A Look Back at “What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7”: Chapter 6: “Draco’s Destiny”
Aaaand we’re back! Neville’s destiny didn’t turn out exactly as predicted, but perhaps even better. However, we can’t deny that making theories about what will happen is pretty fun. Let’s take a look at Draco for this week!
Death Eater or Rebel: Does He Have a Choice?
Draco is correct in believing that Voldemort will not hesitate to kill his whole family, but he is wrong about his options. Draco has options, and he has a choice to make: Will he remain a Death Eater, or will he rebel?” (54-55)
Interesting notion on the thought that Draco could possibly rebel. One thing to think about is if that works with the characterization J.K. Rowling has created that is Draco Malfoy. More on this later, perhaps.
Will He Seek Refuge with the Order?
It is unlikely that Draco will trade his role as a Death Eater for the safety that the Order can offer him and his family.” (55)
Ah! Here the author of this theory book is right in the characterization. Draco is too proud of himself, even after he fails with Dumbledore and Snape covers his back, although one could argue Draco loses this sense of being proud over the course of Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows, when he sees what the Wizarding War is really like. Still, Draco is unlikely to accept help from anyone, unless it truly benefited him, and apparently, staying alive is not a benefit: Being on the winning side, however, is.
The Order could not save Dumbledore, and Draco will not ask the Order to protect him.” (56)
This is plausible. Witnessing the death of perhaps one of the greatest wizards—even though Draco had originally been trying to kill him—must have taken its toll on Draco’s point of view that Dumbledore can actually save him. Draco likes to hide behind bigger and “badder” people despite being so proud and arrogant, so while Draco may have actually considered Dumbledore’s offer, once he saw Dumbledore die, he must have made the choice to continue with the Death Eaters, especially if that was where his family remained.
Will He Turn Spy for the Order?
If there is one thing we know about Draco Malfoy, it’s that he is a coward.” (57)
True. He was frightened of the Forbidden Forest, of the Shrieking Shack (and Harry’s weird pranks despite knowing it was him), of Buckbeak’s scratch, of fighting back Hermione after she punched him, and of the job he must do for Voldemort in killing Dumbledore. This also carries over into Deathly Hallows itself, where Draco refuses to admit to Bellatrix and his parents that the real Harry Potter and his friends are in his family’s parlor. I think that sums up this question of whether he will turn spy for the Order pretty well.
Will He Remain Faithful to Voldemort?
Out of fear, Draco may remain faithful to Voldemort for a short while, but he lacks the courage and conviction it takes to be a truly devoted follower. Draco joined Voldemort for his father’s reasons, not his own. This is why he will never be a true asset to the Dark Lord.” (59)
Right on the mark. Draco does not even really remain faithful to Voldemort himself, just to his parents and where they stand in life during Deathly Hallows.
Pampered little Draco is no more a killer than Dudley Dursley. A bully, yes, but not a killer.” (59)
This is why Voldemort will never be able to use Draco the way he wants, the way he expects followers to be: Draco will not kill. He’ll talk about it, he’ll boast about it, and he’ll show how bigoted he and his family are, but he’ll never outright kill anyone, even to save his own life. Not Dumbledore. Not Hermione. Not even Harry.
Draco is speaking lightly, almost joyfully, about prejudice and murder [of Muggle-Borns], concepts too heavy for a child of his age [11 to teen years] to grasp. It is because he doesn’t understand the full impact of his words that Draco can speak so nonchalantly about such serious matters…he is merely parroting what he’s heard his parents say…” (59)
Again, this demonstrates Draco’s true characterization. Draco hides behind his words and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle in order to give him a perceived sense of power, but he carries none. His words have impact, but they’re also empty because Draco does not truly understand what they mean, having just heard that around his house growing up.
What Does Voldemort Really Want Him for?
This section just reiterates what has been presented in Half-Blood Prince regarding Draco’s mission to kill Dumbledore: Draco is given the task to punish Lucius and frighten Narcissa and is expected to die in the process of killing Dumbledore—or die after he fails by Voldemort killing him. Voldemort has no real use for Draco other than to “incite fear in other, more valuable Death Eaters (Lucius and Narcissa),” as the What Will Happen book states. Draco’s life and service does not matter to Voldemort: He’s just a pawn on a chessboard to get rid of (63).
What Will Happen to Draco If He Goes on the Run?
But he won’t. It’s against his characterization if he were to. Draco doesn’t have the strength to leave the big, bad guys he can hide behind, even if those same people would turn on him in a heartbeat if Voldemort commanded them to. Draco does not know how to operate alone, which is why his mission to kill Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince fails in this aspect as well as his inability to kill. Draco does not want to be responsible; he wants others to do the work for him. Hence Crabbe and Goyle throughout the entire series.
Will Draco Live to See the End of Book 7?
Yes. No point to think otherwise; killing off Draco would not have led to a great payoff for readers since he lacks courage and would not have died a hero’s death. In addition, killing off Draco would not leave any characters satisfied either: Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be no happier. None of Dumbledore’s Army would have said it was a good thing. Lucius and Narcissa would be torn apart and might openly resist the Dark Lord, killing themselves in the process, or have to live with that decision in a bleak, psychological way the rest of the book.
From a writing perspective, it seems plausible that the reason Draco lives is to use Narcissa as a means to once again exert that motherly love—what Lily exerted in her protection of baby Harry—to protect her son Draco. We see in Narcissa what we saw in Lily, though through a different lens, seeing as Narcissa is on Voldemort’s side. We see that the power of family, and a mother’s love, is more than what side you’re on and what choices you make to get there. In the end, it is about what choices you make for your family. Would Narcissa have protected Harry if she knew Draco were already dead? Absolutely not. But because she trusted Harry when he said Draco was still alive and in the castle, she proves herself to be a mother, not a Death Eater. Not a perfect mother but a mother all the same.
Thanks for joining us! Stay tuned for an analysis of Chapter 7: “Love”!
What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7 review series:
“This also carries over into Deathly Hallows itself, where Draco refuses to admit to Bellatrix and his parents that the real Harry Potter and his friends are in his family’s parlor.”
Curious that this is held up as an example of Draco’s cowardice, since it’s probably the bravest thing he’s ever portrayed as doing in the books (save possibly his attempts to drag Goyle away from the Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement). The easiest thing for him to do here is to shop Harry et al to Bellatrix, since this is his family’s best hope of being restored to favour with Voldemort. Yet he doesn’t – he dithers and prevaricates, refusing to confirm their identity, despite the potential risk to himself and his parents. (Although he is at least smart enough not to deny their identity, since that would be even riskier.) In the end it’s Narcissa who identifies Hermione (and hence Harry), proving herself rather less brave in this instant than her son.
Otherwise, this article is a pretty good character study.