Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at five Draco Malfoy theories that have recently caught
my eye.
To start, I’d like to acknowledge that there are loads of debates out there between fans
as to whether Malfoy was a redeemable character or not.
There seems to be two very distinct camps – one that believes Draco was a snake at
the beginning of the series, and an even bigger snake at the end; and another that believes
he was simply brought up in an environment of hate but was really a good person.
The latter of these two groups, suggests that there is a very obvious character arc and
redeeming storyline that Draco goes through in the latter half of the series.
I must admit that I’m somewhat with the second group of fans in my beliefs regarding
Malfoy.
Sure, he was a pompous pureblood that did terrible things to Harry and his friends in
their youth.
But these terrible things were always done with juvenile intent.
For example, in The Philosopher’s Stone, Draco was responsible for tricking Harry into
thinking he was going to fight Malfoy in a midnight duel.
BUT his true intention in challenging Harry was to have him found outside of bed, running
around the castle after hours – something which would have resulted in Harry’s expulsion.
EXPULSION – not death – not even harm.
So, I imagine you take my meaning.
Draco seemed to hate Harry but not to the point that he would cause him actual harm
– at least as an 11-year-old boy.
Of course, later in the series, there are many times in which Draco is presented with
the opportunity to bring harm to Harry – such as when he was asked to identify if a very
badly stung Harry was indeed THE Harry Potter.
This happens at Malfoy Manor in The Deathly Hallows after a group of snatchers find Harry,
Ron, and Hermione in the woods and they use a charm to puff up Harry’s face beyond the
point of recognizability.
Of course, the snatchers suspect it’s Harry, his lightning-bolt scar mainly to blame.
But when Draco, home from school on holiday, is asked to confirm that the puffy-faced,
adolescent wizard IS THE Harry Potter, he falters.
He knows it’s Harry – we know he knows.
But he does not confirm it to his father, Lucius, even though it would’ve brought
the Malfoy family back into great favour with the Dark Lord, because Draco knows that if
he were to identify Harry as HARRY, he would’ve been killed.
This is one of the MOST telling moments into the true nature of Draco Malfoy.
And, so, it’s with this perspective that I’ll be taking you through today’s theories
on Mr. Malfoy.
5.
Draco helped Harry in The Chamber of Secrets This theory only pertains to the movie, however,
it’s possible that it was some secret narrative in J.K.
Rowling’s mind as she wrote the novel, since she had a hand in the films and was known
to share backstory with the actors and filmmakers as necessary.
The theory stems from a small moment in the movie that didn't happen in the book: When
Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys went to Flourish and Blotts to buy their textbooks
and ran into the Malfoys, Draco can be spotted glancing around the shop to see if anyone
is looking before ripping a page out of a book.
Of course, this on its own means basically nothing.
But if you put that together with the fact that later in The Chamber of Secrets, Ron
and Harry find a petrified Hermione with a ripped page about basilisks in her hands,
one may begin to see a connection.
The obvious assumption that most people have made regarding this scene is that Hermione
must have found information on the basilisk, torn out the page, and been on her way to
find Harry and Ron when she was attacked.
BUT when have you ever known Hermione Granger to tamper with the sacred entity of books?!
I must admit, I do find it rather difficult to imagine her doing something so careless
to a thing she held in such high regard…
Now, back to Draco and his ripped out page…why would he have done this?
If he wanted a page from a book, surely his wealthy father could’ve bought him the whole
damn thing!
Well, the theory goes that, since Lucius Malfoy had been talking openly about the dangers
abounding at Hogwarts for Muggle-borns, he must’ve been aware of – or at least the
myth of – a basilisk and other creatures associated with Salazar Slytherin lurking
within the castle.
So, perhaps, in an effort to learn more about what he had overheard his father talking about,
Draco ripped out a page on the giant serpents.
Then when he realized just how much danger the students at Hogwarts were in, he found
a way to get it to Hermione for her to share with Ron and Harry, knowing that they would
try to stop it.
