So, I've been thinking about Draco's character while re-reading Book 6, and I have to disagree with Emma-Jane. First of all, I've always loved Malfoy. Sure, he's a hatable character, but in a lovable way. He's kind of Harry's Nemesis, and I've enjoyed their Cold (and sometimes Hot) War a lot. Now at first I admit I was quite torn byt the way he'd turned in Half-Blood Prince. But coming to think of it, it all makes perfect sense. Draco is in everyone's mind (Ron's, Hermione's, the Order's, the staff's and the readers') the harmless little boy who had too much snark for breakfast. But when you check his background, it's obvious he couldn't stay harmles long.
Draco has known from day 1 that his father was a Death Eater. And Death Eater means murderer, mass murderer. The only way you've got to accept that your father, the man - especially for Draco - you look up as your hero, is a cold-blood killer, is to plan to follow his steps someday. Draco has been raised in hatred, raised to believe those who don't follow Voldemort are worth nothing but dying. As far as the comparison between Death Eaters/Voldemort's reign and dictatorships like Nazism goes, it makes perfect sense that the Dark Lord wouldn't mind recruiting young followers.
I think what makes Draco's character evolution weird to some people is that JK has made him look so shallow before. We were used to like him, to see him snark and snap, here and there, but never do anything really wrong. That said, the fact he never hurt anyone for real before doesn't mean he didn't want to, rather than he hadn't the ability to do it. Draco would have loved seeing Mudbloods killed by the Chamber of Secrets for example. He was never good, that's what I mean.
I agree with Emma-Jane that his turn to evil has been motivated by the need to impress his father but there's more to it. Malfoy has never tried to conceal his hate and contempt for Dumbledore. I also believe Draco has a strong feeling of competition with Harry. Since Book 1, when he proposed his friendship to Harry - following the belief that Harry might be a powerful Dark Wizard too - they've hated each other. Draco has always been jealous of Harry, and I think he couldn't resist being the Chosen One for once. Their particular relationship also explains why Harry was the only one to guess Malfoy had become a Death Eater. Who better than him knows that a 16-years-old may get involved in grown-ups fights? The phases Malfoy goes through in Book 6 also are very realistic in my opinion. First he goes bragging about it, showing himself as the old Draco, who doesn't get all the serious of the situation. Then he starts realising what's really going on, and falling apart little by little, til this finale scene with Dumbledore, in hich he really is pathetic. The fact that he wanted to be as evil as his father and as heroic as Harry doesn't make him less a coward, and it shows in the end.
So yes, I'm not saying I like Death-Eater!Malfoy better than Little-Prat!Malfoy, but it really makes sense to me that he's turned evil, and I like the way JK has done it!
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