Draco's Role (was: Does JKR want us to hate Draco? (was: Re: Admonishing Snape)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 129713

>>Pippin:
>JKR's interest runs counter to ours. She wants to hype the dramatic 
tension, we are trying to resolve it. Suppose she wants to have Draco 
be redeemed, is it not obvious that he has to do something seriously 
evil first? Slaughter the youngl-I mean, ickle Firsties, or blow up a 
planet or something? 
>The main obstacle I see to redeemed!Draco is that he hasn't done 
anything evil enough to make it dramatic.<

Betsy:
Exactly.  Which is why I have a strong suspicion that Draco is being 
set up to be the "Good Slytherin".  Because Draco doesn't need to be 
redeemed (not in the most dramatic sense of the word) but Harry's 
*view* of him does.  The Slytherin JKR (via the Sorting Hat) has told 
us Harry needs should not be an anti-Slytherin or the Slytherin 
weirdo, he (or she) *must* be as much a Slytherin as Harry is a 
Gryffindor.  Sure JKR could pull some never before seen Slytherin out 
of the nameless masses of that house to stand by Harry's side. But 
Harry (and the readers) would always see that particular Slytherin as 
the exeception to the Slytherin rule.  And that would totally destroy 
the entire point being made by the Hat.  It said that *all* the 
Houses must unite, not that Slytherin needed to get its act together.

I don't expect Draco to suddenly take a much larger role than he has 
in any of the other books.  Actually, I think JKR could keep him in 
the same role he's always filled: the giver of information.  Though I 
*would* expect Draco to share his information consciously, and for 
Harry to recognize what Draco is doing.

>>Pippin: 
>I think a lot of the impetus behind Fanon!Draco is actually Fanon!
Harry. Canon!Harry is a tough, scrappy kid who's more than a bit of a 
scamp -- he doesn't need a lovable scoundrel for a sidekick, there 
isn't enough contrast. But there's a tendency in fandom to see Harry 
as a lot more vulnerable and innocent than JKR portrays him. That 
leaves the lovable scoundrel role open, and Fanon!Draco was created 
to fill it.< 

Betsy:
Oh, Fanon!Draco is a whole 'nother beast, and not one I'm touching.  
Canon!Draco gives us enough fodder for conversation, I think. <g>

Betsy