The Big Draco Malfoy Analysis

[@mariannacross2538]

"if you're not a death eater, why do you hate harry potter so much?" snape, pulling out a list: i'm glad you asked

[@innitheotaku3883]

This has no business being so funny

[@erik9243]

@@innitheotaku3883 it really doesn’t

[@FrontlinerCdV]

"I've spent my entire adult life making this list and I'm still finding things to add to this day."

[@gloweye]

Snape's a death eater, though. He turned because of Lily, not because he didn't agree with the pureblood philosophy.

[@axthxticemma1203]

@@gloweye K so yall came here to destroy the beauty of the story?

[@cheshirechill154]

Draco is a PREP. All these fanfics and Gacha videos are trying to make him a goth bad boy are I N C O R R E C T.

[@madmaral8773]

*coughs in My Immortal*

[@richardwarnke9664]

dont u know everyone at hogwarts is either a goth or wanna be goth

[@haroldandmod]

No cap

[@ethanomcbride]

Draco’s a prep, but is he ON PrEP? Asking for a friend.

[@cheshirechill154]

Ethan O. McBride clearly

[@penn_]

Over half an hour of Draco analysis? Our family will eat like kings all winter

[@trinaq]

Indeed, it's always a wonderful day when Quinn uploads! 💖

[@teddabear8890]

She said she split the essay implying that there were at least 2 essays worth of script in order for it to be split therefore we may be recieving an all you can eat buffet

[@teddabear8890]

Receiving

[@timsilgoodman2514]

YES

[@BishopCDN]

Like most feasts... I have just binged all of her content, including the 90 minute "Animation" video of which I had no prior knowledge.... I will starve before Spring

[@augmenautus]

Jason Isaacs who played Lucius Malfoy deliberately tried to amp up the hatred his character would receive from viewers to buy Draco Malfoy's actor Tom Felton some sympathy from audiences. He reasoned it's hard for child actors to get hate in real life for characters they portrayed, but for adult actors it's just kind of par for the course.

[@skibot9974]

That was very cool of Issacs

[@olhydra]

@@skibot9974 He’s a total gem. A very sweet guy.

[@Hogg342]

Isaac's protrayl of Lucius was fantastic he's tone was very close to the book and he was creppy enough that Isaac's was genuinely disliked to the right amount in my opinion

[@alim.9801]

That's so nice what the heck

[@zinkheroofyoutube8004]

@@Hogg342He also does well at playing the pure patheticness of the character in the 7th and 8th movies

[@simbathedog55]

One of my favorite parts about Draco's endings is that to me, it's realistic. He isolated himself away from the public because the public would hate him if he didn't. But he also isolated himself away from his parents because he found that he disagrees with their philosophy, a philosophy that Lucius and Narcissa never grew out of. He had a wife, someone who also came from a pure blood family but shared his newly changed values, and he had a son, Scorpious, who he taught to be a better person, away from the bigoted views of Draco's own childhood. Draco realized that his time where he could have redeemed himself is long gone, because if he were to actually redeem himself in front of the world, it would have had to been when he was young. But he didn't have the courage to sacrifice his life at that time (because if he had gone against Voldemort, he would have certainly died), therefore instead of a grand redemption arc, he makes small steps by ensuring that the only descendant of the Malfoy family is raised without the philosophies of bigotry and hatred. Draco didn't need some grand redemption, what he got was small steps that made a difference in the way that he could sucessfully do.

[@h.t.8812]

exactly! I feel like grand redemptions are not that realistic

[@oof-wi7hp]

@@h.t.8812 same

[@minna1997-]

I just feel like it's unrealistic that Draco and the protagonists all got married and had kids so young, at the same time

[@displayname9538]

@@minna1997- i know, it's like they co-ordinated haha

[@butterbubbles5375]

I agree, I really wish he had a grand redemption arc but I’ll settle for what’s there and I guess it’s realistic. (Still wish it happened...)

[@Halberddent]

"This gives Draco a connection to snakes without it being super on the nose like a 'Snako Hissboy' *Orochimaru crying in the distance.*

[@suddenllybah]

Hey, he had fun with the slug gilf and froggy perv, so he should be fine.

[@ashikjaman1940]

Real talk, can he even cry? Like, does he have tear ducts?

[@swanstarr1441]

@Okuyasu Higashikata and 3, he's called 3, well, sanji, but, that's 3

[@RA-hs6ry]

snape: and I opp-

[@ducklingscap897]

Orochimarus name comes from the hundred years old legends about The tale about the gallant Jiraiya. There was just never a need to be subtle in folklore.

[@chrisp.9385]

Draco's father: *don't touch that it might break* Also Draco's father: **hits the object with a stick**

[@NicoleReign]

I cackled

[@hahahahahahahhi_am_crazy7469]

His name is Lucius Draco’s dad is named Lucius also referring to Draco’s middle name his full name is Draco Lucius Malfoy

[@TenkabitoShien]

It wasnt because it could break. Its the same place where the cursed neckless was bought, the one where you touched it you die/ get extremely injured

[@ginge641]

Man doesn't trust his little bitch son.

[@6Shooter28]

always just interpreted that as a "you don't know where that's been! poor people might have touched it.." sort of thing

[@laurelsilberman5705]

Dude! I’ve never even noticed Tom’s (Draco’s) reaction when Umbridge slaps Harry-he really is a good actor. Draco *would* be surprised and taken aback to see a teacher physically harm a student with no remorse-after all, she’d been making the students do her dirty work for her, “keeping her hands clean” of the violence as far as Draco knew-and his raised eyebrows and look of surprise capture that inner ‘discomfort with violence’ as your rightly put it. After all, he himself rarely “got his hands dirty,” at least as how he saw it. It was almost exclusively Crabbe or Goyle doing any actual harm.

[@bramijdema759]

Well Crabbe and Goyle did physical harm, but Draco did some serious harm with his insults and bullying. Draco had several campaigns to ruin Harry and Hagrid, which did serious harm to both. Harry felt alone and abandoned, Hagrid lost his pet whom Draco has executed simply because Hagrid is friends with Harry. Finally, years of bullying and belittling led to the Weasley twins beating Malfoy into a bloody pulp.

[@kerrychristensen7204]

And she didn't use a spell- she used her hand, like a *Muggle.*

[@saltboxhouse]

Draco also got in a big fight and kerfuffle with Harry and some other gryffindor in the books tho, a physical confrontation. And they hexed each other more than once

[@expertionis794]

"Rowling's mind palace" sounds like a stephen king novel

[@xGalladeLuigix]

Persona 5 DLC Dungeon confirmed

[@Xehanort10]

It reminds me of the "memory palace" Hannibal Lecter mentions in the original Thomas Harris books and the TV series but not in the films.

[@kurtistownresident9743]

It would for sure be the most terrifying out of all his novels

[@runefish1043]

@@Xehanort10 first thing I thought of too. God the show is so good

[@MellowJelly]

@@Xehanort10 I'm glad the series went a lot more in-depth with the references from the books.

[@Zaria_Dobbs]

This is very late to the party, and its likely this will never be read; but I always found the comparison between Lilly Potter and Narcissa Malfoy very interesting. The reason harry survived voldy is because his mother died for him, and it was this great magical act of love. But Narcissa does this too, when harry conquers death again and voldy instructs Narcissa to check if Harry is dead, instead she asks him if Malfoy is alive and safe4, and Harry says he's in the castle. Narcissa then proclaims him dead, which is what allows Harry to defeat voldy. So Narcissa in an act of great love for her son ALSO defies the dark lord, and I just find that neat.

[@sillygoosetaur]

Yes, this is a very well made comment I love narcissa please we need more narcissa love

[@elenastanica4621]

Harry nodded he did not say he was in the castle.

[@raia1921]

AHAHAHAHAHHSA voldy

[@sealed2mybff]

@@elenastanica4621 only in the movie. In the book, he faintly said "yes" on a breath when she asked if Draco was alive and in the castle.

[@elenastanica4621]

@@sealed2mybff I guess the film director decided to make it more clear why Voldemort did not find out he was alive. He could have been heard.

[@marcusallard8626]

It *really* bugs me how un Slytherin all the “Slytherins” are

[@gabibalbino150]

omg, yes????? my headcanon is that a lot of them aren't really textbook slytherins but ended up in the house anyway because of "pureblood culture" and the history of the house, so basically their families convinced them that it was their rightfull place and the hat was just like "yeah, i guess, fuck it".

[@inkbery4473]

because rowling created an identity for slytherin, threw it out the window, and just made them all evil ://

[@randomfox12245]

@@inkbery4473 its a shame that rowling made such an interesting dynamic world and rules for her setting, and then promptly refused to actually fulfill their potential To this day people treat Hufflepuff like the "and then everyone else" house because she literally didnt know how to represent them in the actual stories

[@milannoelle1576]

Gabi Balbino ; ok but that IS what happened… it’s not exactly a secret

[@HaldorZX]

@@randomfox12245 Hufflepuff literally are the "everyone else" House. The Sorting Hat quotes Helga as saying "I'll take the lot and treat them just the same"showing of all the founders Helga didn't have some preexisting criteria for who was "worthy" to learn under her. Later on it it also say "Hufflepuff she took the rest and taught them all she knew." Hufflepuff is literally the House which will always take you and doesn't give a damn. But it stands to reason that if the bravest, smartest and most cunning and ambitious go to the other Houses that there isn't much left in terms of exceptional students for Hufflepuff. That's sort of Hufflepuff's deal, they make up for their lack of exceptional traits through hard work and standing by one another.

[@justasleebylilguylittlesle1496]

I like the idea that his name is a seeming compromise between his parents, because the Malfoys seem to use names of Greek or Roman Generals and the like, whereas the Blacks use constellations, so Draco is both a constellation /and/ the first recorded legislator of Athens in Ancient Greece.

[@Tareltonlives]

Excellent point. Also, Draco of Athens was extremely popular ,but also extremely cruel and tyrannical. Very well done names.

[@RaccoonInACocoon]

Maybe that's why they didn't have more children, there weren't any other names like that.

[@mickey4125]

@@Tareltonlives Maybe you already know this but that's where the word 'Draconian' comes from. I love words.

[@Tareltonlives]

@@mickey4125 Yep!

[@Tareltonlives]

@@mickey4125 Yep. Read that in Groovy Greeks by Terry Deary.

[@DradthemercenaryXV]

The idea of lucius having touched a stone that made him sterile after having Draco just made me laugh for hours

[@rillykid]

what on earth

[@Xehanort10]

He touched a stone so he lost his stones.

[@Antesyd]

As a father you need to lie sometime and sometime the lies are just awful...

[@bzllatrix4973]

BAHAHHAHA

[@emilym9390]

BAHAHAHAHAHBYE

[@burntblueberrywaffles]

Did somebody say Draco Malfoy?

[@newkidontheblock8662]

LMAOOOO!!! YASSS! So Iconic

[@Xehanort10]

His father will hear about this.

[@moonchild3717]

what do want draco?

[@burntblueberrywaffles]

Josuke Higashikata “So Potter, back for another year at hogwarts, are you?”

[@zoe-ig8zk]

“what do you want, draco?”

[@PineappleLiar]

I feel like one of the things that’s easy to forget is how brutally young the participants of the first and second wizarding war are. The world is one where you’re an anomaly if you live to see 40, with a lot of the cast either dying or permanently fucking over their lives in their 20s. Yeah Draco was a coward and not a very good person, but he was also 17. At 17 I could barely trust myself to cook eggs and bacon, let alone play traitor to the tyrant living in my house with absolute power over my family. It’s easy to forget that, at least up until 6th year, most of Draco’s time at Hogwarts was just a game for him. Harry’s known since year 1 that this Voldemort shit was life and death, and had time to come to terms with the reality of his responsibilities. Draco on the other hand spent most of his time in a place of security, comfortable in the knowledge that anything that could go wrong wouldn’t have an affect on him, only to those damn *Gryffindors* and their lot. Sixth year was just Draco getting a bucket of ice water to the face that said “fuck you, war is dangerous for everyone. Kill your Headmaster.” And that’s a lot for someone to handle alone with no foundation. TL;DR Draco was just a kid who got bitch-slapped by the reality of war and didn’t have the means to handle that effectively.

