HP:DH Theory Number 4: Draco and Harry.
NO this is not a continuation of the ship theory from day one. People, LET IT GO. It isn’t going to happen. Not by a long shot, and not even if Rowling acknowledged homosexuality in her books. She barely recognizes sexuality! Do we REALLY think kissing is all Ginny was doing with all those boyfriends, and that at age sixteen, Harry’s only thoughts of his best friend’s sister are of making out in a secluded classroom?
Harry and Draco hate each other. Point blank, period, that’s it, that’s all she wrote. They hate each other and nothing that happens in the space of a year is going to change that.
I do think it’s possible they may end up working on the same side, though. This all really depends on a number of factors that all come down to one: Snape.
For one thing, it hinges on the answer to that question we’ve all been asking ourselves (or defending our beliefs, depending) since the end of Half-Blood Prince. Is Snape evil, or is he good?
For the purposes of this portion of the theory, we’re going to assume Snape is really good and acted on orders from Dumbledore. Draco has the best shot of really having a change of heart if Snape is able to tell the boy the truth. If Draco learns the Dark Lord’s most trusted servant, the professor to whom he looked up for most of his school career, and whom his mother trusted with his protection was actually working for and with Dumbledore the entire time, then the boy just might start using his brain for once.
We already know Draco is no killer. At this point in time, having just failed to kill someone in cold blood, he’s probably willing to listen. He probably can’t do anything but listen, seeing as he’s probably in shock.
The problem is, will Snape have time to talk to Draco? Some people in fandom are pretty certain Draco will not be welcomed back with the Dark Lord’s open arms because of his failure. While it’s true Voldemort is a Dark Lord and those types aren’t widely known for their compassion, it’s also true he didn’t expect Draco to succeed. It’s also been shown that Voldemort has a history of accepting back those who disappoint him. It’s entirely possible Draco will be shamed and punished, but not killed, no matter what Voldemort threatened him with; Dumbledore is dead, and I think that’s what really matters to our friendly neighborhood Dark wizard. In short, I don’t see any reason for Snape to take him anywhere but home to his mother or to the Death Eaters’ main hangout.
Let’s assume, then, that Snape has opportunity to impart the truth of his loyalties to Draco, because if we’re assuming Snape only acted on Dumbledore’s orders and actually cared about the old man, he will want Draco to have an understanding of the weight of what occurred. He’ll also want Draco to understand that Dumbledore wasn’t lying when he promised things could be all right.
If, then, Snape imparts this knowledge to Draco, then the boy will have some very difficult decisions to make. Should he take Snape’s knowledge and Dumbledore’s promises to heart, then we could very well see him either escaping from Voldemort to work with the Order, or working as a second spy (we already know he makes a passing Occlumens). Not that Snape will want him to, but he’ll do it on his own. He may have been a coward up until Half-Blood Prince, but at this point I think there’s very little room in him anymore for cowardice.
However, if Snape does not have the opportunity or the inclination to speak to Draco about his loyalties (or should he actually be loyal to Voldemort), then Deathly Hallows will see our favorite Malfoy in something of a sticky spot. As I said, I don’t think Voldemort will kill him out of hand, so he’ll have been with the Death Eaters, unable to return to Hogwarts should the school reopen. He’ll have been brooding about what happened on the Astronomy tower, Dumbledore’s words and his death. In that case, I see him battling within himself for months and making a split-second decision to turn at the moment of the final battle. Perhaps taking most of Slytherin with him. I don’t see Harry turning down his help for two reasons: 1) By that point Harry will need all the help he can get, and 2) At the end of Half-Blood Prince, Harry feels pity for Malfoy, and while he may never like him, he understands a bit of what the other boy’s gone through.
It’s a decision that has nothing whatsoever to do with Harry, though, not really. Though Draco just might come up with some crap about how he wanted to show everyone how stupid Potter is, and the only real way to do that is to do what Harry obviously can’t. Whatever, Draco.
No, it’s really a battle he’ll have to fight within himself, and the reader probably won’t get to see much of the actual struggle. We will only get to see the end result.
What’s that? What if Draco doesn’t redeem himself? Oh no, he will. It may take him the entire book, but he will do something. I believe this, because I don’t think Rowling would have let us see that spark of humanity in him at the end of Half-Blood Prince unless she meant to do something with it.
All right, all right. I’ll concede there is the slight possibility that Rowling let us see it only so that when we see Draco again-his humanity beaten, broken and defeated with him as a full Death Eater-we will mourn the death of the last of his soul even as we cheer his bloody demise at the hand of Harry.
Do I think it likely? No.
After the battle? Draco and Harry will still never be friends. They may be able to be civil towards each other in public. If someone takes away their wands. But Draco will never quite be able to accept his father’s fate as something Lucius chose, and Harry will never quite be able to forget Draco’s behavior at Hogwarts and near alliance with Voldemort. Maybe he could, if Draco would stop being an arrogant prat, but that will never change, either.
