Deconstructing the Malfoy's

In the Harry Potter series, the Malfoy's were portrayed in a few different lights. The first light is that they were rich, elitist snobs. All three of them thought they were better than everyone, and took every opportunity they had to showcase this fact. Draco was a spoiled little brat and a bully. Narcissa was a snobby housewife. And Lucius was not only pompous and arrogant, but also at least semi-evil. Bordering on fully evil. He was a Death Eater, but I think he used that as a status symbol for years, to make people fear him. I don't know how truly evil in his heart he was, but he was not nice. Or remorseful. Or really caring about any 'lesser beings'. He was by far the worst of the Malfoy family. Draco was just a kid, and Narcissa was just a dutiful trophy wife.

All of that changed when Voldemort came back from the ether or wherever he was. Once he was made flesh again, Lucius was right by his side. And it seemed clear he never expected Voldemort's return, so I think he was a little freaked and unhappy when he realized it was time to go back to serving him. But he did it. And didn't complain. And he attacked Harry and the gang at the Department of Mysteries, just to get his hands on the prophecy. He was a pretty bad mother-efffer. He wanted to serve and serve well, and had no qualms potentially killing children basically, to get what he was sent to get.

But at this moment of time, Draco was still just a git and Narcissa was probably at home sipping brandy. She was never a Death Eater, and never pledged allegiance to Voldemort. She was simply a bystander. A bystander who didn't do anything, but not actively participating in the evil doings. That's why I cut her a small break. All she wanted was to be rich and respected. It was her husband who chose the dark path. She just went along, because despite all things, I think she did love Lucius. And she most certainly loved Draco.

After Lucius's failure at the Department of Mysteries, he went to Azkaban.

Poor dude. Not. He deserved it. But eventually Voldemort broke him out of prison and he became another type of prisoner. One in his very own mansion. Voldemort basically set up shop in the Malfoy's dining room, and held all their secret Death Eater meetings there. Lucius was no longer as pleased to serve at this point, because no one wants an unwanted evil house guest who invites all his friends over, and never chips in for beer and stuff, and let's his pet snake eat people and slither about the house. Not to mention, that as a punishment of sorts, Voldemort recruited a teenage Draco into the Death Eater fold. Albeit, I'm assuming, not entirely willingly on Draco's part. But what choice do you have in that situation? Then he was set with the task of not only murdering Dumbledore, an incredibly powerful Wizard, even Voldemort feared. But Draco had to find a way to get Death Eaters into the school and bypass all the security charms.

Now Lucius was angry, and Narcissa was terrified, yet their hands were tied. I'm assuming Draco was shitting his pants too, but he tried to play it cool at first. Lucius was further brought down a notch, when Voldemort stole his wand, leaving him utterly defenseless, like a kitten with gorgeous blonde flowing locks. Although, his locks were looking a bit unkempt by now, and his beard was all stubbly. Not Lucius's finest moments. He looked like hell.

At this point, the Malfoy's were nothing but puppets. They still had their money, but they learned the hard lesson that evil doesn't take your Gringott's Platinum Mastercard as payment to go the fuck away. No, money meant zip at this point. And any power, real or imagined, was completely gone. They were basically hostages. And Narcissa's psychotic sister rounded out the fun family dynamic. She was blindly loyal to Voldy, but she must have also loved her sister and her nephew, because she was willing to help Narcissa make the Unbreakable Vow with Snape. Points for actually being cool to your sister, who probably wished you were never born. But blood is thicker than water. Or evil.

So the vow was made, and Draco had a protector. But he didn't want one. He basically spent his entire year at school alternately shitting his pants, sweating, crying, and looking like his favorite dog just died. And it didn't help that he had no idea what the hell he was doing with that Vanishing Cabinet. And the fact that he was a git, but no killer. He didn't have the stones. In fact, the entire series, he really never actually HURT anyone, did he? He called them names, and shot a snake at Harry during the dueling scene, but other than that, what did he do? Nothing really. He even let Hermione punch him in the face and simply ran away like a little girl. He was ALL TALK. All hat, no cat. He wasn't cut out to be a Death Eater. And he knew it. And he spent his time crying to Myrtle in the bathroom.

You couldn't quite help but feel sorry for the poor bugger. He didn't ask for this. He didn't want his life to change. But as Whistler from Buffy said (paraphrasing), "No one's ready for their life to change. Not really. The big moments are gonna happen. You can't stop them. It's what you do after that counts. That's what tells you who you are." And Draco, in the end, could not complete his tasks fully. He wasn't a murderer. He couldn't do it. He was horrified at the prospect. And in the end, he stepped aside and let Snape do it. Which is a whole other story, since that was always the plan. But I digress. Draco didn't do it. Couldn't.