[@embug3241]

Maddy Leaman I agree with this! I think it’s very easy to look at Draco and criticize him for not being braver when evil incarnated had literally taken over his life. Nevermind the fact that he was a child at the time. At that point, it’s just survival.

[@gabibalbino150]

yessssss!!!!

[@Sarah-ml4fv]

Yes he got bitch slapped by reality, but the reality he got bitch slapped with was empathy. which is something that most kids catch on to even with out a psycho murderer coming for them. in his case, he himslef had to be in a position of extreme vulnerability before the idea of other people in that same position stopped *amusing him.*

[@Ella-zf7ur]

a million times yes

[@kamillen4732]

and when he realized, he just had no idea what to do anymore

[@queenofsiam1183]

The fact that Malfoy wasn’t abused and has a loving family is subversive and wonderful. It would be easy to say he was hit or neglected or uncared for. It’s complex and interesting to know that NOT every antagonist has the same backstory. Some antagonists are ‘normal’ people and that’ mirrors reality. We can’t all be friends. One of us is someone’s Draco to their Harry

[@Tareltonlives]

I actually agree-mind you, it makes him less sympathetic than either Rowling or the fans want, but what's wrong with having an unsympathetic villain? You can be perfectly normal with a happy supportive family and love them and vice-versa, but also be a bully and bigot and narcissist. The banality of evil.

[@queenofsiam1183]

@@Tareltonlives I wouldn't go so far as to say he's evil; but you do make a good point about him being unsympathetic which is honestly a breath of fresh air considering the "sympathetic" villain trope that's making an insurgence in recent years.

[@sasakelala3360]

he wasn't abused? Well I guess it is normal that your parents invite insane, sadistic murderers into his home...and it is absolutely normal that Draco has to watch people getting murdered and killed slowly and agonizingly by these murderers. Jep. sure.

[@Tareltonlives]

".and it is absolutely normal that Draco has to watch people getting murdered and killed slowly and agonizingly by these murderers." Was he? Did he? I hate to say it, but your shitty Draco fanfic isn't canon. All we see from the Malfoys is the utmost respect and love and devotion to each other, more than any other family in the books. Malfoy. Is. Spoiled. That's his character. He is a spoiled brat. He's also a bully and bigot, but he is defined by being a spoiled brat. He is Dudley but worse; that's what Harry learns, that's the purpose of his character.

[@ashchats5697]

@@Tareltonlives "Was he? Did he? I hate to say it, but your shitty Draco fanfic isn't canon." Tbf, he did watch Charity Burbage - a professor he may have seen around Hogwarts multiple times, even if he didn't take her classes - being murdered in cold blood in front of him. That's absolutely canon. And Ollivander was kidnapped and tortured for information for almost two years at Malfoy Manor, and it's hard to believe that Draco didn't see any of that. I'm sure there were others who were tortured and/or killed in front of Draco by either Voldemort or the Death Eaters. I agree that he was ultimately a bully and a coward, but to think that he wasn't subjected to scenes of violence in his house once Voldy came back to power is wrong.

[@lollypopsmum]

In the book : Draco tells Dumbledore he has to do it because Voldemort will kill his family In the move Draco says : "he'll kill me" That's a big difference.

[@JackedThor-so]

True.

[@DENT9330]

well, that just proves that all books are better than their movies

[@lollypopsmum]

@@DENT9330 LOTR and How to Train Your Dragon are exceptions.

[@DENT9330]

@@lollypopsmum I stand corrected

[@justyourlocalbernana1823]

@lollypopsmum Don't forget Polar Express or Elf

[@theinsomniaddict11]

“Also, some people just think Tom Felton’s hot and hate seeing him cry.” I feel attacked

[@mollybean461]

This is the most relatable comment I’ve seen so far I stg 😂

[@jennygagne8025]

HAhahahaha i felt attack to but after i tought that i did all of that analysis too so im like in both side

[@EnjoyCocaColaLight]

It's okay.

[@lilyantoniam.8806]

same litterally me lmao

[@Emily-zl8ii]

She didn’t have to call us out like that 😿✨

[@victormanyeruke9997]

Draco starts of the series confident in his place in the world and bullying Neville for being too much a coward to be a Gryffindor He ends the series small and too afraid to take a real step against or for the bad guys while Neville steps up to be the leader of the main opposition at Hogwarts and shows no hesitation in standing up to Voldie and trying to finish Nagini even with Harry dead. I dont think he needed a redemption and i think the point of his character in the end is supposed to go along with the overall theme that people can be bad/do bad things and still not be absolutely evil ( Dudley trying the bare minimum to apologize to Harry, Petunia almost saying good bye, the Minister for Magic dying rather than snitching on Harry, Kreatcher, Snape, Narcissa, Regulus, Grindelwald trying to lie to Voldie, Dumbledore etc) He helped in his small way, but a total redemption was unnecessary

[@theanarchistocelot1620]

I would say that in the books Creacher does a lot more than the bare minimum with him being really mistreated by Sirius (btw I have nothing against Sirius he is my favourite)

[@EditsByLyra]

Very well put !

[@inferiorinferno8859]

However, most of the characters you've mentioned where adults and most of them weren't pressured into chosing a side. Draco was raised in a Death Eater enviroment, just like Dudley was raised in an anti magic enviroment (even though he hadn't always consciously known Harry was a wizard, he did consider Harry a freak). With Dudley and Draco, it's more of a tale of a kid learning that at heart, they have different beliefs then their parents as they grow up, kinda like a dark mirror to Luna Lovegood, who also grew to realize her father had some beliefs she could no longer believe in as she had found her own way. Personally, I feel like this theme should have been more fleshed out and Draco as well as Dudley deserved a redemption arc in this theme. They were children brought up to believe in what their parents were saying, but realized they had a different view once they stopped being kids. Most children believe things their parents say and create their own view when they start to become older. Draco, Dudley and Luna could have been a good showcase of telling kids that it's fine to believe something different from your parents.

[@h.t.8812]

Same, no need for a big redemption... we see throughout the series a glimpse of his inside thoughts and him growing as a character which is pretty realistic

[@butterbubbles5375]

Inferior Inferno I agree.

[@juliad857]

Harry and Draco were both raised in families that hated a group of people. The Dursley's hated magic, the Malfoys hated muggles. The difference is HOW they were raised. Harry was abused and neglected, so it's easy to see why he, as a result, had completely apposing views from his guardians. Draco wasn't (likely) abused. He was loved. It's easy to see how he'd share his parents' views without question. Imagine if Harry were raised by the equal-but-opposite of the Malfoys. Imagine if the Dursleys actually loved and cared for Harry, but still held their views on magic. Harry would've grown up hating magic, and rejecting that part of himself. He probably wouldn't have gone to Hogwarts -- he would've gladly stayed in the muggle world. Now, imagine if Draco were a Squib, and had to attend a muggle school. Imagine if Harry knew his background. Imagine if Harry and Dudley were friends (likely, since in this world, Dudley wouldn't have been raised to hate Harry.) Harry would've been part of Dudley's crew. Or, more likely, Dudley would've been part of Harry's. It's so easy to see the same thing happen if the roles were reversed. Draco as the outcast, bullied by Harry and his cronies for having magical blood. Harry's own father was a bully, after all. When hate is lovingly taught, it's kept. It takes a strong pull from another source to change that hate. Like if Draco were put into a different environment that challenged his worldview and introduced him to other concepts and people -- NOPE, let's just put him in an echo chamber. Like, with all those factors, how can a person change? It wouldn't take a saint -- Draco was raised to think that muggles were poisoning his people. He thinks he's in the right, and so does everyone he loves and cares for. It would take someone who delighted in just...like...fighting with literally ALL his friends and family. It's not like he would've had any like-minded friends in his common room -- not with Rowling's concept of Slytherins. It would take the most contrary asshole on planet Earth to somehow douchebag his way to the actual good side. Kind of a funny thought, actually.

[@Tareltonlives]

Beautifully put. Harry associated prejudice and spite with people who mistreated him. Draco associated prejudice and spite with people who loved him. Harry had bitter poison so he spat it out. Draco had sweet poison so he became addicted. Draco being redeemed would take the same factors as Harry being corrupted- their backgrounds would make it nearly impossible.

[@abhilasha1389]

such a great explanation

[@justhistoire]

Totally agree, but I think it's important to note that Draco's still a young teenager in the Deathly Hallows, and he's only recently begun questioning who he is and whether or not he wants to go along with his families views etc. I think a lot of people who come from racist and homophobic families often agree with those views as children because of how they're surrounded by those people. But as you grow up and go to school with people who are from other backgrounds and sexualities, it becomes much harder to keep those views as you get to know people who are hurt by those hateful views. You might continue to hold those views, or you just become extremely uneasy with those hateful views and eventually reject them. I totally understand Draco being really subtle and quiet with attempts to help Harry, because most people don't wanna get ostracized by family and friends or get into screaming matches etc. So you just reject them quietly, and use your actions (or lack of actions) to speak for what you really believe in. And then, if you have kids of your own, you don't pass down that hateful stuff--you teach them not to be like your parents. A huge part of growing up is realizing how flawed and even disgusting our parents are, even if they're loving to us, and I think Draco does realize that eventually. I don't think he's a coward, and I don't think he's irredeemable and doomed to be hateful for the rest of his life. I genuinely think he's on the beginning of his journey towards changing in the latter part of the HP books, and its complete in the epilogue, when he raises his son to be the kind of child he wishes he had been: inclusive and restpectful towards all, regardless of their ancestry.

[@Tareltonlives]

@@justhistoire We actually don't know how he raised his son. That's in Cursed Child, not the epilogue. I feel this idea that he wants to help Harry and is questioning his family is wishful thinking. Thing is, he's had the opportunity to reassesses his views and never took it. He only started helping Harry (and even then in the most minor ways possible) when his own life was under threat and one of his best friends was killed. That's not a redemption, no matter how much you want it to be.

[@Mr_P_Umpkin]

‘When hate is lovingly taught, it’s kept’ I’m gonna put that in one of gcse English papers that’s beautiful

[@rainbootsandroses]

Not to be that guy, but it’s fascinating how fans warped both Zuko and Draco into some suave bad boy, when in actuality one is perpetually awkward and the other is, as you said, kind of a coward. Like, some really will look at a hot morally-questionable boy and start projecting typical bad boy qualities onto them.

[@rainbootsandroses]

Or maybe it was a 2000s thing idk

[@elizabethashley42]

You're absolutely right, and it's bizarre because awkward af moody disaster Zuko and spoiled emotional trainwreck baby Draco are way more interesting as characters than just another dumb bad boy trope.

[@allyli1718]

Idk it could be a 2000s thing? Gen Z recently got ATLA on Netflix and new fans are flooding in. And most of these new memes on tiktok celebrate how hilariously awkward Zuko is. “That’s rough body” is probably the most iconic line of all time. They relate to him, laugh at his edginess, and poke fun of his sheer awkwardness through compilations. He’s still hot af to them, but from what I’ve seen, I think we’ve come to a time where we celebrate and love ‘sad boi’/awkward ‘cinnamon roll’ characters (even if they’re villains), to the point we infantilize or excuse them. We’re in a new era where instead of bad boy-ifying characters we make them into our cute awkward jellybeans. I personally prefer this ngl, bc I relate to awkward jellybeans and find the idea of showering them with love very appealing. However, i do see how this is just another internet fad that simplifies these complex dudes, just like Bad boy-ifying. Ofc, I never lived through the bad boy time so idk the actual appeal haha I’d actually love to hear more about this. Also this might still be happening on older sites like FFN or Wattpad, but idk

[@suddenllybah]

That's rough, buddy.

[@ravenfrancis1476]

Oh trust me, those weird fetishization of 'bad boy' characters never went away. It just slowly went to a more niche audience. I'm in the Hazbin fandom and the amount of people thirsty for Alastor, the evil manipulative serial kiiller, is kind of uncomfortable.

[@protectioncircle8696]

Draco is just upset that Harry didn't become his friend and has been jealously envying the fact that he never hung out with him at Hogwarts.

