Application // Character notes
Super long character notes app turned out to be thirteen comments long sob. 8\ Will be added to as I play him and flesh him out a bit more in my mind.
Name: Rae
Livejournal: lysdexicmun
Contact: AIM: lysdexicmun
Other Characters Played: Yuca (neverquitedies), Will (masked_elite)
Are you 18 or over? Yup.
Canon: The Harry Potter series (books)
Character: Draco Malfoy
Timeline: The Deathly Hallows, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are imprisoned in the Malfoy Manor. To be specific, when Draco descends into the cellar to get Griphook.
Personality:
"Draco, you little shit." -Lord Voldemort, A very Potter musical
Perhaps the easiest way of describing Draco Malfoy's personality is simply stating that he is everything Harry Potter (the protagonist of the story) isn't. Cowardly, obsessed with popularity, often the first to strike a blow when someone's back is turned... he's not a very nice person, to put it bluntly. He's first introduced in the Sorcerer's Stone, and is the character to reveal to Harry that the wizarding world isn't the loving haven that he thought it would be. Described as 'pale', with a pointed face and slicked-back blond hair, Draco is pretty much the exact opposite of Harry Potter, with a personality to prove it.
Mostly, the first few books illustrate Draco's bullying and cowardice as his key character points. In these, he really isn't much more than a snide, elitist boy who picks on Harry because he damn well can. The two spend years attacking, retaliating, and getting even with one another, through many different means. Draco is persistent, annoying, and even somewhat creative with his bullying, and is one of the few people that can effectively get under Harry's skin.
A lot of his disagreements and anger with Harry come from his elitism. You see, Draco Malfoy is the heir to one of the most prestigious wizarding families in existence, and being the heir, he inherits not only their blood, but also their prejudice. The Malfoys are purebloods, or wizards who can trace their ancestry back for generations of other wizards, and they loathe mudbloods, or wizards who were born from non-wizarding parents. In this way, the Malfoys and royal families are similar, in the aspect that 'keeping it in the family' is highly valued, as if talent comes through blood, rather than acquired skill.
In the first book, one simply thinks that Draco feels that way because he's a little shithead, but in the second book, you finally get to meet his father, Lucius, and it becomes apparent that Lucius is the main reason for most, if not all of Draco's philosophy. His father is even more of a pure blood fanatic than Draco is, and far, far more dangerous, due to his job in the ministry and his heavy influence in the wizarding community. Much of what Draco does is shaped by his father's actions, and one can even argue that Draco seeks validation through his father's acceptance. Draco idolizes his father, puts him on a pedestal, and demands that everyone have an almost religious view of him; and if they don't, Draco is quick to defend him and make sure that their opinion changes. He often threatens people with his father's status, suggesting that he'd rather let his father fight battles for him before he himself will.
Lucius is certainly one of the leading influences in Draco's life- which is why Lucius' imprisonment in Azkaban affected him like it did. At the end of the fifth book, Lucius Malfoy was apprehended, found to be working with Lord Voldemort, and sent to the wizarding prison. Because of this, Draco's dislike of Harry turns into outright hatred (hatred strong enough to break his nose with little remorse, to attempt to use the Unforgivable torture curse on him), and the stress of knowing his father was in prison is one of the few things that leads to his breakdown in the sixth year.
Because of Lucius' imprisonment and the subsequent events that follow (more detail in the history section), we get to see more of Draco's personality outside of his father's influence, and his character is shaped out a little more.
Firstly, he's very determined and very focused. Rowling herself has said that Draco is a boy who is very capable of 'compartmentalizing his life'- putting emotions and relations into metaphorical boxes and simply locking them away. Due to this, it's easy for him to completely shut down his 'good' attributes and focus on a task at hand, be it bullying or flat-out assassination, without worrying about the morality of it. It also explains why he is such a capable wizard, when he wants to be, and why he's so good at Occlumency, a task at which even the protagonist, Harry Potter, is unable to master. Through Occlumency, Draco is able to shut down his emotions, calm himself, and effectively block out his mind from all intruders- something that his aunt Bellatrix taught him in order to defend himself against Severus Snape.
This focus also gives way to the diligence he exhibits while trying to repair the vanishing cabinet in his sixth year. Draco spends the entire school year taking trips to the room of requirement and trying to repair it, and spends an unhealthy amount of time worrying about it, until it's finally fixed- after which, he celebrates happily, before focusing again to use the cabinet to transport death eaters into the school and assist him in the takeover of the school and the murder of Albus Dumbledore.
The entire year proves that Draco isn't some 'dumb jock'. Despite his shortcomings in the courage department, he's intelligent. Intelligent enough to cast the serpensortia- the snake summoning spell that Voldemort himself later uses and a type of spell that is usually only taught to sixth years and above- in his second year, devious enough to trick Harry into sneaking out of bed at night and setting him up to be caught by Filch in the first year, aware enough to recognize that Harry was hiding invisible in the train compartment in his sixth year and skilled enough to perform notably difficult spells, such as the Protean charm, at least two of the three Unforgivable Curses, and nonverbal spells (which includes blocking jinxes without uttering a single word), he certainly knows what he's doing and has grown up to be quite a capable young wizard.
Still, even that has its limits. Draco breaks down and cries in front of Myrtle at least once during the year, and Harry walks in on him crying a separate time. He nearly has a nervous breakdown as a result of all of the stress his sixth year put on him, and in the resulting hysteric battle with Harry, he attempts to use an Unforgivable Curse before he's cut off by Harry's own spell.
However, underneath all of that, is what I think to be Draco's main character flaw: fear. Draco is afraid of being hurt, definitely afraid of being killed, and he's afraid of letting his family down. He doesn't have the stomach for many of the things Voldemort does (though it's far too late by the time he realizes this), and quickly develops a healthy fear of the dark wizard. That fear is what turns his arrogance at getting the order to kill Dumbledore into utter panic and tears that he is suggested to have shown in front of Myrtle. Draco doesn't fight his own battles- he lets his two henchmen do it for them, and if it's a matter above schoolyard scuffles, he enlists the influence of his father. In short, Draco is perfectly capable of 'talking the talk', as it were, but he doesn't want to back up his words and risk getting himself hurt.
This fear, especially about Voldemort brings up another interesting point: Draco doesn't particularly like Voldemort, not after the latter came back and threatened to kill his family and made his pet snake eat Draco's teacher on his dinner table. 8\ Draco is loyal to Voldemort out of fear, fear which motivates him to... do sort of nothing about it. Not saying he'd take the first opportunity to switch sides, but given what happened between Draco and Dumbledore at the end of book six, given his reluctance to identify Harry (and later screaming at Crabbe not to kill him) in book seven, it seems that he's not alltogether on Voldemort's side. This isn't to say that he's a good guy- heavens no- but it does bode the question of what he would really do, if given the choice without the influence of the crazed Death Eaters at his shoulder.
Despite his cowardice, I don't think that not being able to kill Dumbledore was out of fear. Dumbledore calls it point blank- at his core, Draco is not an assassin. He's really not all purely evil- really, he's just a scared little boy who thought being a bad guy was cool, and by the time he realized that it very much wasn't, he was in far too deep to back out. At the very end, he lowered his wand, only for Snape to step in and kill Dumbledore instead. Again, at the Malfoy manor, when asked to identify Harry Potter- even though he clearly did recognize Harry, Draco simply gave a vague 'I don't know' answer, rather than sell out Harry and probably have them turned over to Voldemort on the spot.
While these actions don't make him good, I think they slide him a little higher up on the morality scale. Draco isn't a killer and he doesn't have what it takes to be a true Death Eater. Does this mean he's any less bigoted? Of course not. Draco is a prejudiced bastard and he'll probably always be that way.
