Who felt bad for Draco at the end of book 6? I think I did a little bit, but felt he go what he deserved.

Oh, I dunno...

We saw a great change in Draco's character throughout book six. Waiting to attack Harry whereas he would usually have done it infront of the others, crying in the bathroom, talking to Moaning Myrtle who is incidently a Muggle and he hates them, keeping himself to himself, avoiding Snape.

I guess it's probably his fault that he ended where he did, but we know he didn't want to be there. I think it was more down to his parents pushing him into becoming a Death Eater, and him wanting to prove himself to his father and all that.

I like this more sensitive and subdued side to Draco, but I think I prefer the old one, it was much more entertaining to read. But I suppose it's a good thing that she changed him a little because he's growing up, and growing fast. I just want to know how he's going to get out of the deep hole that he's dug himself into by joining the Dark Side.

I felt bad for him, but I think I agree, at least a little, that it's partly his fault. Not entirely, but his need to prove himself, his eagerness at the beginning and his inability to say 'no' all contributed to his final point. One that I don't think he likes very much.

yeah i agree with misshaunted. draco was not going to kill anyone and he didnt want any ham done to anyone really. we did see a great changed in book six and i think this will be played out in book seven.

I have always loved the charactor Draco no mater what he did so I was really sad for hime when I found out he was crying. Harry had no right to try out any spells on him espessially if he had no idea what it would do. I really hope Draco comes back to the school and is protected like he deserves. he needs to get away from Severus!

I love Draco, he's my favorite character. I felt bad for him at the end, but was kind of mad about him crying in the bathroom and stuff... I cant stand guys crying. Anyways, I really hope he comes back in book 7.

The difference between the Draco of the first five books and the Draco of HBP is that in all the other books, he was all talk

He said he hated muggle-borns, he said he wanted to kill him, he said he would kill Dumbledore, he said he would serve Voldemort etc.

When it all came around, he just couldn't do it. I think Draco may have finally found out who he really is, and who he really needs to be. He has realized that he really can't live the life of cruelty that he always envisioned.

I did feel bad for him. I wouldn't go as far as to say I started to like him, but it was clear that he was way over his head and didn't really want to be doing what he was told to do. He cleary didn't want to kill DD, but just because you don't want to kill someone that doesn't mean that you like them.

I've always had a soft spot for him. I always felt he would have been quite a different person but for the way he was raised. He has all these ideas about the purity of the blood and all that nonsense, but all of the evidence he sees constantly tells him that he, and his father, are dead wrong. He's been in denial a long time.

He thought he was strong enough to walk the walk instead of just talk the talk. He was wrong. He was even stronger than that, because he could not do it. He has an inate sense of decency still in him that just wouldn't allow him to kill DD.

So yeah...I do feel sorry for him because he's now made mistakes that may have ruined his life, just when he's realising that this isn't how he wants it to be.

Draco Malfoy .....the most interesting character I think


I did feel sorry for him . I do not think Draco is actually an evil person . He was under a lot of pression and that carried him to do what he did

He couldnt kill Dumbledore when he had the chance because he is not a killer ....maybe he did have the guts but then he realised it wasnt as easy as he wanted to think it would be . He did have feelings after all

You see.... Draco's problem is the way he has been raised of course. (No one borns being evil ) he has been raised for this but now he realised that maybe this is not what he wanted
He is growing up and dealing with so much for a teen ( and thats why he is more mature than he is supoussed to be)

CaLi

i thought I was the only one that felt that Draco was NOT as bad as the first 5 books made him out to be. I think that in HBP, Draco showed maturity. He isn't this snotty, pampered pure-blood that we came to know in books 1 - 5.

Personally, I agree with what alot of you are saying in this thread. I honestly do not believe that he is evil. The fact that he hesitated when he had a great opportunity to murder Dumbledore is proof enough for me! I think that there will be redemption for Draco in book 7. I really hope so, because this Draco - the one in book 6 - despite the fact that he is acting on orders from Death Eaters, is the Draco that I like. I think he will sway more to the good side in book 7!

Truth be told, if Draco was fighting against Voldemort, I would have to say that he was a better person in HBP than even Harry was. I mean, Harry seemed kind of snotty in this book a lot more than Draco ever was. And I agree that Draco was alot more mature in this book, he has also showed that he is more persistant and quick learning than Harry thought he could ever be. (as shown when draco totaly surprises Harry and traps him on the train) We also find out that he has mastered Occlumency to the point that Even Snape couldnt break into his mind.

