What Came First: Task or Cabinet? - A tale of two Dracos LONG

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 157753

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > Actually, I'd say it's very much *not* in character for Draco to 
> > seek out Voldemort.  He's never taken such an active role in the 
> > past.
> > <snip>

> >>Alla:
> He also rather actively seeks Buckbeak death and Hagrid being     
> fired...

Betsy Hp:
Ah, but see, Draco really just rode on his father's coat tails 
there.  Which is *perfectly* Draco's style, I think.  Someone else 
takes action and Draco gloats by the sidelines.  It's actually a 
good example of Draco's childishness, I think.  Just as in CoS when 
Draco says he wished he knew who the heir was so he could help him 
but didn't do any actual hunting for the heir, he just enjoyed the 
show.

(This is a way that Harry is more grown up.  Harry has a sense of 
doing for himself that Draco never had, until I think HBP.) 

> >>Alla:
> ...but of course the stakes are raising with every book and Draco 
> did not have a chance to seek anything of that caliber, there is   
> always a first time.

Betsy Hp:
I agree, things do get more serious for Draco in HBP, in a way they 
never had before.  He's finally at a place where daddy can't come 
along and make it all better.  It would just shock the heck out of 
me if JKR had that "first time" occur off page.

> >>Alla:
> I just don't see the passivity as his character trait, IMO.

Betsy Hp:
Hmm, I'm not sure I'd call him passive either.  But Draco's more the 
sort that sits on the sidelines and mocks the efforts of the hero, 
rather than trying to put himself directly against the hero (unless 
it's in a highly structured format, like quidditch).

For example, I never felt like Draco wished he were in the Triwizard 
Tournament instead of Harry.  He *loved* the opportunity to laugh at 
Harry, but he wasn't trying to meet Harry on the field.  Does that 
make sense? 

> >> Betsy Hp:
> <SNIP>
> > But the entire theme of Draco's story in HBP is that he feels he 
> > *has no choice*.  Draco says this time and again. 
> <SNIP>
 
> >>Alla:
> I don't seem to remember that he says that on the train at all. 
> Seems perfectly happy to me with the choice to enter LV service, 
> IMHO.

Betsy Hp:
On the train Draco was all thrilled and coy about *being chosen*.  
And he *was* perfectly happy.  He had no idea what he'd been thrown 
into and I think was still excited about the romantic and glorious 
life he'd been chosen for.  But it was still someone else 
(Voldemort) doing the actual choosing.  Draco was just stupid enough 
(or childish enough) to think that was a *good* thing. <g>

> >>Alla:
> Yes, that becomes his theme, or I would rephrase it as "took in    
> his mouth more than he could chew" theme.

Betsy Hp:
But that's an entirely new statement.  It's not about Draco learning 
he *can* choose, it's Draco changing his mind about what he's 
*already* chosen.  And sure, the second thing makes for a classic 
tale (redemption) but it's not the tale JKR told.  She never even 
hints that Draco made his own bed.

Frankly I don't see any point in Draco having a redemption tale 
because I think that's Snape's job in this series.  I think you'd 
probably disagree with me on that Alla (understatement?) but I think 
you'd at least agree that Snape's story involves making a wrong 
choice.  So why have Draco's story be a pale echo of Snape's?

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > Steve's version has it that the child has *already chosen*.  So 
> > Dumbledore's offer, Good's offer, is empty.  Draco cannot choose 
> > *against* Evil because he's already chosen *for* it. 

> >>Alla:
> He sounded as if he already chosen on the train to me. That is 
> another thing where I don't see much difference - in both stories 
> Draco's mindset has to change IMO.

Betsy Hp:
Well, Draco on the train was certainly very pleased about where he 
was, I just don't see him suggesting that he'd done something super 
cool to get himself there.  Draco was more hinting about Voldemort 
seeing something in him than Draco *doing* something that won 
Voldemort's interest.

But I think the difference is that if Draco had actively chosen 
Voldemort by seeking him out himself, then he's taking an adult 
step, he's already moving out of childhood and heading in the wrong 
direction.  I think it's important that he's still holding his 
daddy's hand and not really putting a lot of thought into where his 
dad is leading him.  (And of course, at first he thinks his father's 
way is the best way ever, and isn't he just so great that he's been 
selected to follow his dad.)

That's what the rest of the year is for Draco.  It's realizing that 
following where he thinks his father would want him to go is not 
necessarily where he (Draco) actually wants to go.  Which means that 
Draco's first grown-up move, his first adult choice is when he 
lowers his wand.

It means that *Dumbledore* is the one who ushered Draco into 
adulthood, not Voldemort.  I really think that's an important 
difference. (And a perfect last act for Dumbledore.)

> >>Betsy Hp (who really does find that the "cabinet first" people 
> > are pretty down on Draco on a whole and is suspicious that this 
> > is big motivation behind the theory)

> >>Alla:
> Mmmmm, as long as theory is convincing, does it really matter what 
> the motivation behind it?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Well, I find the theory so totally *unconvincing* that I'm trying to 
figure out where on earth it's coming from. <g>

> >>Alla:
> But look, here you have me, who um... as you know very harsh on   
> Draco, who in fact SO harsh on Draco  that I had not an **ounce** 
> of sympathy for his situation in HBP?
> <snip>
> What am I getting it? As I said, I don't have tender feelings 
> towards Draco, **but** for various reasons I am much more in 
> Magpie's camp than Steve's.
> <snip of Alla trying to say she's not in my camp, when she so      
> totally is <eg>>
> What I am saying is that your **suspicion** may not turn out to be 
> true, since Carol and Steve seem to go much easier on Draco than   
> me, you know? :)

Betsy Hp:
I'm not against the "cabinet came first" theory *because* the folks 
supporting it don't like Draco.  I'm against it because it flies in 
the face of canon.  I'm trying to figure out why it was even thought 
of in the first place.  And from what I've read it looks like the 
people supporting it tend to not like Draco.

But yeah, that's just me trying to figure out where that theory came 
from. And I could well be wrong.  To actually argue against it, I'll 
stick with canon.  Canon's been very good to me. <g>

Betsy Hp