Just a smallish originally-small-that-turned-massive note here on the way he acts: Draco is almost solely seen through Harry's third person narration. This makes the view of him... well, slightly unreliable, since just about all we see of him is how Harry regards him, and we get Harry's own judgments. Thus, we get Draco's worst moments, when he's around someone he doesn't particularly like, and what's more, they're told from the view of someone who doesn't like him, written by someone who doesn't want the readers to like him. Thus, there is the distinct possibility of there being more to him than just an egotistical elitist snob- it's true, we never catch a glimpse of Draco's childhood, how he was raised, why he thinks the way he does (rather than simply having to handwave it away as 'it's his parent's ideologies, so it was reflected onto him)... just that he does think that way.
The point I think I'm trying to make is that Draco is portrayed in a very two dimensional manner throughout most of the series, mainly due to the bias of the narrator (a bias which isn't without Very Good reason, but a bias nevertheless). In order to see beyond the sniveling little idiot Harry perceives Draco as, it's important to look at other people's perceptions of him.
Firstly, a lot of Slytherins like him. He gets a girlfriend and is later married with a child. He has two henchmen who look up to him, and a circle of friends (Zabini, Millicent, Pansy, among several others), of whom he seems to be the ringleader. While this alone doesn't speak much, since we can assume that most of these people are just as bigoted as he is, I know I wouldn't want to be friends with someone who insulted me all the time. This goes to show that he's not really a downright bastard to every single person he meets- rather, just people he deems unworthy. Hell, from the way he garners support through his friends (and even some random passersby, distributing the POTTER STINKS badges in fourth year comes to mind), it can be assumed that Draco is downright charismatic at times, a trait that he's probably learned from his father.
Secondly, we have Moaning Myrtle's interpretation of him- "...he’s sensitive, people bully him, too, and he feels lonely and hasn’t got anybody to talk to, and he’s not afraid to show his feelings and cry!" While that seems to be an exaggeration- and, knowing Myrtle's character, it is- there has to be a ring of truth somewhere in there. Consider this: had Draco broken down in front of Harry, it would more than likely be described as many of his other defeats in the books- cowardly, sniveling, playing it up for his own good. But the way the dramatic Myrtle tells it, Draco is a character to be pitied, who is bullied in turn by Voldemort, who is 'lonely' or rather, singled out in this task of assassination. This gives a bit more to work with, and the fact that he does feel these things can certainly help support the fact that he is human and he actually has an emotional range deeper than a teaspoon.
And finally, we have Dumbledore and Snape (and predictably, Narcissa/Lucius and grudgingly, Harry)'s desire to 'save' Draco, which at least implies that he is a character who might be worthy of redemption. He doesn't show it particularly much, not to Harry anyway, but 'saving Draco's life (or soul, as the case may be)' has become somewhat of a motif in the last two books. Dumbledore doesn't want Draco to kill him because he doesn't want to taint his soul- why? If Draco was really a sinister villain, how would that really have affected him? Snape makes the Unbreakable Vow to explicitly protect Draco in school, when that didn't really do much of anything for him to appear loyal in Voldemort's eyes- by this point, it was understood that Draco's 'mission' was expected to fail, and Draco was expected to be imprisoned, killed, or worse, to punish his father. So in reality, Snape's vow to protect Draco wasn't really necessary. While Narcissa and Lucius' attempts to break off from the Death Eater's attack on Hogwarts to save their son was brave, it didn't really do much to illuminate Draco's character since they were his parents and it's sort of to be expected that a parent would sacrifice themselves to save their child.
Though that raises another interesting comment- for all of their love of Voldemort (though it had waned incredibly by the final battle), all of their sucking up and sticking to the side that was winning, both of the Malfoys defected the instant they realized that their son could be hurt. That familial bond is something that almost wasn't expected, given the coldness of the family, and shows that the Malfoys, if nothing else, do care for one another and would risk their lives to ensure each other's safety. Aw.
So there you have it. He's a jerk, a prejudiced bastard who uses people to do his dirty work, a guy who will pull an attack on you with your back turned, someone who lets fear rule him... but ultimately, a minor antagonist who missed out on his chance to be an antihero.
Background:
Draco Malfoy was first introduced in the wizard's shopping street, Diagon Alley. His words seem to confuse Harry at first, who has no concept of the wizarding world and no idea of the kinds of prejudice that take place there. However, the (mostly one-sided) conversation with him seems to unnerve Harry and make him instantly dislike the boy. He talks about how the 'Other Sort' shouldn't be allowed at the school, how he wanted to 'bully father' into buying him a broomstick, how he thought it was an outrage that first years weren't allowed to have one- and almost instantly reminded Harry of his cruel cousin, Dudley.
Later on, when all the students arrive at Hogwarts, Draco, after realizing who Harry is, offers him his friendship, in exchange for spurning his recently-made friend, Ron. Although the scene doesn't seem too catastrophic, the outcome (Harry rejecting Draco's hand, embarrassing him in front of his peers) is the catalyst for their loathing and cruelty toward each other in the events that followed.
(Not particularly canon, but worth note- many fans speculate that Draco offering his hand to Harry was that pivotal moment in the very beginning that could have changed the entire outcome of the story. Had Harry accepted, he probably would have been sorted into Slytherin, influenced by Draco and the other death eater children, and probably died early on.)
Anyway, Draco and Harry had a certain dislike of one another throughout their Hogwarts years. In the first year, Draco challenged Harry to a duel at midnight and lured him out of bed, only to alert the caretaker of the school and let Harry be caught (which didn't happen, much to Draco's disdain). Later, Draco got them both in trouble for telling on Harry, being out after dark, and was sent to the Forbidden Forest as punishment- it's here that he sees Lord Voldemort for the first time (though he doesn't realize who he is), and the ominous presence has him running away and screaming in terror.
In second year, even before the term starts, Harry has a run-in with Draco and meets his father at the bookstore while buying their books. Though the meeting shows Lucius more than it really involves Draco, it shows that his father does indeed have power in the wizarding world and isn't afraid to flaunt it around.
In this year, Draco makes the Slytherin Quiddich team (like a sporting team, I suppose), and is given the role of the Seeker. When Hermione suggests that Draco simply bought his way onto the team, he insults her, causing Ron to attempt to curse him... something which backfires miserably, and leaves Ron vomiting slugs for a few days.
During this year, the Heir of Slytherin is set loose and fellow students start to be attacked. Harry, suspecting that Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, disguises himself as one of Draco's friends and talks to him. Draco unwittingly reveals to Harry that he has no idea who the heir is, but it isn't him, and says that all he knows is that his father wants him to stay out of the way- something he has no trouble doing while jeering at the victims and their friends. Because of the attacks on the students, a dueling club is set up in the second year- both Harry and Draco sign up, and are asked to have a small, example of a duel in front of the other students.
First, Draco cheated by firing off a version of a Hurling hex before they had counted to three. Then, when Harry knocked him off of his feet, Snape whispered a spell in Draco's ear, and Draco used it not a moment later to summon a large serpent, which he tried to set on Harry, who, luckily, could talk to snakes and dealt with it immediately, much to Draco's disappointment.
Third year, Hagrid the groundskeeper, and a close friend of Harry's, was put in charge of Care for magical creatures. However, Hagrid's idea of appropriate magical creatures was skewed, and on one of the first days of class, brought in Hippogriffs- half bird, half horses, who, although they were quite majestic, also suffered from a massive huburis. Draco, being Draco, goes and insults one and gets attacked by this. Although he isn't particularly hurt all that much, he exaggerates his injuries and goes to the hospital wing. He parades about with his wounds for so much that he actually almost gets the Hippogriff executed- saved by an interesting use of time-travel that, while mindbreaking, doesn't really pertain to Draco.
Still, while he's off spouting his mouth on how he's going to get the Hippogriff killed... well, let's just say that was the straw that broke the camel's back? Finally, after almost three straight years of being jeered at and made fun of due to her very blood, Hermione steps forward and punches Draco right in the face. That's... pretty much all you see of him in the third year.