I think Draco has developed greatly and I myself felt pretty sad for him and his prediciment durring the whole book. But hopefully he will be more helpful towards Harry and others in the next book!

cheese puff?

First off I must say that Draco Malfoy is my absolute favorite character in the Harry Potter Universe. Ironically enough he is not my favorite because of the books. I 've read at this point hundreds and hundreds of fanfiction stories surrounding Draco, mostly because he is one of the easiest and also one of the hardest characters to write. We don't really know much about him besides the basics. Son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Slytherin house and seeker, prefect, white blonde hair, pointy face, Harry Potters arch nemisis, mean little git. This begs the question of why. The only time we see him and consequently the other Slytherins is from a Gryff point of view. IF you want to really get down to it the Golden Trio and the rest of the Gryffs are as much prejudiced against the Slytherins as the Slytherins are against them. The Slytherins see them as Mudblood sympathizers and the Gryffs see them as Death Eaters in training without ever wondering if thats what they wanted.

Onto Draco's development in HBP I must say that I was a bit disappointed. I wanted lots more Draco than I actually got. Personally I would have much rathered read about Dracos attempts to kill DD than Harry and Ginnys underdeveloped romance. I believe that Draco deserves sympathy and should not be condemned as evil. First and foremost because in spite of everything, in spite of the fact that Voldemort had threatened himself and his family he still did not kill DD. It was not cowardly but an extremely brave act. He in essence put DD's life ahead of his own. Also to agree with former posts he shows extreme cleverness and resilience, not necessarilly in a good way but we are shown that he is not this laughable nusiance. He is an actual threat now.

I think that Dracos character has a lot of potential and I really wish that he had more screen time in the books and movies because I think it would have been a better lead in to the HBP.

What I wish for him is to see the error of his ways so to speak and find redemption.

Draco makes a massive change in this book. You start to see how he's becoming a little bit more independent and not really relying on anyone. I guess he doesnt have his father to run to here so he can't help. but i think that we start to see the real Draco. Maybe the fact that his father has alwasy been over his shoulder and telling him what doo do and how evil to be made him hide himself a bit. But now that Lucius is in Azkaban maybe he feels he can come out of his shell and start to do what he wants. I still think that Draco was born into evil not naturally evil. I think he may also feel pressured into doing what Voldmort wants. because he doesn't want to be put second best to his father. I think that he feels he has a llot to live up to because of his father. I don't think he really wanted to kill Dumbledore but he felt he had to. thats why he hesitated and didn't do it.

YES! Finally my chance to defend the honor of the Slytherin Prince we all love to hate! Whew! Okay, celebration over.

I'm sure I'm going to repeat a lot of what other people have said and I don't mean to. The first thought that comes to my mind about Draco (besides the obvious) is "Predjudice parents, predjudice kids". Now don't jump on me for anything, this is just a quote that I thinks fits Draco perfectly.

HBP was Draco's quest for self discovery and he didn't like what he found. He thought he was this big bad Slytherin that ruled the school and knew that muggleborns were filth and he was better than everyone else. When it came time to back his mouth up, not only did he find he couldn't, but he saw that he was someone completely different than what he had thought of himself. He was weak, and vulunerable, and realized every thought, and every once of his being was forced upon him. He is learning to make decisions for himself even if they are not the most popular decisions.

He could have killed Dumbledore if he really wanted to. If he really felt the need to. But he didn't. He couldn't. He didn't have the want.

Is Draco going to turn to the other side now? Probably not. He is much more loyal to himself then he is anything else. If he is not killed for failing (and we all know this is a possibility) then he is going to wonder around aimlessly still trying to figure out who he is. However, even as I think he won't turn to the "light" side (for lack of a better term) I also don't think he will continue his allegiance with Voldemort. What is the old saying, "an enemy of an enemy is now my friend"? Or something like that. The only help Harry will get from him will be inadvertant and completely unintentional.

I completely agree with Snitch when he/she (sorry, forgot to look at if you were a boy or a girl!) said Draco was probably the most complex characters in Harry Potter. Draco, Professor Snape, and Remus Lupin are my favorite characters only because they aren't cut-and-dry people. There is definitely more to Remus then he lets on, don't get me started on Professor Snape, and Draco is changing as he tries to grow his brain. And I mean that in the greatest of respects.




Pray tell, how is Draco not safe with Professor Snape?