[@ameaninglessdemon9030]

@@notanimposter I feel like there are a lot of fanfictions about this

[@cloud_and_proud]

Same, tbh.

[@eleven-hopper]

@@ameaninglessdemon9030 trust me, there is. and i've read some

[@NoirRaven]

@@ameaninglessdemon9030 Well there was that one time in the washroom...

[@ravenfrancis1476]

Well, that, and he's been indoctrinated into his family's weird racist death cult thanks to years of manipulation, conditioning, and gaslighting.

[@madiescott4865]

quinn: draco seriously needs wizard jesus me: but.. but... HARRY is wizard jesus

[@lpsloveandgame6046]

Madie Scott The Drarry intensifies

[@anemxia9393]

Well technically-

[@oof-wi7hp]

I don't ship drarry but I know to fear the power of drarry fandom. Y'all on xgames mode.

[@carrot1651]

oof LMAO i’m dead

[@martialaw566]

oh yeah, it's all coming together

[@sebshifter]

I always thought Draco's character arc was pretty straight forward : he is a spoiled brats raised with discriminating ideology, but he never expected things to go past passive loathing, like " yuck, filthy mudbloods". Then Voldemort came back, and this very ideology became real : you are a pureblood and you want to cleanse your race , now go out there and kill. And that's the thing, Draco has always been a douche, but he wasn't a murderer. I don't think you need to extend his character in a fan-ficky way where you just decide that he was misunderstood or mistreated. That's why there's no need for him to have a redemption arc because he never really became a villain. He thought he was supporting the Naz... i mean Death Eaters, and then backed off when he realized the reality of being one. That, and Voldemort revealing himself to equally threatening to both his enemies and allies.

[@cronajj]

Reading this analysis of Malfoy makes me think of Jojo Rabbit (which is an excellent movie btw)

[@randompanda2391]

@@cronajj Jojo Rabbit was so good. I second this

[@Knightwolf1994]

Basically "everyone's a gangsta until it's time to do gangsta stuff".

[@Michae89]

Great take, and it rings so true in real world too. Many people can say awful hateful things, even going as far as saying a certain groups should be killed, but at the end of the day they would never go as far. Many people that are hateful and awful don't really think about themselves as that, usually they just didn't think through the implications of what they're really saying. They're just stuck in their own bubbles and are often lost when said bubble bursts.

[@hellomoron]

I think this is a great point. Draco grows into the situation the same way Harry does, though on opposite sides. The idea of war and prejudice and violence becomes more and more real with each book and then bam. It's like when someone pays a price for power and then the devil comes to collect and now it's all oh shit this is the source/actual consequence of that power, this was a bad idea I'm an idiot where is the escape hatch aaaaah! Where as Harry keeps facing death but not the war until later on, and he grows into the looming threat over time, which only reaffirms things like, "yep, I don't like being famous for this thing, can I go back to being famous for quidditch please?" It's all fun and games until you have to pull the trigger.

[@grouchygoat]

I never really understood why draco was an only child if they cared so much about "blood purity" wouldn't the weasleys be more revered for having so many "pure blood" children. I would think having a lot of children would matter to the wizards who had that line of thinking. Unless Lucius really did become infertile from touching something in borgan n berks

[@bellac6311]

Perhaps something happened so they couldnt have more kids? idk. but i think they despise the weasleys because they betrayed their pure blood heritage by associating themselves with muggle borns and half bloods.

[@Grace-pk5hl]

That’s an interesting point, I never thought about it that way

[@mysteriiis]

The Weasleys are heavily Irish Catholic coded. Versus the Malfoys; who reek of English Aristo pretensions.

[@kyriss12]

I think inbreeding might play a part in the small size of most pure blood families.

[@awaywiththefaeries9464]

@@kyriss12 Like how Sirius's parents were cousins

[@Cassie-nd8kb]

I saw that scene, and even without subtitles or anything I knew- "Me dad's a muggle, mam's a witch. Bitofanastyshockforhimwhenhefoundout."

[@mochibunnyan6556]

Honestly the whole “Lucius Malfoy was an Abusive Dick Who Didn’t Love Draco” headcanon is kinda meh for me, because the whole point of Draco being forced to kill Dumbledore by Voldemort because Voldy knew that Lucius loved Draco and Draco’d eventual failure would be a way for Voldemort to harm Draco Edit: part of me also feels like the Abusive Lucius Malfoy narrative became so widespread because of Drarry shippers and Draco simps using it for easy angst and to wash Draco of his own character flaws but hey thats just a theory (no hate to drarry shippers I ship it too, nor to the drack simps, its just a thought I had)

[@09dindaayularasati65]

Honestly!!! The movies did a kinda bad job with the Malfoys' complexity

[@barboraklepalova3886]

Plus Lucius tries to talk Voldemort into attacking the school only so he can be with his son again.

[@hannahbanna_]

What i believe is that he was never physical or anything, but he constantly was spoiling draco while making comments. He has made the same comments about muggles and muggle borns since Draco was young and it drove it into his mind. Also constant “disappointment” after the whole Dumbledoor thing

[@tinseltina]

so the movies did an uh-oh oopsie by assuming the character and backstory before the series finished. okie dokie!

[@alexisk221]

I remember reading somewhere that Lucius' actor was basically like Draco is such a little shit let me bully him to get him some sympathy points.

[@Arch_the_Protogen]

"Draco could, like, try to pin a fart on somebody els and karma would no-scope him from across the map" Holy shit I was not ready for that line xD

[@zeppelopod]

Scrolled down JUST for this, one of the best lines I’ve heard ever

[@howdyhowdyhelga]

i think draco's arc was less to do with him redeeming himself and becoming a good person and more about him having to reconcile his beliefs with the real world. his whole life he had been told that voldemort was the good guy and he based his entire personality and value on the elitism of that status, so when he had that cold realization that his status meant absolutely nothing outside of this little world and he no longer identified with anyone in that world, it gave him an identity crisis. he had spent his entire life relying on that status to win him respect and friendships, but none of that was real. and that's why a huge redeeming scene of heroism was unnecessary for draco - because that had never been the point of his character arc.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Normal is a bit of stretch.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

@@TheBananamonger except most people are born into their environment. So they couldn't really be normal, if they didn't form a personality yet.

[@Gxylord]

@@fightingmedialounge519 i'd argue that by normal they mean that under any other circumstances he would've grown up normal and into the man he became with fewer extremely problematic views and actions along the way

[@fightingmedialounge519]

@@Gxylord except that's not really being normal, anymore than just becoming racist because that's the ideology you gree up with. I get their trying to say he wasn't inherently evil, but the way the went about it was odd.

[@Gxylord]

@@fightingmedialounge519 yeah it could've probably been worded a little better but as long as the point gets across i'm personally not bothered by it

[@ZielonaPastela]

Jason Isaacs, the actor who played Lucius Malfoy, revealed in an interview: "Imma bully my son so this slimebag seems more likeable." Seems like it worked.

[@lizamungaray2879]

lol

[@ruturajshiralkar5566]

Marshal Zhukov

[@Tareltonlives]

Worked too well I'd say

[@StylishWitch]

lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@marianat1393]

lol

[@StudioHannah]

16:00 I always saw the Malfoys as a pretty loving family to each other. They defend each other a lot in the books and Narcissa’s main goal in the last books was just to keep her son alive, she didn’t care about Voldemort at all any more. Too bad they were all Wizard Nazis.

[@marissa6612]

It's almost like loyalty is what they value most. Just like a different hogwarts house.........

[@alina-87]

amen

[@09dindaayularasati65]

@@marissa6612 not really, Slytherin values fraternity and it's a closer word to what the Malfoys actually have than loyalty

[@dennisdebro5444]

I think that narcissa would die for draco and her family that's for sure but lucius....? He never really seemed to be a very good father. He put way too much pressure on his son and was a terrible example. He cared more about status then about the safety of his child.

[@Snarptusk]

​@@dennisdebro5444 This is pure speculation without evidence to back it up, is it not? I'm not saying you're 100% wrong, but we can't just assume that's the case, and use it to say that the family/Lucius abused Draco or didn't love him, as a lot of people seem to believe

[@SkyTowerKurogane]

I think Lucius is an interesting character. I like both the interpretations that he abuses Draco, and I also like the one where he's an actually loving father who happens to be racist.

[@katierasburn9571]

yeah honestly i can see both being true and it confuses and fascinates me. I generally settle on he loves draco but hes fucking awful at being a father and will put his pride above anything else

[@princesadelaos]

there's nothing in the text to support that

[@SkyTowerKurogane]

@@princesadelaos did you watch the video?

[@shizachan8421]

@@SkyTowerKurogane quite late, but there is still nothing in the text to support that in the text. I mean, we have one scene where we see a private conversation between those two where Lucius expressed open displeasure over Dracos school performance and he doesn't even use any threats of punishment or taking things away from him in this moment, instead trying to motivate him by comparing his performance to that of Hermione. Its not a nice thing to do, but it is Lucius trying to motivate Draco by giving him a rival he could voluntarily compete against, instead of outright using force to push him (he just makes the mistake of chosing the wrong kid, because its Harry who motivates Draco to perform well, not Hermione).

[@SkyTowerKurogane]

@@shizachan8421 I know.

[@Th3CatholicN3rd]

Yeah there's no way Lucius ever physically abused Draco, Narcissa would have just straight up crucioed his loreal loving butt. One Major reason I believe Draco didn't have a choice is because Lucius was in the dog house with Voldemort. So even if Draco didn't believe in the same ideology as his parents, even if he didn't want to become a death eater, I have no doubt Voldemort would have ordered Lucius to kill Draco. Edit: I mean he had no choice in becoming a death eater and killing Dumbledore. He totally had a choice in Listening to his dad's advice about Harry.

[@R.444-]

"loreal loving butt" thank you for giving us this iconic quote

[@kurlykayla9013]

Just another trope I dislike in Draco fanfics. Lucius was..uh, not great in the sense he was a bigot and let his status get to his head, which overflowed to his own son. He cared so much about keeping up proper appearances, and by extension, shaped his son's mentality and behavior accordingly. But he wasn't abusive. I think Draco really loved his parents, and they him. But Lucius was a coward. He allowed his family to incubate a magical no-nose nazi and exposed his son to things he shouldn't have been. That was his failing.

[@melissachan721]

He was born into becoming a Death Eater, and I honestly feel sorry for him. Also, Tom Felton is very pretty

[@Xehanort10]

Lucius and Narcissa taught Draco awful, snobby ideals but they didn't abuse him. It's like the really extreme Dursleys fics. Yes Petunia and Vernon kept Harry locked under the stairs, fed him less than they should, thought they could get rid of his magic if they treated him badly enough, let Dudley bully him, put bars on the window of his room and so on in canon but in fanfics this gets overexaggerated into them being monsters who hit, torture and I kid you not there's really sick ones where the 3 of them gang rape him. I heard of one with a really over the top evil version of Vernon who beats the shit out of Harry just because he burned his tongue drinking some hot coffee Harry made him.

[@literallygaston2489]

Xehanort10 I get what you mean but it’s definitely mentioned in the books that they hit him, mainly because that’s the thing that used to be normal back in a day(and still is depending on where you live). Maybe not severely or super often but it happened.

[@fittinginisforjigsawpieces3141]

SHE HAS RETURNED FROM HER THOUSAND YEAR SLUMBER, ALL HAIL GOD OF SNEK BOI

[@pear_in_a_tree9030]

Voldemort: *hugs Draco* Draco: "......." "That, that's just uncomfortable."😂🤣😭

[@gamingfox6159]

Because it wasn't scripted

[@TrueImmortality]

I don't know how anyone could read the books and come away with the idea that Draco was abused by his parents lol. The Malfoys seem to really only love each other. That's why his parents gave up even the pretense of fighting and ran through a freaking battle screaming Draco's name. That's why Draco became a Death Eater at all; because Voldemort held him hostage with threats to his parents' lives. They're awful people but they clearly made a very tight family unit.

