Analyzing Draco (Was: Re: Dark Book - Blood and Cruelty)

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 177301

> Jen:  This is a good explanation for Draco's interest in the 
diadem.  
> Although I thought by this point in the story Draco would have 
heard  
> enough to know that whatever mission Harry's undertaking would be 
> important for the permanent defeat of Voldemort.  He's heard all 
the 
> Chosen One stuff and knows now that Harry was on the tower the 
night 
> Dumbledore died (thus with him when he went out that night).  
There's 
> no canon Draco knows about the Horcruxes, but it does appear he was 
> in Malfoy Manor throughout the entire year, which means he was 
> present when Voldemort got so enraged about the golden cup.

Magpie:
No, he wasn't. It's easy not to be clear on this because he's there 
when they go, but Narcissa says he's there during Easter break. I was 
confused about this too, but it appears that Draco was actually a 
student at school during the year--I kept thinking he was at the 
Manor and then would realize I was wrong!

That line you quoted always stuck with me, with Draco being cut off 
about the diadem, I guess because I was confused as to what exactly 
he was up to and it just seemed like I couldn't be sure what he 
really thought about the diadem either.

If you look at his lines I *think* most of them *on the surface* are 
in-line with Harry, even though presumably he's there working against 
him. I mean that if you look at what he's saying it's "Don't kill 
him/no no no/you might hurt the diadem..." The one pro-Voldemort 
thing I remember is "The Dark Lord wants him alive..." which explains 
how he could protect him and be following LV, but the only other DE 
who's focused on keeping Harry alive is Snape--and we know by now 
that Draco isn't a "true" DE by that point anyway. He also physically 
keeps Crabbe from cursing.

It seems like JKR sees Draco worthy of some forgiveness--I haven't 
read The Little White Horse for a while, but I have this vague idea 
that he might be somebody like the dog Wiggins in that book who's 
kind of dreadful but basically just a silly dog. I will just forever 
be confused as to this scene (though generally I was always a bit 
confused when Draco showed up in DH) since she just showed us a scene 
where Draco is in the exact same situation, where turning Harry over 
to LV will save his family, and he won't/can't do it himself. Nothing 
happens after that that gives him any reason to change in the 
direction of wanting Harry turned over, and indeed JKR doesn't quite 
write him as having done that. Crabbe's not only not following 
Draco's orders, he seems to be doing the ordering. Draco's behind 
him, not taunting anyone. Harry laughs at the whole situation of 
Draco being there with the wands etc.

It's like Draco's personality has been purged or split. His "evil" 
side, the DE, has been removed and put into Crabbe, who's then 
burned. Draco is left rudderless and confused (where I thought he was 
at the end of HBP and thought would get over in DH). The only trouble 
for me is that his being in the RoR seems too active for him. I guess 
the motivation that makes sense to me given the state Draco seems to 
be in in the book is to believe that Draco merely stayed behind to 
opt out in general and when the Trio popped up in front of them 
Crabbe decided to follow. It *would* go along with the motivations 
we've seen Draco have if he then followed them to try to prevent 
Harry being killed, only because the one overriding motivation Draco 
*does* seem to have is a repulsion for violence and murder. He's not 
*compeltely* self-preservation based, or he'd have run out of the RoR 
with Crabbe. So I can imagine that he felt both pushed to follow 
Crabbe due to his current trait for two reasons: a) the 
former "spoiled child" has lost a lot of his ability to assert 
himself against Voldemort, and if Crabbe pointed out that a real DE 
would follow Harry to get him he might follow b) he *might* have a 
problem knowing what Crabbe and Goyle might do, both because killing 
Harry would get his parents in trouble and because we know he doesn't 
want Harry dead.

-m