Does Draco have a Dark Mark?
Dec. 19th, 2014 02:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
birdsofshoreI posted about this new illustration for HBP the other day and it has given me many many Draco thoughts and feels.
Some of the replies with regard to Draco's Dark Mark really surprised me and I want to discuss this ahead of JKR possibly clarifying it in Pottermore. My general assumption from canon is that Draco did take the Dark Mark some time before 6th year, probably at the same time that he was given the task of killing Dumbledore.
My reasons for thinking this are:
1) This scene in Madam Malkin's (from HBP):
Madam Malkin dithered for a moment on the spot, then seemed to decide to act as though nothing was happening in the hope that it wouldn't. She bent towards Malfoy, who was still glaring at Harry.
"I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more, dear, let me just--"
"Ouch!" bellowed Malfoy, slapping her hand away, "watch where you're putting your pins, woman! Mother -- I don't think I want these any more--"
He pulled the robes over his head and threw them on the floor at Madam Malkin's feet.
2) This scene in Borgin and Burkes (also from HBP):
Harry saw Borgin lick his lips nervously.
"Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."
"No?" said Malfoy, and Harry knew, just by his tone, that Malfoy was sneering. "Perhaps this will make you more confident."
He moved towards Borgin and was blocked from view by the cabinet. Harry, Ron and Hermione shuffled sideways to try and keep him in sight, but all they could see was Borgin, looking very frightened.
"Tell anyone," said Malfoy, "and there will be retribution."
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chibitoaster said in comments to my last post that JKR said in an interview with her editor that Draco did not take the Mark, but I can't find anything to back this up by googling. Can anyone provide a reference for this?
If JKR did say this (or says it on Pottermore in her upcoming Draco entry), then I'm not sure what to think. It just doesn't make sense to me from the information that we have in canon.
Possible explanations if JKR confirms Draco was not Marked:
- We are supposed to take Harry's conviction that Draco has a Mark as further evidence for Harry's penchant for thinking Draco is up to something. But, it really does look like he has a Dark Mark; it's not just Harry being obsessive (not this time, heh).
- JKR wanted to deliberately mislead us into thinking Draco has a Mark, to confuse us about how deep in he is with Voldemort. (cf Snape). But this is pointless, because she never uses this confusion to achieve anything within the text. It's not like we suspect that Draco is Marked and then later we find out he's not, and it's a great shock to learn actually he's been working for Dumbledore the whole time or something.
- Draco drew on a FAKE Dark Mark and used it to scare Borgin. I really like this theory, and I can totally see Draco doing this. He wants the power and protection that being a Death Eater brings, but he can't actually bring himself to kill anyone or take the Mark (or perhaps Voldemort did not think him worthy of the Mark). It makes my heart twist for him, so if this was the aim, I like it. But, again, this is sort of pointless, because JKR never reveals that it's fake in canon, so it doesn't have the desired effect. It's a nice theory, but it doesn't really work.
- JKR did initially mean Draco to have a Dark Mark, but later changed her mind for ~reasons. I'm afraid this is what I'm probably going to assume, if she is quoted as saying Draco never took the Mark.
Obviously, in the film version, Draco does have a Mark and when I looked at an earlier sketch for the new illustration, it seemed to be very much influenced by this moment in the HBP film.
I know JKR didn't have ultimate control over what happened in the films, but I presume she did veto anything she was really uncomfortable with? The fact that Draco is Marked in the films suggests to me that JKR was happy with that premise.
However, the fact that the sketch for the new book illustrations has changed from Draco aggressively displaying his Dark Mark, to Draco (possibly) hiding a Mark, is interesting. It seems pretty clear to me that that's what he's doing in the new illustration - why else would be be clutching at his left forearm like that? But at the same time it's not as unambiguous as the sketch would have been.
