Blog 4 (Extra Credit)

One character in the Harry Potter series that shows the most profound development and change is Draco Malfoy. At the beginning of the series, he has not committed any horrible crimes and just appears to be a bully; but as he progresses through the series, he grows to follow his father's footsteps more and more.

Rowling defines a strong theme in the Harry Potter series, which encompasses the importance of one's actions over their status and blood. In Dumbledore's words, "It is our choices ... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” (Rowling, Chamber of Secrets 333). This theme of our actions defining us applies to Draco because of the poor choices he makes. Seemingly stemming from being raised with a Death Eater as a father, Draco is constantly looking to impress his father. He uses his father to gain a sense of power, and there is a point when Draco steps beyond the line of being a bully; Draco develops a plan to murder Dumbledore under Voldemort's orders. A death eater commands Draco to go on with killing Dumbledore, "I don’t even know why the Dark Lord’s bothering to kill yer! Come on, Draco, do it!” (Rowling, Half Blood Prince 577). Raising from a bully to (almost) a killer under Voldemort's command is quite the evolution of actions for a teenager.

These changes that happen to Draco, and the actions he takes as a result, could be said to stem entirely from his childhood. Although we do not see any evidence of his childhood, or any trauma that could have occurred during it, his bullying behavior and rudeness to non-purebloods raises questions about how he was raised; this goes hand-in-hand with the fact that his father has served Voldemort.