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

[cleverthylacine]

I'm a big Draco fan because he says a lot of the things that I want to say as I'm reading the books, and he reminds me a lot of myself as a kid (minus the blood stuff, because that isn't real).

And my thought about Draco in the Umbridge situation is this: What would have happened if he had refused the honours she wanted to give him? If there's going to be an Inquisitorial squad no matter what you do or say, which side of it do you want to be on?

Of course, I don't know many 15 year olds who could manage to resist the temptation to abuse that kind of power, especially if they have enemies who do, constantly, get away with breaking rules. I'd like to think I could have...but I doubt it.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have no problem understanding why Draco decided to join the Inquisitorial Squad and launch a hunt for Gryffindors. The thing is rather that I don't see Draco as liking the Ministry's attitude with regard to Voldemort. As I said in some comments above, I believe that Draco grew up in an atmosphere of Voldemort worship: worship of a mysterious Dark Lord, a power that will rise to put things right (i.e. cleanse the society from Mudbloods and halfbreeds and such). I don't think Draco knows much (if anything) about who or what Voldemort is; but he knows that there is a Dark Lord who watches over wizardkind and whom his father supports (Draco knows about the Dark artefacts in Lucius' possession).

Based on these assumptions, I could imagine that he doesn't like the pompous Minister (and I believe that Lucius does not speak very respectfully of Fudge in private) and his lot deny that the powerful Dark Lord does even exist. For the wizarding society, Voldemort is dead, but for Draco, Voldemort is the potentially rising future power.

I am sure he loved being granted power at school. But I'm not sure that he could really think highly of Umbridge from the very start. And Draco does not strike me as someone who can conceal his dislike and act in a politic manner. Lucius probably nudged him into collaboration with Umbridge, but I think that Draco didn't really understand why he should support someone who denies the Dark Lord's greatness.

[slinkhard.livejournal.com]

But I'm not sure that he could really think highly of Umbridge from the very start. And Draco does not strike me as someone who can conceal his dislike and act in a politic manner.

I know this is old, but isn't that what stopped her bringing any of the IS along to see 'the weapon' at the end of OotP? She didn't trust them, him in specific, because he looks 'eager' when Hermione suggests the IS use the weapon on Umbridge.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. I don't think that Draco can fake loyalties in the long run, and I can't imagine that he felt truly loyal to Umbridge.