Re: [HPforGrownups] Draco and Intent: Re: Snape and Harry's Sadism (was: Lack of re-examination)

[k12listmomma]

No: HPFGUIDX 186824

>> Pippin:
>> But Draco knew that being left alone was not an option. He's just not 
>> that independent. He changed sides  when his parents did, and not before.

Shelley:
I don't see changing sides as being a "moment" for either Draco's mom, nor 
for Draco. I see for Draco's mom that her husband was Death Eater before, 
but it seems that she didn't know, up close and first hand, what it was to 
have Voldemort in her living room. When Voldemort returns to power, she gets 
a taste first hand of Voldemort, and the changing happens a little more each 
day to her wanting to be free of this wretch. Similarly, Draco is at first 
boasting to be asked of Voldemort to do his task, and as time goes by, we 
see him crying in the bathroom, terrified of the job, white as a sheet in 
the presence of Voldemort and again, wanting a little more each day to be 
free of Voldemort. His mom and he are on similiar paths, but I don't see 
Draco's rejection of Voldemort happening "because" of his mom's change in 
heart. Instead, I think they are simultaneous paths both leading eventually 
to the same conclusion.


>> Pippin:
>> Draco could have changed his views, but he'd have had to pay the same 
>> price as Percy, Sirius and Andromeda. But why would he even consider 
>> changing them, when his relationship with his parents means so much to 
>> him? He might challenge them on minor stuff but on the big issues he's 
>> Lucius and Narcissa's man.
>
> Montavilla47:
> I don't know that Draco would have had to pay the same price as Percy, 
> Sirius,
> or Andromeda.  For one thing, all three of them had siblings.  It's one 
> thing
> to reject a child when you have others waiting in the wings than to reject 
> your
> only heir.
>
> It's quite possible that, if Draco had changed his views towards 
> Muggleborn,
> that Lucius and Narcissa would have agonized over his youthful folly, but
> tolerated it and continued to love him as much as they ever did.
>
> That's the way *most* parents are.


Shelley:
To me, when Draco would have changed his views would have made all the 
difference in the world. Early on, and before Voldemort really made his 
presence known again to the WW, and his parents would have been TERRIFIED 
for his life. They would have been asked, as Bellatrix was, to cut off the 
Muggle-lovers out of their family tree. It wouldn't have been rejection of 
his ideas as much as fear for what price those ideas would come to. Later, 
as Nacissa starts to really loath having Voldemort around, I think she would 
have agreed with some of those ideas (that the idea of pureblood-only was 
all being taken too far!), but again, when is the right time to show that 
without running for your life. There is a natural time for rebellion, and it 
only comes near the end for this family. I still think that Draco saw at the 
end that Voldemort's ideas weren't so hot, but it's unclear how far he would 
take his own views on Muggleborns, whether he truly embraced them as fellow 
wizards, or whether he still struggled with finding a balancing point years 
later. Either way, I see Narcissa as the one to be more sympathetic to 
Draco's change, and Draco's father to be the one that might be harsh on him 
because of it. I would take my cue from the civil rights movement, where 
even after it was "acceptable" to hire a black man as you laborer, it still 
was wildly unpopular and unacceptable to have one as  son-in-law. Draco's 
dad would be steeped in years of tradition, and some of that tradition would 
be very hard for him to accept personally, especially if Draco were to 
choose to act on that change and seek a Muggle-born wife.