Like the second year, Harry and company see Draco again in their fourth year, when they go to watch the Quiddich world cup tournament with the Weasleys. Draco and his mother and father are able to sit in the best seat in the stadium, the box accompanied by the minister of magic. He pokes fun at the group when nobody else is looking, but then mostly sits back and watches the game.
After the game, however, a group of Death Eaters (Voldemort's servants) begin terrorizing the local Muggles, suspending them in midair and twirling them about while laughing. Draco mockingly tells Harry to hide Hermione, and that the Death Eaters don't care that she's a witch, just that she's Muggle-born.
During the fourth year of school, Hogwarts hosts the Triwizard Tournament, a tournament in which three schools all select champions to compete in three tasks until a winner is revealed and given the Triwizard cup. Harry is unceremoniously chosen and Draco, irked at him always being a silly little hero, constantly mocks him for it. When Draco finally pulls a wand on Harry (presumably to hex him), he is, much to his surprise), transfigured into a ferret by Alastor Moody, the teacher for defense against the dark arts (actually a death eater in disguise, but that isn't pertinent to Draco). Much to Draco's dismay, Ron dubs him as "the Amazing Bouncing Ferret", and he retains a healthy fear of Moody throughout the rest of the year. During this year, Draco also attended the Yule Ball with Pansy Parkinson, another Slytherin from his year.
In his fifth year, Draco was made a Slytherin Prefect, alongside Pansy Parkinson, and worked closely with the substitute headmaster, Dolores Umbridge- going so far as to be in her little favored group of students, called the Inquisitorial Squad. Draco apprehends Harry not once, but twice this year as a member of the Inquisitorial Squad- the first time while the latter was conducting illegal (though morally apt) lessons on how to protect oneself from the Dark Arts, the second time when Harry attempted to use the fire in Umbridge's office to figure out if Sirius Black was safe or not.
After the second time, as soon as Harry, Hermione, and Umbridge were out of sight (the former two leading the headmistress away to unearth a 'weapon', which turned out to be a trap), Draco and the other members of the squad were taken down by the other students that Harry was teaching defensive spells to.
Harry and his friends then proceeded to run off the the ministry of magic and fight evil in the department of mysteries- evil which just so happened to include Draco's father. Punished for his failure to execute his mission and being foiled by Harry, Lucius is left behind and apprehended, found out as a Death Eater and whisked away to the Wizarding prison, Azkaban.
This doesn't help Draco and Harry's relationship, not one bit. The schoolboy rivalry the two held for each other was pushed into downright hatred and Draco swore vengeance for his father. Unfortunately, his early plans for revenge were foiled, as Harry's friends protected him and defeated Draco and his friends yet again.
The Summer between fifth and sixth years, several very important things happened for Draco. Firstly, and most importantly, he was given the task of assassinating the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore- the only man Voldemort was ever said to fear. Predictably, Draco was never expected to succeed- as a matter of fact, Voldemort wanted him to fail as punishment to Lucius, and if he did fail, it was implied that Voldemort would murder Draco's entire family.
Faced with the impossible, Draco didn't initially despair- he was quite pleased, in fact, for he didn't see it for what it was. He saw it as his moment to finally be in the spotlight, to receive all the glory and put his family name back in honor. As a matter of fact, he even bragged about it to his Slytherin friends and girlfriend on the train going to school the next year. Finally, after all these years, he gets to be the chosen one, he gets to be the hero, the boy in the spotlight, and the world gets to stand back and watch him.
As another result of getting this mission, he undergoes quite a bit of training from his aunt Bellatrix over the Summer- Draco quickly masters not only Occlumency, but also nonverbal spells and countercurses and learned the Unforgivable curses.
In the beginning of the year, Draco is quite confident- he catches Harry overhearing him bragging and puts him in a full body bind, breaking his nose, and leaving him coldly on the train to be taken back (though he's later rescued by Tonks).
His pride and confidence lead him on through a good portion of the year, where he slowly sets up a plan which he is confident will result in Dumbledore's death. He's actually quite protective of his assignment, if his conversations with Snape have anything to say- he doesn't want Snape butting in or trying to help him, he wants the glory for himself, he wants to be the one to do it, so he can not only get the glory, but also redeem his family in Voldemort's eyes.
Draco plans to repair a magical item known as a Vanishing cabinet. Since teleportation in and out of Hogwarts is impossible, Draco manages to figure out that a cabinet in the room of requirement is faultily linked up to a cabinet in a dark magic store. Thus, he spends the year attempting to fix the link so that he can transport Death Eaters into the school.
Then... the novelty slowly starts to wear off. He panics twice when he is unable to fix the cabinet, and tries to kill Dumbledore some other (pathetic, though seemingly anonymous) way, both times resulting in failure. Draco slowly begins to realize that he is sent to kill someone- that he has to willingly take the life of what's probably the kindest and most powerful man in existence. And if he fails, if he can't do it, then he and his family will more than likely be killed- if not at the hands of the Ministry, then at the hands of Voldemort. The stress starts affecting him, he loses his passion for daily life as he becomes focused on the one, impossible task that had been given to him. He second-guesses himself, he tries to think of something new and inventive- and he manages to go on for quite awhile too, before he completely falls apart.
Unfortunately, the one to witness his coming to pieces is none other than his hated rival, Harry Potter himself. Catching a glimpse of Harry, Draco whirls around and fires off a spell at him, and begins their hysteric duel. Spells bouncing off the walls everywhere, Harry slips and Draco uses the opportunity to try and use the Unforgivable torture curse on him- but Harry yells out the name of a spell that he doesn't know the effects of, cutting him off.
The spell nearly slices Draco in half, gouging him deeply from his face and across his chest. He collapses almost instantly, and Harry, frantic with guilt and adrenaline, stays with him until Snape arrives, muttering out the countercurse and taking Draco to the hospital wing, where he stays for a little while.
Eventually, however, Draco makes his recovery and finally manages to repair the cabinet, letting in the Death Eaters (among which Fenrir Greyback, a famous and violent werewolf who liked making sure he was near people whenever he turned just so he can hurt them- it wasn't Draco's intention to bring him along, and he regretted Greyback coming). Then, he makes his ascent to the astronomy tower, where Dumbledore is recovering after a harrowing attempt to recover a Horcrux alongside Harry Potter. Finding Dumbledore weakened, Draco disarms him and holds a wand to him.
Quietly, calmly, Dumbledore reasons with him- Draco is in a state of near hysterics for the entire conversation, teetering between extreme pride at his feats ("But I haven't told [Snape] what I've been doing in the room of requirement, he's going to wake up tomorrow and it'll all be over, and he won't be the Dark Lord's favorite anymore, he'll be nothing compared to me, nothing!") and extreme fear and unsurety about what he was about to do ("I haven't got any options!" said Malfoy, and he was suddenly as white as Dumbledore. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"). But, most tellingly, and most importantly, Draco lowered his wand toward the end- he wasn't going to do it- maybe he would have accepted Dumbledore's help and come over to the other side. Unfortunately, we'll never know, since this was the moment the other Death Eaters burst in, and upon realizing that Draco wasn't going to kill Dumbledore, Snape stepped up and finished the deed for him.
With Dumbledore dead and the Dark Mark floating above Hogwarts, Draco and the other Death Eaters took their leave of the school.
During the Summer of his seventh year, Draco's father is broken out of Azkaban, alongside all of the other imprisoned Death Eaters, but despite Draco's attempts to redeem his family's name the previous year, Lucius has still lost all of his standing with the dark lord. The Malfoy Manor is commandeered as a base of operations for Voldemort and the Death Eaters and Draco was forced to witness the torture and murder of one of his schoolteachers that Voldemort had captured while his family was mocked for their relationship to Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. As the poor woman was being eaten by Voldemort's snake, Draco simply fainted.
