JKR and the boys (and girls)/Harry, Draco and bathroom

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 162387

> Alla:

> By the same token I can say that Draco making a death threat is
> getting downplayed to get him off the hook. I interpret this scene 
as> sooo much more than just hexing Draco and his goons out of anger 
and> dislike. Yes, there are no wands yet as we discussed earlier, but
> narrator describes them as more menacing than ever - I can totally
> see Harry after being tortured, his ears ringling intepreting this 
as> threat as well.

 

Magpie:
I think Harry is definitely reacting to the greater threat he feels 
after what he's been through, but that even he doesn't think of 
himself as defending himself from an imminant attack. Even if you 
take of what Malfoy is saying as a death threat, they're not stopping 
whatever he's referring to by hexing him, Crabbe and Goyle here now. 
Voldemort's still coming for them. I think the menace is truly about 
what Harry's experienced rather than a real change in the Slytherins. 
So even if Harry feels more threatened because he connects these 
three directly to Voldemort, it's still a general threat, not a 
specific attack at that moment.

I don't mean to play down what the Slytherins are doing as if there's 
not provocation in the scene.  Harry and his friends aren't just 
acting out of irritation.  I think you can acknowledge the 
seriousness of what they are reacting to while still acknowledging 
that they're not neutralizing any immediate physical threat. I don't 
want to deny the threatening aspect to what Malfoy is saying, just 
say that it's not literally self-defense.


Alla: 
> I mean, this is of course speculation, but what **else** Malfoy and
> his goons came to their appartment but to start a fight? When Malfoy
> is alone he barely does that, but when there are three of them - 
that> usually means that he is feeling braver, no?

 

Magpie:
Whatever Malfoy might have done all he does do is make vile remarks.  
If he had actually attacked somebody, or Crabbe and Goyle had, they 
could pull out theirs in self-defense, but they're not.  They didn't 
go looking for the Slytherins to hex them, but the only wands drawn 
were the Gryffindors.  

 

> >> Magpie:

> > In his universe, Draco's not even exceptionally bad.<SNIP>

> Alla:

> Really? I am sorry, but I do not remember another kid in school
> actively participating in assasination. That to me counts as pretty
> bad one, worse than a great deal of Hogwarts students.

 

Magpie:
I wasn't only thinking of the assassination plot.  I was just 
thinking in general as a personality, along with other kids in school 
who have caused lasting harm to others, I was also considering 
adults. There are a lot of ways in which Draco is worse than most 
other kids and people we see in canon, but not in all ways, imo. 

Alla:

> Alla who knows that Magpie read the books and loves talking to her
> about them. :)

 

Magpie:
Right back atcha!

-m