And when Harry showed up at Malfoy Manor with Ron and Hermione, Draco refused to name him. Sure Harry's face was all mangled up, but we all know Draco was 1000% aware of who it was. Especially in light of his companions. But no matter how his father pleaded, he wouldn't name Harry.

Does that make Draco one of the good guys? Not really. But does it make him bad? No. Not even close. It merely showed that he'd rather keep quiet

because if he did, then maybe Voldy would be defeated at some point, and Draco could get his spoiled little cushy life back. That's all he wanted. The simpler times. The times when all that mattered was that his father bought the Slytherin Quidditch team all new brooms, and he was allowed to play on the team. That was Draco's glory moments, not being a Death Eater or trying to kill his headmaster. He just wanted to be a teenager again!

At the end of it all, Draco ended up, once again, not fighting Harry or trying to hurt him. But merely having a verbal sparring match, and then his brilliant friend Crabbe started up a Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement. Which resulted in Crabbe's death, and Draco clinging for life until Harry saved his ass. Why did Harry save him? Because just like Draco, Harry really isn't a killer. I mean, yes, Voldemort is dead now. But Harry didn't use the killing curse. In fact, I don't know how Voldemort died except their wands did some sort of crazy ass light show and the next thing I know, Voldy's dead. But anyway, Harry saved Draco. How could he not? Enemies for life, yet, could you really let someone die when they didn't actually start the fire or try to kill you? I couldn't. So Draco lives to fight, or rather hide until the battle is nearly over.

Then Harry goes to face his death. Bravely. And who saves the day? Narcissa. She was somehow the one chosen to check Harry's deadness, and she immediately knew he was alive. But she didn't give a flying fuck. She just wanted to know if Draco was alive too. And once she realized he was, she proclaimed Harry Potter dead. Voldy's really trusting because why the hell didn't he go kick Harry a little, or smash him with a rock, or at least check for a freaking pulse. I guess he just wrongly thought Narcissa would never lie to him. And as a side note, I guess Hagrid is pretty thick too, because he never noticed Harry breathing or anything while he carried him back to the castle for like miles. But fast forward. Harry's alive. Voldy dies. And Draco is just left standing there.

He doesn't know what to do. I mean look at that chick behind him and the stink eye she's giving him. She wants to turn him back into a ferret again. Draco is an outcast. He's not good, and he's not evil. He's just Draco. Out for himself. And when his parents beckon him, he hesitates a bit, and then runs away with Mummy. Narcissa and Draco are both like, "to hell with this shit!" and they literally run away. It doesn't take Lucius but a few seconds to realize his family has the right idea, so he takes off after them. Goodbye Malfoy's. In the end, you never really did firmly pick a side. Even Lucius wavered at the end of it all. They just wanted to sit in their mansion counting their galleons and feeding their peacocks.

Apparently the Malfoy's escaped prison at the end of it all, which honestly, I think is sorta fair. Maybe not so much for Lucius who actually escaped prison, and should have at least served his sentence for that earlier crime. But alas, the Harry Potter Wikia and JK herself I believe, said that the Malfoy's were pardoned. And allowed to just do whatever they wanted and go back to having tea parties and polishing up their priceless knick-knacks.

The moral of this story is, MOST people are not wholly good or bad. They fall somewhere in a grey area. We all do. No one knows what we'd do when faced with similar circumstances. Survival is a basic instinct, and sometimes you'll do whatever's necessary to ensure it. Even if it goes against your moral compass. And it also shows me that people can be redeemed too, if they want to be. And they can live normal lives and atone for their sins. I don't think the Malfoy's as a whole were evil. I think they were power hungry and stupid, and didn't understand the full consequences of their allegiances or actions until it was too late. But in my head, they changed their ways after the war. And Draco proved that he could find love and happiness and make his own family. One in which I've read he did not teach his son the old Malfoy prejudices. But acceptance. And that show's real human growth.

By the way, Draco didn't age well. I guess that's what stress will do to you. Poor dude didn't inherit his dad's gorgeous hairline. But hey, he grew up and had a chance. So I say it's a win for the new Malfoy generation. Scorpius, don't screw it up!


Thoughts? Comments? What do you think of the Malfoy's? Do tell!!