Later on, Harry has visions of Draco tearfully being forced to torture a Death Eater named Thorfin Rowle who had failed his mission, and finds that there is a single drop of pity there for Malfoy, amidst all of his hatred. Aww.
Not much more is seen of Draco and his family until the Easter holidays- it's assumed that they're simply bullied by Voldemort and the other Death Eaters while Draco continues to attend a now Death Eater-run Hogwarts as one of the elite students.
During the Easter Holidays, however, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are all captured and taken back to the Malfoy manor. They are then faced with a very reluctant Draco who is ordered by his father to identify them (as Harry's face was hit by the stinging jynx, he... didn't look much like Harry).
However, in contrast to his father's delighted eyes ('if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, we can finally be forgiven!', etc), Draco seems... glum and afraid. He recognizes Harry, but, oddly enough, doesn't say so. He simply gives a little shrug and says 'I don't know' before retreating back by his mother again. Even when asked if Ron is himself (which he clearly is), Draco simply mutters- 'it could be'.
Upon seeing the sword, the Death Eaters decide not to call Voldemort, since the sword is definitely not supposed to be with the three of them, and instead, they imprison Ron and Harry with the other prisoners of the Death Eaters while Bellatrix tortures Hermione in front of the other Death Eaters. We're not actually shown what happens in this scene, but Draco is present for it. When Hermione screams that the sword is a fake, Draco is ordered to go down to where the prisoners are kept in order to get the goblin Griphook to see if it was really a fake.
I'm taking Draco from when he goes down the stairs toward the cellar to retrieve the goblin. \o/
Abilities/Additional Notes:
Like all wizards, Draco is capable of magic, and despite some of his actions, he's quite skilled with it. He is able to use many of these spells (though certainly not all- none of the spells that were mentioned being specifically game or film-canon, and he doesn't know the Weasley-twins spells, as well as a few others). Draco is also skilled in Occlumency, or closing off his mind to intruders. This makes any sort of mind reading, especially the magical sort, incredibly difficult, if not impossible. He's also proficient at several specific high level spells, most notably the Unforgivable curses (though he's only used Imperius and Cruciatus, it's implied that he knows how to use the killing curse), Serpensortia, and the Protean charm, though he can't produce a patronus because he isn't happy enough. He's used plenty of hexes and jynxes in the past against Harry and co., and it's implied that he knows even more about Dark Magic since studying with his aunt Bellatrix- one of the highest ranking Death Eaters and one of the closest people to Voldemort.
Also, since Draco is 17, it's likely that he's able to Apparate. Apparation is the act of instantly transporting from one location to another, within reason. When apparating, one must have the destination in mind, or it's possible to 'splinch', or leave part of yourself behind, which could potentially be fatal.
From his duel with Harry in his sixth year, Draco has a scar running down his torso, and from his being branded as a Death Eater, he has the customary tattoo of a skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth on his forearm. (While he wasn't directly shown in canon to be a Death Eater, it's heavily implied that he is, and JKR herself has confirmed that Draco indeed, was.) Due to the stress that's accumulated in the past year or so with Voldemort taking over his home, Draco's a bit paler than normal, a little twitchy, and he Really Doesn't Like Snakes.
From his point in canon, he still has his wand. I'm not sure how this factors into Harry also being in possession of the same wand, thanks to being at a later point in canon- IM me if it's an issue and we can possibly work something out?
Also, due to the... less than heartwarming conditions Draco has been under for the past year and a half, he won't quite revert back to the openly brash, loud, bullying boy that he was in the first five books. If anything, he'll be a little withdrawn, reluctant, but still full of hatred and fear. I'm assuming that this is going to change, at least a little, once he realizes that he's alright and Voldemort isn't here to crush him under his thumb, etc.
Sample Journal Post:
[The screen flickers on as Draco prods the PCD with his wand, staring coldly toward the device. There's fear in his eyes, though it doesn't seem to be of the machine itself- rather at the situation, at everything else that's happened to him. Though he's wearing nice robes, Draco looks pale (moreso than usual at any rate) and gaunt, dark shadows under his eyes, a slight tremble in his hand as he held his wand.]
Reveal yourself.
[He pokes it again with his wand, but nothing happens. Finally, there's a faint little sneer there, as Draco stands up fully and kicks the thing, sending the video flying, skewed all about. He's not on screen anymore, but you can still hear his voice, not too far off.]
Stupid muggle trash. [A pause.] Whoever did this, you're going to pay. I know you can hear me! This isn't funny!
[His voice is a bit shakier than it should be for someone making a threat.]
Fine then, I'll get myself out- Finite Incantatem.
[A small pause. Nothing happens and Draco swears under his breath as the feed cuts off on its own.]
Sample RP:
He stumbled, as he was going down the steps. Perhaps that was his mistake.
Draco tried to blink away the sudden brightness, slipping backward and almost falling over himself on the staircase that he'd been descending- the staircase that suddenly wasn't his. His wand, which was previously held loosely in his hand, was now up, prepared to strike against the first thing that moved. His heart thundered in his chest and he whimpered slightly, turning around and running back up the stairs. Maybe if he went back- maybe he'd be back in his home.
It was a silly thought, and one that he shouldn't have entertained himself with, but he was desperate (too desperate indeed to think about what would happen if he emerged at the top of his own staircase without the goblin in hand). The door at the top of the staircase banged open and Draco stepped forward-
-only to be surrounded by a quaint looking attic.
Letting out a small whimper, he turned around, looked back down the staircase, descending into some sort of kitchen. The house seemed to be empty, and Draco swallowed hard, backing up until he hit the wall. An illusion. This had to be some kind of- befuddlement or something. Maybe they had a wand down there, maybe they cast something on him, and right now, his father was in front of him, shaking his shoulders and demanding for him to snap out of it.
Draco squeezed his eyes shut tight, screwing his face up and taking a deep breath. He counted to three. He opened his eyes with excitement, almost truly believing to see his father there- but all he saw were soft streams of sunlight breezing through the window.
Cursing, he turned to try to go back down the staircase when a small box by his foot caught his eye. It was different from the rest of his surroundings- unlike the rooms and staircases, which seemed old, if slightly sturdy, the box looked shiny and brand new. Hesitantly, he leaned over to it, trying to identify what the plasticky screen and rubbery buttons were.
"...machines," he finally whispered to himself, snorting in disgust. This had to be some kind of Muggle establishment, if they left their fellytones around. (Why would he be in a Muggle building? They lived miles and miles away from any sort of nonmagic folk- but by then, Draco had cast out the idea that he could somehow snap out of it himself, and was currently trying to at least get a grasp of his surroundings.)
He took a step away.
It beeped.
Whirling, Draco aimed his wand at it, suspicion now painting his features. "Reveal yourself," he hissed, poking at it with the tip of his wand. Nothing happened, and it didn't beep again.
Disgusted, the blond kicked the fellytone away before setting about trying to figure out where he could possibly be, who could have possibly cast this on him. It had to be powerful magic, for he hadn't even noticed it being cast. Maybe if he went to the edges of the illusion, it would shatter and he'd be back home?
...back home to deal with the Dark Lord and the crazed, enraged Bellatrix. But. Home, nevertheless.
He cast a glance back toward the machine, rolling his eyes. "Stupid muggle trash."
That felt a bit better. Insulting things, falling back to mockery- it made him feel a little better. More courageous, so he turned and yelled, "Whoever did this, you're going to pay. I know you can hear me! This isn't funny!"
Yes, threats made him feel a little better about his shaky new location. Draco waited for some sort of response, but got none. Quietly, he cringed to himself, took a deep breath, and steeled his resolve.
"Fine, then. I'll get myself out." He raised his wand toward the staircase. "Finite Incantatem."
He felt the familiar warmth, which meant that magic was definitely still working- his wand hummed with Draco's magic for a moment as it was strengthened by the unicorn hair inside- and he waited for the illusion to be gone, but nothing happened.
