[HPforGrownups] Harry and Draco WAS: Re: The Train Scene GoF / Draco's Crying (long)

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 162597

> Alla:
>
> I  squashed these two quotes in here and cut a lot of staff in
> between since IMO you are contradicting yourself. I think that not
> seeing Draco's whole personality if such exists and misinterpreting
> what he sees ( even this is only part of his whole personality, and
> as always I cringe when I write that :)) are two very different
> things.

Magpie:
I don't think it's a contradiction, because it's not like Harry just says 
"he's a bigot and I don't care about anything else."  He gets that he's a 
bigot, but also imo interprets his motivations as being different from what 
they are.  Draco's views on Muggleborns is not the entirety of Harry's 
interpretation of Malfoy.

Alla:
> Let's concentrate on their first encounter, let's assume that for
> the sake of the argument I agree that Draco wants to be friends
> here. We do agree right, that Draco is insulting to Muggleborns in
> his speech, whether he wants to provoke Harry or not? ( I think he
> totally does, but let's assume I agree he is not)
>
> So, what is the misinterpretation from Harry filter here? I mean he
> may not see the whole picture, true - as in not to see what Draco
> **really wants**, but he sees Draco beliefs and he rejects them.
> Where is the misinterpretation? I think it is a spot on objective
> evaluation, personally.

Magpie:
The misinterpretation is that Harry does not see Draco as being insecure and 
trying to sound cool and present himself as attractive. What Harry sees is 
someone who thinks he is impressive, and better than Harry.

Alla:
> Whether Draco makes Harry insecure or not, Harry sees that Draco
> thinks of Muggleborn witches and wizards as inferior to purebloods.
> Do you think Harry is wrong here and Draco really does not think so?

Magpie:
Harry isn't misinterpreting what Draco ways about Muggleborns (that they 
don't understand the ways of Wizards--the Pureblood/Mudblood idea doesn't 
appear until CoS) but that's just something Draco believes and says. Harry's 
hatred of Draco does not come from strictly from Harry thinking that Draco 
thinks Muggleborns are inferior. He's got views on his personality beyond 
that.

Alla:
> It does not strike me as you do, so what is Harry misinterpreting
> from what he sees, not what he cannot see in Draco's head whatever
> is in there?

Magpie:
He's misinterpreting that Draco is just as insecure and wanting to make 
friends as Harry is.

Alla:
> I mean, if Harry misinterprets Draco as he is all that, this is not
> that had been shown to him as the opposite, no?

Magpie:
It is a misinterpretation, imo, based on what we see of Draco ourselves.

-m