The Train Scene GoF/ Hero vs Anti-Hero/Draco, Ginny, & Tom, oh my!

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 162452

Alla:> 
> but I just want to say it again - they did not attack in concert, it 
> just so happened that the spells were fired off together. They did 
> not conspired all to attack poor Draco - it is just all of them 
> thought about it simultaneously. That again to me just strengthens 
> the thought that they all felt threatened.

Pippin:
Right. Two adult wizards were stalking three teenagers  and attacked 
them from behind because they, the adults, felt threatened. 

The Trio, who took down a mountain troll at the age of eleven and
Severus Snape at the age of thirteen, including Harry Potter who 
stood, straight-backed and proud against Voldemort,  felt 
intimidated by a menacing look? 

What they felt was insulted, IMO, and the hexes they use show that. 
Furnunculus, Jelly Legs?  When our heroes are fighting for their
lives, they use Stupefy, Impedimenta, Expelliarmus or Petrificus 
Totalus, spells that disarm and immobilize, not spells that make 
people look ridiculous or act like fools. 

(It's clear from the way Harry contemplated using it on McClaggan
that Harry thought Sectum Sempra was a hex of the same sort,
one which would insult an opponent rather than kill him.)

Our heroes had every right to be insulted, and Draco was wrong and
foolish to provoke them, but let's not pretend they thought this
was a serious attempt by the Death Eaters to do them in. As
Dumbledore would tell Draco later, if he really wanted to kill
someone he would do it, instead  of having a pleasant
chat about ways and means. That goes for the Twins, too,
of course. If they really thought they needed to protect the
Trio, they would have stopped Draco as soon as he tried to
enter the compartment. They were just looking for
trouble, as usual, IMO.

> Alla:
> 
> Yes, they both poured their hearts, true. The only difference is that 
> Ginny was pouring her heart to the unknown boy in the diary, and 
> Draco was eager to serve the Lord Voldemort. To me the difference is 
> huge. Ginny was seeking friendship from the penpal and Draco was 
> ready to serve the maniac.

Pippin:
But Draco wasn't raised to think that Voldemort was a maniac,
any more than Ginny was raised to think that a polite boy with a 
prefect's badge was someone who might harm her.

Pippin:
Who thinks it would be boring if Draco died on the first pages
of book seven.