CHAPDISC: HBP7, Harry & Draco (was The Slug Club)

[richter_kuymal]

No: HPFGUIDX 145919

> Meri now:  >     
> >   1. This is the beginning of what will be a year-long obsession 
> with Draco for Harry.  In hindsight, what does this reveal about 
> Harry's powers of discernment?
> 
> Meri - Is it just me or did anyone else get the feeling (at this 
> point, anyway) that JKR was just retreading all the Harry/Draco 
> stuff of the past only to, at the end of the book, at long last 
> prove Harry right and reveal Draco as a conspirator and bad guy? 
> Harry's been trying to bust Draco for *something* ever since first 
> year 


==== I don't think that's really as true as one might believe.  In 
SS/PS, I never read anything that indicated Harry thought DRACO was 
involved in trying to get the stone --  it was SNAPE who was the 
suspect.  Draco is really only shown as being an antagonist and is 
guilty of the things he's accused of (spying on Hagrid, stealing 
Neville's remembrall, etc).  In COS, it isn't HARRY who accuses 
Draco, it's RON: 
"who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?" 
 He looked at Hermione, Hermione looked back, unconvinced.  "if you 
are talking about Malfoy_--"  
"Of Course I am!" said RON.... (page 158 in my scholastic ppk 
version).  And who IS at least partly guilty? It is Malfoy's father.
In POA, Harry never accuses Malfoy of doing something he hasn't - 
Malfoy DOES make an issue of Buckbeak.  He DOES bring up Sirius, 
harrass Ron (with Goyle & Crabbe at his side) -- I don't notice 
Harry indicating that Malfoy is guilty of anything he didn't 
actually DO.  
In OOP, Malfoy is part of the IS and IS acting the role of "bad guy 
bully" but Harry certainly doesn't seem to accuse him of being the 
snitch on the DA, setting up Sirius or being a DE.  That he thinks 
Malfoy is "the type" is pretty understandable -- Malfoy has been 
ACTING like he wants to be a DE.  
And in HBP, of course, Malfoy actually does at least contribute to 
DD's death.  I don't see Harry falsely accusing Malfoy of anything 
OR of going out of his way to find Malfoy guilty.  The PP episode 
does as much to CLEAR Malfoy as it would have been useful if Malfoy 
had actually had information.  When you have a reasonable clue, it's 
not unreasonable if you follow up on it.  Malfoy was talking like he 
had some inside information.  

That Harry is right about Malfoy indicates to me that he is ALSO 
right about Snape (but then I do believe in ESE!Snape, who isn't on 
anyone's side but Snape's). His accusations on Malfoy in HBP 
certainly don't seem to be unrealistic OR unreasonable.

PAR