[@alina-87]

This

[@Tareltonlives]

This! And this is why Draco can't have a redemption arc- he loves his family. They love him. Evil people love each other. That's what makes them good villains

[@TrueImmortality]

@@Tareltonlives Well, he could still have a redemption arc. Draco and Narcissa both have moments of redemption within the series itself. The way Draco would have to redeem himself is to separate himself from his parents' lifestyle and choices, which would be a hard thing for him to do since he loves them. But it is possible and I think with the right motivation, a character like Draco could do it. People learn from their parents' mistakes in real life, too.

[@matrix2297]

Abused isn't quite the right word...though I suppose you could argue it is psychologically abusive to infect a child (a fresh slate) with hatred and bigotry...Draco was a victim in the sense that his parents' inhumane belief system was taught to him as a moral framework. Raising a child to see themselves as isolated for any reason is also psychologically damaging, even if under the pretext of 'building them up'. That is probably what could be considered the most conclusively abusive thing - enforcing separation from others. Such a level of brainwashing is not so easily extracted from one's psyche.

[@TrueImmortality]

@matrix2297 He wasn't abused according to the passages we read in the original 7 books. Rowling does a lot of retconning but as far as I know he wasn't. Raising your kid with incorrect values is not abuse. Raising your kid with privilege and wealth with no proper grasp of how to use it is also not abuse. It's just being an inferior parent.

[@andrewcleary9952]

Draco's arc works because it's subtle. He's not heroic, but he's not a villain either. He's just a normal kid with a fucked ideology. He'll chat shit, but when push comes to shove Draco never actually wants to shove. He just wants a comfortable, normal life where he gets to feel better than other people, but if that doesn't come to pass he's not going to go take up arms in revolution, he'll just kinda get sad. Draco dramatically throwing Harry's wand to him in open defiance would have ruined his arc. The defiance of the Malfoys was them quietly exiting scene, sneaking away from the Battle of Hogwarts and re-integrating back into wizard society. Unlike many death eaters, they never really had that much of an emotional investment in Voldemort enslaving all the muggles. They supported him because he promised them a comfortable life, but they never really believed in him, and at times where he looked to be failing, the Malfoys were the fist to bail. "Bad faith" indeed.

[@Aryamahmood]

conscientiously put

[@fightingmedialounge519]

That doesn't stop him from being a villain andrew.

[@poppie267]

@@fightingmedialounge519 people are always making his story arc ( if you can call it that ) deeper that it really is 😁

[@Safiyahalishah]

@@fightingmedialounge519 A villain implies he's a major threat to the protagonist, which is more than the spineless loser really deserves. He's just an antagonist who pops up only to be made a fool of, or as Quinn put it, a mini-boss on the path to defeating the real villains.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

@@Safiyahalishah no, the term villain implies he seeks to cause harm to those who aren't in direct opposition to him( which he does). Plenty of series have comedic villains that, by their very nature, pose little to not threat when it comes to their respective protagonist. The best argument for Draco not being a villain is that the majority of his goals and actions are closer to that of a standard bully.

[@Lunchablez]

Anyone notice how Draco at first was just a sassy boi and then just full on depressed

[@Tareltonlives]

He suffered consequences for his actions

[@VeraEdelman]

You just summed up his entire character development. Yes, I think everyone noticed that.

[@VeraEdelman]

@@Tareltonlives Am I to assume from this that you're on Voldemort's side?

[@Tareltonlives]

@@VeraEdelman No, but Draco was until he was threatened personally by him

[@MB-sj2yu]

I think we all did

[@SeaBomb]

Please let's not forget Draco Malfoy is an anagram of Cram a Doo Fly, and I'm sorry that's all I have to say on the matter.

[@classicplastic3609]

That’s all there is to be said, really

[@wulfherecyning1282]

Also an anagram of "doc amoral-fy", meaning a doctor of amoralifying (removes morals).

[@Xehanort10]

It's like how one anagram of Tom Marvolo Riddle is Mr Tom A Dildo Lover.

[@michaelotis223]

I....I can't unsee this now!

[@Monie71793]

What?! 😂😂

[@nvfury13]

19:18 Probably because calling it a “cane” implies it is *needed* as in “He needs his cane to walk without pain.”; whereas “walking stick” implies it is just a tool.

[@AlanGChenery]

In the British common parlance "walking stick"s are the ones used by the elderly and infirm (usually the wooden ones with a hooked handle). While a "cane" is normally a fashion item or utility item, such as a lacquered short stave with an ornamental metal top, either purely as a formal accessory, or used to accentuate gesticulations when communicating to your underlings/students etc.

[@kylegonewild]

@@AlanGChenery In the US walking sticks are literally just big sticks to take some of the strain off long-distance or uneven terrain traversal. Canes and walkers are for the elderly or infirm.

[@alpyki2588]

I think he's upset in this scene more so because it contains his father's wand in that cane. Much like a sword cane, Lucius Malfoy's wand is the head of his cane. Since it still has the snake handle, he probably didn't want anyone to insult or mishandle the wand more so than the cane itself. He may also have not wanted anyone to know he had it, so used a plausible excuse to keep people from handling it excessively. If you look up pictures of it, all the wands include that handle, so we know its there, because the snake head is on the cane. And if we take the movies subtle hints about Draco being abused, it is doubly troubling that he is being poked and pushed around with a wand that probably has killed people and committed some unforgivable curses.

[@thepodium6930]

It may have been cool if Harry and Draco became friends, who drifted apart as the story progressed. That and Slytherin not being evil by default

[@krys5854]

that would've been AMAZING

[@emilym9390]

this would have been SO GOOD

[@DeathKitta]

Wouldn't it make sense other way around? Draco was very influenced by his father and his surrounding. At Hogwarts he got a chance to actually interact with other people and got to know that all the things he was taught aren't exactly true. Then his family being wrapped up by Voldemort could have create drama and tension for Draco and his friendship with trio since he knows better now but the literal Evil is breathing down his neck and threatening him and his family who are bigots but he still loves them and they love him.

[@thepodium6930]

@@DeathKitta Either or works for me; the point being that Draco's character is such a missed opportunity. He clearly wanted to be friends with Harry, there's internal conflict to be built upon with his family's bigotry and allegiance to the dark lord vs the innocence of childhood. I always found Rowling's messaging to be contradictory, you can choose to be the hero if you want, your family's background doesn't determine your fate, the whole nature vs nurture thing, but yet we have Slytherin and the cursed child

[@DeathKitta]

@LizzyCypher SS Sure xD

[@AngelRuiz-xq2ie]

“Draco, don’t touch that, it’ll make you sterile. Why do you think you’re an only child?” 😂😂

[@gwendalynnwatkins1296]

I literally had to pause the video because 5 minute after that I was still cackling

[@axthxticemma1203]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@kyriss12]

“But father i thought that was all the inbreeding. Do I really have to marry my 2nd cousin?”

[@dustinmaxwell259]

@@kyriss12 "Foolish child . The Malfoys aren't like those inbreeding Gaunt + Lestrange families.. In _Dire_ times of need, we may deem it necessary to replenish our stock by using Muggles of high quality More than a few of your ancestors were Half-Bloods. But to say so would bring _Disgrace_ upon the Malfoy name!"

[@myboithomas]

The Draco Ess- Lauren Lopez: "DID SOMEBODY SAY DRACO MALFOY?"

[@ChasehaWing]

*Rolls into comment section*

[@melodytheatre2887]

PIGFARTS PIGFARTS HERE I COME

[@dottyContrarian]

@@melodytheatre2887 *PIGFARTS PIGFARTS YUM YUM YUM*

[@anemxia9393]

*” I WANT HERMIONE GRANGER!... and a rocketship...”*

[@peggydragonell9590]

THIS YEAR YOU'LL BET, IM GONNA GET OUT OF HERE! THE REIGN OF MALFOY IS DRAWING NEAR! I'LL HAVE THE GREATEST WIZARD CAREER AND IT'S GONNA BE TOTALLY AWESOME!

[@mattmclaren3067]

Looking at the point around the 32 minute mark, it actually reminds me of a similar lie people told because they liked the film's creative decision better. There's a deleted scene in The Deathly Hallows where Aunt Petunia talks to Harry before leaving Privet Drive, ending with her saying "you didn't just lose your mother that night in Godric's Hollow. I lost a sister." Now, I wished they kept it in. It's some of the best writing in the movie and Fiona Shaw gives an excellent performance as she usually does. But it is completely made up; in the book Aunt Petunia has one short moment with Harry where all she does is awkwardly say "Well goodbye" then leaves. That's it. And yet there were people insisting that the "I lost a sister" line was in the books. No sweeties. NOOOO!

[@skelemanbrie]

While I love it from a character arc standpoint, I also don’t agree that it should’ve been even recorded. It felt weird to try and distance Petunia from the horrid abuse she put Harry through for the sake of grief and an emotional moment. Petunia isn’t that character. She’s meant to be vile and unforgivable. And, also, like you said, it’s not even in the books

[@mattmclaren3067]

@@skelemanbrie Honestly my wish for its inclusion stems more from the indulgent then the functional. I do stand by my feelings regarding the quality of the scene on its own; it has some beautiful writing in it and Fiona Shaw is never not excellent. That being said, I can imagine loving that scene for maybe the first five viewings then wondering why this abusive cow was getting such a woobie moment. I do agree with what you're saying.

[@m.i7211]

Oh I love that scene on its own and it would be perfect if it was in a different movie, perhaps a coming of age film about a boy and his double-sided, abusive yet loving mother and how he comes to terms with that relationship. But I agree that the scene doesn’t fit in Harry Potter because it’s just so sudden. It would just feel like the directors hastily tried to redeem petunia but for what reason?

[@poppie267]

what is your opinion of fiona shaw in super mario.

[@mattmclaren3067]

@@poppie267 I have never seen it. As soon as I do, I'll let you know. :)

[@rynthorn1551]

"The allegory is not well thought out" could be the tagline of HP.

[@Drak77TV]

Or Rowling in general. Makes for way better middle name than K.

[@lpsloveandgame6046]

Joanne « The allegory is not well thought out » Rowling

[@c.smidgeon2847]

Joanne "The animalistic predators who overwhelmingly seek to maliciously infect others with their affliction are a metaphor for victims of the AIDS crisis" Rowling

[@slowburgundyy574]

@@c.smidgeon2847 JK "Asian wizard Cho Chang" Rowling

[@Pbness]

@@slowburgundyy574 But it's not racist, it's *i n c l u s i v e .*

[@ace0047]

*Quinn’s analyses make my neurons crackle like pop rocks in the best way possible

[@QuinnCurio]

High appraisal!

[@avadae9126]

Draco Malfoy: The Boy Who Made the Wrong Choices. Is that better?

[@09dindaayularasati65]

so much better, and it's totally correct. i hate how people are misportraying him as a tragic, misunderstood hero

[@destinymcnair682]

@@09dindaayularasati65 i mean i would say he had no choice at the end there endless you count dying or your family dying as really a choice

[@09dindaayularasati65]

@@destinymcnair682 but like, he had time to change for good before Year 6. He had choices to become better in all those year, yet he did not take them

[@Snarptusk]

yes and no in my opinion. He made *a lot* of terrible choices, but I wouldn't say it was within his power to control what happened with Voldemort and his father, and he would've been forced into being a death eater either way. So both are accurate to me. I still find it very important that people know that he's not this innocent tragic poor sheep that didn't deserve anything

[@destinymcnair682]

I mean he could have changed before the 6 years but he still would have been in danger of voldmort because his family especially his dad a death eater was still on the dark side actually it would probably be more dangerous if he switched sides earlier because of of opposing views he'd probably have while in a house with crazy death eaters and a madman who can read minds or just being srounded by all that death and torture would have been even harder on him mentally so it really wouldn't have changed his 6th year and on much anyways

[@angusmarch1066]

I just realised that Sirius Black is Draco's maternal uncle and, to my knowledge, he never even mentions him.

[@KapBBit]

First cousin once removed, but yes. He has two maternal aunts.

[@prozorozo]

draco probably reminds him of regulus

[@Blueeyesthewarrior]

Sirius was disowned, so it makes sense that Draco would never mention him.

