Resolutions/ Draco

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 183470

>  Pippin:
> <SNIP>
> But with all this going on, Dumbledore chooses to save Draco's soul,
> the action with the most moral importance but the least obvious
> benefit to the war. If it had turned out that saving Draco had some
> major material benefit, we would think that Dumbledore could have
> foreseen it, as he did with Pettigrew, and that would diminish the
> moral impact of his choice. <SNIP>

Alla:
> And I just do not get how this is showing that Draco's soul is
> valuable because it exists, it sounds more like tit for tat to me.
> Oh Dumbledore saved him and Draco in turn did something because he
> understood how Dumbledore was trying to do something for him.

Magpie:
> It may sound counter-intuitive to say that the bad person should
> show themselves to deserve it--and I'm not saying that's always the
> right way to go in every story. It doesn't always happen that way.
> But to me having a good result from this type of offer creates a 
> story with more humility. And those stories are often more about
> why this is the "right" thing to do. It requires granting the bad
> person some quality independent of the good person. For all the 
> talk of good characters doing things for the bad characters without
> expecting pay back, the story is clearly very aware of how much
> everybody owes Harry and Dumbledore at all times. I think it's very
> concerned with that on the meta-level.

Jen: I'm torn on this topic, very torn.  On one hand Pippin & Alla 
offer very compelling arguments for why the tower scene stands alone 
with no other resolution needed than the one offered: that Dumbledore 
convinced Draco he wasn't a killer and helped Draco save his own soul 
in the process.  Even if Draco didn't have a defining moment in DH, 
he also didn't follow in his father's footsteps, a trajectory that 
appeared to be his destiny when HBP opened.

OTOH, I find myself tending toward Magpie's way of thinking when it 
comes to Draco or any number of secondary characters in DH (with the 
exception that I'd include Dumbledore as another who owed Harry even 
though he was dead - quite a feat).  I've polished my Defenders of 
Harry badge since day 1 in this group, but even I noticed that the 
sun never set on Harry in DH.  He *was* the sun while everyone else 
revolved around him.  He broke into the MOM AND Gringotts AND escaped 
with oppressed people & an abused dragon in tow!  He put grown men in 
their places and had them thanking him for it later!  He transformed 
an enemy into a faithful (and clean) servant!  And in a final round 
knockout, he brought one of the greatest wizards ever to his knees, 
groveling for forgiveness.  Oh, and along the way he finally defeated 
Voldemort as expected.

OK, OK, this is tongue in cheek; I'm *not* down on HP, not at all, 
liked DH more and more with each reading and count several moments 
among my favorite scenes ever.  But would it really have undermined 
Harry that much to have other characters do something important 
besides start Harry Potter fan clubs & remind each other to keep the 
faith because Harry would surely save the day soon?  I cheered 
Aberforth heartily in part because I liked him taking Harry to task, 
something most teenagers need now and again, and because he didn't 
revere Dumbledore like everyone else did.  If there was a flaw in 
JKR's plan, it was that she loved Harry too much. ;)  I believe she 
said that herself in interviews and it showed, imo.  And that caused 
me to love Harry a little less, something that I never expected to 
happen and didn't want to feel.  Darn you JKR!

> Now nothing came out of it for **Draco's character**, sure  that I 
> would agree with, although I personally would not be hundred 
> percent sure of it either, with his hesitation of identifying the 
> trio, etc.  But the message that Pippin is talking about IMO was
> delivered the best way it could have been.

Jen: I thought Draco was trying his best to do something positive 
when he didn't identify the Trio at Malfoy Manor.  Also when he 
attempted to keep Crabbe/Goyle from killing Harry.  Neither effort 
amounted to much though: the Trio were still identified and Draco had 
to be saved by Harry in the ROR.  I believe that's the droopiness 
Montavilla was referring to, the fact that Draco's efforts to do the 
right thing fizzled into nothingness or transformed into another 
opportunity for Harry to save the day rather than having meaning for 
Draco.