chapter discussions, SS/PS, chapter 5, Diagon Alley

[kamion53]

No: HPFGUIDX 187868

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sherriola" <sherriola at ...> wrote:
>
-*SNAP*-

> 6.  Harry and Draco have their first meeting in this chapter.  We know that this is a vital first meeting, affecting both boys for the rest of the series.  Thinking back to just this moment, without the knowledge you have now, what did you think of this meeting? How could Harry and or Draco have behaved differently to change the relationship between them for the future?  Could this have seriously affected events in the future?

-*SNAP*-

kamion writing:
The meeting with Draco is about the most important one Harry has, and it mirrors the action in Book 7, ch.23 Malfoy Manor.
The quite unconsious haunty and nasty attitude not only sets Harry's mood against Draco and Slytherin, it also arms him against the Slytheresc influence of the 7th Horcrux. It's that piece of soul the Sorting Hat experiences as ambieus Slytherin qualities and intents it to Sort Harry into Slytherin. Had Harry not developes such an antipathy against Draco he would not have resisted the Hat.
In book 2 Harry fears to be of the same cut as Voldemort, yet his choices makes him different and a "good guy". Sorted into Slytherin those choices would have been exposed to quite different temptations.

It could very well happened that Draco had behaved more amiable, when he knew from the first moment on that it was Harry Potter who entered the shop. Draco has quite an oppinion of himself and a celebrity like Harry Potter would be worthy to become his friend. Harry would have gained a friend, who would let him down and without knowing had disarmed him in the mental opposition against Voldemort. Had Harry won Draco, he would had lost from Voldemort. Luckely Draco could not imagine the ragball to be the famous Harry Potter and he was his nasty himself.

Had the both been in the same House and friends they mst likely would have grown apart over the years, too much contrasting interests and the final break would certainly have come when Draco got ordered to kill Dumbledore.
But I wonder  if Harry would have captured Draco's wand as in the last book, that was quite an instinctive reaction, which turn out to be crucial for the defeat.

Without knowing Draco did put Harry's first foot on the path of victory by just being a spoiled brat on a stool.