I suppose there’s also the more sinister possibility that Draco hoped the three would
go looking for the basilisk – if they knew what to look for, that is – and would then
come to harm when they encountered it…
4.
In year seven, Malfoy was Hogwarts’ Head Boy
I’ll be the first to admit that this is a rather benign theory, however, it’s a
theory nonetheless!
In what would have been Harry, Ron and Hermione’s seventh and final year at Hogwarts, there’s
the thought that Draco Malfoy may have been the school’s Head Boy.
This role is typically entrusted to a senior prefect, which we know that Draco was prior
to his seventh year.
There’s also the fact that Hogwarts was being run by Death Eaters at the time, and
therefore, Malfoy would’ve been a suitable pupil to fill the role, what with his family’s
allegiance to the Dark Lord.
To anyone who questions whether or not Draco even attended Hogwarts in his seventh year,
we know this to be true for several reasons, one of which is the fact that Lucius Malfoy
says to the werewolf, Greyback, in The Deathly Hallows that Draco is back from school for
Easter Holidays.
3.
Draco was never a Death Eater
Now, since theory number 1 in this video was only really for the movie franchise, this
theory is strictly for fans of the novel.
If you’ve seen the Harry Potter films, then you will have explicitly seen a Dark Mark
on Draco’s arm.
But in the books, whether or not Draco has a Dark Mark is a lot more up for debate.
You may recall a previous theory I’ve discussed in another video – that Draco might have
been a werewolf, and that the mark on his arm – which, in the book, Harry never got
a good look at – was actually a werewolf bite from Greyback.
This is just one of many theories offering alternatives to what could’ve been on Draco’s
arm, if not the mark of a Death Eater.
In my opinion, considering the direction and allegiances that Draco chooses to make after
the Battle of Hogwarts, it seems all the more likely that Malfoy never actually pledged
himself to Voldemort, making me quite open to the idea that Draco was not an official
Death Eater.
2.
Harry was in love with Draco Malfoy
In the past, I’ve explored the theory that Draco was in love with – or at the very
least had a crush on – Hermione.
But this is a new one for me.
Apparently, actor Tom Felton, the British actor who portrayed Draco Malfoy in the series,
has said he believes this particular fan theory to be true.
Now, I suppose Tom could’ve been being glib, since he says this in a somewhat sarcastic
manner, alongside Harry Potter costar, Rupert Grint, who played Ron in the series.
The two actors laugh as they make the declaration that Harry and Ron must’ve been mad for
Draco with all the attention they gave him.
The theory hinges on a similar basis to the “Draco was in love with Hermione” theory
– that because of all the attention Harry gave Draco throughout the series, perhaps
his strong feelings were fueled by something other than hatred.
There’s also the fact that Draco was so easily able to get under Harry’s skin, another
quality often associated with an individual having intense, unwanted feelings for another.
Now, I’m not saying that I accept this theory to be true – but IF it were, I can see possible
supporting evidence in the way Harry behaved towards Draco.
1.
Draco, Ron and Harry are all distantly related
Now this theory makes the previous one a bit awkward…..There are several fans out there
who have voiced that they believe, since there are only a limited number of pureblood wizarding
families in the world, it would’ve eventually become impossible to REMAIN a pureblood without
marrying a relative – however distant that relative may have been.
In reality, there’s actually more proof to this theory than just the aforementioned
speculation – for Cedrella Black was married to a Septimus Weasley.
The two had three chil*dren, one of whom was likely Arthur Weasley, who is, of course,
Ron Weasley’s father.
Draco’s mother was Narcissa Black before she became Mrs. Malfoy.
And James Potter was born from the Black family lineage as well…Put that all together, and
you’ve got Draco, Ron and Harry all descending from the Black family tree in one way or another.
And, with that, we’ve come to the end of another video!
What did you think?
Did I miss any theories about Draco Malfoy that you think are worth discussing?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
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the channel!
Until next time…
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live