Draco...Interesting? - Change

[Stephanie]

No: HPFGUIDX 177037

> bboyminn wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > The problem is, that only happens in Shakespeare and other such
> pretentious and overwrought drama. In real life, these accompanying
> thoughts and revelations happen on the inside. I think we see Draco 
at
> the peak of his revelation at the end of the last standard chapters 
in
> we have is a polite nod to Harry. 

Stephanie responds~

I love it! Shakespeare---like any other *mortal* writer---could be a 
bit over the top at times, couldn't he? Just goes to prove, one man's 
sacred cow is another man's beef.
Anyhoo, count me in the intrigued by Draco camp. Both my son (11 
years old) and I were struck by the entire Malfoy family, mostly 
because, for us, at least, they WERE very "real"

Draco never sounded it out letter by letter, and he certainly never 
did the whole "fearless & searching moral inventory" turnaround 
speech but he changed with his experiences, and that, for the most 
part is what the majority of us do.

I saw Draco's upbringing very clearly in many of the things he did, 
both the good and the bad.
My son is the one who shrugged and laughed when Draco remained in the 
hail of fire to attempt to save Crabbe and Goyle. 

"Well, with a mother like that, of course he'd learn to be protective 
of his people" is what Pete said.
Pete also pointed out that Narcissa giving Draco her wand was exactly 
what I would do for him were he in a situation where the wand could 
mean the difference between life and death.

I think that Draco, like most children, only saw the glamour of being 
one of the "chosen race". I have no doubt whatsoever that both his 
father, with pride of blood, and his mother with her adoration, told 
him from day one that he, Draco Malfoy was crowning glory and pride 
of all his ancestors, and that as one of nature's nobility, having 
all the graces, he was entitled to the hightest position the 
wizarding world had to offer.

Draco probably thought he'd slip right into it. He saw no further 
than the end of his own wand, and the heroic pose he would strike 
when he subdued the barbarous hordes of mudbloods and muggles.

I imagine he looked at it much the same as many look at the barbarous 
hordes of illegal aliens who take our jobs, bring their nasty 
traditions into our pristine world, and overburden us with their 
needs.
I'm sure teaching remedial wizarding history for muggle borns seemed 
a waste of both time and funds to the Malfoys and their ilk.
"Real" wizards were being shortchanged when quiddich pitches were not 
repaired due to funds funnelled into muggle studies and the like.

No doubt Draco heard all of the "Send them back! Get rid of them! 
Filthy mudbloods!" talk and didn't think of the human cost of putting 
such thoughts into action.
Any parent of a little boy can tell you that little boys will pretend 
to shoot guns and play war. They THINK that being the hero warrior is 
fun. Many a soldier can tell you that the reality of the thing is 
waaaay different.
I think that's what Draco learned, and I think way back at Spinner's 
End Narcissa saw not only the physical, but the spiritual danger to 
Draco, and finagled any way she could to spare her son's soul being 
split up and ultimately lost by his becomming a cold killer.

So, while the Malfoy clan's motivations were not the most attractive, 
if one looks at them as...

"Securing the best life for me and mine, let others look after 
themselves." Most of us do that to one degree or another.

I can't recall the post but someone once pointed out that the 
Malfoy's didn't have wands when they ran into the middle of the 
battle of Hogwarts screaming for Draco. I had never thought of it at 
the time, but that is true. 
Totally unable to join the fight for ANY side, they still ran into 
the middle of a war; and we know that Narcissa had WILLINGLY disarmed 
herself to keep her baby (and I reckon she would always see 
Draco as her "baby"---heh, poor, or maybe lucky Draco) It wasn't 
battle they cared about at that point, it was the boy's safety.

I really admired JKR's willingness to not make tedious, paper cut out 
bad guys 
who were so lacking in any discernably human features that they were 
easy to dismiss. 

It just struck me that the Malfoy's seemed like the flip side of the 
Weasleys.
Narcissa was ready to take down Bellatrix (her own blood) when 
Bellatrix was willing to sacrifice Draco, and Molly struck the 
killing blow when Bellatrix attempted to kill Ginny.

So many differences but the single minded parental love was the same.