Draco's Personality

[poohmeg20]

No: HPFGUIDX 165032


  
avitaldrucker writes:
> > 
> > > Malfoy's not as bad as you think he is. He has come from the  
wrong 
> > > family and therefore tries to become a Death Eater (I think) 
in the 6th  book, 
> > > but his heart's really not in it. Remember the part right 
before  Dumbledore 
> > > dies when Malfoy lowers his wand a fraction of an inch? That 
shows  that 
> > > Malfoy would probably go on the Order of the Phoenix's side if 
not for  his parents 
> > > and the fact that Voldemort will kill him without hesitation 
if he  does.
> 
> > 
> Geoff wrote:
> 
> <snip> Draco. Ah yes, Draco. I have in the past said that, 
speaking from my own 
> viewpoint as a Christian, I would agree with Sherrie that he is 
not 
> irredeemable. If there wasn't an opportunity of redemption for all 
of us, 
> then we would be in a sad state. Everyone has a chance unless they 
> deliberately and specifically refuse to take the offer. I also 
have to admit 
> that I have an irrational liking for him; don't ask me why because 
I can't 
> quantify it. 
> 
> As avitaldrucker says, Draco comes from the wrong family. He is an 
only 
> child, apparently with little contact with others outside 
Hogwarts, and 
> has had nothing but Death Eater propaganda and superiority pumped 
> into him. He has been denied the chance to really develop his own 
world 
> view. As a teacher, I can remember pupils who came from similar 
> backgrounds and who spouted the same discriminatory and closed 
mind 
> dogma. Hopefully, the events of HBP might have prised open the 
door of 
> his mind sufficiently to let a blast of down-to-earth common sense 
in.
>

Megan Responds:

I agree that no one is beyond redemption - the question with Draco, 
however, is what he needs to be redeemed from. I don't think the 
wand lowering in HBP reflected a sudden realization of his innate 
goodness as much as cowardice. Throughout the books, he has 
demonstrated a lack of courage in any situation where he was left to 
his own devices, without the threat of his father's retribution to 
protect him, having to actually back up his talk. 

*In SS/PS, he was terrified to be in the forest looking for the 
unicorn killer with Harry, and ran off at the first sign of real 
danger. (ch. 15)
*In CS, he is clearly afraid of having to compete on an even plane 
in quidditch and popularity with Harry during the school year, as 
evidenced by his repeated badgering of his father for a better broom 
before school starts. (ch. 4)
*According to Fred and George in PoA, Draco was just as afraid of 
the dementors who came onto the train as Harry was, although he 
panicked instead of fainting; and he certainly was afraid of 
Buckbeak after being scratched. (ch. 6) He also was scared by 
Harry's disembodied head in Hogsmeade (ch. 14), and Hermione's slap 
across the face (ch. 15)
*Throughout GoF and OOP, he continues to fear the creatures Hagrid 
brings to class. 
*In HBP, Draco is so terrified of his situation that he cries to 
Moaning Myrtle.

And, most tellingly, throught all of the books he repeatedly accuses 
Harry of being afraid of various people, situations, etc. - I have 
always taken this as an attempt to draw attention away from his own 
fears. 

So, I think the wand lowering was a reflection of the knowledge that 
there would be no escape from his fear this time - he was on his 
own, and even if his father were there, he would not be able to 
protect him from LV. So if Draco comes over to the Order's side in 
DH, it will be either because of fear of LV and some belief that the 
order would offer more protection than his family or the DEs (more 
likely in my opinion since this isn't Draco's story and there's only 
one book left), or because he is somehow able to overcome his fears 
and make a fully realized decision on his own (which would take more 
time than I think is left, given his state at the end of HBP)...but 
either of those scenarios could also go the other way - staying with 
the DEs out of fear or coming to the realization that he really does 
want to be one of them.