[HPforGrownups] Draco as Victim in GoF (was: Re: The Huge overreactions...)

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 150271

Tonks:
I tend to agree with Betsy. But there is another point as well.
If a person responds to verbal abuse with physical abuse they have lowered
themselves at least as low if not lower than the verbal abuser. If I were in
Harry's position I would probably say something nasty back since I am not a
physically violent person. I can be very nasty verbally, but that would be
just as wrong. And I would have allowed the other person to dictate my
response and my emotional reaction. In that case, I would not be in control
of me, they would have been. I think a wizard needs to be in control of
himself and not allow others to control his emotions and from that his
behaviors.  There are people like Draco that want to push your buttons, and
a wizard especially has to learn self control otherwise there could be even
more serious consequences. Remember the snake in the zoo when Harry was
younger.



Sherry now:

I think that almost any so-called civilized person would react in similar
ways as the Gryffindors, especially kids.  They are not adults with wisdom
and very clear reasoning ability.  I've never struck another human being in
my life, and I'm 48, but I can't imagine me sitting there calmly letting
someone threaten my friend or implying it was good another person died.  I
don't think we can expect the kids in the scene to sort out their justified
emotional reactions from a calm reasonable response.  I certainly do not
believe Draco and crew were poor innocent victims in the scene.  They wanted
to provoke trouble, and they did.  Harry was 14, had just been through
something truly terrible and frightening.  The others had almost lost their
best friend, had a classmate die, a nice kid who never hurt anyone, and they
knew a terrible evil had returned to their world and they were now all at
risk.  and here this Draco was mocking the one who died and threatening the
rest.  Yeah, I think they reacted exactly as could have been expected for
even reasonable people to react.  

As for Draco, I have hope for him since HBP.  I've said before, I think he
will be the character who is redeemed, if there is to be a redemption plot
in the last book.  He's the kid antagonist.  He's the one who lowered his
wand and felt badly about greyback being in his school with his friends.
so, what I said above doesn't mean I don't see changes ahead for him and
hope that really happens in the last book.  But neither does that mean I
think he is the innocent helpless victim in all his previous nasty behavior.

sherry