[@lollythefamouscommenter3970]

Yeah, the pure blood families are all related so it’s probably not a big deal that Draco is related to yet another person. I’m pretty sure like the malfoys and the weasleys are related lmao

[@lamoinette23]

They are related. All the pureblood families are.

[@mad265]

This was a good video and helped me clarify something that had been bothering me for a while in the discourse around Drace. Draco didn't need a redemption arc (at least not in the Zuko sense). His greatest flaw was pride, and he needed humbling. Which is what happens - he starts off believing that only people of wealth and and status are worthy and mocking anyone poor or not pure blood. By the end he realises that those things he once idolised are actually terrifying and unpleasant when taken to their logical conclusion, and he wants less and less to do with the people who uphold those values. Plus, all the people he mocked at first are the only ones able to stop Voldemort, and at the end, he owes them his life. I think his arc as it stands works very well for his character, and as the video points out, adding random big moments where he overtly helps Harry wouldn't make sense.

[@redballoon9007]

While I do think it would be a heart felt moment, it would be kinda out of place for Draco to do a outwardly courageous thing. Especially if Voldemort was there.

[@h.t.8812]

perfect!

[@R.444-]

@@redballoon9007 That's why I always flip flop on the removal of Draco throwing Harry his wand. I agree that it stretches the constraints of remaining in character, but thematically it just works for the whole so beautifully

[@KOTEBANAROT]

Zuko is SUCH a bad comparison to Draco because if anything, Zuko is Sirius - a kid who always knew that being fashist is bad, Zuko just hanged around because he still wanted dad to love him, no other reason

[@moonstone3054]

Not entirely disagreeing, but I personally believe that he needed a redemption ark that INCLUDED being humbled. He needed to apologize. He needed to swallow that pride he held so dear and say sorry to everyone that he hurt, and while I'm still debating on whether he needed to be forgiven, I'm solid on the fact that he needed to show that he changed.

[@oxfordpigeon9258]

I always felt sort of bad for Draco. Not in a "Ooh, what a sad boy," way, but more of a "god, he's kind of pathetic." Like yeah, he's a nuisance in the first few books, but after that? He kind of looses his bully status to the much more threatening bully that is Voldemort, and it seems that his whole world kind of revolves around being the bully, specifically to Harry and his friend group. Personally, I felt like Draco having a redemption arc would leave me feeling a similar way to how I felt after Snape's arc (Which I will complain about forever). I genuinely do not believe that Draco was evil, but I also don't believe he was a good person, or had many "redeeming qualities" so to speak. He is, at his core, painfully human; cowardly, obsessed with status and power, and honestly sort of a sniveling baby. He has the possibility to achieve human things, such as loving someone, having a family, and being loyal to them, but I feel like him having a redemption arc would be too simplistic and honestly not adequate.

[@KOTEBANAROT]

SAME! I see absolutely no reason for any redemption arc because he made sure to never *do* much of anything anyway.

[@americanroger9285]

as much as i love draco and i want a redemption arc i gotta agree with you on this one

[@dids3384]

Totally agree. Draco was completely obnoxious in the films (more so the books since there were things that he said to the trio and Fred and George that actually upset me,) and I just don’t see whats redeemable about his character, apart from how he raised Scorpius perhaps (I don’t see TCC as canon though). Girls only think he’s worthy of redemption because they like Tom Felton.

[@lilyantoniam.8806]

Agree, besides he was actually very young so its not like if he was a bad person he necessary would stay a bad person for the rest of his life, i just can't see how a redemption arc could be written to fit his story

[@09dindaayularasati65]

exactly! not everyone must be a hero

[@Anna-hh7td]

after watching this a few times, I've concluded that Draco's problems stem from his deep insecurity and need for validation from power figures.

[@MB-sj2yu]

Deep insecurity is correct

[@marykateharmon]

So Anakin Skywalker?

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Not really mary.

[@Tareltonlives]

Using that logic, all racists and bullies suffer from that.

[@everythingoes4956]

@@Tareltonlives They do lmao

[@nicoski6347]

Your use of "Zuko-ing" as a verb has me laughing way too hard.

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

It's so useful tho, haaha!

[@dumblecat1]

23:56 Long comment warning I just felt very inspired by this: As someone who has incidentally read a lot of post WWII german literature, many descendants of those who fought on the german side, even if not directly raised by said parents, have strong senses on inherited guilt and often times will feel a fractured sense of identity with their childhood during the war and adulthood afterwards. A great example of this is the book "My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me" by Jennifer Teege, about the Afro-German granddaughter of Amon Goeth. It sometimes mentions the experience of her mother, who was not raised by Goeth and did not raise Teege, after the war and how she still feels responsible for the crimes of her father. Another interesting read is "Patterns of Childhood" by Christa Wolf who was an adolescent, like Draco, during the war and whose father was on the German side. Also like Draco, she had a perfectly healthy childhood outside of the cultural climate and beliefs, but doesn't carry those beliefs or practices into her adulthood. She also still struggles with that part of her identity and family history. Sorry for the long comment but I wanted to provide some insight to the point you were going to make her and I'd like to agree that the narrative path that Draco canonically has, tracks as far as real experiences.

[@lucyandecember2843]

intresting o.o

[@charity_catt]

Super interesting - thanks for the ww2 book recomendations 👍🏻

[@elizabethdevido2081]

Quinn Curio: *uploads Content* Me: *swan-dives onto the play button*

[@nitehunter91]

I know, right? Such a rare artifact.

[@manzijoel5224]

Istg, I stumbled onto this channel by accident some time ago, and I consuder it one of the best mistakes of my life ever!!! I love her content, analysis, humor, narration, editing, *everything* so much. Thank God for such people in quarantine.

[@ParadoxGavel]

"The allegory is not well thought out." (Glances at the Goblin bankers) (Glances at the Werewolves) (Glances at all of JK Rowling's Twitter takes) I honestly don't know how well thought out any of Rowling's work is, apart from writing compelling characters. Draco, at least, is a really interesting character, and this was a really great analysis!

[@JackedThor-so]

or that she insists that Hermionie is supposed to be black while also portraying her as a kook for not wanting an entire race to be enslaved. you know, because black people were enslaved, and if she herself was black, she'd have a good reason for wanting to see house elves free. a black girl is crazy because she doesn't like slavery. FUCKING OOPS MRS. ROWLING!

[@uncreativename6210]

@@JackedThor-so 1. Wait, does Rowling insist that Hermione's black? From what I remember she just said that her race isn't mentioned. 2. Hermione isn't portrayed as a kook in my opinion. Actually, it's rather alarming that she's the only one that cares about elf rights, but that speaks highly of her character. She has good intentions, but she's powerless and doesn't really know how to handle the situation, being annoying as fuck instead (as per usual; I find her pretty unlikable). 3. I don't think her being black is *that* relevant to the house elves cause because she's black British, not black American. Slavery is not part of her ancestors' history.

[@oyein3326]

Uncreative Name no it is. It may not have been the chattel slavery like in America but slavery did exist there.

[@Olivia-wk7or]

@@uncreativename6210 "slavery is not part of her ancestor's history" no? have you not heard of the transatlantic slave trade??? or understand the origins of slavery in the united states even?

[@emailing]

it's okay you can say transphobic

[@razorsedge64ify]

Hes just a spoiled rich kid raised by racist oligarchs, put into a private class of racists and people wonder why he ends up shotty. He doesn't have a redemption arc, he just grows up and away from what he was raised as.

[@gwendalynnwatkins1296]

And that's why I think it's okay that he didn't have a specific redeeming moment. He kinda just did small (but very important) things until he became a decent person

[@beartankoperator7950]

I find it hard to call them racist when they are not different races, they are as you pointed out oligarchs and potentially deposed Oligarchs who want to get their power back from the weak and pathetic commoners but that is not racism

[@razorsedge64ify]

@@beartankoperator7950 It fits the same catagory of division we use for racism now in the same way race was seen differently back in rome where it wasnt skin but if you were roman. And a racist tyrant that gets overthrown and tries to reclaim power is still a racist tyrant.

[@gwendalynnwatkins1296]

@@beartankoperator7950 I would call it a form of racism because muggles and wizards are just different types of humans. The "pure blood" stuff definitely reminds me of all the aryian race stuff Hitler was on about

[@viachesslove9907]

@@beartankoperator7950 it's not racism, it's just segregation 😉

[@Ben10man2]

I'm so sad the final line up confrontation scene with Draco tossing Harry his wand was cut. That moment was fantastic

[@theanarchistocelot1620]

*POTTAH*

[@americanroger9285]

yes makes me sad too but all these comments have made me accept it because it reall would have been out of character

[@alina-87]

As a lot of thing they did in the movies, this would have been out of character

[@StrifeSoul990]

It doesn't fit his character. He's not evil, but would he stand up to evil? Probably not. He's scared. He just wanted to leave and live. There's nothing wrong with that. His world got turned on it's head and he couldn't handle it. It's very HUMAN. So while the scene is great, it hurts his arc more then it helps it

[@celessilverfrond8944]

"This used to be part of a big analysis of the whole Slytherin House" *heavy breathing intensifies* *slaps subscribe*

[@aarbee_]

SAME!

[@SorowFame]

I hope you’ve got a lot of patience, I love this channel but it’s upload schedule is downright painful.

[@sillygoosetaur]

@@SorowFame yeah well her videos are at least 20 minutes long so it’s very bingeable when she uploads The time makes up for the small amount of videos

[@Jc-go3mz]

its out now btw

[@axthxticemma1203]

Yes *cry*

[@KotoCrash]

Yo if you can just make spells stronger by using three wands at once why arent people running around with like 20 wands duct taped together

[@Ballin4Vengeance]

A wand gatling gun

[@jinny840]

you're a ravenclaw aren't you

[@randompanda2391]

Imagine if they defeated Voldy by duct taping every single wand they can find and shot him down like no big deal. That would be so funny.

[@DrawnByKimProductions1863]

Simple- wizards don't have duct tape. It's a muggle invention

[@StelarVA]

@@randompanda2391 my question still remains about why they never thought to try traditional weaponry. Like hire a sniper or something so he won’t expect it or enact a shield and *bang*, no more wizard Hitler

[@t.b.cont.]

He’s like a schoolyard bully being influenced by an older brother who’s a career criminal. He’s a product of his environment. He’s a pompous asshole because he’s the next generation of a long lineage of pompous assholes. The fact that he decided not to raise his children in the same way shows that to some degree he’s self aware that how he treated others was wrong and he wants to end the cycle with himself. Regardless of how you feel about his present or past, you gotta respect how he’s at least making an effort to make the future better, and is probably a much better father than his old rival

[@addyvalencia]

This comment right here honestly. It’s really hard to psychoanalyze these characters when you realize they’re not written very well in terms of realism (or even at all lol). Rowling modeled Draco after people she disliked irl, so naturally you can tell he was originally planned to be a fairly one-note character. The issue is that when you start to flesh out any character like this, they’re going to obtain subtleties and nuances by default that even you as the author won’t expect or intend especially given that people of this nature in reality ARE very complex whether people like to pretend they are or not. I think viewers in this discussion just hate racists and bullies (fair enough, completely valid, same), so it’s extremely easy to get a hate boner for Draco and/or even Dudley. But it doesn’t leave room for proper discussion since everyone is constantly trying to prove whether or not he “deserves” to have ended up this way (aka does he have the excuse of being abused rip). I totally agree that the aftermath of his character is extremely telling of his underlying potential to change that existed all along. Also, the irony that the previously incredibly disgustingly racist bully has perhaps become a better father than the headstrong, golden-hearted abused innocent… it definitely leaves a sour taste in the mouths of a lot of people. I could see that making a lot of sense with real people irl though, especially if Harry didn’t go through DECADES of extensive therapy afterwards.

