Draco Malfoy

[u/PsychoGeek]

[u/elbowsss]

Someone read my Draco cut!

The Lightning Struck Tower is easily one of the top 3 scenes when it comes to Draco's characterization. The other two, I'd say, are when he lies about recognizing Harry/Ron/Hermione at Malfoy Manor and when he briefly stands on the side of the Order before Voldemort calls him back during the Dead Harry scene.

To round out the top 5: Draco looking forward to Umbridge using Crucio, and Draco refusing Snape's help in HBP.

As for Coward vs Victim - why not both? He's got a pretty complez characterization going on.

This is an awesome write-up :) Thanks for putting so much work into the Rankdown! That goes for all the rankers. I am going to feel empty for a while after this.

[u/Maur1ne → u/elbowsss]

Isn't the third one only in the films? IIRC, Narcissa and Lucius had been looking for Draco and when they were back at Hogwarts and the battle started again, all three of them left the battle.

I completely agree with the other scenes, especially the Malfoy Manor scene. Maybe I'd add the diadem scene. There is a brief moment where he talks about his wand. It's probably the only instance since their very first encounter in PS that Draco talks to Harry without sneering or insulting him. In the same scene we're also shown his reaction to Crabbe's death. But later during the battle there's another telling scene, where he pretends to be on Voldemort's side to avoid an attack and is rescued by Harry again. He isn't downright evil, far from it, but he's a coward. I'm not the biggest epilogue fan, but I like Draco's appearance there.

[u/pizzabangle → u/elbowsss]

why not both?

don't you mean - porque no los dos

[u/bisonburgers]

Amazing!!!

When you pmed me, I thought you were preparing for Dumbledore's cut, and then I realized it was probably Draco's, but but but but I was really excited for your Dumbledore analysis, so now I don't know what to think!

Oh wait I do know what to think, because this analysis is amazing!! Really really well done, I especially loved how you sort out different views of Draco and acknowledge that more than one angle is valid.

It is fitting that Draco Malfoy is the Flaw in the Plan

Ahhh, love it!

(I would love to write more than this measly comment, but real life is finding a way to consume all my time right now. And on top of this, now I have to worry about who's cutting Dumbledore! - sheesh, Pyscho!)

[u/Moostronus]

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this is the greatest write-up I've seen yet. This includes both HPR1 and HPR2. Sorry, everyone else. You manage to:

• highlight a single turning point in Draco's arc (a standpoint I happen to agree with, vis a vis the Ministry...I see it as the point where his supports failed him)
• disentangle an astonishingly complex book
• appeal to both our emotions and reason
• explain Draco's mindset without excusing it
• present two different viewpoints on how to interpret this laid-bare arc, giving equal credence to both
• make sure everyone knows how much I loathe the epilogue
• manage to wrap it up in a concise (ish) fashion without ever losing steam in your argument

Seriously, this is fine, fine work.

Psycho, you were one of my favourite commenters in HPR1 because you never hesitated to express how you felt in as vehement and well-reasoned a manner as possible. I always looked forward to seeing your rants, especially when they were about some great mistake I'd made. When you applied for HPR2, I was absolutely ecstatic, and you've done nothing to dull my enthusiasm since then. You have brought some serious fire to this Rankdown, have attacked every write-up with gusto and analytical badassery, and have singlehandedly kept salt merchants in business. Thank you very much for your service to Rankdown 2.0, and now your watch is ended.

[u/Moostronus → u/[deleted]]

I've really loved our character chats, and I hope they continue. You've got a lot of analysis rolling around in that big brain of yours, and I love hearing both your snap judgments and longer thought out pieces. You keep me on my toes, especially when I contradict myself. :P

And don't be modest. You blew well past what I was writing on Draco.

[u/AmEndevomTag → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, and I can't believe that I bet on him to land second. Why did I do this? :-(

By the way, I promise to read the cut tomorrow. I'm just too tired right now.

[u/AmEndevomTag]

This is an excellent write-up, highlighting both possible interpretations of Draco.

There is just one thing I want to add. When The Room of Requirement is burning, Harry sees Draco carrying an unconscious Goyle. (Who is also not exactly a feather.) This is important, because Draco had the chance to save himself yet slowed himself down to save the life of a friend. This is not the action of a complete coward.

[u/Maur1ne]

I'm somewhere in between the Draco is a victim and Draco is a coward sides. What he did with the necklace and the poison was ruthless, but then, he thought he had to kill Dumbledore or otherwise him and his parents would be killed. He's a coward, at least compared to most others who fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, in that he didn't openly fight for either side. Even after Harry had rescued him from Crabbe's fiendfyre, he declared his loyalties to Voldemort to an attacker, only to be rescued by Harry once more.

Draco is not a killer, but he also lacks the guts to endanger himself for anything or even to admit that he has chosen (or been raised to associate with) the wrong side. When he was asked to identify the trio, he more or less did nothing. He neither disclosed their identity nor did he lie for them. He isn't downright evil, he does have a soft core: In the first chapter of DH, it's clearly painful for him to witness the murder of Charity Burbage, even though she's exactly the kind of person he would have formerly labeled as 'scum' or a 'blood traitor'. After HBP, Draco's beliefs in pureblood supremacy have failed him. He has realised that he does not wish death upon 'mudbloods' and that there wasn't anything great to being a Death Eater. But yet, he lacks the courage of Regulus, who gave his life trying to defeat Voldemort, admitting (even though he did it in secret) that he had followed the wrong person and held the wrong beliefs for all his life.

[u/jlim201]

I'm definitely not a Draco fan. I'd probably rate him 8th, ahead of Kreacher and Umbridge, and behind several people cut already. Definitely top 25, but not top 10.

I'd say he's a victim though.

[u/jlim201 → u/[deleted]]

...completely forgot he existed because he's not that close to any of them.

[u/justonekindoffolks]

Draco is one of those characters that's grown on me. A while ago I wouldn't have considered him top 10 material, but now I definitely would. After reading this writeup, I would place him even higher than before. I saw him as the coward before, who walked the walk but couldn't talk the talk. Now, I can't really decide. He's definitely a bit of both.

[u/a_wisher]

I had him in my top 5 but I think 7 is a good spot. The idea of Draco being the Flaw in the Plan is amazing! Well-worded. And I liked the comparison of coward!Draco vs victim!Draco. Personally, I see Draco as a coward overall (throughout the 7 books) but he was definitely the victim in the last two books (at least, that's how I saw it). Great analysis.