[HPforGrownups] Draco's Hand of Glory (was: Re: Half-Blood Prince)

[Lynda Cordova]

No: HPFGUIDX 183911

.

Betsy Hp:
I'd have argued in the past (when I was young and foolish *g*) that
Draco Malfoy *was* a major character. *Possibly* a step or two
behind Ron Weasley, but certainly equal to Hermione Granger (we learn
*far* more about Draco's home life than Hermione's, for example; and
no one ever managed to motivate Harry to do something like Draco,
back in the day). Which means plot points left entirely up to
speculation are frustrating rather than fun. I was reading to see
what happened to Draco. But that's not the audience JKR was writing
for. (OotP had me worried, but I got suckered in by HBP, I'll admit.)

Betsy Hp

Lynda:

Do we really learn so much more about Draco's family life than we do
Hermione's, though.
We know from the text that Hermione has two loving parents, who, although
unfamiliar with the WW join their daughter to buy school supplies. Hermione
vacations with them in the summer in the earlier books. They are both
dentists. They do all they can to support and protect her, as she does them.
 With Draco, we learn that he has two parents who love him dearly. They are
both powerful within the wizarding world and raised him in a way they
thought was proper for their protection and the perserverence of the WW. He
also has an aunt who will do anything to support LV including putting her
own sister and nephew in jeopardy.  That's not really all that much more.

Both Hermione, Harry's second "best friend" and Draco, Harry's foe, are key
supporting characters in the story. JKR just didn't give us much in the way
of superfluous details about their lives. And Draco, not being among Harry's
mates, and living in a different dorm, isn't in the story as much as he
might have been otherwise.

Lynda


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