I agree that there is no such indication. After all 'you're not a killer, Draco' is meant to be startling and have an impact. But once it's stated that Draco recognises he has done serious things, in retrospect I think that it's a very natural assumption to think that guilt, as well as fear, has contributed to Draco's nervous breakdown.
We don't know how Draco feels until we are told, but that doesn't meant Draco hasn't been feeling that way.
Also, I think that quite frankly if Draco hadn't been referring to Katie and Ron, he would have said so. 'Uh, no, dude, I was talking about the cabinet? That was a pretty awesome thing to do?' He didn't: therefore Dumbledore got it right: therefore Draco does recognise what he did as serious. Though of course that doesn't mean it was okay to do it, or that recognising it is enough.
He had not forgotten the fear in Malfoy's voice on that Tower top, nor the fact that he had lowered his wand before the other Death Eaters arrived. Harry did not believe Malfoy would have killed Dumbledore.
In retrospect and with no reason to be prejudiced in Malfoy's favour, Harry refers to it as a fact. So let's take it as a fact that he wasn't going to do it.
On one hand we have a feeble old man who can barely stand and on the other we have a werewolf slavering blood. I'm sorry, but who would be more frightened of the old man? Draco is facing really serious repercussions, here. If Draco was acting purely out of fear, he'd take the chance to be protected, to become the Dark Lord's favourite. Why on earth should not killing someone be seen as cowardly? The best way for Draco to save his skin at this point would be to ice Dumbledore immediately, or at least make an attempt at it. I'm not saying Draco's not frightened to kill, but I think saying that fear was the reason he didn't kill (in the face of a gang of Death Eaters!) is senseless.
If Draco was going to define himself in terms of others, there was his chance. There were the Death Eaters, there were his orders, but he proved himself an individual and, as Dumbledore said, not a killer. By himself.
'Doesn't know his arse from his elbow'? He thought out a good plan. He executed it well. He's done everything that Voldemort wanted him to do very competently. I'm not sure what you mean by this.
Who, in this situation, chose to kill and to win the Dark Lord's favour? That'd be Peter Pettigrew. Yeah, there was some courage.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Re: Draco
Date: 2006-11-23 01:25 am (UTC)We don't know how Draco feels until we are told, but that doesn't meant Draco hasn't been feeling that way.
Also, I think that quite frankly if Draco hadn't been referring to Katie and Ron, he would have said so. 'Uh, no, dude, I was talking about the cabinet? That was a pretty awesome thing to do?' He didn't: therefore Dumbledore got it right: therefore Draco does recognise what he did as serious. Though of course that doesn't mean it was okay to do it, or that recognising it is enough.
He had not forgotten the fear in Malfoy's voice on that Tower top, nor the fact that he had lowered his wand before the other Death Eaters arrived. Harry did not believe Malfoy would have killed Dumbledore.
In retrospect and with no reason to be prejudiced in Malfoy's favour, Harry refers to it as a fact. So let's take it as a fact that he wasn't going to do it.
On one hand we have a feeble old man who can barely stand and on the other we have a werewolf slavering blood. I'm sorry, but who would be more frightened of the old man? Draco is facing really serious repercussions, here. If Draco was acting purely out of fear, he'd take the chance to be protected, to become the Dark Lord's favourite. Why on earth should not killing someone be seen as cowardly? The best way for Draco to save his skin at this point would be to ice Dumbledore immediately, or at least make an attempt at it. I'm not saying Draco's not frightened to kill, but I think saying that fear was the reason he didn't kill (in the face of a gang of Death Eaters!) is senseless.
If Draco was going to define himself in terms of others, there was his chance. There were the Death Eaters, there were his orders, but he proved himself an individual and, as Dumbledore said, not a killer. By himself.
'Doesn't know his arse from his elbow'? He thought out a good plan. He executed it well. He's done everything that Voldemort wanted him to do very competently. I'm not sure what you mean by this.
Who, in this situation, chose to kill and to win the Dark Lord's favour? That'd be Peter Pettigrew. Yeah, there was some courage.