Cursing to himself, Draco turned on his heel and stormed off.
Name: Rae
Livejournal: lysdexicmun
Contact: AIM: lysdexicmun
Other Characters Played: Yuca (neverquitedies), Will (masked_elite)
Are you 18 or over? Yup.
Canon: The Harry Potter series (books)
Character: Draco Malfoy
Timeline: The Deathly Hallows, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are imprisoned in the Malfoy Manor. To be specific, when Draco descends into the cellar to get Griphook.
Personality:
"Draco, you little shit." -Lord Voldemort, A very Potter musical
Perhaps the easiest way of describing Draco Malfoy's personality is simply stating that he is everything Harry Potter (the protagonist of the story) isn't. Cowardly, obsessed with popularity, often the first to strike a blow when someone's back is turned... he's not a very nice person, to put it bluntly. He's first introduced in the Sorcerer's Stone, and is the character to reveal to Harry that the wizarding world isn't the loving haven that he thought it would be. Described as 'pale', with a pointed face and slicked-back blond hair, Draco is pretty much the exact opposite of Harry Potter, with a personality to prove it.
Mostly, the first few books illustrate Draco's bullying and cowardice as his key character points. In these, he really isn't much more than a snide, elitist boy who picks on Harry because he damn well can. The two spend years attacking, retaliating, and getting even with one another, through many different means. Draco is persistent, annoying, and even somewhat creative with his bullying, and is one of the few people that can effectively get under Harry's skin.
A lot of his disagreements and anger with Harry come from his elitism. You see, Draco Malfoy is the heir to one of the most prestigious wizarding families in existence, and being the heir, he inherits not only their blood, but also their prejudice. The Malfoys are purebloods, or wizards who can trace their ancestry back for generations of other wizards, and they loathe mudbloods, or wizards who were born from non-wizarding parents. In this way, the Malfoys and royal families are similar, in the aspect that 'keeping it in the family' is highly valued, as if talent comes through blood, rather than acquired skill.
In the first book, one simply thinks that Draco feels that way because he's a little shithead, but in the second book, you finally get to meet his father, Lucius, and it becomes apparent that Lucius is the main reason for most, if not all of Draco's philosophy. His father is even more of a pure blood fanatic than Draco is, and far, far more dangerous, due to his job in the ministry and his heavy influence in the wizarding community. Much of what Draco does is shaped by his father's actions, and one can even argue that Draco seeks validation through his father's acceptance. Draco idolizes his father, puts him on a pedestal, and demands that everyone have an almost religious view of him; and if they don't, Draco is quick to defend him and make sure that their opinion changes. He often threatens people with his father's status, suggesting that he'd rather let his father fight battles for him before he himself will.
Lucius is certainly one of the leading influences in Draco's life- which is why Lucius' imprisonment in Azkaban affected him like it did. At the end of the fifth book, Lucius Malfoy was apprehended, found to be working with Lord Voldemort, and sent to the wizarding prison. Because of this, Draco's dislike of Harry turns into outright hatred (hatred strong enough to break his nose with little remorse, to attempt to use the Unforgivable torture curse on him), and the stress of knowing his father was in prison is one of the few things that leads to his breakdown in the sixth year.
Because of Lucius' imprisonment and the subsequent events that follow (more detail in the history section), we get to see more of Draco's personality outside of his father's influence, and his character is shaped out a little more.
Firstly, he's very determined and very focused. Rowling herself has said that Draco is a boy who is very capable of 'compartmentalizing his life'- putting emotions and relations into metaphorical boxes and simply locking them away. Due to this, it's easy for him to completely shut down his 'good' attributes and focus on a task at hand, be it bullying or flat-out assassination, without worrying about the morality of it. It also explains why he is such a capable wizard, when he wants to be, and why he's so good at Occlumency, a task at which even the protagonist, Harry Potter, is unable to master. Through Occlumency, Draco is able to shut down his emotions, calm himself, and effectively block out his mind from all intruders- something that his aunt Bellatrix taught him in order to defend himself against Severus Snape.
This focus also gives way to the diligence he exhibits while trying to repair the vanishing cabinet in his sixth year. Draco spends the entire school year taking trips to the room of requirement and trying to repair it, and spends an unhealthy amount of time worrying about it, until it's finally fixed- after which, he celebrates happily, before focusing again to use the cabinet to transport death eaters into the school and assist him in the takeover of the school and the murder of Albus Dumbledore.
The entire year proves that Draco isn't some 'dumb jock'. Despite his shortcomings in the courage department, he's intelligent. Intelligent enough to cast the serpensortia- the snake summoning spell that Voldemort himself later uses and a type of spell that is usually only taught to sixth years and above- in his second year, devious enough to trick Harry into sneaking out of bed at night and setting him up to be caught by Filch in the first year, aware enough to recognize that Harry was hiding invisible in the train compartment in his sixth year and skilled enough to perform notably difficult spells, such as the Protean charm, at least two of the three Unforgivable Curses, and nonverbal spells (which includes blocking jinxes without uttering a single word), he certainly knows what he's doing and has grown up to be quite a capable young wizard.
Still, even that has its limits. Draco breaks down and cries in front of Myrtle at least once during the year, and Harry walks in on him crying a separate time. He nearly has a nervous breakdown as a result of all of the stress his sixth year put on him, and in the resulting hysteric battle with Harry, he attempts to use an Unforgivable Curse before he's cut off by Harry's own spell.
However, underneath all of that, is what I think to be Draco's main character flaw: fear. Draco is afraid of being hurt, definitely afraid of being killed, and he's afraid of letting his family down. He doesn't have the stomach for many of the things Voldemort does (though it's far too late by the time he realizes this), and quickly develops a healthy fear of the dark wizard. That fear is what turns his arrogance at getting the order to kill Dumbledore into utter panic and tears that he is suggested to have shown in front of Myrtle. Draco doesn't fight his own battles- he lets his two henchmen do it for them, and if it's a matter above schoolyard scuffles, he enlists the influence of his father. In short, Draco is perfectly capable of 'talking the talk', as it were, but he doesn't want to back up his words and risk getting himself hurt.
This fear, especially about Voldemort brings up another interesting point: Draco doesn't particularly like Voldemort, not after the latter came back and threatened to kill his family and made his pet snake eat Draco's teacher on his dinner table. 8\ Draco is loyal to Voldemort out of fear, fear which motivates him to... do sort of nothing about it. Not saying he'd take the first opportunity to switch sides, but given what happened between Draco and Dumbledore at the end of book six, given his reluctance to identify Harry (and later screaming at Crabbe not to kill him) in book seven, it seems that he's not alltogether on Voldemort's side. This isn't to say that he's a good guy- heavens no- but it does bode the question of what he would really do, if given the choice without the influence of the crazed Death Eaters at his shoulder.
Despite his cowardice, I don't think that not being able to kill Dumbledore was out of fear. Dumbledore calls it point blank- at his core, Draco is not an assassin. He's really not all purely evil- really, he's just a scared little boy who thought being a bad guy was cool, and by the time he realized that it very much wasn't, he was in far too deep to back out. At the very end, he lowered his wand, only for Snape to step in and kill Dumbledore instead. Again, at the Malfoy manor, when asked to identify Harry Potter- even though he clearly did recognize Harry, Draco simply gave a vague 'I don't know' answer, rather than sell out Harry and probably have them turned over to Voldemort on the spot.
While these actions don't make him good, I think they slide him a little higher up on the morality scale. Draco isn't a killer and he doesn't have what it takes to be a true Death Eater. Does this mean he's any less bigoted? Of course not. Draco is a prejudiced bastard and he'll probably always be that way.
