I definitely agree on the whole age issue -not being able to teach old dogs to sit, etc. And Draco *is* changing, although as we see it up until now, only in terms of developing a sense of subtlety (it's actually something that grated on me immensely in the first couple of book; Rowling mentions again and again how ambition and cunning are the traits of Slytherins, and yet Draco, described as a typical, almost stereotypical, Slytherin, possess neither. He's about as subtle as a butter knife*, and not ambitious at all, as he believes he already has it all. But then he is a child, and a spoilt, bratty one at that, and while you're right in that he doesn't seem to change attitude, he does change his approach. But yes,I agree, there's potential for change. A crisis of some kind (playing with the big boys) brought about his attitude change in HPB, perhaps another one (failing to kill Dumbledore and the subsequent punishment) was required for the next, possibly upcoming. And like you, I am not talking about a huge turnaround -just a kind of peak on the character arch. But then I am only guessing here.

Counting Slughorn out (and I think you're right about everything there) agreeing on Draco's potential, we have Snape and Regulus left among the ones you mentioned. I honestly think that's the three choices she has, not only would a non-Slyth decoy [stuck] into the house so that Harry can collect a green and silver tie for his army without having to deal with the house as its been defined be annoying for those reasons; I would be uncomfortable with plugging as major a character as that would have to be in so late in the storyline. It's one of the three, and I should probably keep as OT a discussion as this out of this discussion.

As I wrote that last paragraph, it struck me that JKR *is* on a continuing quest to throw us on the wrong tracks. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps she'll somehow think of a fifth option. But I can't imagine what it would be.

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