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Revision as of 18:09, 17 August 2006
Draco Malfoy (born 5 June 1980) is an antagonist in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books and Harry Potter's principal rival at Hogwarts.
Draco is described as a boy with a pale, pointed face, white-blond hair, and cold grey eyes. Harry describes him as a spoiled, arrogant, and selfish person. Malfoy frequently taunts Ron Weasley about his family's poor financial standing and treats Hermione Granger with disdain for being Muggle-born, frequently calling her a "Mudblood".
Tom Felton plays Draco Malfoy in the first four Harry Potter films and will appear in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Background and role in the story
Draco is the only child of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and is related to the Blacks by his mother, who is a cousin of Sirius Black.
Malfoy's main role in the story is as Harry's antagonistic rival at school. In later books, his role becomes more sinister as he matures, eventually joining the Death Eaters. His parents were both supporters of Lord Voldemort, and although they claimed to be controlled by bewitchment after the Dark Lord's downfall, they returned to his service once he had acquired a new body.
Name
Draco is a Latin word meaning "dragon". Like many names of the Black family, it is also the name of constellation.
"Draco" was the first lawgiver of Athens, who enforced a harsh legal code. The English adjective draconian, meaning "cruel", is inherited from that lawgiver. Variations on the name "Draco" are also translated to "devil" in some biblical and other ancient texts.
"Malfoy" is derived from Old French "mal foi" or "mal foy", which means "bad faith", or "bad trust".
Draco in the books
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Malfoy is 11 years old at the start of this book. In the book he made his first appearance in Madam Malkin's robe shop, in contrast to the film, where they met for the first time on arriving at school. Malfoy initially behaved in a conversational but detached manner towards Harry and tried to engage him in conversation; however, the conversation alienated Harry greatly. Malfoy told Harry that he was planning to persuade his father to buy him a new racing broom. This strongly reminded Harry of Dudley Dursley, Harry's spoiled cousin. Draco then inadvertently disparaged Hagrid, with whom Harry was already friendly at the time. Finally, Malfoy asked accusatorily whether or not Harry's parents were "our kind" (wizards), a challenge Harry found insulting. They parted, without introducing themselves. When they met again on the train to Hogwarts, the two boys' mutual dislike for each other began when Harry rejected Malfoy's offer of friendship, after Malfoy ridiculed Ron Weasley's family and condescended Harry's parents.
Draco was immediately portrayed as a bully who uses psychological manipulation and verbal taunts. He is constantly accompanied by two Slytherins, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who are often compared to bodyguards and follow his every order.
Despite his cockiness, Malfoy often shies away from physical violence when Crabbe and Goyle are not around to protect him.
Malfoy is highly favoured by Severus Snape, the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House. Because of this, Draco often gets away with behaviour in Potions class that would land Harry in detention.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
In the beginning of his second year at Hogwarts, Draco was 12 years old. He secured the position of Seeker in the Slytherin Quidditch team when his father donated seven high-quality Nimbus 2001 brooms to the team. The new brooms allow the Slytherin team to outscore the Gryffindor chasers in the first match of the year, but ultimately Harry beats Malfoy to the Snitch and catches it, winning the match for Gryffindor.
Malfoy introduced the idea of open prejudice against Muggle-born wizards by calling Hermione Granger a Mudblood, which was the word's first appearance in the series. Because of his expressed contempt for Muggle-borns, Harry and his friends suspected that Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin who was opening the Chamber of Secrets. Harry and Ron, using Polyjuice Potion to assume the forms of Crabbe and Goyle, discerned that, although Malfoy wished to aid in the attacks on Muggle-borns, he was not opening the Chamber.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
At the time of this books events, Malfoy was 13 years old. During the first Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the year, the first lesson ever conducted by Hagrid, Malfoy was attacked by the hippogriff Buckbeak. Malfoy milked the injury for a long time, giving Slytherin a chance to postpone their match against Gryffindor until later in the year. He and his father also used the "injury" to attempt to get Hagrid fired. Though this ploy fails and Hagrid is cleared, Buckbeak is sentenced to death (but is later rescued by Harry and Hermione). It was also in this book that Hermione slapped him when he slandered Hagrid behind his back.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Malfoy was 14 years old during his fourth year at Hogwarts. Malfoy created the "Support Cedric Diggory" badges for the Triwizard Tournament, and he was the first one to show them to Harry. These badges switched phrases when touched to say "Potter Stinks". He also gave malicious information, often false, to Rita Skeeter about Harry Potter and Hagrid, despite her use of an illegal disguise as an unregistered Animagus. At the Yule Ball, Malfoy was accompanied by Pansy Parkinson and wore dark robes with a high collar that made him look like a vicar in Harry's opinion.
