Being Good and Evil ( Draco and a bit of Ron)/Harry as DD man

[phoenixgod2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 154685

  Betsy Hp:
> So now Draco is having to realize that he must choose a path based 
> on his *own* sense of right and wrong, not one formed by the 
> positive influence of his parents (they went this way, so I will 
> too) or the negative influence of Harry (he went that way, so I must 
> go another).  

Two points. One, I think you are right about where the draco plotline 
is headed.  I think JKR is going to redeem him. or at least try. short 
of a miracle happening, I'm not going to buy a redeemed Draco for one 
simple reason.  regardless of his dark night of the soul, moral 
revelation about Daddy, or the scales falling from his eyes, Draco will 
still have broken the law.  He will still have nearly murdered Ron and 
that other girl whose name escapes me at the moment, he will still have 
allowed death eaters into the castle, still have created the situation 
that killed Dumbledore and mutilated Bill.  Its good that Draco might 
have a change of heart, but ultimately, so what? he still needs to pay 
his debt to the people he hurt through his actions.

that is my big problem with Dumbledore.  His version of giving people 
second chances involves them not paying the debt for their screwed up 
first chance. I get second chances.  I've spent more than a little of 
my teaching career working with some of the most troubled, violent, 
drug addicted kids in America. Draco has nothing on the problems they 
had. They got second chances in the school I taught at. I was good at 
giving second chances to my students and many of them did well in my 
class ('cause I'm a good teacher :). You know what? I also turned a 
bunch in for things like drug use, violating parole, and all sorts of 
other things. I did that even though it was going to affect their 
second chance, because turning a blind eye to their actions--even when 
they are sorry--never helps them. It enables them. I did that because 
they had to learn that there were consequences to their actions and 
they had to pay the piper when they screwed up.  I've also had students 
die because parents and teachers didn't step up when they had the 
chance to enforce the rules.  Nowhere in the dumbledore scene did I 
hear that Dumbledore wanted Draco to be punished for what he had 
already done. What right does he have to give draco that absolution? Or 
Snape for that matter?  Isn't giving freedom to the man who helped get 
harry's parents killed rubbing salt in Harry's wounds? Or Nevilles?  Do 
you think the victims of death eater attacks would like one of the 
black garbbed KKK wannabe's out free instead of in azkaban?

So I ask those who want Draco redeemed, what price should he pay for 
the crimes he has already commited?

If Draco does gain the ability to think and choose for 
> himself than he'll have gained something that Harry is, at this 
> point, still missing.  Which is why I think Harry will be forced 
> into a similar position via DDM!Snape.

I'm glad to see that we are getting back to the origin of the argument. 
I still say that Harry's moral development started at a higher plane 
than Draco will ever be at. Yes, Harry's has slipped, but most of the 
slips have been in moments of extremis.  I can still remember the 
beginning of the series when Harry told Draco that he could figure out 
the bad sort for himself.  Harry came out of abuse, he's spent every 
year at hogwarts in one type of war or another. Every year has tested 
his bravery, his judgement, and every year he has emerged bruised, 
battered and wiser.  Harry has always chosen for himself. He chose his 
friends, he chose his allies, he chose his actions, and he always chose 
the light.

By the end of the book, if Draco works real hard he might work his way 
up to Dobby's morality. *if* he works hard :)

phoenixgod2000