[@HortonSalm]

​@@addyvalenciaI think this is pretty accurate though. Regret and shame can be very powerful motivations for change in a person. I know this firsthand. After seeing all that he helped to bring about, I can very easily see Draco working to turn it around, at least in the raising of his son. He most likely feels great shame and regret, and wants nothing more than his chance for redemption, but most likely has rested those hopes on his son. I dunno, I just don't buy the, "He was a bully and was racist, he doesn't deserve to not be those things anymore". Real people don't work like that. If someone decides to make a change, then that's it. If you are so stuck in the past that you've decided that they don't deserve to try and be a better person, then you're part of a much bigger problem. Obviously I think that there are levels to this, but I don't put Draco "Prep School Bully" Malfoy on the same level as a certain failed Austrian painter.

[@magentadevice5305]

CORRECTION: Draco Malfoy, The Boy That Thought He Was Better Than Everyone Else Because He Was Raised By A Prejudice-Ass Family And Didn't Take Anything Seriously Until 6th Year When He Got Told To Murder A Powerful, Old Man.

[@Kururu265]

a song by Fall Out Boy

[@rocketqueen9887]

@@Kururu265 lmfao

[@quibblcr]

LOL TRUE

[@SugarSpice07]

Perfect description, my freind. I'm sending this to my bestie.

[@SmartAlec1]

Inb4 the bombardment of people saying Zuko's arc is better.

[@name-nl3jk]

Nah, Danny's arc from Prankster's Planet was better. (Joke.)

[@anarquia201]

Is illegal for all others character have redemtion arcs if they are better that Zuko Witch is imposible So nobody is allow to try

[@b.parker1740]

Ngl, Draco Sadboi probably wishes he could've even had the arc of Dio Brando. One of these characters died a super-powered vampire. Other became a sad single dad with boy named after a star scorpion.

[@Xol_de_Zori]

I mean they aren't wrong

[@naomi9354]

zuko's arc is better ah dammit you got here before me

[@frostyenderman13]

35:26 I'm kind of taking any out-of-book statements by Rowling with a grain of salt nowadays. For how much detail and research she put into this series, it really does feel like she will retcon things on a whim. Not to mention her, uh, recent controversies... those don't help either

[@enderlove2794]

Yeah...she's a debacle. It seems weird of her reaction though. People can go anywhere and find anything about characters. That doesn't make it true. You kind of just have to let it happen. It's not something you can change and honestly, it helps because your work is getting more traction. A bit of an odd one, but still. You're only hurting yourself by reacting the way she did. Say you think its curious, or how people come up with the craziest theories out of nothing, but actively shutting them down isn't a good way to go.

[@FatMenace]

Her controversy? You mean appealing to proper science?

[@ashikjaman1940]

@@FatMenace Literally disproven studies and other bullshit but okay terf

[@umbra1948]

@@FatMenaceReal world biologists and the probably thousands of scientific papers exploring transgender people would disagree with your version of “modern science,” friend. I just hope you’re not still in denial thinking that their existence is “fake” somehow because then you have to tell fully trained and well learned scientists all across the world that you as an average citizen believe that they’re wrong and that you apparently know “more” than them.

[@StrifeSoul990]

She wants to be inclusive but isn't an inclusive person. So it feels manufactured. Honestly any time I've seen her speak in interviews, she feels so fake and manufactured.

[@vercingetorixavernian8978]

The moment Draco saw the destruction of the great hall… and all his childhood memories….. should have been played on more…. The moment he realizes within himself… how much he loves hogwarts and his time there.

[@ellen9219]

Honestly, I like how Draco doesn't have a 'big confrontation' with Voldemort or the Death Eaters. Big redemption arcs aren't really that present in Harry Potter (there are smaller ones ofc), and I like that. People are nuanced, without having to go and duel somebody to prove that they made some all-encompassing change. Although it might not make a satisfying narrative for people wanting a Zuko sort of thing, it was satisfying to me because it was realistic, and rings true to real life, in my opinion. Most people have a few small moments of bravery or sacrifice where they choose to define themselves, like Draco not giving up Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I like it this way, I think it gives hope without being ridiculous. Maybe I just think this because it rings true very often in my life or maybe I'm an idiot. Who knows? But there are my thoughts anyway. Loved the video, and am way too excited for more content on this series. Also loved that you used book Draco (and not movie Draco) when doing this.

[@matthewc3135]

Snape is really the only Harry Potter character with a redemption arc.

[@randomusername3873]

​@@matthewc3135 I would say slughorn (even if I wouldn't say he did something bad voluntarily) and regulus

[@alex-fx6lz]

i think he should have just had a quiet redemption arc after the war was over. like he apologizes to harry and his friends, cuts off his parents and people who share their beliefs, and he just... tries to take small steps to better himself. he didn’t need some like big moment where he defies voldemort because honestly, i think he was too terrified of voldemort to do that

[@strawberryslums]

I agree. I don't think it'd be very Draco to have some big heroic act. in his future he does raise his son with a lot better of views, but he never actually shows progress on himself after that. I would think that after Potter saving him from burning he would at least make up with them. Draco was never a villain and being written as a foil character yes he's going to be used to make the protagonist look better. That being said we do see progress again in how he raises his son, to me that says his ideology has likely evolved. He's very prideful so I get why he kind of slinks back to shadows after being wrong for so long, but I feel like he'd stand up to his family and possibly even reach out to the trio to apologise or something. I think it also would've been cool if he was written to marry at least a half-blood instead of a pure-blood.

[@VeraEdelman]

Apologies are boring and a cop-out redemption. This *is* literature.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

What does it being a book have to do with apologizing vera .

[@sunsetskye483]

Exactly. And I think he did do that, considering he grows up into a mature adult and raises a wonderful son

[@sunsetskye483]

@@selfcompassionate I think the fact that he is perfectly fine with their sons being friends counts, and he confronts Harry when finding out that Harry is keeping them apart

[@cronnoponno]

I always just saw Malfoy as a plot tool. He's the guy that is intended to make the protagonist look better in comparison. A redemption arc would be pointless because his intended role is to appear far better than the protagonist at a glance, only to have the protagonist utterly crush him in every way, through demonstration of moral superiority and technical superiority(being better at everything than him). Harry gets invited to the Quiddich team on his great skill, this happened only because Malfoy created a situation that forced Harry to demonstrate his bravery, while Malfoy cheats and plays dirty to get a spot in his team. Harry is given many handicaps throughout the games he plays, and still winds up being better than Malfoy. Even when it comes to the darker qualities that a Slytherin is known for, Malfoy is made to be humiliated again when he throws a Snake out of his wand to harass Harry, when it's revealed that Harry can speak to snakes. One of the highest marks of Slytherin(I think? I'm not a HP expert). Malfoy is forced to see that he doesn't even compare to Harry as a Slytherin. The longer the series continues, Malfoy is made increasingly lamer and less threatening and starts to even lose relevance as a tool to make Harry look good. Harry has already established a reputation in the minds of the readers and viewers, so Malfoy had little more to contribute to that and that's why I always felt like he was given less of a presence as the series went on. The last scene I can remember where Malfoy once again acts as a tool for the betterment of the protaginist is Harry saving his life, even after everything he has done. After all the hero needs to be morally superior, and the best way to do that is to have them save someone like Malfoy despite everything he's done up to this point. I always interpreted Malfoy as a character who was intentionally made this way. Not because it makes him complex or makes any meaningful allegories or whatever, but purely for the betterment of the protagonists reputation, I really don't think Rowling put much work into Malfoy and probably never intended to and people seem to read too deeply into his character when he really is just another plot tool. Or maybe I'm the one not looking deeply enough into his character.

[@cyberneticsquid-godofmassd3759]

I agree with everything you just said.

[@mooble1325]

yeah i totally agree - rowling was not the type to put this much effort in. she's mrs retcon

[@nicolasduhaut7331]

The whole Harry Potter fandom goes way too deep about everything. Just see how some people are fighting in the comments over "I personnaly am a slytherin and I think that..." The books are good but very basic in terms of story, character development and symbolism, but fans WANT the books to be some kind of perfect literature with triple meanings in every line

[@mooble1325]

@@nicolasduhaut7331 totally agree. it's a basic and mediocrely written kids' book that (fortunately for it) happens to have a compelling and escapist concept, not a treatise on human nature

[@allyli1718]

Hard agree

[@Nostradankus]

I think a counterpoint to Draco being abused by his father is the way he reacts when Lucius pushes him aside with the cane in movie 2, or even when he jabs his stomach in the fourth one. Draco seems much more annoyed and indignant at his father upstaging him when he's trying to mess with Harry and the Weaslys, and "putting him in his place" respectively than being fearful of corporeal punishment. Look at his face in the bookstore scene, hell he doesn't even startle despite his father ostensibly sneaking up on him.

[@Xehanort10]

7:33 In Chamber of Secrets Lucius even says "Need I remind you that it is not prudent to appear less than fond of Harry Potter not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear." Basically "Be more subtle about your hatred of Potter son."

[@DrZuluGaming]

In other words "Talk less, smile more. Don't let him know what you're against or what you're for." I'm sorry, I've been on a Hamilton binge since a few months during the lockdown.

[@viviannovelo6166]

@@DrZuluGaming omg I LOVE YOU

[@oliviatang198]

@@DrZuluGaming you can't be serious

[@randomfox12245]

Trying to reach him how to be a proper slytherine

[@jeremyssquip4763]

@@DrZuluGaming Listen, Draco, fools who run their mouths off wind up dead

[@LunaWitcher]

"Where does blood supremacy ends and Draco Malfoy begins?" In fanfictions. Of course.

[@williansouza8724]

what doesn’t happen i. fanfiction? i absolutely love it.

[@annabeinglazy5580]

I never quite understood why people try so hard to make his story a redemption arc. Draco never really redeemed himself for the crappy behaviour he pulled. And I honestly dont think he HAD to redeem himself for being a deatheater. That's the one thing that I would argue is entirely out of his control, he's being forced into it by Voldemort to get back at Lucius. I would really want to see how a 16/17 year old is supposed to stand up to the greatest genocidal, emotionless nutcase he has ever known. Who feeds his snake people at their dinner table.The tiny snippets of defiance against Voldemort make sense in his situation, but theyre not a change of heart. He's just a young guy, who doesnt want to see the violence he's suddenly confronted with. What he could have redeemed himself for was being a blood-racist asshole, a bully, and an overall prick. But he never does that explicitly. One tiny nod to harry in the epilogue does not translate into "I have changed my ways and become an openminded better person" for me. It could also just mean "hey, person who saved my ass from being burned alive...". also that imagery of Draco as a naked cat chicken killed me xD

[@ashikjaman1940]

People have this weird mindset where if they like a bad character then they endorse their actions. As a result they want said characters to become good guys so they don’t feel bad. It’s pretty silly tbh. Like, one of my favorite characters is Enrico Pucci from JoJo but that doesn’t mean I want everybody to die in the name of my boyfriend/god.

[@Xehanort10]

@@ashikjaman1940 They don't get that you can like and be interested in villains while still knowing they're evil and that their actions aren't justified. And the majority of villain fans like them as villains and don't want them turned into heroes.

[@lizamungaray2879]

@@Xehanort10 My reasoning why i want Draco to have a Redemption Arc is because i pity him. I want him to become a better man.

[@eleanormace4450]

Nora agrees

[@teresarivasugaz2313]

@@ashikjaman1940 Same, I adore evil mofos like Cersei Lannister and Littlefinger but I want to see them pay at least a little for the horrible things they've done. Draco has a realistic ending, he doesn't need to "redeem" himself.