I presume again that JKR has approval over things like illustrations, but does anyone know this to be the case? Jonny Duddle's other finished pieces are more or less identical to his initial sketches - this seems to be the only one where there has been a significant change, which suggests to me some editorial intervention. If JKR did have input, this would back up the idea that she wants the issue of Draco being Marked / unMarked to remain ambiguous. And, rereading the passages from the Half-Blood Prince, I feel this is what she's aiming for. She likes the possibility of it, but she doesn't want to definitely confirm it. Why? I don't really get it. Why not confirm that Draco either is or is not Marked during the series? I do tend to be a reader who likes things quite black and white, but I can't see what this uncertainty adds to the series, or our appreciation of Draco's character.
Finally (if you made it this far), I have to own to having a vested interest in Draco being Marked. I really like the Dark Mark and what I can do with it in fic. I like Harry having a Dark Mark kink. Or being appalled by it the first time they get naked. I like a redeemed!Draco being ashamed of it. Similarly, I like a dark!Draco who uses it to intimidate or unsettle. I like it if they're getting romantic and he accidentally flashes it and Harry SEES and REACTS and Draco ASSUMES and FREAKS and, oh, there are just so many fabulous possibilities for Dark Marks. Please don't take them away from me, JKR. /o\
I'd be interested to hear thoughts about any of this. Especially as I am meant to be cleaning and tidying. Please save me from that extremely dull fate and come and hypothesise with me instead.
Some of the replies with regard to Draco's Dark Mark really surprised me and I want to discuss this ahead of JKR possibly clarifying it in Pottermore. My general assumption from canon is that Draco did take the Dark Mark some time before 6th year, probably at the same time that he was given the task of killing Dumbledore.
My reasons for thinking this are:
1) This scene in Madam Malkin's (from HBP):
Madam Malkin dithered for a moment on the spot, then seemed to decide to act as though nothing was happening in the hope that it wouldn't. She bent towards Malfoy, who was still glaring at Harry.
"I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more, dear, let me just--"
"Ouch!" bellowed Malfoy, slapping her hand away, "watch where you're putting your pins, woman! Mother -- I don't think I want these any more--"
He pulled the robes over his head and threw them on the floor at Madam Malkin's feet.
2) This scene in Borgin and Burkes (also from HBP):
Harry saw Borgin lick his lips nervously.
"Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."
"No?" said Malfoy, and Harry knew, just by his tone, that Malfoy was sneering. "Perhaps this will make you more confident."
He moved towards Borgin and was blocked from view by the cabinet. Harry, Ron and Hermione shuffled sideways to try and keep him in sight, but all they could see was Borgin, looking very frightened.
"Tell anyone," said Malfoy, "and there will be retribution."
chibitoaster said in comments to my last post that JKR said in an interview with her editor that Draco did not take the Mark, but I can't find anything to back this up by googling. Can anyone provide a reference for this?If JKR did say this (or says it on Pottermore in her upcoming Draco entry), then I'm not sure what to think. It just doesn't make sense to me from the information that we have in canon.
Possible explanations if JKR confirms Draco was not Marked:
- We are supposed to take Harry's conviction that Draco has a Mark as further evidence for Harry's penchant for thinking Draco is up to something. But, it really does look like he has a Dark Mark; it's not just Harry being obsessive (not this time, heh).
- JKR wanted to deliberately mislead us into thinking Draco has a Mark, to confuse us about how deep in he is with Voldemort. (cf Snape). But this is pointless, because she never uses this confusion to achieve anything within the text. It's not like we suspect that Draco is Marked and then later we find out he's not, and it's a great shock to learn actually he's been working for Dumbledore the whole time or something.
- Draco drew on a FAKE Dark Mark and used it to scare Borgin. I really like this theory, and I can totally see Draco doing this. He wants the power and protection that being a Death Eater brings, but he can't actually bring himself to kill anyone or take the Mark (or perhaps Voldemort did not think him worthy of the Mark). It makes my heart twist for him, so if this was the aim, I like it. But, again, this is sort of pointless, because JKR never reveals that it's fake in canon, so it doesn't have the desired effect. It's a nice theory, but it doesn't really work.
- JKR did initially mean Draco to have a Dark Mark, but later changed her mind for ~reasons. I'm afraid this is what I'm probably going to assume, if she is quoted as saying Draco never took the Mark.
Obviously, in the film version, Draco does have a Mark and when I looked at an earlier sketch for the new illustration, it seemed to be very much influenced by this moment in the HBP film.
