CHAPDISC: HBP7, The Slug Club - Draco's mercy

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 145975

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > <snip> 
> > Draco is not just a happy little Death Eater in training.  I    
> > think this insight coupled with his blindspot regarding Draco's 
> > humanity is what leads to Harry being petrified on the          
> > compartment floor, completely at Draco's mercy. <snip>
 
> >>Carol:
> Rather than answering the question, I'm just going to respond to   
> this portion of Betsy's comment. I agree that Harry underestimated 
> Draco in this scene but I don't see how this incident relates to   
> Draco's humanity.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Heh.  Yeah, I'm not sure what I meant here either.  Um, I was really 
tired when I wrote this? <blushes>  I was trying to say something 
about Harry getting that Draco's up to something but missing how 
dangerous Draco could be if Harry is right. (Harry's POV: "Draco's a 
full on Death Eater now, so I'll sneak onto his turf without letting 
anyone know where I'm going and I'll totally let my guard down while 
I do so."  Imagine this scene but with Bellatrix as the prey.)  He 
definitely underestimates Draco's cunning.  And I was trying to tie 
it in with Draco's obvious breakdown throughout the schoolyear that 
Harry sees but fails to fully understand. (It's like he sees Draco 
but doesn't really *see* him, if that makes sense.)  So, um, yeah. 
Moving on! 

> >>Carol:
> <snip>
> And his "mercy" is nonexistent--he petrifies Harry, stomps on his 
> face and breaks his nose, covers him with the invisibility cloak   
> so he won't be found, but takes care to observe where his hand is 
> so he can tread on it on his way out. 
> <snip>
> I'm assuming you meant mercy ironically since IMO neither mercy    
> nor humanity is much in evidence here. 
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Well, no.  I meant that Harry was literally at Draco's mercy.  What 
Draco chose to do with Harry was completely up to Draco.  "At his 
mercy" generally means, as I've always used it anyway, that the 
power is pretty much all on one side.

And Draco, while certainly not full of mercy, does show a remarkable 
amount of restraint, IMO.  He could have worked Harry over a bit, or 
hexed Harry into a shape not recognizably human.  Or Draco could 
have killed Harry.  And all Draco does is break Harry's nose and 
step on him on the way out.  And then it's done, as far as Draco 
seems concerned.  I don't think Draco has much to do with Harry from 
that point on.  I'm not saying Draco behaved like a little angel in 
this scene.  But he could have behaved so much worse.

> >>Carol:
> I don't think his more or less accurate assessment of Draco has   
> any bearing on that great enigma, Snape, however. Harry, as we'll 
> see in the next chapter, is determined to see the worst in him.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I've started to wonder if Snape wasn't counting on this when he went 
to fetch Harry instead of letting Hagrid do it.  Harry gets so 
caught up in cataloging the many, many ways he hates Snape that he 
forgets about Draco for the most part.  He certainly doesn't report 
Draco to anyone.  Which may well have saved Draco's life.

Betsy Hp