Draco and the Tonkses

[donnaimmaculata]

Not being much into Draco Malfoy, I've never given it a thought, but maybe someone else (... slippyslope?....) has: How did Draco really feel about Umbridge's crusade of denial? I mean, it is pretty obvious that he quite liked the idea of Dark magic (Borgin & Burkes, CoS), that, in his opinion, there was something thrilling about the whole Heir's of Slytherin affair? I by no means assume that Draco is evil, but he grew up within an environment which idolised Voldemort. So how would the stupid, deluded kid react to Umbridge and the Ministry's propaganda? One should think he wasn't too happy about it. I honestly don't give him enough credit to think that he can mask his feelings well enough to support Umbridge even though he disagrees with her policy, because Draco tends to display his likes and dislikes very openly, without considering possible consequences. Is he on her side because it's not Dumbledore's? Or is it merely because Rowling makes Draco take the wrong side, regardless of the the quality of the individual 'wrong'?

And where are Ted and Andromeda Tonks? They are not dead - Tonks uses the present tense when talking about them ("My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob." "My mum's got this knack of getting stuff to fit itself in neatly - she even gets the socks to fold themselves ..." The Advance Guard, OotP) - but they never get mentioned as Order members/supporters. Are they relevant at all? They should be. Andromeda is Bellatrix and Narcissa's sister, after all.

Hm, yes. That is what I think about when I should be working instead.

Comments

[hermione-like.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about Draco. It was attention and a way to bother Harry.

I by no means assume that Draco is evil, but he grew up within an environment which idolised Voldemort. So how would the stupid, deluded kid react to Umbridge and the Ministry's propaganda?

I've actually been wondering recently about how much Draco knows about Lucius' support for Voldemort. Lucius may be blatantly against all non-Purebloods, but I'm not too sure that he's actually told Draco he supports Voldemort. At the end of OotP, when Draco confronts Harry about Lucius being in Azkaban, Harry says Voldemort's name and Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all flinch as if it's something they're not used to hearing. As the comments below mention, I also think it might be because Draco doesn't quite get that Voldemort is real, you know? Maybe he's stuck in his own world where he gets everything his own way because his father is rich and powerful but at the same time not considering the consequences (people dying, etc).

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Apparently, Death Eaters don't use the name 'Voldemort' just as ordinary wizards don't. In OotP, Snape refers to Voldemort as "Dark Lord" and Harry says that only Dark wizards call him that. Bellatrix, likewise, is enraged that Harry uses 'Voldemort' during the final battle. ("You dare speak his name?" Her and the other Death Eaters' reaction speaks of surprised awe.) While ordinary wizards don't use the name out of fear - just like Muggles used to not pronounce the word "devil" out of fear - Death Eaters don't use it out of respect - just like one doesn't address a king by his name.

Anyway, I think that Draco has no idea who or what Voldemort is. But he realises that there is some greater force which his father dotes on (and Lucius does, whether from personal greed for profit or power or true belief) and he is likely to know that this power is some mysterious "Dark Lord". It's a bit like a child's belief in its parents' god, even without understanding the finer details of the religion. Draco certainly is quite comfortable with so-called Dark artefacts (Borgin & Burkes again; plus, Lucius was in possession of other Voldemort memorabilia which he tried to get rid of in CoS). But I don't think Draco realises the consequences, either. He probably only thinks it's fun to bully Muggles and Muggle-borns.