Just a smallish originally-small-that-turned-massive note here on the way he acts: Draco is almost solely seen through Harry's third person narration. This makes the view of him... well, slightly unreliable, since just about all we see of him is how Harry regards him, and we get Harry's own judgments. Thus, we get Draco's worst moments, when he's around someone he doesn't particularly like, and what's more, they're told from the view of someone who doesn't like him, written by someone who doesn't want the readers to like him. Thus, there is the distinct possibility of there being more to him than just an egotistical elitist snob- it's true, we never catch a glimpse of Draco's childhood, how he was raised, why he thinks the way he does (rather than simply having to handwave it away as 'it's his parent's ideologies, so it was reflected onto him)... just that he does think that way.
The point I think I'm trying to make is that Draco is portrayed in a very two dimensional manner throughout most of the series, mainly due to the bias of the narrator (a bias which isn't without Very Good reason, but a bias nevertheless). In order to see beyond the sniveling little idiot Harry perceives Draco as, it's important to look at other people's perceptions of him.
Firstly, a lot of Slytherins like him. He gets a girlfriend and is later married with a child. He has two henchmen who look up to him, and a circle of friends (Zabini, Millicent, Pansy, among several others), of whom he seems to be the ringleader. While this alone doesn't speak much, since we can assume that most of these people are just as bigoted as he is, I know I wouldn't want to be friends with someone who insulted me all the time. This goes to show that he's not really a downright bastard to every single person he meets- rather, just people he deems unworthy. Hell, from the way he garners support through his friends (and even some random passersby, distributing the POTTER STINKS badges in fourth year comes to mind), it can be assumed that Draco is downright charismatic at times, a trait that he's probably learned from his father.
Secondly, we have Moaning Myrtle's interpretation of him- "...he’s sensitive, people bully him, too, and he feels lonely and hasn’t got anybody to talk to, and he’s not afraid to show his feelings and cry!" While that seems to be an exaggeration- and, knowing Myrtle's character, it is- there has to be a ring of truth somewhere in there. Consider this: had Draco broken down in front of Harry, it would more than likely be described as many of his other defeats in the books- cowardly, sniveling, playing it up for his own good. But the way the dramatic Myrtle tells it, Draco is a character to be pitied, who is bullied in turn by Voldemort, who is 'lonely' or rather, singled out in this task of assassination. This gives a bit more to work with, and the fact that he does feel these things can certainly help support the fact that he is human and he actually has an emotional range deeper than a teaspoon.
And finally, we have Dumbledore and Snape (and predictably, Narcissa/Lucius and grudgingly, Harry)'s desire to 'save' Draco, which at least implies that he is a character who might be worthy of redemption. He doesn't show it particularly much, not to Harry anyway, but 'saving Draco's life (or soul, as the case may be)' has become somewhat of a motif in the last two books. Dumbledore doesn't want Draco to kill him because he doesn't want to taint his soul- why? If Draco was really a sinister villain, how would that really have affected him? Snape makes the Unbreakable Vow to explicitly protect Draco in school, when that didn't really do much of anything for him to appear loyal in Voldemort's eyes- by this point, it was understood that Draco's 'mission' was expected to fail, and Draco was expected to be imprisoned, killed, or worse, to punish his father. So in reality, Snape's vow to protect Draco wasn't really necessary. While Narcissa and Lucius' attempts to break off from the Death Eater's attack on Hogwarts to save their son was brave, it didn't really do much to illuminate Draco's character since they were his parents and it's sort of to be expected that a parent would sacrifice themselves to save their child.
Though that raises another interesting comment- for all of their love of Voldemort (though it had waned incredibly by the final battle), all of their sucking up and sticking to the side that was winning, both of the Malfoys defected the instant they realized that their son could be hurt. That familial bond is something that almost wasn't expected, given the coldness of the family, and shows that the Malfoys, if nothing else, do care for one another and would risk their lives to ensure each other's safety. Aw.
So there you have it. He's a jerk, a prejudiced bastard who uses people to do his dirty work, a guy who will pull an attack on you with your back turned, someone who lets fear rule him... but ultimately, a minor antagonist who missed out on his chance to be an antihero.
Background:
Draco Malfoy was first introduced in the wizard's shopping street, Diagon Alley. His words seem to confuse Harry at first, who has no concept of the wizarding world and no idea of the kinds of prejudice that take place there. However, the (mostly one-sided) conversation with him seems to unnerve Harry and make him instantly dislike the boy. He talks about how the 'Other Sort' shouldn't be allowed at the school, how he wanted to 'bully father' into buying him a broomstick, how he thought it was an outrage that first years weren't allowed to have one- and almost instantly reminded Harry of his cruel cousin, Dudley.
Later on, when all the students arrive at Hogwarts, Draco, after realizing who Harry is, offers him his friendship, in exchange for spurning his recently-made friend, Ron. Although the scene doesn't seem too catastrophic, the outcome (Harry rejecting Draco's hand, embarrassing him in front of his peers) is the catalyst for their loathing and cruelty toward each other in the events that followed.
(Not particularly canon, but worth note- many fans speculate that Draco offering his hand to Harry was that pivotal moment in the very beginning that could have changed the entire outcome of the story. Had Harry accepted, he probably would have been sorted into Slytherin, influenced by Draco and the other death eater children, and probably died early on.)
Anyway, Draco and Harry had a certain dislike of one another throughout their Hogwarts years. In the first year, Draco challenged Harry to a duel at midnight and lured him out of bed, only to alert the caretaker of the school and let Harry be caught (which didn't happen, much to Draco's disdain). Later, Draco got them both in trouble for telling on Harry, being out after dark, and was sent to the Forbidden Forest as punishment- it's here that he sees Lord Voldemort for the first time (though he doesn't realize who he is), and the ominous presence has him running away and screaming in terror.
In second year, even before the term starts, Harry has a run-in with Draco and meets his father at the bookstore while buying their books. Though the meeting shows Lucius more than it really involves Draco, it shows that his father does indeed have power in the wizarding world and isn't afraid to flaunt it around.
In this year, Draco makes the Slytherin Quiddich team (like a sporting team, I suppose), and is given the role of the Seeker. When Hermione suggests that Draco simply bought his way onto the team, he insults her, causing Ron to attempt to curse him... something which backfires miserably, and leaves Ron vomiting slugs for a few days.
During this year, the Heir of Slytherin is set loose and fellow students start to be attacked. Harry, suspecting that Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, disguises himself as one of Draco's friends and talks to him. Draco unwittingly reveals to Harry that he has no idea who the heir is, but it isn't him, and says that all he knows is that his father wants him to stay out of the way- something he has no trouble doing while jeering at the victims and their friends. Because of the attacks on the students, a dueling club is set up in the second year- both Harry and Draco sign up, and are asked to have a small, example of a duel in front of the other students.
First, Draco cheated by firing off a version of a Hurling hex before they had counted to three. Then, when Harry knocked him off of his feet, Snape whispered a spell in Draco's ear, and Draco used it not a moment later to summon a large serpent, which he tried to set on Harry, who, luckily, could talk to snakes and dealt with it immediately, much to Draco's disappointment.
Third year, Hagrid the groundskeeper, and a close friend of Harry's, was put in charge of Care for magical creatures. However, Hagrid's idea of appropriate magical creatures was skewed, and on one of the first days of class, brought in Hippogriffs- half bird, half horses, who, although they were quite majestic, also suffered from a massive huburis. Draco, being Draco, goes and insults one and gets attacked by this. Although he isn't particularly hurt all that much, he exaggerates his injuries and goes to the hospital wing. He parades about with his wounds for so much that he actually almost gets the Hippogriff executed- saved by an interesting use of time-travel that, while mindbreaking, doesn't really pertain to Draco.
Still, while he's off spouting his mouth on how he's going to get the Hippogriff killed... well, let's just say that was the straw that broke the camel's back? Finally, after almost three straight years of being jeered at and made fun of due to her very blood, Hermione steps forward and punches Draco right in the face. That's... pretty much all you see of him in the third year.