[@TheEbonchi]

The remaining mercy I have for malfoy is because I was raised in an incredibly sheltered environment by my abusive family. Setting aside everything that caused my CPTSD. I wasn't allowed to know anyone outside my family except the sort of people they interacted with, and only when I left home did I realize how deathly toxic the worldview being shoved down my throat was. I wasn't even allowed to go to school, I had to educate myself at libraries. I saw and was a bystandard to things no child should ever be, like my mom's rampant animal neglect. She hoarded animals and while I tried to help them, and I worked to learn veterinary medicine from age 10 onward, and convince her to give them away over time. I thought it was normal, in fact, back then. I only did it because while I loved the animals, i didn't want to take care of them and knew if I didn't, no one would, and if they got sick, we wouldn't do anything, so they had to go. There was no active pity or need to save them in my mind until I was about 18 when I realized HOW fucked it was. because again, I thought the majority of owners were just like us, all be it with fewer animals. In my mind, abuse was the point when owners ended up on animal hoarders or animal cops huston and plenty of owners were one little slip away from being in trouble with the animal cops. My childhood dream was to work with steve irwin but by the time i was 14 I was so beaten down and so physically ill by everything i saw, I gave it up. I didn't pick the dream up again until I was 27 and I didn't know just how easy it was to take PROPER care of an animal until I ended up with a cat (the owner was hurting, harassing and generally abusing it, and intended to abandon it as a kitten) when I was 23 after leaving home. I promptly rehomed the cat about 6 months later because I lived 2 hours from a proper town in employee housing and had no license nor vehicle, I loved that cat, she got me past the first wave of my mother dying. BUT getting it to the vet and keeping it safely housed was not an option. And when I gave that cat up I promptly had a mental breakdown because it was so easy to do the right thing for the animal. And my entire worldview shifted like a bone being re-set without pain killers. Over the following 2 years more and more of my world view were sharply, painfully and viciously set back into reality. The idea that the world was out to get me, that everyone was abusive ans sociopathic, that everyone wanted to take, take, take until you were nothing but bones and only paranoia and stabbing them in the back first would prevent it. That life was impossible, and it was HARD to hold a job down, and many things about myself I accepted as fact. And it took nearly 6 years to even begin to undo the emotional view of myself that was supplanted in me so i was easier to manipulate. I used to think i was such a good person for standing by my crazy mom when no one else would, and you know what? I was stupid, everyone tells me i was so good to stay with her, but it's only because I promised myself when I was 9 that i would, and I stuck by that. The mental abuse furthered this but people forget that mental abuse takes SO many forms. My mom loved me, she spoiled me when she could and we weren't homeless, she was obsessive with her love. And it crushed me, I didn't even realize how i couldn't breath with her, until I was 100% away from her and everyone I ever knew before that. I didn't realize how I molded myself to avoid her disappointment. and when I was finally growing a spine and doing TERRIBLE things like, going bowling on my birthday for 2 hours with my ONE friend, and my then boyfriend (met online, he came to visit) I was guilted with tears and misery to the point I felt sick wanting to walk 20 feet down the hall to say hi. It wasn't until I left home I realized I wasn't a person, no personality, no likes, no wants, no preferences. I answered everything with "sure!" and then spent weeks agonizing over weather or not I actually enjoyed the activity/food/experience because I didn't have anyone to tell me how to feel about it, I only had what I remember I was supposed to feel and realized that wasn't my voice. SO When I see Draco, i don't see someone abused, but I do see someone brainwashed. They teach you to train dogs with praise and punish them with ignoring them, that only works if you sufficiently shelter someone, and I can see that exact method being used on him, as it was used on me. To not have praise from my mom felt easily as bad as her worst punishment, just her getting quiet after an answer scared me as much as when i knew my brother was ramping up to beat me. I'd feel nauseous if she didn't talk to me for a hour while in a bad mood and I KNEW it was my fault. I see it in how draco and I both mirrored the parent that our world revolved around. I was my mom's mini me, I emulated her appearence, her mannerisms, her likes, and divergence was frowned upon that's all it took, she was my anchor to reality, without her approval I was nothing. how in every conversation well into adulthood my mom was dragged into conversations with people who didn't even know her by my unwitting mind. Hell I STILL bring her up like 2-3 times a week, but I've gotten good, and when I do, it's because all my childhood memories were tied to her. A big part of brainwashing subtly like that, is the person needs to be a coward, and they need to be sheltered until they're tied to someone, like a cult. And I see a lot of me in Draco. emulating his father down to his appearence and mannerisms, parroting his words, being lost and terrified whenever he ALMOST has to confront one of those views. His self exists as an extension of his dad, and without that, he's nothing, no one, aimless. Even now, at 29 i feel physically sick when my husband is in a bad mood and is being quiet. He's never been angry at me in 5 years, and he loves me to bits. But upset silence tells me I fucked up, even if he lost a video game, or he's just hungry or had a bad day at work, it's ALWAYS my fault. And because of that i have forgiveness for malfoy, because he's the product of his upbringing, in which the only words that mattered were his fathers or those who parroted his worldview. By the time he realized he was in over his head he was already drowning. And for that same reason I have much less forgiveness for James potter. James had everything good and healthy, his upbringing was malfoys but with positive influences, and he still bullied, stole, harassed and tormented students up until he was 17, only stopping because he wanted Lily to date him. As an adult I find the entire harry potter series depressing, because in the entire series the only reason anyone stops being a dick is because they fall in love (IE James and Snape both with lily mind you) Not one death eater crosses over from the dark side to the good side, the villains are one dimensional. and I only feel stolen from in Draco's storyline because he was primed and ready to fill that position, JKR wrote this perfect opportunity to be the one who crosses over, maybe because the trio see him and not an extension of his father (as it's implied most Slytherins do) or maybe because he's faced with Hermione (where there were many chances) because he DID respect intelligence and ambition, so all it took was seeing she was a person to trigger a domino effect of his sense of self crumbling. I for one would have been interested in seeing who draco is without the veneer of his dad. and always excited for character growth it would have been interesting to see. Maybe he'd still be an ass, but at least then we'd know he was his own ass. That means in that reality, nothing will end, Voldemort was a powerful man but the death eaters are an idea. It's not something you can end without changing minds, and that means that idea will live until someone else has the balls to gather them together, and sure harry is FINE as a hero being able to bolster good people to action, but the real mark of a hero is being able to change the hearts and minds of your enemy. Harry potter is too black and white even for a kids book. I can't read the story for that reason. They won one fight and called it over when both sides were still a powder keg ready to blow.

[@snailart14]

You should write a biography. I don't even know you but I want to know more.

[@elevator3]

i know this is from 9 months ago but i just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story and input

[@alisezone1800]

The analogy is incredible

[@fakiugugle]

My god, I know you're a random person but I just want to hug you now. You are so strong :(

[@shizachan8421]

I feel like people who see Draco as an abused child kinda want to have an easy to grasp excuse for his behavior, when I think Draco is so easily convinced to adapt the views of his parents because he has no reason to question him. His parents love him, they give him everything. The way Lucius treats Draco kinda feels like him trying to not have him spoiled rotten, so while Narcissa coddles him, Lucius is taking up the position of the stricter, more demanding parent because he doesn't wants to see his son growing up to be a failure. I would argue its probably not the best strategy, but its certainly not an uncommon one in nuclear families, that one parent acts like the fun parent the other one feels the need to counteract it by being the more rigid counterpart. Its different from the Dursleys, where both parents acts as enablers to Dudley and we see Petunia overfeeding him while Vernon makes up excuses. Their interaction in Borgin and Burkes is not nice, but it shows that Lucius is worried about Dracos future prospects and instead of threatening or punishing him, we see Lucius ending up trying to motivate him by attempting to frame Hermione, whose accomplishments he acknowledges instead of giving in to Dracos insults, as a rival for Draco to beat. Draco himself doesn't seem intimidated by his father, his reaction to criticism is immediately shifting the blame arround, which I feel like hints at Draco being somewhat comfortable with argueing with his dad. And in actuality, we kinda see the same dynamic of a harsh strict parent and a fun dotting parent with the one family that is framed as an ideal of what a loving and healthy family should be like: The Weasleys, its just that in this case its the mom Molly who is the strict one holding authority and the dad who is the more carefree one. And I kinda feel like its probably due to people being more prone to see a strict father as an abusive one than with a mother doing the same thing, that people would view Lucius, purely as a parent, more negatively than Molly. so I think in the light of the Malfoys probably being bad parents, I think thats kind of exactly Dracos tragedy. Like I said, he has no reason to question them and their values. From his perspective, his parents would be great people he trusts and want to be like. His mom loves him dearly and sends him care packages to school while his dad may be strict, but from his point of view would be a model of success he would love to emulate. He is magically powerful, economically successful, holds influence up to the office of the minister of magic and he will casually buy not only him but also all of his friends professional racing brooms. For Draco, Lucius is probably a great man and the best dad a boy could have. And in this case, we have to consider that the indoctrination his parents put him through is generational. Lucius own dad was a pure blood supremacist plotting to get the first muggleborn minister of magic removed and Narcissas family disowned her sister for marrying a muggleborn, so its clear that they never deliberately or maliciously groomed Draco to be a racist, its them passing on the values which were ingrained themselves when they were children. I feel like there is the implication that people like Lucius were themselves groomed to become Death Eaters straight after school. Then there is the fact that Draco would have little motivation to question the views of his parents. Being a Slytherin, he is effectively raised in an echo chamber in school and when we look at who holds the opposing viewpoints, the most prominent adult who does would be somebody Draco would naturally feel antagonistic towards, this being Arthur Weasley, from his point of view somebody who constantly tries to slander his dad, who is a great man to him, while being unable to properly provide for hims family himself, while his Dad gives him everything he wants. I think Draco growing up in a happy and loving environment with people who hold bad views actually makes his fall all the more tragic actually. One moment, he still thinks his dad is a great man who just wants the best for his family and who naturally would be right in his views, the other his father is suddenly publicly disgraced and imprisoned due to his involvement with the death eaters and they forcefully recruit him unter the threat of murdering his parents, with voldemort even setting base in Malfoy Manor, where he has his mom hostage the entire time. Draco world changes suddenly, one moment he is still a spoiled kid whose worst worry is pissing off Potter, the next the people he would have considered to be the good guys from his point of view take his mom hostage and threaten him to kill the most powerful wizard in the world as a punishment to his dad. Without a warning, Dracos childhood is over and I think the Crane is actually a good symbolic representation of the position he is in: without preparation he is suddenly forced to be the man in the house and protect his mom and dad at any cause. Though to be honest, I kinda feel like Snape getting all this redemption and being hailed as this grey character and Rowling disliking Draco, despite the sixth book actually being predominantly about showing us his humanity and true internal colors, is kind of yet again a case of her own flawed view that people supposedly need hardship and suffering to earn to be good people. After all, Snape kinda started off into Hogwarts with the best positive influence possible, Lily, and he kept on constantly pushing her away and clinging to future Death Eaters, many of whom seemingly already acting like actual psychopaths when they were just in school. I mean, people love to hate on James and Sirius for bullying Snape so much, but I'm like kinda, okay, so what? Snape was actively making clear from his first year onward that he wants to be one of the bad guys on his own accord, knowing more curses than most seven years, we know that he also would constantly try to mess around with James and his friends, he hung around with actual fascists while crushing on a guy all of his friends want to see dad and he invented a spell to cut people open when he was in high school. He moved on to be a Death Eater, certainly murdering people, without a care in the world until it hit somebody he knew. Draco on the other hand just can't bring himself to kill anyone. Even with his families life at stake, its hinted at by Dumbledore that he botched his assassination attempt deliberately. Draco, internally, seems to be the more moral person compared to Snape. He can be a racist little shit and bully, but he just can't bring himself to actually hurt and kill someone. and James and his friends just punched a nazi.

[@soyboysupreme6190]

"baby" "jealous jellybean" "little stubby legs little pathetic leggies" thanks for finding just the perfect words to describe this boy & things about him

[@purplezaddyra1814]

I can't watch this when it comes out because I need to be in bed soon but I can't wait to watch this in the morning! I know early views are really important but I'm in a bad timezone for this, sorry about that. I always love how you talk in your videos, you seem like you know what you're talking about, you're clear and concise, easy to understand, and I love rewatching every other video you've made, can't wait to watch and rewatch this one, I'm sure it's just as great as every other video of yours~

[@QuinnCurio]

I appreciate that you worry about boosting my algorithm ranking. lol I'm lucky to have a sub like you. Have a good sleep. 😴

[@Qccordion]

Damn, that was wholesome as fuck.

[@enderlove2794]

Dude same. I end up downloading the videos on my phone and just watch them or listen to them as background when I first wake up, or am busy cleaning and need something as background noise. I downloaded this one as soon it uploaded and I forgot to like the video. The only video of hers I haven't watched is the one on umbrella academy. I want to watch the show before I see that one. It's true tho about the voice thing because I fixate on a particular movie show or youtube channel and watch it on repeat for a couples of week or months if it's really good. I really like the fact that her videos are 30 minutes long. The long ones are always the best. Especially the one on the animation community. I stopped watching those channels a while ago, but I liked hearing about all of it.

