Okay, it's been a while since I've done something like this, but it kind of bothers me.

There's a scene in Prisoner of Azkaban that everyone (including myself) enjoy. Everyone who's seen the movie or read the book knows what I'm talking about, I bet. The scene where Hermione punches/slaps Draco because he totally deserves it.

Okay, okay, but I was watching the movie today, and I was suddenly very angry. Right before she punches the boy, she sticks her wand in his face in a very threatening manner. When not looking into it, Malfoy's reaction is hilarious. He just kind of starts whimpering like some sissy (My aunt went so far as to think it was actually a girl there -- though that may have been more to do with the hair. Who knows).

But, then I started to think on it. Now, I am in no way a fan of Draco, other than when laughing at his ridiculous antics, but I realized something that really just kind of hurt.

Why would he react this way? I mean, what did he expect her to do? Kill him? That's when I came to a very disturbing conclusion. What if his punishments were worse than normal in his house? What if, when he messed up, his father was a lot less lenient?

What if he had a tendency to use the Cruciatus curse?

Hear me out. Lucius was a devout follower of Voldemort and basically saw the man as a god, and we all know how Moldy Shorts treats his followers. The man had no remorse and would ruthlessly torture anyone who failed him. It 'taught them to be less of a failure' or some such nonsense (how he kept any followers, I have no idea).

Well, wouldn't it be possible for Lucius to develop the idea that this was a good idea for keeping children in line as well? Even at the end of book 2, when Lucius is angry at Potter for losing him his servant, he has no hesitation to turn to an unforgivable curse (Avada Kedavra in this case) as a form of punishment.

Just thinking about it aggravates me, but this would explain a lot.

How often do you think he, a young child (because in the midst of everything, I think we have a tendency to forget that they are all nothing more than children), has had a wand pointed at him, and having to listen to his father -- the man who is supposed to be his source of protection and safety -- scream the phrase 'Crucio' his way? How many times does he have to bear the unimaginable pain of that torture from his father?

What if his tears in this scene are him reliving every one of those moments?

He sees how angry she is, she thinks of what she would do. After all, isn't It common for punishment to be so harsh? He figured with her anger at him, she wouldn't be bothered if she tortured him a bit.

Because despite how much of a total jerk Malfoy is, he's still a just kid who's had to deal with never having a proper Father-Son relationship and doesn't understand what the normal is for how people react to someone who stepped out of place.

The very fact that this is a possibility irks me beyond belief. I don't care that they're fictional people in a fictional world. To torture a child in any reality is wrong, and it physically hurts me to imagine how cruel of a father Lucius is.

Anyway, my rant is over now.

Architect Out.