Apologia pro Draco (was Re: Wizarding Top Ten)
Geoff
gbannister10 at tiscali.co.uk
Sun Nov 22 23:22:19 UTC 2009
No: HPFGUIDX 188485
--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, sistermagpie at ... wrote:
>
> Geoff:
> > I don't think, as Magpie suggests, that "he didn't have the courage to
> > take the next step and declare for the other side". He didn't get the
> > opportunity to do this. On the Tower, he appeared to be about to do
> > that when he was interrupted by the arrival of the Death Eaters. He
> > was then hauled away by Snape and, throughout Deathly Hallows, is
> > hardly in a position to make a move.
>
> Magpie:
> I'm not sure how this really disagrees with what I said. Whether one things he had a chance or not to declare for the other side, he winds up, imo, clearly against Voldemort but not actually doing anything for the other side, which would make him neutral, but not good. (And as lots of people probably know if they've read me talking about him before, I love the guy and he's my favorite character!)
Geoff:
Although I agree with you that Draco is an interesting guy and I'm
more prepared to think about him than Snape, I still disagree
with your analysis.
He did not get an opportunity then to "declare for the other side"
and any contacts later were not suitable.
Looking at the Tower situation, I wonder how many of our group
have, in real life, reaches a point in their lives where something
which they have always considered to be a given becomes a fork
in the road where they have a choice of ways to go, leading in
distinctly different directions. It has happened to me on more than
one occasion, Sometimes the choices are between taking the "good"
side against the "questionable" side. One of the biggest pivotal points
in my life was the question of faith. Was I going to accept the claims
of Christ as real and just or duck out and blunder on. I agree, this
wasn't good against evil but when the choice and its potential to
change my life became a reality, I had to think through my answer
and it took a few hours, not the few minutes that Draco had to
speak to Dumbledore.
Draco has been realising throughout the year that in accepting
Voldemort's task to kill Dumbledore, he has possibly accepted a
poisoned chalice and when he realises that the chance is there to
complete the task, the thoughts must been rushing through his head:
"I've got him; I can kill him." and then when he reaches the Tower and
disarms Dumbledore, instead of pleading for mercy, the latter puts
Draco on the back foot by pointing out the danger for himself and his
family but also suggests that he ought to get on with the job while
questioning his ability to kill. "Will Voldemort kill my family? Will this
save them? Why isn't he frightened? I can kill him can't I? Do I want
protection? What do I do?"
He is at a pivotal point but, in that moment of hesitation and thought,
he loses the opportunity to "screw his courage to the sticking point" -
whichever way he is going to jump - and the others arrive. The moment
has gone. It reminds me in an odd way of the scene in LOTR where
Gollum seems almost ready to repent when he sees Frodo asleep but
the moment is lost because Sam blunders in.
Magpie:
> But I thought the author was very intentionally keeping him at that level to draw that distinction. If she'd wanted to give him a chance where he could do something clearly for the good side she would have. In the identification scene she takes pains to show Draco's own desires to let the Trio go, but he's unable given his equally strong desire to save his family from Voldemort. He's not his father who is actually eager to get into Voldemort's good graces, he just doesn't want to possibly betray them or get them in even worse trouble. Whether it's the fault of his circumstances or not, that's where he winds up.
We don't know at all that they would have been kept prisoner if he'd said
that--it's the type of thing Hermione has been known to make work in the past.
I'm not saying his doing that would have necessarily worked. But it would
obviously have been an active attempt to protect them and set them free. He did
not attempt to do the most he could do to help them out, he did the best he
could do to not get them in trouble. He even tentatively agreed with his parents
that it was them once they insisted.
Geoff:
He only agrees with his parents that maybe it could be Ron and Hermione. At
no point does he make any sign of recognition of Harry. Also, he is being
pushed by his father to make a decision but is obviously fearful of Greyback
and is aware of the fact that Narcissa is anxious that they are completely
sure.
And again, a pivotal moment is interrupted by the arrival of Bellatrix and
the decision is again snatched from his hands as she argues and bickers
with the others about summoning Voldermort.
What would have been the result of declaring support for the "light" side
in the presence of folk such as Fenrir Greyback or Bellatrix? In this situation,
I cannot see the idea even crossing his mind. It certainly wouldn't cross mine.
I would be too busy keeping my head down and letting the others argue and
hoping the discussion wouldn't come back my way.
OK, call me a wimp but not to my face.
:-)
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