Harry and Ron and Hermione) Draco could 
well throw a nice monkey wrench into the works.  (And who knows what 
Nott, quiet, nearly invisible Nott, could do.)

>>bboymin: 
>Draco can never defeat Harry because much like Voldemort Draco is 
wholly convinced of his own wisdom and absolute superiority over all. 
That means that any plan he has is instantly a good plan by virtue of 
the fact that he himself thought of it.<
<snip>

Betsy:
Draco is a drama queen and he is arrogant and some of his plans have 
been silly in the extreme.  But some of Draco's plans *have* worked.  
His songs threw off Ron's game for *months*.  His badges in GoF did 
annoy Harry.  I don't think Draco will *defeat* Harry, but he could 
screw things up for him but royally *if* Harry chooses to completely 
ignore the possible threat Draco represents.

>>bboymin: 
>Harry is dispassionately trying to find a way out of or around any 
situation he is in, whereas Draco is driven forward blinded by his 
own arrogance and emotions; hardly seems a fair battle to me.<

Betsy:
The battle doesn't need to be fair.  In fact it may well not be.  But 
it is completely unwise to dismiss a wounded rival based solely on 
the fact that the wounds are personal.  After all, Harry's reasons 
for taking down Voldemort are *extremely* personal (remember capslock!
Harry?).  And if Harry dismisses Draco too easily, he may well regret 
it.

>>Amiable Dorsai
>If it comes to a straight-up fight, Draco's toast; even he has to 
know that by now. The Ministry Crew--unarmed and at wandpoint--beat 
the Inquisitorial Squad plus an adult witch;...<

Betsy:
Are you talking about the final scene in Umbridge's office?  Because 
the DA crew beat fellow students.  Umbridge had left with Harry and 
Hermione.  (Though at least one of the Slytherins was a sixth year, 
so the DA students did a great job and proved the worth of Harry's 
coaching.)

>Amiable Dorsai
>...Harry would easily have clobbered Malfoy and his bookends if 
Snape hadn't shown up, and, well, the incident on the train going 
home showed that it's not just Gryffindor vs. Slytherin anymore.<

Betsy:
The incident on the train *also* showed that Harry *can* be taken by 
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.  As I quoted above, JKR tells us the 
attack "might have succeeded" had the DA people not interfered.  

Harry is a good fighter.  We've seen this time and again.  But we 
*haven't* seen Harry take Draco on by himself, so I think it's hard 
to judge how good Draco would be in a match.  Magic seems to rely on 
intelligence rather than brute strength, so I think Harry is not as 
threatened by Crabbe and Goyle. But numbers can make a difference in 
a fight, and I doubt Draco will choose to take Harry on by himself.  
I also doubt Draco will choose to take Harry on while he's surrounded 
by friends.  I *do* think that if Harry recognizes he's being 
attacked he could well stand up to the three.  But if he's so 
dismissive of Draco, if his contempt for Draco causes him to 
underestimate the threat Draco does represent, Harry may not 
recognize the ambush until it's too late.

(Honestly, I think Harry will remember the ambush on the train and 
act accordingly.  I really don't expect to see Draco succeed in an 
attack against Harry in the next book.  But if Harry were as 
dismissive of Draco as some on this list seem to think he should be, 
I *do* think Harry could get in trouble.)

Betsy, who despite all this talk of a Harry v. Draco grudge match 
*still* hopes for a redeemed!Draco by series end. :)