Draco Feels: The Stressful Years Begin (Part 3 of 6)

Yes, I finally determined how long this series is going to be! (Probably)

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Last week, we discussed Draco Malfoy, the Ickle Firstie.  Now we're going to fast forward to...

Big, Bad, Death Eater Draco! 

Or, this guy:

Let's be honest, Draco's not much but a pompous pain in the butt for years two through five, but he suddenly gets very interesting in Half Blood Prince.  In order to fully grasp the changes that happen to him, we have to remember those very important lessons that he learned back in first year:

1. The world is not fair to Slytherins
2. You cannot really trust anyone to help you, except maybe another Slytherin 

These lessons hit Draco in full-force at the end of his fifth year -- if you recall, that was the year that the Death Eaters infiltrated the Ministry of Magic and battled with the DA and the Order.  At the end of it all, Lucius Malfoy, among others, was sent to Azkaban and fell in the graces of Voldemort.  Having grown up knowing that his father was in Voldemort's inner circle, and learning that "manliness" means just that, the sudden shift from top dog to chum would have been striking for the sixteen year old.  

A lot happens for Draco in the summer between his fifth and sixth years at Hogwarts -- we obviously don't know all the details, but we can assume that he and his mother were feeling the strain from their loss of Lucius and their fall from grace.  Draco, as the new "man of the house" since his father's arrest, would have been especially tormented. Had these books been written about Draco rather than Harry, Lucius' arrest would have been that pivotal moment where the protagonist learns that even the adults he trusts most are fallible.  So, what does he do? He seeks to prove himself to Voldemort.  He can step up, be a man, and be everything that his father failed to be.  He is young, determined, and full of that youthful sense if invulnerability.  It is this version of Draco that we next encounter on the train going to Hogwarts.

This Draco is more smug that usual -- as I said, he's the new man of his house.  And he's finally been able to step up and prove that he can be a real man (which, to him, means a Death Eater.)  More importantly, this Draco has an assignment straight from Voldemort so that he can finally prove that he can be even more of a man than his father was.  Unlike blundering Lucius, Draco will succeed where everyone else has failed.  He will help the Death Eaters infiltrate Hogwarts, and he will single handedly kill Albus Dumbledore.  And, if he doesn't...the consequences will be severe.  But Draco's youthful confidence will not let him think of failure just yet -- he has a job to do.  

We can most clearly see his new kind of smugness in his interactions with Harry in the beginning of the year. In years past, Harry has easily bested Draco in duels and, if we're being honest, in most aspects of  Hogwarts life.  This new Draco, though, is feeling powerful, and he shows that in a very clear way -- he easily petrifies an invisibility cloak clad Harry and steps on his face, breaking his nose.  (This incident is summarized beautifully in the song In Which I Kick Harry Potter in the Face by Draco and the Malfoys. Listen here!)  Sadly for Draco, this feeling of power doesn't last long...

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Thanks for reading, guys!  

Next week I'll finish up going through canon Malfoy with some analysis of the end of HBP and DH (Draco's Downfall, if you will.)

After that, we start delving into a different territory and discuss Draco as a Foil Character...but to Who?! (Spoiler: It's not Harry.)