Draco and Harry (was:The GoF Train Scene - and beyond...)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 146916

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:

> Alla:
> 
> LOLOL. Indeed. But Twins are potential DE, so they do not count as 
> genuine friends and protectors, you know. :-)

Geoff:
Being more serious, I would be very suspicious of having the twins as 
my friends and protectors.I am reminded of the following quote:

"God save me from my friends - I can protect myself from my enemies. -
Marshall de Villars"

I know that Fred and George are supposedly on the side of good but I 
consider that they are often recklessly dangerous regardless of other 
people's safety and feelings.

We see them in OOTP cheerfully encouraging the First Years to try out 
their joke products - which they haven't fully tested themselves - 
for cash despite the fact that some of the youngsters are ill as a 
result. They leave the Ton-Tongue Toffee near Dudley knowing that he 
will almost certainly eat one because he is greedy, leaving Arthur to 
pick up the pieces and restore calm.

As young children themselves,they traumatised Ron by transforming his 
tedyd into a spider and creating the deep-rooted arachnophobia which 
surfaces in the books from time to time. OIn HBP, we learn that they 
almost created an Unbreakable Vow involving Ron for heaven knows what 
pupose if Arthur hadn't interrupted them. They are also guilty of 
having persistently humiliated and embarrassed Ron - and before him, 
Percy - with little consideration for their feelings and have also 
been responsible for being rude to Molly in public.

OK, so there are instances of them doing things which were accepted 
by the others. They gave Harry the Marauders' Map when he needed help 
in POA and they ran Umbridge ragged in OOTP but that is only the 
better half of their history.

No, I personally would keep them at a very long arm's length if I saw 
a gleam in their eyes.

Beware of red-headed wizards bearing gifts.

Just in passing, should you think my last remark was discriminatory, 
I was red-headed some moons ago....