I don’t understand Draco’s exchange with Lucius at the end of Chapter 7. Anyone know what’s going on?
Here are my thoughts, which of course may easily be completely wrong.
Facts:
1) Harry states, “So during the Incident at the Potions Shop, while Professor McGonagall was busy talking to the shopkeeper and trying to get everything under control, I grabbed one of the customers and asked them about Lucius.”
2) Harry states, “So you really are his one weak point. Huh.”
3) Draco’s letter to his father asks about Harry’s “weak point” comment, Lucius’s reply reads, “I would say that you had been so fortunate as to meet someone who enjoys the intimate confidence of our friend and valuable ally, Severus Snape.”
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Conclusions:
The wording of Harry’s statement in fact 2 suggests that Harry’s source put him on to the “weak point” assertion. The “so you really are” bit sounds like a hypothesis that has just been confirmed.
A bit of a reach: Harry’s source in the potions shop was Severus Snape, and Snape is allied with Lucius. If the first conclusion is true, then this would explain the speed of Lucius’s response to Draco. That is, Snape tells Harry about Lucius, including that Draco is his only weak point, and then reports the conversation to Lucius; when Draco reports the “weak point” comment, Lucius understands that Harry has spoken to Draco.
Snape is the potions teacher and hence might reasonably be found in the potions store.
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This is not very satisfying to me because Harry doesn’t later recognize Snape as being someone he has seen before, and his appearance is quite distinctive to Harry. Polyjuice seems like a stretch.
No secret information is required for Harry to come to his conclusion of “So you really are his one weak point. Huh.”
Available evidence:
Lucius is well known as a hard bastard (initially supplied by random customer, reinforced by Draco)
Draco is well cared for (he is healthy, very well dressed, displays no social anxieties, worships his father)
Draco is probably indulged or even spoiled (Draco’s behaviour)
Draco is being groomed to be Lucius’ successor and therefore his equal (very clear by this point)
From this evidence it can be reasonably concluded that Lucius loves his son. For a hard man like Lucius, this makes Draco his likely weakest point.
Lucius is simply underestimating Harry’s ability to make good use of the available information (and possibly also underestimating how much Draco has given away while trying to cultivate Harry).
EDIT: 25 Jan 2012 - I just noticed that a previous incomplete revision of this comment appeared below by accident. It is now retracted...
Nice. I like your explanation much better than mine. Keeping in mind that Lucius knows very little at this point about what Harry is like — and that Harry is only eleven! — I guess it’s reasonable for Lucius to assume that such an observation by a fellow student of Draco’s would require some adult tutelage.
I just realised that I missed another very strong piece of evidence which immediately precedes Harry’s statement: Draco states that Harry should meet Lucius—he is actually offering Harry privileged access to his father.
This strengthens my view that Harry has noted that Draco offers (multiple paths to) influence with or threat to Lucius.
I don’t understand Draco’s exchange with Lucius at the end of Chapter 7. Anyone know what’s going on?
Here are my thoughts, which of course may easily be completely wrong.
Facts: 1) Harry states, “So during the Incident at the Potions Shop, while Professor McGonagall was busy talking to the shopkeeper and trying to get everything under control, I grabbed one of the customers and asked them about Lucius.”
2) Harry states, “So you really are his one weak point. Huh.”
3) Draco’s letter to his father asks about Harry’s “weak point” comment, Lucius’s reply reads, “I would say that you had been so fortunate as to meet someone who enjoys the intimate confidence of our friend and valuable ally, Severus Snape.”
--
Conclusions:
The wording of Harry’s statement in fact 2 suggests that Harry’s source put him on to the “weak point” assertion. The “so you really are” bit sounds like a hypothesis that has just been confirmed.
A bit of a reach: Harry’s source in the potions shop was Severus Snape, and Snape is allied with Lucius. If the first conclusion is true, then this would explain the speed of Lucius’s response to Draco. That is, Snape tells Harry about Lucius, including that Draco is his only weak point, and then reports the conversation to Lucius; when Draco reports the “weak point” comment, Lucius understands that Harry has spoken to Draco.
Snape is the potions teacher and hence might reasonably be found in the potions store.
--
This is not very satisfying to me because Harry doesn’t later recognize Snape as being someone he has seen before, and his appearance is quite distinctive to Harry. Polyjuice seems like a stretch.
No secret information is required for Harry to come to his conclusion of “So you really are his one weak point. Huh.”
Available evidence:
Lucius is well known as a hard bastard (initially supplied by random customer, reinforced by Draco)
Draco is well cared for (he is healthy, very well dressed, displays no social anxieties, worships his father)
Draco is probably indulged or even spoiled (Draco’s behaviour)
Draco is being groomed to be Lucius’ successor and therefore his equal (very clear by this point)
From this evidence it can be reasonably concluded that Lucius loves his son.
For a hard man like Lucius, this makes Draco his likely weakest point.
Lucius is simply underestimating Harry’s ability to make good use of the available information (and possibly also underestimating how much Draco has given away while trying to cultivate Harry).
EDIT: 25 Jan 2012 - I just noticed that a previous incomplete revision of this comment appeared below by accident. It is now retracted...
Nice. I like your explanation much better than mine. Keeping in mind that Lucius knows very little at this point about what Harry is like — and that Harry is only eleven! — I guess it’s reasonable for Lucius to assume that such an observation by a fellow student of Draco’s would require some adult tutelage.
I just realised that I missed another very strong piece of evidence which immediately precedes Harry’s statement: Draco states that Harry should meet Lucius—he is actually offering Harry privileged access to his father.
This strengthens my view that Harry has noted that Draco offers (multiple paths to) influence with or threat to Lucius.
Harry saying that Draco was Lucius’ only weak point was probably just an (accurate) surmise given the available evidence:
Lucius is well known as a hard bastard (information from random customer)
Draco is visibly well cared for (and his behaviour suggests that he is indulged or even spoiled in many ways)
Draco is being raised to be his father’s successor and equal
Therefore Lucius probably loves Draco, making him a weak point.
No secret information is actually required to make this assessment, though it might be considered a bit close to a guess.