Well lads, I've been meaning to do this as a video. However, I think it would be better to sit down and really think about how I wanted to get my point across.
I firstly want to state that I, Brogan, am a Gryffindor. I'm a proud Gryffindor and my favourite characters have always and always will be Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. However, if you're like me and have been currently stuck on Draco TikTok, you know that your love for Draco has suddenly come out of nowhere. Well, I say this; I've always thought Draco was attractive. We all love a bad boy, don't we? (Insert the Gogglebox hilarious reference there)
Draco Malfoy deserved the redemption arc over Severus Snape, mainly because he was The Boy Who Had No Choice. Yes, he was a spoilt brat and yes he hated anything other than Pure Bloods, however he was taught that from his parents who were death eaters. So overall, that's expected from him, when you really think about it.
If you've read the books, you'll know that Harry actually meets Draco in Diagon Alley, when shopping to buy his robes. He asks Harry if he's off to Hogwarts as well, and can we please just point out; that Draco willingly spoke to Harry without knowing anything. Because as we know, Slytherin's are all about purebloods and being the most superior; however Draco spoke to Harry without knowing who he was, what his blood status was, etc. It wasn't until Harry rejected his friendship that Draco decided to be a dick. Why? Because he wanted to be different to his dad and how he treated people. But Harry had rejected his friendship, and he felt there was no need to be nice anymore. Thus, Bully Draco happened.
First of all I just want to point out that I hate that I'm using this picture. Why? Because I don't ship Draco and Hermione. It doesn't make sense as a ship!!!! However, it's this scene that the theory begins. Just before this part of the scene, we see Draco ripping up a piece of paper out of a book. (The Hermione in me could never forgive this!) And as we know, Lucius replaces the school book to Tom Riddle's diary in Ginny's bucket. It's said that Draco was aware of what Lucius/The Dark Lord was plotting to do, and because of the fact Harry hates Draco, he wanted to let them know somehow.
Now let's be honest here: Would Hermione Jean Granger; lover of books and all things learning, rip out part of a book? No. But who did? Draco. Which means that somehow he managed to pass this information over to Hermione without her knowing. (Because let's be honest, after someone called you a "filthy little mudblood", you're not going to want to accept their help, are you? Another reason why the ship doesn't make sense, fyi).
I just want to point out that this is a theory I've found and might not actually be true. But it's something I believe he'd do, because he wasn't actually that bad underneath his father's controlling ways and beliefs.
Throughout Half Blood Prince, we see Draco Malfoy and Tom Felton get the screentime he deserves. We see Draco fighting against his internal struggle to please The Dark Lord, and help redeem the Malfoy name after the whole Ministry incident. He's got the Dark Mark and he's been assigned a task: Kill Dumbledore. Now, in my head, I always think that both Harry and Draco are quite similar in the fact that Hogwarts felt like their home.
Draco wasn't constantly being belittled by his dad, and he didn't have to really pretend he had to be someone he didn't want to be. He could pretty much be himself, even if he was Bully Draco every once in a while. (When your pride is hurt, you make stupid decisions, okay!!!!)
Part of the reason Hogwarts felt like home to Draco, is because of his headmaster: Albus Dumbledore. And that man, as much of an abuser as he was to Harry; he knew that this was a task assigned to Draco, that he couldn't handle. So he set up his own plan: Make Snape do it instead. And Narcissa knew the same as well. Why should her boy have to suffer for something his dad did? Why should he be the one to sort out this mess?
At the end of Half Blood Prince, we see Hermione ask Harry if Draco would've done it. Harry replies that he was already lowering his wand, because he didn't want to kill him. Imagine not having the unbreakable vow and Dumbledore creating his own plan with Snape. Draco would've suffered consequences with The Dark Lord, and he's very aware of that. Bellatrix tries to help him out and encourages him; however, he can't find it inside himself to actually kill the man that made this place feel like home.
You and I both know that Draco Malfoy knew that it was in fact Harry Potter sitting in front of him. And he couldn't be sure. Or so he says. Just like Half Blood Prince, Draco is struggling. Because you can tell every time he's on the screen in either of the Deathly Hallows films, he's torn. Hogwarts is his home and his friends are there. Yet his family need him to help make the Malfoy name great again.
However, here's the boy that he met all those years ago, and wanted to be friends with. His face looks mashed up for some reason he can't decide why, and he's being asked to identify this man as Harry Potter, so they can call The Dark Lord to finally finish him once and for all. And something inside Draco is torn with that. He believes the same thing he does: Harry needs to kill him.
Hermione and Ron are there with him and there's no jinx on their faces. It's obvious it's him. But he simply says, "I can't be sure", stands up and walks away. Leaving Lucius and Bellatrix to decide if it's worth the risk.
He stands with the Hogwarts side. Has this never occurred to you? He has the Dark Mark on his arm, and when The Dark Lord arrives back from the forbidden forest to declare that Harry Potter is dead, he's standing with his classmates. Because he never wanted this. He didn't want to be chosen to be on The Dark Lord's side. He agreed with his classmates and he wanted to help them.
One part of this moment above that really irks me; is that as Lucius calls Draco over to their side - HE LOOKS AROUND! He wants someone on the Hogwarts side to tell him to stay. That he belongs on their side. That he shouldn't go back to The Dark Lord. But they don't. They let him go. And I've always said to Joanne, why didn't anyone stop him? And it's probably because he knows. He knows he doesn't have a choice and that he has to choose The Dark Lord. But I would've loved to have seen someone tell him to stay where he is and to stand with his peers.
And don't get me started on that deleted scene.
So those are my reasons why I feel Draco Malfoy deserved a redemption arc. Let me know in the comments below what you think.
I've also got two videos Draco/Harry Potter related below. Enjoy :)
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