surprime which: I agree, this is a great topic!

jellybean: ".. farther than the father" I love a good pun you clever lil bean yo! I agree that the arrogence of Lucius has had a greatd eal to do with the pain and bullying of Draco. This is such a good topic though that I think we can try to explore, analyse (or 'make it up as we go') the 'yuckiness'(a psychological term you probably don't understand :P ) of Draco:

Can't we empathise with Draco just a little? I mean, yeah he's a little git and we all hate him, as we should,as we are supposed to, but he did hold out a hand of ... 'friendship' to Harry and Harry said "No". That's gotta hurt. I reckon Draco isn't use to 'no' and who on this planet likes their attempts at an introduction/ friendship rebuked?

It must be weird, not only to have money and power but also to have real, physical power; to be a magical, and not be able to REALLY use it.. ; can't use any of it openly infront of everyone, everyday. Do you know what I mean? Magicals could rule the world but they are forced to hide their light under a bushell because it's for the best of their underlings; their 'lessers', muggles. I understand that this is not only practical (don't want muggles hassling you for everything) but also .. well, just good manners really (flaunting your assets to those who have none). I can imagine that this situation would begin to grate on you (P you Off!) after a few years let alone a few millenia.
Maybe the magicals should rule the world.
Maybe, with all their 'technologies', they'd do a better and less ecologically harmful and socially beneficial job of it?
Maybe, therefore, the Malfoys have got it right!?
Maybe protecting the muggles is really only about protecting the muggles' ego's???

I think that this kind of thinking is how quite a few magicals think and is how the Malfoys of the world would have begun thinking many centuries ago. Then, given the fire of more wealth and power, they have come to think "We should have it all?" "We are superior beings. Why shouldn't we be the one to rule them all?"

Draco is coming out of this kinda familial and cultural background. I'm sympathetic to the logic of his beliefs and the geneaology of his ethics. I also see that he should have been exposed to more people and muggles, in order for him to have a chance of turning these beliefs around. The magicals' isolation is, possibly, doing more harm than good. Hogwarts emphasis on the houses rather than the school body, is probably doing more harm than good.

How fascnating will it be to see how Draco will handle his Da's outing as a Deatheater!? At the end of the last book he was still talking about his Da getting out of Azkaban. What will happen after Lucius's trial and it all comes out.. ???
Will the Malfoy's fall?
Will Draco be reduced to poverty and shame?
Will he become pitiable or vengeful?

Chapter 6 of HBP is called \'Draco\'s Detour\' What does this mean?
Will Draco REALLY go to war against our intrepid trio?
Will Draco 'detour' from his parents' route and join with the trio?