[@averygriffith4199]

I’m sorry I can’t get over “Snako Hisboy”

[@WWFanatic0]

While I don't buy the "physical abuse" argument, I'm not sue the affection for the cane as a sort of relic is a counterargument. It's not unheard of for something that caused you suffering and abuse to be thought of as good as a sort of coping mechanism. Especially in a system that is obsessed with power. Could easily see a "It was harsh but made me into the man I am!" mindset with the thought of using it the same way with his son.

[@meleenamonarrez4178]

*bonk* “Draco help me beat the crap out of everything in here!” 😂

[@shelbyb9056]

The noises were killing me. I had to watch that part twice.

[@martinebonita2658]

I haven't been into harry potter for about 10 years, but this essay got me so invested like i was 14 again

[@michaelhegwood9977]

Can't wait for her to cover how the weird abusive creepy teacher was interrupted as a sexy swooner sad boy.

[@theanarchistocelot1620]

Snape?

[@ChasehaWing]

@@theanarchistocelot1620 Nah she means Mad Eye

[@enderlove2794]

@@ChasehaWing who is mad eye?

[@salenebrom6476]

Lockheart?

[@InfectionFever]

i still cringe and almost puke every time i see a snape fanfic or oneshots

[@WyattRodebaugh]

I think I actually remember reading in the book when Draco was about to kill Dumbledore, he not just says that Voldemort would kill him if he failed but kill his family as a whole.

[@idkmanthatskindafruity584]

“Even though he’s an 8 pound, uncooked chicken” IM SORRY BUT I DIED- 😭🤣

[@2bassguitarist2]

Sorry to hear about your demise. Rest in peace

[@kiki8792]

Can I DJ at your funeral? I've got some -killer- great music

[@idkmanthatskindafruity584]

@@kiki8792 that sounds perfect, when are you free?

[@annsh.6487]

I honestly don't blame Draco for being a coward. I would be one too in his shoes.

[@RetroIsaac]

Yeah they're pretty tacky.

[@mattconnolly6802]

I believe that "It's not a cane. It's a walking stick." Is an example of one of those posh word tricks where they use the counterintuitively less "fancy" sounding word for a thing to wheedle out wannabes. Pudding, Napkin and "What?" as opposed to Dessert, Serviette and "Pardon".

[@allyli1718]

That’s such an interesting thing to do. I never thought of that, but that’s so aristocratically snobbish it’s believable. Where’d you learn about this kind of stuff?

[@mattconnolly6802]

@@allyli1718 Yeah it's terrible and classist as hell. Either David Mitchell or Downton Abbey is where I heard of it first. There's a long list in the book "Schott's Original Miscellany" but I'm sure it's googlable too.

[@OlleLindestad]

IT'S NOT A DIARY, MOM, IT'S A JOURNALLLLLL

[@revuesdeminuit4071]

As someone who grew up in a painfully aristocratic family, reading those “posh” words gives me wartime flashbacks

[@lpsloveandgame6046]

It’s kind of ridiculous to me that English « posh » words are just french with different pronunciations. Being bilingual I have to break out of my habits to not sound too posh in English convo

[@americanbookdragon]

Emotional abuse can also come in the form of parentrification where your parent uses you as a therapist. The child is not emotionally developed enough to handle it, and their emotional needs are not just neglected, but pounded upon in an abusive manner. The parent teaches their child that their emotions do not matter while overloading them with problems the child isn't actually equipped to understand. I'm not saying Draco had this happen to him, but I think it should be mentioned that neglect and abuse can overlap in this manner.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

Even more damaging, that type of situation pressures the child into forgoing their own emotional health to support that parent's emotional health, including and especially in regard to situations that impact both parties' emotional wellbeing. In example, the idea "I'm not allowed to be unhappy because it makes mommy feel like they failed as a parent". It removes a child's agency to even feel emotion without explicit permission to do so.

[@rumrust]

Petition to call Draco Malfoy "Snako Hissboy"

[@firstnamelastname3201]

Yes.

[@ivorydoves]

I agree

[@firefly5934]

Nah. Racist Ferret’s better.

[@Vexvaporrub]

As someone who suffered through emotional abuse the fact that his parents were willing to drop so much money on his desires and whims was proof in my eyes because it's like it was to shut him up or to get him to forgive them because they still wanted to be good parents but they wanted to believe it themselves rather than actually change or try to genuinely apologize and even more so that he so desperately defended his parents and especially his father. This to me shoes a reluctance to admit that he was unhappy and that his parents were actually bad.

[@noneofyourbusiness4294]

One of the biggest problems is that Lucius maneuvred himself, and thereby his family in a situation where there are next to no outs. Narcissa is a bitch for sure, but not the murderous type. Neither is Lucius for real. He's the prime example of someone who joined a cult, and then has no idea how to get out of it. Look at him, proudly displaying his ancestry, because he got convinced that it's important, and so did Draco. But also look at him when he's around the other Deatheaters, who he can't impress with that. They're all like that, some of more powerful houses than he is. In their presence he always seems uncomfortable, if not close to a panic attack. Now, that doesn't excuse or justify abuse by any means, but what Lucius and Narcissa inflict on Draco is more remote controlled than on free will

[@lavendertrees9515]

yeah i agree, i feel like them spoiling draco kind of was abuse in a way

[@mickey1592]

I understand what you’re saying but I feel like the context of the times he’s ‘spoilt’ goes against this interpretation. They never buy him things to distract from another problem, they do it to directly face a problem that he’s voiced. For example, when he complains about quidditch, they don’t simply buy him something expensive and distracting, they SPECIFICALLY buy him and his ‘friends’ brooms, even more specifically the same brand as Harry showing they listened to the details of his issue, they listened to his complaints and reacted to them rather than trying to dismiss or mask them with non-specific presents. Emotional abuse and hiding it with money and monetary padding is 100% a thing and very damaging but it doesn’t line up with Malfoys treatment.

[@Xehanort10]

The way Lucius and Narcissa brought Draco up was emotional neglect in a way. Not really being there for him like parents should be or listening to his problems or anything. Just buying him things and letting him do whatever he wanted.

[@Snarptusk]

That's not *proof* at all, that's just speculation because of a correlation. By that logic we have "proof" that Vernon and Petunia didn't love Dudley which is completely false. I could buy that spoiling Draco is a kind of abuse, just like the Dursleys smothering of Dudley is, but that would be abuse as a side-effect of the spoiling, not the spoiling being a side effect/result of abuse

[@Phaedra_ghost]

I've always thought of the movies as an alternative telling of the story. Like movie snape and book snape are two different people, they share the same name and background and similar features but that's it.

[@LordofFullmetal]

"A Legolas who was left on the counter for too long" That's hilarious! I subbed just for that.

[@IloveHamlet]

PLEASE make the Ginny video. I need that. Her character in the movies is so wheat toast. It's just criminal.

[@Relachi]

19:40 I hit my head on my table the moment you said that

[@naniandrea3344]

I love your channel, keep up the good work :)

[@strawberryice9264]

I’m still salty they didn’t include malfoy throwing potter his wand in the last movie

[@DeezNutz-ve8kf]

same like we were robbed of that and it makes me angry

[@cnpglng]

@@NicoleReign he bullied harry for his own reasons like prob jealousy and such but we're talking about the battle the big voldemort battle and such. he knew what was right and he prob knew what he wants as well as his family which was to be safe and if being safe means voldemort losing then so be it. He was also forced to kill dumbledore which for a kid is too much and its too big of a responsibility and knowing that if voldemort won, he wouldn't have any freedom and probably have given more big tasks he might not want to take. and harry did save draco so he probably felt in debt and he might not want to be in debt cause u know he doesn't like harry at all. he probably didn't like harry so much at his own will because it embarrassed him and it hurted his pride that he didn't wanna be friends with him and like he's getting all the attention and that he's powerful or sumthn lmao.

[@feenzah7235]

Same tbh

[@thatonekidfromkindergarten4495]

Are y’all being sarcastic

[@cnpglng]

@@thatonekidfromkindergarten4495 if ure asking me im just giving my opinion on what the other person asked coz she didn’t understand y the hell would draco give his wand to harry.

[@orkosubmarine]

"...it will make you sterile!" "why do you think you're an only child?!" that entire section had me crying lol 🤣

[@erictaylor5462]

8:00 I love how near the end Dumbledore mentions the "terrible abuse" Dudley has been subjected to.. But Dudley can't figure out how he was abused.

[@bloodyhell8201]

The wheels of abuse go round and round, round and round, round and round All day long

[@erictaylor5462]

@@bloodyhell8201 Not if you kill the abuser.

[@Ari33sa]

Very good. I was really getting sick of all those 'poor draco was being abused'-interpretations of the character. I actually always thought he didn't really need a redemption arc. Ultimately I don't think he was ever more than an ordinary school bully... And while bullying is something to be taken seriously, especially with the harm it can do it's also... well quite ordinary sadly. It's the type of evil many can just grow out of or realize and change their way without a big redemption arc needed. (look at James Potter for example. He was a school bully... worse than Draco I'd argue if not quite as bigotted, but he simply grew out of. Ultimately his bullying days are maybe something Harry or Remus (or Sirius) might look back at with a bit of shame, but ultimately by most people he's regarded as a good man because he changed ... not because of one big heroic act of redemption)

[@matthewc3135]

I'd argue James was far worse then Draco. And also argue that he was equally as bigoted, just towards different people. Take Draco, replace slytherins with muggle borns, multiply his bullying by 10, and you have James.

[@tehanu1782]

Lucius telling Draco not to touch anything at Borgin and Burkes is the most fatherly gesture he has in seven books. First, it's a typical parent thing to say so it doesn't sound weird to us the first time we read/watch it, but most importantly, Lucius knows what kind of artefacts the shop carries. For example, in the sixth book they had the opal necklace on display.

[@alphalancer]

The allegory that can be read from the Death Eaters' "blood" prejudice is classist, specifically old money (pure blooded wizards) versus the nouveau riche (muggleborn wizards) versus the proletariat/peasantry (muggles), although I can't say that's something Rowling actually intended since entirely neglected to actually address the issue in the series' resolution.

[@Zazabazaa]

This is why I don't like it when people act like spoiled kids are the same as pompous rich people... Spoiling your child isn't a sign of rich parents, it's just another sign of neglect. My dad grew up in such a poor household that they lived in a small hut and milk was seen as a huge luxury item, yet he was spoiled by his mother because he still got the first say in a lot of ways and she gave him everything she could. This made an odd dynamic of him seriously appreciating his life when he grew up and managed to support a middle class life that included his whole family but he also found it difficult to handle me because not only did begin to spoil me, he didn't cope well when I wasn't becoming the academically brilliant child he wanted. Thankfully I had a mum who knew how to raise me so when she managed to enter the country when I was 4 she worked on making sure it wasn't too late before I was stuck in my ways. But my dads way of doing things still led to problems for me like an lack of skills in house cleaning, bad social navigation, a tendency to yell when I start talking too much, fear of any kind of failure and a serious case of impostor syndrome and self doubt. The very word "spoiled" shows it... As much as it can be annoying dealing with spoiled kids, they aren't the issue, they're the victims.The way they are treated rots them from the inside, something that can only be cured when you stop neglecting them... And the cycle of victims, when it comes to kids especially, is that it gets passed on from one person to the next...

[@bird2034]

Ah yes, the three genders. Buddies, babies, and ladies.

[@Carols989]

turns out "could've been a bigger war criminal" is not exactly a good personality trait

[@c.smidgeon2847]

best yearbook superlative ever

[@pramada9431]

I don't think that's the point of draco's character at least how I understand it but ok it's ur opinion.

[@alina-87]

I love this comment

[@ravenfox3586]

The reason Lucious doesn't want him touching anything is cause Borgin and Burkes sells seriously dark artifacts. The Opal Necklace was sold to Draco here, so you can imagine that maybe touching things in the store is a bad idea.