At the end of the book, while on the way home on the Hogwarts Express train, he taunts Harry, Hermione and Ron about the recent return of Lord Voldemort, saying that "Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers" would be the first to die at the Dark Lord's hands. He then amends his statement, attempting to say that the late Cedric Diggory was actually the first, but is heavily jinxed mid-sentence and knocked unconscious.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Draco Malfoy was 15 years old at the time of this book's events. Malfoy was selected to be a Prefect and joined Headmistress Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, which played an important part in the exposure of Dumbledore's Army, led by Harry. Malfoy personally caught Harry, hitting him with a trip jinx and alerting Umbridge to his presence, which earned Slytherin fifty house points. He was also part of the group that caught Harry trying to break into Umbridge's office, and is described as looking eager to watch Harry being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse. After the events at the Department of Mysteries, during which Malfoy's father and several others are captured by Dumbledore, Malfoy twice attempts to corner Harry to get revenge. In the first instance, he is interrupted by the arrival of two teachers, Professors Snape and McGonagall; in the second attempt, on the Hogwarts Express, he is jinxed by several members of Dumbledore's Army.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Malfoy was 16 years old during his sixth year in school. Harry originally encounters Malfoy at Madame Malkin's Robes, after which Malfoy and his mother leave the shop, refusing to buy robes from a place shopped at by Muggle-borns and their sympathisers. Harry and his friends, hidden by Harry's Invisibility Cloak, later see Malfoy at Borgin and Burkes, a shop that features many dark artifacts. His activity there lead Harry to believe he has been branded with the Death Eaters' sign, the Dark Mark. On the Hogwarts Express, Harry leaves his compartment under his Invisibility Cloak to spy on Malfoy and finds him in a compartment with other Slytherins, including Crabbe, Goyle and his girlfriend Pansy Parkinson, and overhears him discussing a task given to him by Lord Voldemort. Malfoy discovers Harry, and after everyone else iin the compartment leaves, he immobilizes Harry and breaks his nose, leaving Harry stranded on the train. Harry spends much of the next year spying on Malfoy, using the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's map, but finds he is unable to keep track of his movements once Malfoy enters the Room of Requirement. When Katie Bell is nearly killed by a cursed necklace from Borgin and Burkes and Ron Weasley is poisoned by mead intended for Dumbledore, Harry suspects that Draco is behind both attacks. Harry later finds Malfoy sobbing to Moaning Myrtle in her bathroom; when Malfoy sees Harry looking at him, the two attempt to jinx each other. After Malfoy attempts to subject Harry to the Cruciatus Curse, Harry uses the unknown spell Sectumsempra on Malfoy, causing him to bleed heavily, though not fatally.
When Harry and Dumbledore return to Hogwarts from their journey to find a Horcrux - during which Dumbledore was weakened by the effects of an unnamed potion found at the site of the Horcrux - they find the Dark Mark hovering over the Astronomy Tower. After landing on the tower, Malfoy ambushes Dumbledore from inside the tower, and Dumbledore, using a crucial second to immobilise Harry under his Invisibility Cloak, is disarmed. Dumbledore calmly converses with Malfoy and gets him to reveal the ways and means that Malfoy has employed during the year to attempt to murder him Malfoy explains that Lord Voldemort ordered him to murder Albus Dumbledore, and that Draco's plan was to mend the broken Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts, to allow Voldemort's Death Eaters to invade and assist with Dumbledore's murder. Dumbledore correctly surmises that as the school year progressed, Draco slowly came to believe that he would be unable to fix the cabinet. In desperation, he unsuccessfully attempts to curse and then poison the headmaster, nearly killing Katie Bell and Ron Weasley in the process. Finally successful, he tells Dumbledore that several Death Eaters entered the school and that one set off the Dark Mark to lure Dumbledore to the tower. However, as Dumbledore tells Draco several times, he is unwilling to kill the Headmaster, despite having him cornered and defenseless; even after being joined by several older Death Eaters, Malfoy makes no move to kill Dumbledore. Instead, when Snape arrives on the scene, he pushes Malfoy out of the way and kills Dumbledore himself. He and Draco, initially pursued by Harry Potter, escape the school.
Harry Potter fandom
Draco Malfoy has developed a large following among many Harry Potter fans as a popular figure in fan fiction, where he is often portrayed as the anti-hero in a romantic relationship with Ginny, Hermione, Pansy, Harry (in "slash" fics), Luna, or even the writers' own original characters. Actor Thomas Felton escalated the character's claim to fame among fans by giving them a visual portrayal of Harry's nemesis. Felton received more fanmail than the other actors (including the protagonist's actor) yet ironically had never read any Harry Potter books until after the filming of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Author J. K. Rowling also has attributed Draco's popularity to the "bad boy" persona he has on film: "The trouble is, of course, that girls fancy Tom Felton, but Draco is NOT Tom Felton!" Rowling said in an interview.
J. K. Rowling on Draco Malfoy
Below are the author's quotes about her character from the Connection Interview (October 1999, transcribed by Catwoman at SQ) and the Leaky Cauldron/Mugglenet Interview 2005.
"He is the bully of the most refined type in that, unlike Dudley, Harry's cousin, who is a physical bully, but really not bright enough to access all of your weak points, Draco is, um, he's a snob. He's a bigot and he's a bully, and as I say, in the most refined sense, he knows exactly what will hurt people."
"I think Draco would be very gifted in Occlumency, unlike Harry. I thought of Draco as someone who is very capable of compartmentalising 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 realise 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."
References
- "JKRowling.com Archives: Birthdays" from MuggleNet
- Opposites Attract Why ... do so many passionate shippers still write and read about a possible romance between Harry's best friend and worst enemy?
- World Day Chat (March 2004 Interview)
External links
- Lexicon: Draco's Profile
- Unredeemed.net: Devoted to Draco
- Mugglenet: Role in the Books
- MadamScoop's Index on the Malfoys
- Dracofans.com - A comprehensive Draco Malfoy website
- The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part II
- JKR's Quotes: The Younger Generation