Draco and Dumbledore on the Tower WAS: Re: DDM!Harry and Snape/Grey!Snape

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 162876

 

> Magpie:
>  If pointing his wand is the closest he gets to 
> > killing then I don't think he's close to killing at all.
> <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Yes, that is the closest he gets to the killing, because IMO he 
> cannot do it close by and because of Dumbledore giving him a chance. 
> But he **does** make that step, that makes me disagreeing with him 
> arriving at the Tower not ready to kill DD.

Pippin:
No, it makes him arrive at the tower ready to point his wand. That's
as far as he can get because he hasn't invested the malice or the
forethought needed to carry out the task of murder. He has
put *some* malice and forethought into it, obviously, but he has 
underestimated what's required as innocent people do. Killing 
is harder than they think it is.

Dumbledore theorizes that Draco's previous attempts were feeble 
because his heart wasn't in them. This is such a common metaphor that
I think we forget that it *is* a metaphor, and one that represents an
abstraction besides. No wonder we're having a hard time agreeing
on what Dumbledore meant in concrete terms. What is the seat
of understanding, feeling, and thought, really? But the practical
upshot of it all is that Draco has made less of the opportunities
available to him than he could have.

Draco's lack of forethought shows in his poor planning and  in
his not realizing that Fenrir would come. Thanks to Dumbledore's
forebearance he has gotten this far,  but now  Draco's lack of malice
is the reason he cannot do more than point his wand. He could
imagine killing Dumbledore in the abstract, IMO, but face to face with
this ailing and feeble old man, he can see that his hatred for
Dumbledore was only symbolic of the things that Draco really
hates, and killing Dumbledore won't change any of it. It won't
get his father out of prison, or stop Hermione from beating him
in every class, or teach Harry not to snub him or amend any
of the other grievances that Draco has with the world.

When Dumbledore says that it's his mercy, not Draco's, that matters,
I think he means that Draco's mercy can't save Dumbledore. IMO, when 
Dumbledore freezes Harry, he's acknowledging that he's reached
a point of no return and  the most that even Snape will be able to do 
for him now is ease his passing. I like this interpretation because
it makes Dumbledore's effort to save Draco a true act of mercy
with no possible benefit to Dumbledore himself.

But Dumbledore's mercy matters, because he can save Draco. 
Even from beyond the grave, he can save Draco and his family 
from the vengeance of Voldemort, because Dumbledore trusts 
Harry and Snape to carry out his wishes even if he himself is dead.

And Dumbledore can also save both Harry and Draco from the 
illusion that Draco is a killer. Draco lowering his wand, IMO, is 
Draco's acceptance that Dumbledore's reading of his character 
is correct. This is emphasized by Harry recalling the fear
that Draco had shown on the tower as well as the lowering of
the wand, and deciding that he did not believe that Malfoy 
would have killed Dumbledore.

Draco did have the choice to reject Dumbledore's interpretation
of events, say "You're wrong!" and blow Dumbledore away. But
he didn't do that. 

Pippin