Just a thought about how Harry would have turned up had he ..

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 179624

---  "zanooda2" <zanooda2 at ...> wrote:
>
> ---  "radha" <rpertaub@> wrote:
> 
> > What if he had met Malfoy first and Malfoy was his friend 
> > and told him his good people were persecuted since his hero 
> > was driven away 11 years ago..?

> zanooda:
> 
> But Harry *did* meet Draco first :-)! Harry met him before 
> he met Ron, at Madam Malkin's, and he didn't like Draco, 
> didn't like him at all! First, Draco reminded Harry of 
> Dudley ... :-). Second, he made fun of Hagrid, whom Harry 
> already loved. Third, he said that kids from muggle families
> ... shouldn't be allowed at school - not knowing that Harry
> identified with those kids, ...Poor Draco didn't stand a 
> chance :-).
> 
> zanooda
>

bboyminn:

I've said this before, but it bares saying again. Harry, I
suspect, is a fairly polite boy especially around people
he doesn't know. I further suspect that Harry, just out of
politeness, would have shaken Draco's hand on the train IF
Draco hadn't phrased his offer of friendship in such a 
negative way.

Draco, unknowingly and likely uncaringly, phased his offer
of friendship in a way that would have forced Harry to 
allow an insult to Ron. Ron who was Harry's first friend
ever. Ron who was just a curious kid with no ulterior 
motives. Ron who was impressed by 'Harry Potter - The Boy
Who Lived', but quickly got over it, and as far as he was
concerned was just making friends with a regular guy.

Draco stated his offer is a way that was selfish, 'chose
me and reject all others'. Harry simply couldn't abide that.
He couldn't even out of politeness allow Draco to insult Ron.
If Harry didn't accept Draco, well I don't call it friendship,
it was more like a strategic alliance, it was Draco's own
fault for being so arrogant and insensitive. 

If Harry hadn't met Ron right away, I suspect they still would
have been friends because they did share a room for 7 years.
Further, I don't think it would have taken Harry very long to
understand Draco, what with Draco's harassment of Neville, 
general arrogance, and sense of entitlement. All that was
quickly evident in their first meeting. 

So, I don't see the story as changing that much if the 
circumstances had been slightly different.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn