Name: idreamofdraco reviewed Chapter 2 on Jan 06, 2014 07:29 am

While looking on the Pottermore wiki, I found some new information from JKR written specifically for Pottermore about Draco that I thought you'd find interesting. Here's just a part of it, and maybe it's kind of obvious information (based on the books), but it's nice to have that validation from JKR, too!

"Draco’s feelings for Harry were always based, in a great part, on envy. Though he never sought fame, Harry was unquestionably the most talked-about and admired person at school, and this naturally jarred with a boy who had been brought up to believe that he occupied an almost royal position within the wizarding community. What was more, Harry was most talented at flying, the one skill at which Malfoy had been confident he would outshine all the other first-years. The fact that the Potions master, Snape, had a soft spot for Malfoy, and despised Harry, was only slight compensation."

So it looks like Draco's jealousy of Harry is spot on! I mean, it only follows that if he's envious of Harry's popularity and skills, he'd also be envious of his girlfriend. u_u

I still need to catch up on chapters 3 and 4, so I'll get around to them as soon as I can! I just thought you'd like to see this. ;)

Author's Response: Thanks! :) Sorry that I didn't see this until now... (Does the Happy Psychic Dance) Okay, I don't think that really counts as being psychic. ;) For me to figure out that Draco's feelings were going to be based on envy, that is. But I do think that it supports the argument that OF COURSE Draco would be jealous of Ginny, even if the ONLY reason were that she "belonged" to Harry. It really makes no sense at all that this jealousy wasn't shown. (spins tangled webs of theories...) Anyway, thanks so much for posting this!! You'll get lots of credit in the next chapter. Because the experts WILL be able to rescue it from the drive. Oh yes, oh yes they will. You know, after the exchange is over, I really think I'm going to just put it together anyway.

Name: idreamofdraco reviewed Chapter 2 on Nov 16, 2013 03:00 pm

I have always, always, always thought that JKR had set Draco up to follow a certain path and then backpedaled on it in order to continue making him a bad guy. It is one of the things that I cannot forgive about Deathly Hallows. I understand she wanted to paint Draco as a cowardly character. Maybe it was solely his cowardice that prevented him from naming Harry at Malfoy Manor in DH, but that doesn't make any sense. He spent the entire sixth book trying to KILL Dumbledore for the glory it would bring him (and, we assume, to help redeem his family to Voldemort). So how hard could it have been to say, "Yes, this is Potter" when presented with another opportunity to redeem his family in Voldemort's eyes? That seemed like such a good sign. Guilt! Draco is feeling guilt! He doesn't want to condemn an innocent man to Voldemort's cruel torture (or DEATH). He's lived in the manor with Voldemort and Death Eaters long enough to know what would happen to Harry, so maybe he couldn't bring himself to condemn him that way. This was such a great thing, and I was so excited about it!

And THEN the Battle of Hogwarts happened, and suddenly Draco is the villain again, trying to earn some glory by capturing Harry for Voldemort. It just didn't seem like him. Not after everything he went through in his sixth and seventh years. Not after the horrors he saw and went through. All JKR was doing was turning him into someone who couldn't be sympathized with. And why? Because Slytherin characters are supposed to be Bad. They don't have individual circumstances and stories that carried them throughout the series to where they are. They are all evil and need to be dismissed from the castle because not a single one of them would fight for what's right. Never mind that fighting for what's right meant fighting against their friends and families! The Slytherins definitely deserved empathy, not derision.

I just wanted to say that because you touched on it slightly, and I agree wholeheartedly that JKR treated Draco badly. I don't know if you've ever seen Avatar: the Last Airbender, but I've always said that the mini-villain, Zuko, was the character that Draco should have been. So much character development! And I thought we were going to get some development for Draco in DH, but, sadly no. Sigh.

You've brought up some interesting ideas I've never thought about before, so I'm looking forward to the next chapter. The only part I'm a little dubious about so far is where you say that Draco could sense in CoS that Ginny and Harry's relationship would develop more one day. I don't know if he actually would have that much insight, but the idea that he bullied Harry about Ginny and not about Hermione is an interesting one. And the fact that maybe Draco was jealous of Ginny because even though Harry had rejected her too, she was still able to interact with him in ways that Draco couldn't. I'd never thought of the Harry/Draco/Ginny dynamic in this way before. The fact that Ginny AND Draco were both rejected by Harry is something to think about.

I like where you're going with this so far, and can't wait to see more!

Author's Response: I TOTALLY agree about Draco. The DH filmmakers actually understood the first plot point you bring up very well; they had Harry spell out that this was Draco's motivation in pretending not to recognize him. And it just doesn't make any sense that this hint was not followed up on... but I talk a LOT about that in the next chapter. And yes, the way that the Slytherins were treated in general was ridiculous. Pansy actually became one of my favorite characters after DH for that very reason-- she was the only one who showed any common sense by pointing out that handing Harry over to Voldy would save everyone else. I never saw Avatar! But I've always meant to, so someday... but I think I have a pretty good idea of the kind of thing you're talking about. Now, the CoS thing is another one where I can see how everybody won't have the same opinion about what Draco thought or didn't think re: the budding H/G relationship. But for me, the most significant thing is that Draco's first words to Harry in Ginny's presence were "Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend." I really think that he saw something in Ginny that Harry didn't see (and really didn't bother to care about.) Anyway, more soon! :)

Name: pitzi reviewed Chapter 2 on Nov 16, 2013 09:40 am

I think it's very important that you bring up all those themes regarding canon and D/G.

About JKR's writing I want to add something and I hope you are the only one who reads this review, because I don't like rotten tomatoes... I think that lack of character development is one of the central problems with her writing. And it holds true even for main characters. People can't be the same at 17 as they are at 11. yet that's what we get. And it actually looks like Draco and Ginny "got out of hand" in a sense that JKR hasn't planned on them growing as complex characters. I remember an interview where she said that Draco is a bully and it's sad that girls are crushing on him because of the actor who plays him in films (I think credit should be given to Felton for seeing more in this character). I suppose that you will be discussing the epilogue, so I'll share my thoughts about it then.
And i'd like to be Molly and Arthur's advocate- they couldn't figure anything out because they haven't seen Ginny for the most of the year. I don't remember now, but I think that perhaps she stayed in school even during winter holidays. I don't think they could catch anything from her owls because let's not forget that Riddle was very clever and even Dumbledore, who was repeatedly eported as knowing everything about everyone at school couldn't figure out it was her! And about the summer - well, JKR doesn't say anything so we don't really know whether Ginny underwent some kind of treatment or not and Ginny herself strikes me as someone who'd rather everyone didn't discuss what happened to her. And don't forget that they went to Egypt that summer, a rear treat for them and the change of scenery is a very good therapeutic instrument.
And we know that JKR avoids dealing with psychological trauma in the series: who can believe that a boy who spent ten years locked under the stairs turns out more or less normal? So for this reason I think ginny's dealing with what happened in CoS isn't described either.

That's what I think anyway.

I'm really looking forward for the next chapter of your essay!
AND DON'T FORGET SATS!!

Author's Response: Thanks SO much! :) And no, I don't think you'll get any rotten tomatoes thrown at you here... ;) I agree about the characterization issue, and it really is as if both Ginny and Draco tried to escape and develop character on their own.. .and then were ruthlessly squashed. :P And believe me, I know that people will have more than one opinion on certain aspects of this essay. I totally see where you're coming from with the Weasleys and their reaction to Ginny. It's not something I agree with, but we will agree to disagree. :) And don't worry! More SatSD is on its way!! They're running to the train station right now, and Victoria is about to meet Nate for the first time...