I don't wish to distract with the HP stuff, either, so I won't comment on it. I would recommend, though, reading this page, for instance:
http://harrypotter.w...ki/Draco_Malfoy. I know it's a wiki but that article does seem to have at least couple sources to Rowling's interviews and sums up the moments from the books. Draco, well, I don't like him all that much, he is no favourite like Sasuke. I just felt that your characterisations on his character were wrong, or at least very different from mine.
I much prefer to source Rowling herself. For interested parties:
QUOTE (JK Rowling)
People have been waxing lyrical [in letters] about Draco Malfoy, and I think that's the only time when it stopped amusing me and started almost worrying me. I'm trying to clearly distinguish between Tom Felton, who is a good looking young boy, and Draco, who, whatever he looks like, is not a nice man. It’s a romantic, but unhealthy, and unfortunately all too common delusion of — delusion, there you go — of girls, and you [nods to Melissa] will know this, that they are going to change someone. And that persists through many women's lives, till their death bed, and it is uncomfortable and unhealthy and it actually worried me a little bit, to see young girls swearing undying devotion to this really imperfect character, because there must be an element in there, that "I'd be the one who [changes him]." I mean, I understand the psychology of it, but it is pretty unhealthy. So, a couple of times I have written back, possibly quite sharply, saying [Laughter], "You want to rethink your priorities here."
She could easily have been talking about Sasuke there. This is what makes Sakura and Karin's (and Ino's, for that matter) interest in Sasuke so disturbing. It's unhealthy. As I said, Karin is the only one who has a realistic clue what he's like to live with, and that's why I give her the edge. In my opinion, Sakura understands Sasuke's unsuitability with her mind, but her heart has been unable (so far) to completely connect the dots -- and she desperately needs to elevate herself beyond settling for Sasuke's disinterest.
QUOTE (JK Rowling)
But I thought of Draco as someone who is very capable of compartmentalizing his life and his emotions, and always has done. So he's shut down his pity, enabling him to bully effectively. He's shut down compassion — how else would you become a Death Eater? So he suppresses virtually all of the good side of himself. But then he's playing with the big boys, as the phrase has it, and suddenly, having talked the talk he's asked to walk it for the first time and it is absolutely terrifying. And I think that that is an accurate depiction of how some people fall into that kind of way of life and they realize what they're in for. I felt sorry for Draco. Well, I’ve always known this was coming for Draco, obviously, however nasty he was.
Harry is correct in believing that Draco would not have killed Dumbledore, which I think is clear when he starts to lower his wand, when the matter is taken out of his hands.
This makes it pretty clear -- to me, at least -- that Rowling herself believed Draco to be nasty, and that whatever good qualities he might have had he purposely chose to suppress. My interpretation of her final sentence is that Draco didn't have what it took to kill Dumbledore, not that he resisted out of goodness, and that his inability to do the job meant it fell to Snape to get it done. It left room for Draco to be pitied and slightly less tarnished than if he'd killed Dumbledore.
Maybe I should clarify something:
I like morally gray and dark characters. That's why I like Sasuke. I don't like him because he is a sweet misunderstood angel. I like him because he is not. Good guys bore me to death or at best I just don't care. I especially like characters who have serious flaws, yet are not completely evil. Sasuke (or Draco) are not wholly good, but neither is wholly evil. That is interesting, for me. I have no interest in pretending that Sasuke is fluffy-hearted sweetpea who has never wronged anyone; why should I do that when perfect goodness bores me silly? I also like Sakura because she is not perfect. She can be shallow, mean. She has insecurities. Yet, she is a good person at heart. Not perfect in any way, still a gorgeous character.
I get that. Lots of people love the dark and dangerous, morally ambiguous characters. Back to HP for a second, one of my favorite characters was Sirius Black, so yeah, I get it. Likewise, Kakashi is one of my favorites, and he is a clear parallel to Sasuke.
The thing is, I'm really talking about Sasuke's unsuitability for Sakura. He may be an interesting character if you like the brooding, murderous, self-centered, morally challenged types, but I personally don't want that for Sakura. I like her too much. I agree she is imperfect, but in the normal ways that young girls are imperfect. Her imperfections are not on the same planet as Sasuke's.
In my opinion, Naruto is so much better for her in every way, and I think he would spend the rest of his life making her happy. And everything we have been explicitly shown in terms of Naruto's feelings so far suggests that's precisely what he would do if he got the chance. There's been zero evidence that Sasuke has the slightest interest in Sakura's feelings, much less in making her happy. Sakura and Naruto in a healthy, safe, happy relationship would make them both happy, and I won't stop hoping that's exactly what happens.
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