Wow. This one was long.
~~**Sailorcelestial**~~
Harry and Draco hate each other. Point blank, period, that’s it, that’s all she wrote. They hate each other and nothing that happens in the space of a year is going to change that.
I do think it’s possible they may end up working on the same side, though. This all really depends on a number of factors that all come down to one: Snape.
For one thing, it hinges on the answer to that question we’ve all been asking ourselves (or defending our beliefs, depending) since the end of Half-Blood Prince. Is Snape evil, or is he good?
For the purposes of this portion of the theory, we’re going to assume Snape is really good and acted on orders from Dumbledore. Draco has the best shot of really having a change of heart if Snape is able to tell the boy the truth. If Draco learns the Dark Lord’s most trusted servant, the professor to whom he looked up for most of his school career, and whom his mother trusted with his protection was actually working for and with Dumbledore the entire time, then the boy just might start using his brain for once.
We already know Draco is no killer. At this point in time, having just failed to kill someone in cold blood, he’s probably willing to listen. He probably can’t do anything but listen, seeing as he’s probably in shock.
The problem is, will Snape have time to talk to Draco? Some people in fandom are pretty certain Draco will not be welcomed back with the Dark Lord’s open arms because of his failure. While it’s true Voldemort is a Dark Lord and those types aren’t widely known for their compassion, it’s also true he didn’t expect Draco to succeed. It’s also been shown that Voldemort has a history of accepting back those who disappoint him. It’s entirely possible Draco will be shamed and punished, but not killed, no matter what Voldemort threatened him with; Dumbledore is dead, and I think that’s what really matters to our friendly neighborhood Dark wizard. In short, I don’t see any reason for Snape to take him anywhere but home to his mother or to the Death Eaters’ main hangout.
Let’s assume, then, that Snape has opportunity to impart the truth of his loyalties to Draco, because if we’re assuming Snape only acted on Dumbledore’s orders and actually cared about the old man, he will want Draco to have an understanding of the weight of what occurred. He’ll also want Draco to understand that Dumbledore wasn’t lying when he promised things could be all right.
If, then, Snape imparts this knowledge to Draco, then the boy will have some very difficult decisions to make. Should he take Snape’s knowledge and Dumbledore’s promises to heart, then we could very well see him either escaping from Voldemort to work with the Order, or working as a second spy (we already know he makes a passing Occlumens). Not that Snape will want him to, but he’ll do it on his own. He may have been a coward up until Half-Blood Prince, but at this point I think there’s very little room in him anymore for cowardice.
However, if Snape does not have the opportunity or the inclination to speak to Draco about his loyalties (or should he actually be loyal to Voldemort), then Deathly Hallows will see our favorite Malfoy in something of a sticky spot. As I said, I don’t think Voldemort will kill him out of hand, so he’ll have been with the Death Eaters, unable to return to Hogwarts should the school reopen. He’ll have been brooding about what happened on the Astronomy tower, Dumbledore’s words and his death. In that case, I see him battling within himself for months and making a split-second decision to turn at the moment of the final battle. Perhaps taking most of Slytherin with him. I don’t see Harry turning down his help for two reasons: 1) By that point Harry will need all the help he can get, and 2) At the end of Half-Blood Prince, Harry feels pity for Malfoy, and while he may never like him, he understands a bit of what the other boy’s gone through.
It’s a decision that has nothing whatsoever to do with Harry, though, not really. Though Draco just might come up with some crap about how he wanted to show everyone how stupid Potter is, and the only real way to do that is to do what Harry obviously can’t. Whatever, Draco.
No, it’s really a battle he’ll have to fight within himself, and the reader probably won’t get to see much of the actual struggle. We will only get to see the end result.
What’s that? What if Draco doesn’t redeem himself? Oh no, he will. It may take him the entire book, but he will do something. I believe this, because I don’t think Rowling would have let us see that spark of humanity in him at the end of Half-Blood Prince unless she meant to do something with it.
All right, all right. I’ll concede there is the slight possibility that Rowling let us see it only so that when we see Draco again-his humanity beaten, broken and defeated with him as a full Death Eater-we will mourn the death of the last of his soul even as we cheer his bloody demise at the hand of Harry.
Do I think it likely? No.
After the battle? Draco and Harry will still never be friends. They may be able to be civil towards each other in public. If someone takes away their wands. But Draco will never quite be able to accept his father’s fate as something Lucius chose, and Harry will never quite be able to forget Draco’s behavior at Hogwarts and near alliance with Voldemort. Maybe he could, if Draco would stop being an arrogant prat, but that will never change, either.
Wow. This one was long.
~~**Sailorcelestial**~~