Well, one obviously feels sad for him. From just talk to doing the impossible (like bringing Death eaters in the castle)...Draco accompished a lot. Even Rowling admitted that she felt bad for Draco and that he did a lot of growing up in the book. Imagine, in fifth book, he was taunting Harry and telling him that he will pay. In sixth book, he's right up there with the death eaters, taking orders from the Dark Lord.
The scene where i really feel sad for him is when he is standing in front of WWW and seeing other kids buy stuff.

Well, one obviously feels sad for him. From just talk to doing the impossible (like bringing Death eaters in the castle)...Draco accompished a lot. Even Rowling admitted that she felt bad for Draco and that he did a lot of growing up in the book. Imagine, in fifth book, he was taunting Harry and telling him that he will pay. In sixth book, he's right up there with the death eaters, taking orders from the Dark Lord.
The scene where i really feel sad for him is when he is standing in front of WWW and seeing other kids buy stuff.

I'm a huge Draco Malfoy fan, so I've always been biased when it came to him so obviously I felt sorry for him during HBP. In the earlier boks I always felt sorry him because he could never get the upper hand on the Trio, no matter how hard he tried. I was upset when Harry refused his hand in SS; I was upset when Hermione punched him in POA; I was upset when Moody turned him into a ferret in GOF; and the list goes on.

I'm drawn to him as a character because we are so much alike. Our genders are different, and I'm not a witch, but his attitude and how he carries himself is the same as mine, so it was destined that he would be my favorite character. In HBP I started to see that he wasn't as cold-hearted as he liked people to believe he was. Now I know he attempted to use the Cruciatis curse on Harry, but remember, he was in a bathroom crying because he got himself in way too deep and he didn't know what to do. To Draco, it is a sin to show any type of emotion that could make him seem weak, so he's already breaking a Malfoy rule just by crying. Then bring in the fact that his enemy has seen him crying and things just get worse for him. I personally think that Harry should have gotten hit by atleast one the curses that Draco aimed his way.

I do feel symphy for Draco because he maybe a bully, but he doesn't deserve to be in the position he's in. We see that he may have realized that everything he was raised to believe is wrong, so even though he may be a bully, he isn't totally unredemeble. His actions in HBP show that he is indeed human, and he does deserve our sympathy.

I'm also a big Draco fan and I felt soo bad for him in the sixth book, particularly the scene in the bathroom. I feel bad for him because he's always had to live with the fact that he's surrounded by Death Eaters and now, he's being forced to become one.

I think it was good that JKR showed us Draco's sesitive side. It was good to see that he's not so one-dimentional and that he really is a human and he does have feelings.

I am a huge Draco Malfoy fan and I will staunchley defend him till the end. I relate alot with Draco. Even though I am female, I like Draco am an only child, was spoiled growing up, given whatever I wanted and as an older teen and even as an adult tended to become somewhat of a very shallow, narcissitic kind of person. I do believe that the way Draco is is because of his upbringing. He was spolied by his mother, the world was pratically handed to him, and even though he has always fought for his father's attention, he still longs for that love and affection that a boy yearns from his father.
I felt so sorry for Draco in HBP when he was in the bathroom crying his eyes out to Moaning Myrtle, I think he chose her to talk to and tell all his troubles too, because, one, she was a ghost and she's dead, two, she would not pass judgement on him for what he was intending to do, and three, unlike his croanies she would listen to him and then offer him a kind word or two without prejudice.
Draco is a very misunderstood individual, even though he has never been able to have the upper hand on Harry Potter, he is still alot more conniving and manipulative than most would like to give him credit for. He has his strong characteristics, and if people would actually take the time to talk with him and get past his arrogant attitude they might actually see that he is human like everyone else.
Give the boy a chance, let him prove what he is worth. I will support him till the end no matter what

Marcey

like many people here i believe that draco is only the way he is because of his upbringing. i felt very bad for draco in book 6. i mean he was crying to moaning myrtle...draco malfoy!! i think that really says something about his character. when no one is watching him he's not all tough and mudblood hating. he only acts that way because thats how hes supposed to act.

Alright, before I start to sound repetitive, I think that most people posting in this thread feel some kind of pity/empathy/sympathy/sadness for Draco in Book Six, and rightfully so.
Oh, and before I go any further, my opinions may be slightly biased, from the time I read the first book when I was like six I decided that I wanted to marry Draco. His character just really appealed to me, and even at that young age I could see that his narcissism and upbringing would, at some point, cause him to fall. Anyway, point being that I'm another one of those I'll-defend-him-to-the-end people. Sowwy.

