Draco, Slytherin representative (was:Re:...McGuffins & Horcruxes / House Unity)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 147822

> >>bboyminn:
> <snip>
> I want to urge everyone to remember that we have not seen all
> Slytherins, in fact we have only seen a small fraction of them. We
> have no reason to believe the unseens Slytherins are anything other
> than normal ambitious kids trying to make their way through school 
> and through life. JKR said as much herself. So, don't define all
> Slytherins by the Malfoys or Voldemort.

Betsy Hp:
Hmm, I think it's too late in the game, however, for JKR to suddenly 
pull some "normal" Slytherins out of the woodwork to represent their 
house.  If she does, I myself would call shenanigans.  Especially 
since she gave us so much development on Draco in HBP.

I think what we have to watch doing is defining all Slytherins by 
the prevailing Gryffindor view of them, especially with Harry.  
Remember, Harry had a fairly negative view of Cedric for a while 
there, and yet I'd say Cedric was an excellent representative of 
Hufflepuffs.

> >>bboyminn:
> I've always said that Draco will alway be Draco regardless of     
> whether he fights for the good side or the bad; smarmy, sarcastic, 
> and self-serving. He and Harry, may cooperate but they will never 
> be friends. Draco's mistakes may at some point be forgiven, but I 
> don't think they will ever be forgotten; at least not by Harry.    
> Harry will always know that Draco is s self-serving coward, who in 
> the end will do what is best for Draco.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Ooh, you had me right up to here, Steve.  Draco as self-serving?  He 
sacrificed *everything* important to him to keep his family safe.  
Sure he's sarcastic, so's Harry.  And I'd bet Draco would define 
Harry's interactions with Lupin to be smarmy.  "Yes, professor, 
thank you professor, are you okay professor, may I have some more 
chocolate professor."  Or with Hagrid, for that matter, "Oh, yes, 
Hagrid, you're a wonderful teacher, why hardly anyone got killed 
today!"

I'd also bet that while Draco may feel he needs to apologize to some 
people for some of his actions, I seriously doubt Harry is on that 
list. I wonder if Harry even feels that Draco has wronged him in 
some way.  I don't recall him thinking that, anyway.

And of course, the coward thing leaves me completely confused.  
Again, Draco stepped up to the plate to do what he thought his 
father would have wanted him to do.  His tenacity and grit in the 
face of some pretty overwhelming odds struck me as quite couragous.  
I mean, sure, when faced with a horrible, unicorn-sucking monster in 
the Forbidden Forest, Draco ran.  And Harry froze.  Both are 
examples of fear.  I'm not sure that this means Draco is somehow a 
great big coward.

Betsy Hp