[HPforGrownups] Re: CHAPDISC: DH1, The Dark Lord Ascending

[Laura Lynn Walsh]

No: HPFGUIDX 176053


On 2007, Aug 22, , at 11:34, justcarol67 wrote:

>> 5.  Only one person already in the room looks up at the unconscious
> revolving body above the table: Draco Malfoy.  Once the body is
> resuscitated, he no longer looks at her.  Why?
>
> Carol:
> I think he reacts exactly as a very young, novice DE who isn't evil
> and had expected something very different when he joined the DEs would
> react. He's simultaneously mesmerized and terrified by the revolving
> body. It's not clear whether he recognizes her while she's
> unconscious. The older DEs know not to look at her, to shut down their
> curiosity and compassion and fear. He hasn't reached that point. He's
> not a hardened criminal (or a brilliant Occlumens like Snape). Once
> she becomes conscious and he recognizes her, or fears that she'll
> recognize him, he's too ashamed of being there, having her hanging
> helplessly above his family's table, and too afraid of what will
> happen to look at her. He doesn't want to be there but he can't do
> anything about it, so he figuratively closes his eyes to her plight.

I think it is interesting how it in some ways parallels what
might have happened to Regulus Black.  He joined the
Death Eaters when he was very young and was required
to do something that he couldn't stand.  His house elf was
abused (although Draco never seemed concerned about
his house elf that we know of).  Both Regulus and Draco
seem to have had a change of attitude.

The difference seems to be that Draco and his parents are
caught up to deeply and too closely to Voldemort to extricate
themselves.  Draco never had much courage - look at his
trip into the forbidden forest.  Regulus, on the other hand,
had a brother in Gryffindor, so possibly might also have had
more courage than Draco.

Laura
-- 
Laura Lynn Walsh    lwalsh at acsalaska.net
http://llwcontemplations.blogspot.com



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