Like the second year, Harry and company see Draco again in their fourth year, when they go to watch the Quiddich world cup tournament with the Weasleys. Draco and his mother and father are able to sit in the best seat in the stadium, the box accompanied by the minister of magic. He pokes fun at the group when nobody else is looking, but then mostly sits back and watches the game.
After the game, however, a group of Death Eaters (Voldemort's servants) begin terrorizing the local Muggles, suspending them in midair and twirling them about while laughing. Draco mockingly tells Harry to hide Hermione, and that the Death Eaters don't care that she's a witch, just that she's Muggle-born.
During the fourth year of school, Hogwarts hosts the Triwizard Tournament, a tournament in which three schools all select champions to compete in three tasks until a winner is revealed and given the Triwizard cup. Harry is unceremoniously chosen and Draco, irked at him always being a silly little hero, constantly mocks him for it. When Draco finally pulls a wand on Harry (presumably to hex him), he is, much to his surprise), transfigured into a ferret by Alastor Moody, the teacher for defense against the dark arts (actually a death eater in disguise, but that isn't pertinent to Draco). Much to Draco's dismay, Ron dubs him as "the Amazing Bouncing Ferret", and he retains a healthy fear of Moody throughout the rest of the year. During this year, Draco also attended the Yule Ball with Pansy Parkinson, another Slytherin from his year.
In his fifth year, Draco was made a Slytherin Prefect, alongside Pansy Parkinson, and worked closely with the substitute headmaster, Dolores Umbridge- going so far as to be in her little favored group of students, called the Inquisitorial Squad. Draco apprehends Harry not once, but twice this year as a member of the Inquisitorial Squad- the first time while the latter was conducting illegal (though morally apt) lessons on how to protect oneself from the Dark Arts, the second time when Harry attempted to use the fire in Umbridge's office to figure out if Sirius Black was safe or not.
After the second time, as soon as Harry, Hermione, and Umbridge were out of sight (the former two leading the headmistress away to unearth a 'weapon', which turned out to be a trap), Draco and the other members of the squad were taken down by the other students that Harry was teaching defensive spells to.
Harry and his friends then proceeded to run off the the ministry of magic and fight evil in the department of mysteries- evil which just so happened to include Draco's father. Punished for his failure to execute his mission and being foiled by Harry, Lucius is left behind and apprehended, found out as a Death Eater and whisked away to the Wizarding prison, Azkaban.
This doesn't help Draco and Harry's relationship, not one bit. The schoolboy rivalry the two held for each other was pushed into downright hatred and Draco swore vengeance for his father. Unfortunately, his early plans for revenge were foiled, as Harry's friends protected him and defeated Draco and his friends yet again.
The Summer between fifth and sixth years, several very important things happened for Draco. Firstly, and most importantly, he was given the task of assassinating the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore- the only man Voldemort was ever said to fear. Predictably, Draco was never expected to succeed- as a matter of fact, Voldemort wanted him to fail as punishment to Lucius, and if he did fail, it was implied that Voldemort would murder Draco's entire family.
Faced with the impossible, Draco didn't initially despair- he was quite pleased, in fact, for he didn't see it for what it was. He saw it as his moment to finally be in the spotlight, to receive all the glory and put his family name back in honor. As a matter of fact, he even bragged about it to his Slytherin friends and girlfriend on the train going to school the next year. Finally, after all these years, he gets to be the chosen one, he gets to be the hero, the boy in the spotlight, and the world gets to stand back and watch him.
As another result of getting this mission, he undergoes quite a bit of training from his aunt Bellatrix over the Summer- Draco quickly masters not only Occlumency, but also nonverbal spells and countercurses and learned the Unforgivable curses.
In the beginning of the year, Draco is quite confident- he catches Harry overhearing him bragging and puts him in a full body bind, breaking his nose, and leaving him coldly on the train to be taken back (though he's later rescued by Tonks).
His pride and confidence lead him on through a good portion of the year, where he slowly sets up a plan which he is confident will result in Dumbledore's death. He's actually quite protective of his assignment, if his conversations with Snape have anything to say- he doesn't want Snape butting in or trying to help him, he wants the glory for himself, he wants to be the one to do it, so he can not only get the glory, but also redeem his family in Voldemort's eyes.
Draco plans to repair a magical item known as a Vanishing cabinet. Since teleportation in and out of Hogwarts is impossible, Draco manages to figure out that a cabinet in the room of requirement is faultily linked up to a cabinet in a dark magic store. Thus, he spends the year attempting to fix the link so that he can transport Death Eaters into the school.
Then... the novelty slowly starts to wear off. He panics twice when he is unable to fix the cabinet, and tries to kill Dumbledore some other (pathetic, though seemingly anonymous) way, both times resulting in failure. Draco slowly begins to realize that he is sent to kill someone- that he has to willingly take the life of what's probably the kindest and most powerful man in existence. And if he fails, if he can't do it, then he and his family will more than likely be killed- if not at the hands of the Ministry, then at the hands of Voldemort. The stress starts affecting him, he loses his passion for daily life as he becomes focused on the one, impossible task that had been given to him. He second-guesses himself, he tries to think of something new and inventive- and he manages to go on for quite awhile too, before he completely falls apart.
Unfortunately, the one to witness his coming to pieces is none other than his hated rival, Harry Potter himself. Catching a glimpse of Harry, Draco whirls around and fires off a spell at him, and begins their hysteric duel. Spells bouncing off the walls everywhere, Harry slips and Draco uses the opportunity to try and use the Unforgivable torture curse on him- but Harry yells out the name of a spell that he doesn't know the effects of, cutting him off.
The spell nearly slices Draco in half, gouging him deeply from his face and across his chest. He collapses almost instantly, and Harry, frantic with guilt and adrenaline, stays with him until Snape arrives, muttering out the countercurse and taking Draco to the hospital wing, where he stays for a little while.
Eventually, however, Draco makes his recovery and finally manages to repair the cabinet, letting in the Death Eaters (among which Fenrir Greyback, a famous and violent werewolf who liked making sure he was near people whenever he turned just so he can hurt them- it wasn't Draco's intention to bring him along, and he regretted Greyback coming). Then, he makes his ascent to the astronomy tower, where Dumbledore is recovering after a harrowing attempt to recover a Horcrux alongside Harry Potter. Finding Dumbledore weakened, Draco disarms him and holds a wand to him.
Quietly, calmly, Dumbledore reasons with him- Draco is in a state of near hysterics for the entire conversation, teetering between extreme pride at his feats ("But I haven't told [Snape] what I've been doing in the room of requirement, he's going to wake up tomorrow and it'll all be over, and he won't be the Dark Lord's favorite anymore, he'll be nothing compared to me, nothing!") and extreme fear and unsurety about what he was about to do ("I haven't got any options!" said Malfoy, and he was suddenly as white as Dumbledore. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"). But, most tellingly, and most importantly, Draco lowered his wand toward the end- he wasn't going to do it- maybe he would have accepted Dumbledore's help and come over to the other side. Unfortunately, we'll never know, since this was the moment the other Death Eaters burst in, and upon realizing that Draco wasn't going to kill Dumbledore, Snape stepped up and finished the deed for him.
With Dumbledore dead and the Dark Mark floating above Hogwarts, Draco and the other Death Eaters took their leave of the school.
During the Summer of his seventh year, Draco's father is broken out of Azkaban, alongside all of the other imprisoned Death Eaters, but despite Draco's attempts to redeem his family's name the previous year, Lucius has still lost all of his standing with the dark lord. The Malfoy Manor is commandeered as a base of operations for Voldemort and the Death Eaters and Draco was forced to witness the torture and murder of one of his schoolteachers that Voldemort had captured while his family was mocked for their relationship to Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. As the poor woman was being eaten by Voldemort's snake, Draco simply fainted.
Later on, Harry has visions of Draco tearfully being forced to torture a Death Eater named Thorfin Rowle who had failed his mission, and finds that there is a single drop of pity there for Malfoy, amidst all of his hatred. Aww.
