Draco Malfoy
From the Encyclopedia of Speculative Fiction - http://encyclopedia.wizards.pro
| Character | |
| |
| Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | |
|---|---|
| Draco Malfoy | |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | June 5th, 1980 |
| House | Slytherin |
| Occupation | Student |
| Parentage | pure-blood |
| Loyalty | Death Eater (presumed) |
| Film portrayer | Tom Felton |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
Draco Malfoy (born June 5, 1980) is a student at Hogwarts in Harry Potter's year. He was Sorted into Slytherin House. He is Harry's archenemy at Hogwarts.
| Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow. |
Contents |
Childhood
Draco was born to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy (née Black), who are both pure-bloods. They are quite proud of having pure blood and, at least until Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, their continued allegiance to Lord Voldemort while maintaining a respectable public image.
Both the Malfoy family and the Black family have traditionally been in Slytherin House for centuries; indeed, the Blacks usually disowned anyone who was not (for example, Sirius Black). This tendency caused Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in Chamber of Secrets to suspect Draco of being the Heir of Slytherin.
The Malfoys are rich and therefore spoil their son, giving him the best of everything as far as material possessions go. The only hand-me-down thing Draco has ever received would be the old family prejudice against Muggles, Muggle-borns, and half-bloods; in short, prejudice against anyone who is not a pure-blood witch or wizard.
Hogwarts
When Draco goes to Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies, he meets Harry Potter in Madam Malkin's, without knowing who he was, and made a rather intolerant speech about Muggle-borns. Later, on the Hogwarts Express, he offers his friendship to Harry. Harry, however, did not like the attitude he had toward Ron Weasley, with whom he had already made friends, and so turned him down, creating animosity that has lasted through all six books to date. In Order of the Phoenix, for example, Draco joined Dolores Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, and played an important part in the discovery of Dumbledore's Army, which was founded and headed by Harry.
Draco seems to be a fairly talented wizard, at least in some areas. In his very first Potions lesson, his potion-making is held up to the class by Professor Snape as a very good example. He is able to block jinxes nonverbally[HP6]. He is also accomplished at Occlumency.
In Half-Blood Prince, Draco is presumed to have joined the Death Eaters (we do not know for sure if he did) to replace his father, who was locked up in Azkaban after the "fiasco" at the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix. He brags about the mission he has been given to his fellow Slytherin friends on the Hogwarts Express. However, later on in the school year, when his mission is going badly, he is seen crying in a bathroom in fear and despair because he cannot repair the Vanishing Cabinet that is so crucial to his mission of killing Albus Dumbledore, which he has been assigned to do. He finally manages to fix the cabinet, letting several Death Eaters into Hogwarts, but when he is finally given the opportunity to kill Dumbledore, he is unable to do it, instead lowering his wand. Snape, who had made an Unbreakable Vow to Draco's mother, Narcissa, stepped in at that point and finished the task for him, and promptly led him out of the school grounds, presumably to safety.
Draco is friends of a sort with Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, although he looks upon them as being slow and stupid, which is perfectly true. He is also seen sometimes with Blaise Zabini. J. K. Rowling intended, several times, to include a scene with Draco talking to Theodore Nott, whom he considers an equal, but she could not work it in. Draco also appears to enjoy the company of Pansy Parkinson.
Character
During the first four books, Draco's character remained mostly undeveloped, leaving the reader with the impression that he was merely an annoyance. However, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, he joined Professor Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, thereby gaining a bit more power than was granted to prefects (which he also was at the time), and in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince he is presumed to have joined the Death Eaters. Over the course of that school year, he seemed to realise that he was in over his head and was seen in a bathroom crying in fear and despair due to his inability to fix the Vanishing Cabinet. When Draco eventually proved unable to kill Dumbledore, Dumbledore said "Killing is not as easy as the innocent believe," which suggests that Draco still retains at least some of his innocence.
Family tree
Phineas Nigellus Black : : Black | _______________________|_______________________ | | | | Black + Mrs Black Black | | ____|____ Lestrange ______________|_______________ Abraxis | | | | | | Malfoy | | | | | | | Sirius Regulus | | | | | Black Black | | | | | | | | | | ____________| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Rabastan Rodolphus + Bellatrix Andromeda + Ted Narcissa + Lucius Lestrange Lestrange Black Black | Tonks Black | Malfoy | | | | Nymphadora Tonks Draco Malfoy