But, yeah, back to Draco in Book Six...
I think that made him more realistic, though, and, in my case, just made me even more attracted to him (an attractive bad boy with a vulnerable side? ).
What we really see in HBP is Draco becoming himself, if you think about it. Although sixteen is a bit late to be establishing an identity.
His upbringing lead him to believe that he and his family were the best, the richest, the most powerful, and that he had the power to make anyone do whatever he wanted them to do. This got him what he wanted in the short run-- respect, awe, and power-- but when his father got sent to Azkaban, the Golden Age of the Malfoys (excuse my history-esque term) started to decline.
So where did that leave our dear Draco? The things that he had used to establish his identity slowly dissolved away. Where could he get the power, the honor, the respect that he craved and had come to expect?
In addition to that loss, he had to accept that he and his family were, sadly, in significant danger, and it was more or less up to him to save them all. A few of the great traits of a Slytherin are their commitment, dedication, and ambition. That said, Draco couldn't turn against his own flesh and blood and risk his neck at the same time.
He certainly possessed the necessary drive to do his dirty deed, but this also brought up a lot of questions for him. Perhaps, without the pressure of his father, Draco was able to discover himself a bit more. He could be human and cry; heck, I know I'd be crying in the bathroom if Voldemort asked me to kill Dumbledore (yeah, bad comparison, sorry). And, while my heart went out to him in previous books when he was turned into a ferret or when Hermione punched him, a few tears streamed down my cheek when Harry cast the Sectumsempra on him. Really, how much lower could you get? I thought. I mean, here's this kid that used to be a bully and a leader, crying in the bathroom. Are you really gonna try to kill him? That was really heartless.
Draco also had to face the lack of friends he had. Crabbe and Goyle were his minions and Pansy his worshipper, but does he really have any legitimate friends at Hogwarts? No. So, in addition to being given this tremendous task that he isn't wholeheartedly willing to attempt, but he also has no one to lean on. He had to have been feeling alone.
And then during his chat with Dumbledore in the chapter "The Lightning-Struck Tower"... that really gave supporting evidence for Draco's "transformation", for lack of a better term. Dumbledore sums it up in one sentence when he says "Draco, you are not a killer". Draco isn't a killer, and has no incentive to do so except to protect himself and his family.
For those that say Draco is evil... can you really say that about him now? Or is he just insecure, abandoned, and lost? I suppose only the Deathly Hallows will tell, sadly.

One question that I have-- and I know I brought this up in the Draught of Dramatic Draconian Drawls thread-- is
If he had more time, would Draco have accepted Dumbledore's offer of protection?

Naturally he didn't and that's that, but what do you think? On a similar note, will he eventually turn against Voldemort? Or is he too far gone?

Killing someone is just stooping down very low, and i believe that Draco would never EVER do that. He talks and all but he doesn't actually do what he says, you know what i mean? Everyone always assumes he is evil as he says it that way. He jokes around very false-evil sort of, but he doesn't have the heart to kill someone. He's not that type. He's like his father by mind, but like his mother at heart.

Yes, I do think there was alot of devolpment..

He showed alot of emotion Crying in the Bathroom, talking to a muggle ghost ( does that count), Being a Bit more emotional around Pansy ( laying his head in her lap, she wanted to hold hand with him, he might have if Harry wouldn't have come in), and Lowering his wand when he knows it means his life to Dumbledore..

Yes I know Draco tried to Use Crucio on Harry.. But how would you like it if someone walked in on you crying in the bathroom? ( To ghost!?!)
I Think there has been alot of Plot devolpment for him.. I think he talks big but when it comes down to it, he's a good kid.

i've always disliked draco but in HBP i realy admirated his sense of responsibility and his courage and bravery i feelt really bad form for what' s happenning to his family i don't realy like the malfoys but i guess lucius reckognized his mistake and narcissa was never into dark arts

Yeah...I felt really sad when he was crying and I feel like killing Harry because he used the Sectumsmpra curse on him. He was just worried about his family. Bad Harry Potter.

I love the whole Malfoy family, however evil. I do feel sorry for Draco because he was so tense and shocked that he might actually be killed if he didn't fulfill his mission, that he couldn't really concentrate. And I think that he was too young to be forced to kill somebody.