Does JKR want us to hate Draco?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 129743

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
> <dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:

Alla:
> So, even though JKR does not say the words "Draco Malfoy is not
> going to be redeemed", to me it sounds as if she clearly considers
> this character to be a baddie. :-)
>
> Just my opinion,

Geoff:
Perhaps I need to reiterate from my comments in recent posts that I 
am /not/ suggesting that Draco is going to come over to the good 
side; what I am saying to those who have written him off as evil is 
that the jury is still out. The books are not ended; we have not 
seen how he will develop in his last two years at Hogwarts.

I stand by what I said, speaking as a converted Christian. No one is
irredeemable unless they make themselves so by their choices. The
whole thrust of Christian belief is that Jesus presents to us the
way of redemption which we can accept – or reject. There are many
real life examples of "baddies" who have changed their life as a
result and, as someone has said, JKR could create a situation where
Draco's world view undergoes a sea change - which would be a great
surprise to the poeple of the Wizarding World and of the real world
but not beyond the realms of the possible.

What has prompted my thoughts on this is the fact that I believe
many contributors to this group are guilty of holding a double
standard. We are told that Snape is on the side of good; Dumbledore
himself has vouched for his reliability. However, Snape has behaved
equally or more nastily towards pupils than Draco. Snape has behaved
equally or more viciously towards pupils than Draco. Snape has
behaved equally or more confrontationally towards pupils than Draco.

However, because the good professor is a supporter of the cause of
good, we are expected to see this as being acceptable behaviour from
him, although perhaps we do so reluctantly. Because Draco is linked
to the Dark side, when he behaves nastily or viciously or
confrontationally, his attitudes are pilloried as being
unacceptable, evil and dangerous.

Snape can wreak more havoc than Draco in his behaviour because, as a
teacher, his comments and actions carry more authority. Pupils
cannot turn round and tell Snape to get lost and have to put up with
this barrage of criticism and bias without comment. Draco, on the
other hand is parroting what he has been told by his family, by
friends of the family and also by the attitudes which Snape -
someone to whom he apparently looks to as a model - has demonstrated
in his sight and hearing. I have already remarked that Draco was
only 12 when he made the verbal attack on half-blood and Muggle-born
pupils in COS. At this point, he will still be seeing those who have
instilled these biases and dogmas into him as people to emulate to
and to follow.

Both Snape and Draco are ambivalent figures in their attitudes and
outlooks; maybe the latter is more influenced by the Voldemort camp
but I believe that we ourselves need to be more impartial and
unbiased in our interpretation of their actions.

We may have more data to work on in 48 days......