More thought about Draco.

[festuco]

No: HPFGUIDX 129693

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:

> I think that what I want to say will be, like most people's 
> contributions, subjective rather than objective. Unlike Snape, to 
> whom I have never been drawn, I have always had a sneaking sympathy 
> for Draco because I feel that many of his less pleasant traits have 
> been shaped by his background.

Gerry
First, my compliments on your post. I really like it. However, I have
one huge problem with it. I don't believe upbringing is everything.
That is too easy an anwer. Upbringing certainly can strengthen what is
there, but cannot give certain character traits. 

The reason I really do not like Draco is that he is just plain nasty.
He revel in the pain of other people. I can see his upbringing
responsible for his view on Muggle-borns, his reaction to Ron, his
trying to buy himself a place on the quidditch team, his reaction to
Harry. I can easily understand him being lonely. But I cannot
understand the casual cruelty Draco displays and revels in. No matter
how je are raised to feel about muggle-borns, there is something
pretty warped in a child who actually enjoys it when one gets hurt.
There is talk and the first confrontation with reality. Lots of people
with prejudice find that when something bad actually happens to
someone of group they are prejudiced against, they really don't like
it. I bet there are lots of people in Slytherin who are just as
prejudiced as Draco, but it is Draco and his gang who did not join in
the cheering when the mandrakes were ready. So lots of Slytherins did
join in. And there are other examples of the enjoyment Draco gets from
other people's misery. Now I can understand someone enjoying the
misery of an enemy. We see this with Snape and James or Sirius. True
hatred, cutting both ways. But enjoying the misery of people because
you don't like them, helping to cause it? That goes much further than
upbringing. 

George:
Personally, I would like to see a rapprochement between Harry and
Draco. What would produce the scenario and whether it could happen
is an open question which lies in the hands of their creator.

Gerry
If it would happen, I would like some really convincing background
story why he would change, and what this would mean for the nastyness
he displayed before. I don't expect it to happen though. I think Draco
really is a nasty piece of work, which would have come out no matter
in what kind of a family he was raised. 

Gerry