You have to understand WHY Draco made it

The post title is a reference to Matrix: Reloaded, although not a spoiler.

Stemming off of the old “Expectations of the Harry Potter books” thread, I found myself thinking, with some company, that Draco was likely to wind up siding with Harry. My problem is that I see this being hinted at, but I never really understand why I think that way. It seems poetic, true, but its hardly in-character for Draco, albeit not out of the realm of possibility.

I recognize now that the reason is actually quite simple, although it took me darn well eternity to figure out.

Draco is the Snape of Harry’s time.

[spoiler]
Its actually quite simple. Snape, you may recall, was said to have known more curses as a 1st year than than most of the 5ths. He was an oily, slinky Slytherin. Not really unlike Draco. And he had a serious enmity with Harry’s father and friends. Snape and draco Malfoy are essentially the same character!

And lets not recall that there is room in Draco’s future for an alliance with Voldemorte - which doesn’t mean he won’t break it. Remember, Snape was a Death Eater, too, and look where he ended up! Indeed, the reason why Snape left may have been Voldemorte’s hunt for the Potters. Sometimes enemies, too, have a certain respect.

Draco’s father may be a key point, as Draco seems to fade into the background whenever his father is around. And I cannot imagine that being Lucius’ son is any better than being Hary at the Dursley’s home. The Dursley’s may be irritating and cruel, but they have a hot, personal attitude. I imagine Lucius Malfoy can be much, much worse when HE gets angry. I suspect the only love he ever showed Draco was in the form of material wealth.

bumpety bump

I disagree. Snape wasn’t the product of a Death Eater family - he was just naturally prolific at curses and potions. In fact, it seems that he was an excellent student, and worked quite hard. The enmity between him and Harry’s father came about because of social interactions. Snape was a Death Eater, but only as a spy (that’s a guess).

Draco is a product of being in a family heavily associated with the Death Eaters - ones very high up in the organization. As such, he’s been taught his hatred of mudbloods and of Potter.

Where Snape might have gotten caught up in the wrong crowd, Malfoy is the wrong crowd.

(Bolding mine)

I think that would be the reason Draco does join Voldemort. He might change his mind later, like Snape, but who knows how long it would take for his innate sense of right and wrong, if he has one, to kick in? Snape changed sides (presumably) when he was an adult, and AFAIK, the books are only covering Harry and Draco’s school years.

Oh, its entirely possible draco will join the Death Eaters. I just don;t think (and hope) he will eventually be on the side of right.

I think that Draco might be Harry’s generation’s Snape…but only in the sense that the two generations reflect each other in certain aspects. Draco’s the Slytherin foil for the Gryffindor crowd. Snape was probably the same. However, since there isn’t enough background information on Snape to speak of his schooldays in depth, I’m not convinced that you could really say how alike the actual characters are…just their respective positions.

I still think Draco is just an arrogant brat with a big mouth. He’s not evil yet, but a single factor could turn him either direction. But since the end of the older generation was not happy, I feel like everything will turn out okay for Harry’s generation. They’ll learn from the results of the previous rise of Voldemort – even Draco, in the end.

Sorry: that last line should say:

I just think (and hope) he will eventually be on the side of right.

Since the two generations are limited reflections of each other, Rowling may emphasize the differences by having Draco become a Death Eater and not turn away from Voldemort like Snape did.

(Munch, I like the idea that Snape may have been a spy the whole time. That would explain Dumbledore’s faith in him.)

If Draco is truly evil, and if Snape isn’t, then why does Snape favor Draco? I know that Snape hates Harry, but he doesn’t hate him enough to let bad things happen (preventing him from being seriously hurt or killed during the Quidditch match in book 1, for example).

Snape doesn’t strike me as someone who would be oblivious to Draco’s evil.

Julie

Because there’s very little he could do, jsgoddess. As far as we know, Voldemort doesn’t know that Snape turned on him. The Malfoy’s probably see him as the DEs single bastion of hope at Hogwarts. To speak up would both betray his cover as well as ruin any future chance of turning Draco and any of his other cronies.

Actually, Voldemort does know about Snape. He refers to it at the end of Goblet. He mentions one of their number (DEs) who has left him forever. Snape is certainly that one, you can tell by all the context clues. And even if you couldn’t, Pettigrew would have informed Voldemort by now.

I believe Malfoy is sticking with being evil. And I believe it because he is such a parallel of Snape. While Snape ended up coming to his moral senses, Malfoy will not. Rowling has several important parallels and in them people take different paths. Harry, in fact, is very much a parallel of Voldemort. Orphaned young, brought to Hogwarts and has success there, Harry with fame and quidditch talent, Voldemort with great magic ability and so on. The difference is, while Voldy chose evil, Harry chooses good.

That’s also why I believe Neville can be trusted to not betray his friends. He may be the weak one of the group, but he will end up being the just version of Pettigrew.

Malfoy will end up the truly evil version of Snape.

Just IMO of course. I could be wrong. Rowling has tricked us all before throughout the series.

But he deliberately favors Draco. He puts Harry in positions of having to go through Draco. Why does he do that? I mean, it works to emphasize that Snape is rather a bastard, but why Draco?

Julie