I know JKR didn't have ultimate control over what happened in the films, but I presume she did veto anything she was really uncomfortable with? The fact that Draco is Marked in the films suggests to me that JKR was happy with that premise.
However, the fact that the sketch for the new book illustrations has changed from Draco aggressively displaying his Dark Mark, to Draco (possibly) hiding a Mark, is interesting. It seems pretty clear to me that that's what he's doing in the new illustration - why else would be be clutching at his left forearm like that? But at the same time it's not as unambiguous as the sketch would have been.
I presume again that JKR has approval over things like illustrations, but does anyone know this to be the case? Jonny Duddle's other finished pieces are more or less identical to his initial sketches - this seems to be the only one where there has been a significant change, which suggests to me some editorial intervention. If JKR did have input, this would back up the idea that she wants the issue of Draco being Marked / unMarked to remain ambiguous. And, rereading the passages from the Half-Blood Prince, I feel this is what she's aiming for. She likes the possibility of it, but she doesn't want to definitely confirm it. Why? I don't really get it. Why not confirm that Draco either is or is not Marked during the series? I do tend to be a reader who likes things quite black and white, but I can't see what this uncertainty adds to the series, or our appreciation of Draco's character.
Finally (if you made it this far), I have to own to having a vested interest in Draco being Marked. I really like the Dark Mark and what I can do with it in fic. I like Harry having a Dark Mark kink. Or being appalled by it the first time they get naked. I like a redeemed!Draco being ashamed of it. Similarly, I like a dark!Draco who uses it to intimidate or unsettle. I like it if they're getting romantic and he accidentally flashes it and Harry SEES and REACTS and Draco ASSUMES and FREAKS and, oh, there are just so many fabulous possibilities for Dark Marks. Please don't take them away from me, JKR. /o\
I'd be interested to hear thoughts about any of this. Especially as I am meant to be cleaning and tidying. Please save me from that extremely dull fate and come and hypothesise with me instead.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 02:29 pm (UTC)And I see not specifying his marked status as feeding into that. You could equally argue he was marked summer between 5th and 6th year when tasked with killing Dumbledore as you can he was unmarked and would (presumably) get the mark after completing the task.
If he's unmarked - I adore the headcanon of him drawing the mark on his arm to intimidate people with. It goes along with the "hasn't realized he's in over his head" are Draco of the earlier books and makes a really poignant bridge between that and the Draco he had become by the end of book 6.
Because at what point in that year does he realize how *hard* it is? The cabinet, Dumbledore, all of it. The transition between "this is what I want" and "I really don't want this" is a very important part of his arc.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 02:37 pm (UTC)Not specifying means jkr can leave the moral greyness intact. Did Draco need to be marked to agree to his task? Did he not? How much was coercion and how much was just Draco?
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 02:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 06:43 pm (UTC)Yes, I think you made your point perfectly, and I'm as convinced as I can be of the benefits of her leaving it ambiguous. It just annoys me a little, if I'm honest. I don't like the way Draco is written in one way (IMO) in the books and then interpreted in a different way (again IMO) by JKR in interviews and so on. I would prefer it to be down in black and white in the text so I know where I stand!
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 06:46 pm (UTC)But I don't do Pottermore for that reason. XD
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 06:55 pm (UTC)I'm worried about the Draco info, though. It's going to hit a little harder, whatever it is.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 06:34 pm (UTC)I can get that, definitely. I suppose I just want her to have the courage of her convictions. It's like, she wants us to think he's Marked. She wants Harry to think he is. But she wants to leave it open, to not be definite about it. I think what made me feel irritated by it was the realisation that, having left it open, she could now come back and say, "oh no, he wasn't Marked at all." I dislike this possibility intensely, for some reason.
If he's unmarked - I adore the headcanon of him drawing the mark on his arm to intimidate people with. It goes along with the "hasn't realized he's in over his head" are Draco of the earlier books
Yes, I like it too! And it would explain why he doesn't get caught with the Mark at any other time in the books. But I don't actually think that's what JKR intended. Could work really well in a fic, though.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 11:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 08:39 pm (UTC)