Not much more is seen of Draco and his family until the Easter holidays- it's assumed that they're simply bullied by Voldemort and the other Death Eaters while Draco continues to attend a now Death Eater-run Hogwarts as one of the elite students.
During the Easter Holidays, however, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are all captured and taken back to the Malfoy manor. They are then faced with a very reluctant Draco who is ordered by his father to identify them (as Harry's face was hit by the stinging jynx, he... didn't look much like Harry).
However, in contrast to his father's delighted eyes ('if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, we can finally be forgiven!', etc), Draco seems... glum and afraid. He recognizes Harry, but, oddly enough, doesn't say so. He simply gives a little shrug and says 'I don't know' before retreating back by his mother again. Even when asked if Ron is himself (which he clearly is), Draco simply mutters- 'it could be'.
Upon seeing the sword, the Death Eaters decide not to call Voldemort, since the sword is definitely not supposed to be with the three of them, and instead, they imprison Ron and Harry with the other prisoners of the Death Eaters while Bellatrix tortures Hermione in front of the other Death Eaters. We're not actually shown what happens in this scene, but Draco is present for it. When Hermione screams that the sword is a fake, Draco is ordered to go down to where the prisoners are kept in order to get the goblin Griphook to see if it was really a fake.
I'm taking Draco from when he goes down the stairs toward the cellar to retrieve the goblin. \o/
Abilities/Additional Notes:
Like all wizards, Draco is capable of magic, and despite some of his actions, he's quite skilled with it. He is able to use many of these spells (though certainly not all- none of the spells that were mentioned being specifically game or film-canon, and he doesn't know the Weasley-twins spells, as well as a few others). Draco is also skilled in Occlumency, or closing off his mind to intruders. This makes any sort of mind reading, especially the magical sort, incredibly difficult, if not impossible. He's also proficient at several specific high level spells, most notably the Unforgivable curses (though he's only used Imperius and Cruciatus, it's implied that he knows how to use the killing curse), Serpensortia, and the Protean charm, though he can't produce a patronus because he isn't happy enough. He's used plenty of hexes and jynxes in the past against Harry and co., and it's implied that he knows even more about Dark Magic since studying with his aunt Bellatrix- one of the highest ranking Death Eaters and one of the closest people to Voldemort.
Also, since Draco is 17, it's likely that he's able to Apparate. Apparation is the act of instantly transporting from one location to another, within reason. When apparating, one must have the destination in mind, or it's possible to 'splinch', or leave part of yourself behind, which could potentially be fatal.
From his duel with Harry in his sixth year, Draco has a scar running down his torso, and from his being branded as a Death Eater, he has the customary tattoo of a skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth on his forearm. (While he wasn't directly shown in canon to be a Death Eater, it's heavily implied that he is, and JKR herself has confirmed that Draco indeed, was.) Due to the stress that's accumulated in the past year or so with Voldemort taking over his home, Draco's a bit paler than normal, a little twitchy, and he Really Doesn't Like Snakes.
From his point in canon, he still has his wand. I'm not sure how this factors into Harry also being in possession of the same wand, thanks to being at a later point in canon- IM me if it's an issue and we can possibly work something out?
Also, due to the... less than heartwarming conditions Draco has been under for the past year and a half, he won't quite revert back to the openly brash, loud, bullying boy that he was in the first five books. If anything, he'll be a little withdrawn, reluctant, but still full of hatred and fear. I'm assuming that this is going to change, at least a little, once he realizes that he's alright and Voldemort isn't here to crush him under his thumb, etc.
Sample Journal Post:
[The screen flickers on as Draco prods the PCD with his wand, staring coldly toward the device. There's fear in his eyes, though it doesn't seem to be of the machine itself- rather at the situation, at everything else that's happened to him. Though he's wearing nice robes, Draco looks pale (moreso than usual at any rate) and gaunt, dark shadows under his eyes, a slight tremble in his hand as he held his wand.]
Reveal yourself.
[He pokes it again with his wand, but nothing happens. Finally, there's a faint little sneer there, as Draco stands up fully and kicks the thing, sending the video flying, skewed all about. He's not on screen anymore, but you can still hear his voice, not too far off.]
Stupid muggle trash. [A pause.] Whoever did this, you're going to pay. I know you can hear me! This isn't funny!
[His voice is a bit shakier than it should be for someone making a threat.]
Fine then, I'll get myself out- Finite Incantatem.
[A small pause. Nothing happens and Draco swears under his breath as the feed cuts off on its own.]
Sample RP:
He stumbled, as he was going down the steps. Perhaps that was his mistake.
Draco tried to blink away the sudden brightness, slipping backward and almost falling over himself on the staircase that he'd been descending- the staircase that suddenly wasn't his. His wand, which was previously held loosely in his hand, was now up, prepared to strike against the first thing that moved. His heart thundered in his chest and he whimpered slightly, turning around and running back up the stairs. Maybe if he went back- maybe he'd be back in his home.
It was a silly thought, and one that he shouldn't have entertained himself with, but he was desperate (too desperate indeed to think about what would happen if he emerged at the top of his own staircase without the goblin in hand). The door at the top of the staircase banged open and Draco stepped forward-
-only to be surrounded by a quaint looking attic.
Letting out a small whimper, he turned around, looked back down the staircase, descending into some sort of kitchen. The house seemed to be empty, and Draco swallowed hard, backing up until he hit the wall. An illusion. This had to be some kind of- befuddlement or something. Maybe they had a wand down there, maybe they cast something on him, and right now, his father was in front of him, shaking his shoulders and demanding for him to snap out of it.
Draco squeezed his eyes shut tight, screwing his face up and taking a deep breath. He counted to three. He opened his eyes with excitement, almost truly believing to see his father there- but all he saw were soft streams of sunlight breezing through the window.
Cursing, he turned to try to go back down the staircase when a small box by his foot caught his eye. It was different from the rest of his surroundings- unlike the rooms and staircases, which seemed old, if slightly sturdy, the box looked shiny and brand new. Hesitantly, he leaned over to it, trying to identify what the plasticky screen and rubbery buttons were.
"...machines," he finally whispered to himself, snorting in disgust. This had to be some kind of Muggle establishment, if they left their fellytones around. (Why would he be in a Muggle building? They lived miles and miles away from any sort of nonmagic folk- but by then, Draco had cast out the idea that he could somehow snap out of it himself, and was currently trying to at least get a grasp of his surroundings.)
He took a step away.
It beeped.
Whirling, Draco aimed his wand at it, suspicion now painting his features. "Reveal yourself," he hissed, poking at it with the tip of his wand. Nothing happened, and it didn't beep again.
Disgusted, the blond kicked the fellytone away before setting about trying to figure out where he could possibly be, who could have possibly cast this on him. It had to be powerful magic, for he hadn't even noticed it being cast. Maybe if he went to the edges of the illusion, it would shatter and he'd be back home?
...back home to deal with the Dark Lord and the crazed, enraged Bellatrix. But. Home, nevertheless.
He cast a glance back toward the machine, rolling his eyes. "Stupid muggle trash."
That felt a bit better. Insulting things, falling back to mockery- it made him feel a little better. More courageous, so he turned and yelled, "Whoever did this, you're going to pay. I know you can hear me! This isn't funny!"
Yes, threats made him feel a little better about his shaky new location. Draco waited for some sort of response, but got none. Quietly, he cringed to himself, took a deep breath, and steeled his resolve.
"Fine, then. I'll get myself out." He raised his wand toward the staircase. "Finite Incantatem."
He felt the familiar warmth, which meant that magic was definitely still working- his wand hummed with Draco's magic for a moment as it was strengthened by the unicorn hair inside- and he waited for the illusion to be gone, but nothing happened.
Cursing to himself, Draco turned on his heel and stormed off.