Apologia pro Draco (was Re: Wizarding Top Ten)

[sistermagpie at earthlink.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 188486

> 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.

Magpie:
Yes. So if he didn't get an opportunity to declare for the other side, he did not declare for the other side. That's exactly what I'm saying. He didn't do it, even if he would have if given the right situation. It doesn't mean I'm not sympathetic to him, or don't recognize that in the end he decided in his head/heart that the other side was the right side. Clearly he recognized that Voldemort was not right and so would no longer actively support him. He started to actually make a choice for the right side when he lowered his wand, but he was interrupted, so was not able to do it. Which leaves him having not done it.

I've given my own analysis of the Tower scene plenty of times in the past, and it jibes completely with yours. We don't disagree on where he is in his head or his heart.

> 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.

Magpie:
Which is exactly what I described. Draco clearly doesn't want to identify Harry, but when pressured by his parents he waivers, he agrees that it is, but in as weak a way as possible, and then the moment is lost. He's not able to really do anything to help them, but he did show them that he wanted to help them. So while I think he can be described as wanting the Trio to be unharmed, he can't be described as trying to rescue him. 

Geoff: 
> 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. 

Magpie:
Actually, if we're talking about Draco just saying, "No, that's not Potter. That's that stupid X kid that looks like him" or whatever the idea would be that he would be declaring in a way that the reader and the Trio recognized but would not look like disloyalty to Voldemort to Fenrir or Bellatrix.

But I get it--it could have blown up in his face. He could have been caught and killed. His family could have been killed. (I don't think it's impossible that it crossed his mind to lie since it clearly crossed his mind to try to avoid identifying them at all and to originally lie to say he couldn't tell it was Harry when he could.) Too scary, too much risk, too much danger to his family. So he didn't do it, which is all I'm saying. He turned against LV inside, but due to circumstances and personality, never found himself in a situation where he definitively acted on it in a way that wasn't deniable. He did more clearly make a stand against non-lethal violence, which was a start. He's not Peter Pettigrew. But he was also a very limited ally.

-m