One character with one of
the greatest character developments is Draco Malfoy. While he is not a
hero by any means, he does make up for some of the abuse he is inflicted
on Harry, Ron and Hermione. Much like
Sirius' brother, Regulus, Malfoy is brought up in a world where
Purebloods are believed to be the most elite and worthy. He was taught
from a young age that Voldemort's regime would eradicate those unworthy
of practicing magic (Muggle-borns) and in turn reward
those with the most ancient links to magic. This belief is incredibly
faulty, but it is what caused Draco to grow into such a horrible young
adolescent.
It is not until Malfoy
joins the Death Eaters that he realizes how terrifying it actually is to
have to act according to his beliefs. At first he is excited as this is
what he has been waiting his whole life
for, but quickly he realizes that his induction into the Death Eaters is
merely a punishment for his father's failure to retrieve the Prophecy.
His tasks to kill Dumbledore and also to find a way to get Death Eaters
into Hogwarts are wearing on him. We see
this as he is overheard crying to Moaning Myrtle in the boy's bathroom.
While his subsequent attack on Harry is much like the old Draco, we have
reached a pivotal moment in his character development. We know the
weight of working for Voldemort is crushing him,
but he has no escape.
We see the most change in Malfoy at the top of the Atronomy Tower before
Dumbledore's death. Draco grows increasingly angry at Dumbledore for
suggesting that he is not a killer, yet Malfoy will not kill the
weakend, old man. We finally see that Draco is only
siding with Voldemort for his mother's and his own safety.
When Dumbledore offers
Malfoy and his mother protection, he lowers his wand. After this, even
Harry cannot feel hatred towards Draco, only pity. He understands the
power Voldemort holds over eveyone's lives
and over their loved ones. While we shouldn't admire Draco, as he is not
truly a hero, we can feel some form of sympathy towards him. While
Draco is primarily interested in self-preservation and can be two-faced,
we see this during the final battle of Hogwarts
when he's pleading with a Death Eater, he is also interested in
protecting his family, something that can be admired about him. He grew
from a small boy who could talk a big game to a young man who is slowly
realizing his foolishness and what his arrogance
could do to his loved ones.
Draco slightly redeems himself at Malfoy Manor when he pretends he can't
tell who Harry, Ron, and Hermione are after they are captured by the
Snatchers. But even Draco's actions in the Room of Requirements during
the final battle of Hogwarts (trying to find
the diadem before Harry) can show him reverting back to his original
character, we don't see any true malice from him, just from Crabbe.
So while Draco Malfoy does not make himself a hero of the Harry Potter series, we begin to see his true nature and a broader scope of who he really is.
Katie Barrier
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