Muttergrumblegrowl.

[bubosquared]

This thread on HPForGrownUps is starting to get on my nerve. It's entitled "Draco's redemption".

Now, I'm not fond of Just%isunderstood!Draco either. I agree that he's a jerk. But for fuck's sake, 'redemption'? As of now, Draco hasn't really done anything he should 'redeem' himself for. He's a bully, yeah, but speaking as an ex-bully-ee, That doesn't make him evil. Am I overreacting or something? I dunno, it just seriously pisses me off that they'rre judging someone by what he's like at 14. I'm weird. Ignore me.

But while I'm venting, I'd like to send a hearthy "Yeah, fuck you, too!" to the fraction on HP4GU that is of the opinion that the whole SexGod!Draco idea is to blame on fanfic and that no one writing fanfic can have a decent discussion about canon and it. pisses. me. off.

Comments

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

Grr. I wrote this big reply but then it was too long for Livejournal and vanished. Curses.

Stubbornly, I will construct it again from the ashes.

Once more, with feeling.

Bullying-- no, not so great a sin. If Harry held a grudge against everyone who snubbed him at one point or another (Gryffindors in book one when he loses them all those points, Hufflepuffs in two and four, even *Ron* in book four) he'd just be a giant seething ball of hate. Furthermore, I think that Harry, deep down, just wants to be *liked,* and therefore if Draco ever offered a sincere apology, Harry would probably accept.

Of course, I think hell would freeze over and monkeys would fly out of some improbable places before Draco would ever *do* that, but. If it were just the bullying, then no. I wouldn't see Draco as someone who necessarily needed to be "redeemed," although perhaps I could still go with "smacked upside the head."

But the racism, the classism, the taunting Ron because he's poor-- those are the things that make me want to take a sledgehammer to Draco's mindset, shake him up a bit and drag him down about a thousand miles of bad road before I set him up with Harry. Not because I think Draco's secretly crying on the inside, but...

Well, speaking as someone who was, you know, once in junior high school-- this is my sad little fantasy, okay? That you actually *could* change stupid mean people and magically make them like you-- whoa. Sobering to realize I still haven't grown out of that one, but there it is. *shrug*

He's awful and bad and a jerk, and I want to actually physically reach into his head and slap his brain around a little. That's my kink and I'm sticking to it. *grins*

(Also, at this point, I really don't see glee in Draco after Cedric's death. Stunning disrespect, and a weird, chilling disinterest, in the sense that he really only brings it up to threaten Ron and Hermione and thus Harry-- yeah. But not actual, active glee.

Woo! Watch me split that hair, baby!

Glee is probably coming, sadly, and then I'll feel all dirty. Note to self: add more Dracopain to the WIP...)

[It's also amusing that all the Harry/Draco 'shippers like to conveniently forget that Harry's first thought upon meeting Draco and listening to him whine is, "He was instantly reminded of Dudley." Oh, sweet mystery of life, at last I've found you! LOL.]

*snerk*

Dudley/Harry, anyone? Come on, it's perfect. You've got the snotty kid for Harry's love to redeem, plus since they're cousins it's kinda got that twincest edge. Let's go, people, this could be the next big thing!

[ex-verdandi713.livejournal.com]

Harry is a walking target for a whole host of people's jealousy, insecurity, grudges, ambitions and paranoia...in other words, he's a celebrity. LOL. And it's a rare child who hasn't bullied *someone* over *something* to a greater or lesser degree, so that's not the problem (for me, anyway) with young Master Malfoy...as you note, if that were the beginning and end of it then a smack upside the head might do a world of good.

"I think that Harry, deep down, just wants to be *liked,* and therefore if Draco ever offered a sincere apology, Harry would probably accept."

He'd have to offer them to Ron and Hermione as well, before Harry would accept--Harry is a loyal kid and the thing's Draco's said to his friends have actually been far more insulting and cutting than what he's said to Harry (if only for "political" reasons...all else aside, getting someone with as much powerful magical potential as Harry into a Slytherin alliance would be a coup of obviously epic proportions). And I don't think Harry wants to be "liked" as much as not unjustly maligned and *suspected* by everyone he comes into contact with--first the Dursleys, then all these people in the wizarding world. Poor kid can't take a step without someone thinking he's plotting something...

Of course, I speak as someone who utterly adores the Weasleys--all seven of those gosh-darned neurotic redheaded kids--so every time Ron gets it in the teeth from Draco I go all maternal and wish to attack. LOL.

"Also, at this point, I really don't see glee in Draco after Cedric's death. Stunning disrespect, and a weird, chilling disinterest, in the sense that he really only brings it up to threaten Ron and Hermione and thus Harry-- yeah. But not actual, active glee. Woo! Watch me split that hair, baby!"

Ah, so you *admit* you're hairsplitting--well, that's all I really wanted. ;-) I interpret it as glee, I mean, he's *shouting* at Harry that "you backed the wrong horse!" and Ron/Hermione that "you'll be next!" Chilling is indeed the right word for it...especially if JKR begins developing the Hitler's Europe parallels any more deeply than she already has. I look forward to reading many, many posts from the hardcore Draco apologists about the *sensitive* Pureblood junior SS kommandant...kidding, just kidding. Well, no I'm not.

That said, I'll read anything that's good, including Harry/Draco--but please, a little *realism* of character here. (Wonderful, now I'm in a weird mental place where Harry is Clarissa Harlowe and Draco is Lovelace...the scariest part of all being, it might actually work.)

"Dudley/Harry, anyone? Come on, it's perfect. You've got the snotty kid for Harry's love to redeem, plus since they're cousins it's kinda got that twincest edge. Let's go, people, this could be the next big thing!"

[backs slowly away, laughing nervously and clutching Sirius and Harry poseable action figures protectively to bosom] Oh, shit, the mental pictures. The pain. The itching and burning. You are *very* mean.

And don't you be dissin' my twincest, neither--I have *tried* to write Fred and George without them sounding like an old married couple, and it is absolutely one hundred percent impossible. Huzzah! ;-)

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Bullying-- no, not so great a sin. If Harry held a grudge against everyone who snubbed him at one point or another (Gryffindors in book one when he loses them all those points, Hufflepuffs in two and four, even *Ron* in book four) he'd just be a giant seething ball of hate.

Exactly. Plus, I don't think Harry really suffered that much from Draco's bullying. It seems more annoying than really hurtful, most of the time. I think he was much more hurt by Ron in book four.

But the racism, the classism, the taunting Ron because he's poor-- those are the things that make me want to take a sledgehammer to Draco's mindset, shake him up a bit and drag him down about a thousand miles of bad road before I set him up with Harry. Not because I think Draco's secretly crying on the inside, but...

I do think a lot of the racism and classism have to do with his education. When you've been told all your life that you're better than others becuase you're pureblood and rich, it's not easy to accept that maybe you're just like anyone else. Especially when you're 14.

That doesn't make it okay, but it is a sort of explanation.

Also, Harry's not exactly unprejudiced himself. He just accepts other people's generalisations about the Slytherin at face value.

(Also, at this point, I really don't see glee in Draco after Cedric's death. Stunning disrespect, and a weird, chilling disinterest, in the sense that he really only brings it up to threaten Ron and Hermione and thus Harry-- yeah. But not actual, active glee.

I see glee because he (Draco) is turning out to be 'right'. Harry's chosen the losing side, and he'll be sorry for resufing Draco's friendship. I see more wounded pride ("How dare that Muggle-lover refuse an offer of freindsship of a Malfoy?") than glee about a person's death.

Dudley/Harry, anyone?

That's where I was trying not to go. :p