Kevin's Watch

I have only read the first three novels, but:

Is anyone else bothered by the severe evil-child stereo-type that Malfoy represents. He seems to be totaly unrealistic and absent of any benevolent emotions. I hate characters that are forced to be evil.

Malfoy may seem to be stereotyped but there are children out there like that. Some do (as Draco) come from extremely wealthy families and the parental units influence the child's behavior towards "inferior" folk (like the Weasleys).
Draco may be an ass to Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Griffindores but he could very well be a friend to other Slytherins. Rowling may yet show that one side of him. Who knows, or he may have the misfortune of being written as a long term antagonist of Harry and the others.
Consider him as just another one of those characters where they're fun to hate. Kinda like Foul, or Drool, or Gollum, or any other number of evil characters written in popular fantasy.

In a fairytale I think there should be some kind of opposite to the obvious-good persons (like Harry), otherwise they might not seem so likable. I acctully liked the kid playing Draco (funny thing: he has bigger front teeth than Hermione... But he has probably grown into them in the third movie). Draco does well, especially in the OOTP where he seems almost unaware of the fact that his father actually was a deatheater. I almost thought he would jump sides once this fact was out (that would be a nice twist!, but I dont suppose that will happen). And the guy who plays Lucius! How anyone can look that evil with a rosette ponytail...

Ylva Kresh wrote:Draco does well, especially in the OOTP where he seems almost unaware of the fact that his father actually was a deatheater. I almost thought he would jump sides once this fact was out (that would be a nice twist!, but I dont suppose that will happen).

Yeah. I've kept hoping that this character (and the other Slytherins) might gain some depth or nuances in the later books, but unfortunately it's never happened. As Ylva says, it would be pretty funny if he and Harry ended up on the same side even though they still hated each other.

BTW, this was a strange thing about OOTP. Early on, the Sorting Hat talks about all the houses having to work together, etc. I thought that meant we'd finally see some Slytherins join up on the side of good (however reluctantly). But this whole idea was swiftly forgotten and never referred to again.

Oh, well - if you want books to be exactly the way you want them, I guess you'll have to write them yourself.

Theo

Theo wrote: Oh, well - if you want books to be exactly the way you want them, I guess you'll have to write them yourself.
Theo

Well I do have this idea floundering around in me head for a continuation but I think I'm gonna have to wait til the last book comes out so not to write anything contrary to HP history according to JKR. I mean I might accidently write that Ron and Hermionie were married and having kids and it might turn out that Ron is gay and Hermionie joins a convent for her protection from the deatheaters.
Meanwhile Harry and Cho are still working on their 1st kid... and Hagrid is getting funny ideas about the Centaurs

Off topic, but: Some people actually want Lupin and Sirius to get together. I know, it's awful. Lupin is supposed to go for Tonks, and Siruis is supposed to go and start having parties with his 17 blonde lady-friends. Can you believe how wrong it is to make them get together?!

Shalimar Foxfire wrote:Off topic, but: Some people actually want Lupin and Sirius to get together.

Would that be "some people" as in "people who write Harry Potter slash fiction?"

shalimar!!! shame on you!!!!

Not me, you idiot! Those other people on the Sugar Quill. :insert gagging emote here:

pfft

It is disappointing that there really isn't any nuance to Malfoy. Though, Harry, Ron and Hermione probably don't see him as three-demensional person, which is about what you'd expect considering the way they (don't) get along. Psychologically it might be satisfying to see more of his character, but in terms of the way the books work, it's not necessary. Perhaps, however, somewhere along the line there will be a moment where Malfoy shows doubt or some other emotion besides arrogance, fear, or anger. But I wouldn't bet on it.

(I'm going to be very disappointed if the houses don't eventually have to work together. I, too, was expecting that after the Sorting Hat's long spiel about cooperation, etc.)

OTOH, something that Rowling does that's good is giving her protagonists warts. Harry gets angry, Ron gets jealous, whatshisname, Harry's father was rather a jerk as a boy. That sort of thing.

Yeah, I definitely think they should introduce more deeper emotions to that character.