Things You Wouldn't Know About Draco Malfoy If You've Only Seen The 'Harry Potter' Movies

Saim Cheeda
Updated April 15, 2024 49.3K views 15 items
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Vote up the surprising Draco facts that didn't make it to the big screen.

Tom Felton's portrayal of Draco Malfoy has been well received by Harry Potter fans, but some of those who haven't read the books mistakenly think movie Malfoy is a misunderstood character and deserves more empathy. The Draco Malfoy of the books is a different case; the source material sheds light on his true nature. The majority of his actions are antagonistic, and Malfoy goes out of his way to threaten Harry's life at Hogwarts. 

Author J.K. Rowling herself noted on the website Pottermore (now Wizarding World):

Draco remains a person of dubious morality in the seven published books, and I have often had cause to remark on how unnerved I have been by the number of girls who fell for this particular fictional character (although I do not discount the appeal of Tom Felton, who plays Draco brilliantly in the films and, ironically, is about the nicest person you could meet)... All of this left me in the unenviable position of pouring cold common sense on ardent readers’ daydreams as I told them, rather severely, that Draco was not concealing a heart of gold under all that sneering and prejudice...

Also, some facts about Malfoy's magical abilities and backstory are different, or expanded upon, in the books, and fans who learn more of these details might see him as a different personality altogether.

  • 1
    396 VOTES

    Malfoy Becomes Moaning Myrtle's Friend And Is Much Nicer To Her Than Harry And Ron Are

    Malfoy Becomes Moaning Myrtle's Friend And Is Much Nicer To Her Than Harry And Ron Are
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets / Warner Bros. Pictures

    It's unclear if Malfoy ever knew that Moaning Myrtle was the ghost of a Muggle-born witch, but he begins a friendship with her in Half-Blood Prince. Myrtle, who is hurt after Ron makes fun of her and Harry doesn't defend her, takes a shining toward Malfoy when he visits her bathroom to find solitude.

    Myrtle even begins to fall for him because he treats her like a regular person. Malfoy also confides in Myrtle about his fear of potentially failing at his mission, which makes Myrtle a true confidante. 

    After the duel between Malfoy and Harry in the bathroom, when Harry uses the bloody Sectumsempra spell, it's Myrtle who screams for help to aid Malfoy because she assumes Harry has killed him.

    396 votes
  • 2
    435 VOTES

    Malfoy Becomes One Of The Most Powerful Occlumens Because Of Bellatrix

    Malfoy Becomes One Of The Most Powerful Occlumens Because Of Bellatrix
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Malfoy is inducted into the Death Eaters prior to the events of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, at a point when his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, is distrustful of Severus Snape.

    Bellatrix encourages Malfoy to protect his thoughts from Snape and teaches her nephew how to use Occlumency. Snape, whose own Occlumency skills are powerful enough to block Voldemort's Legilimency, is unable to access Malfoy's thoughts.

    Snape realizes Bellatrix has trained Malfoy in Occlumency and remarks how powerful the latter is if he can withstand his Legilimency. 

    Malfoy's Occlumency is also notable for the fact that he manages to conceal his thoughts from exceptional wizards like Albus Dumbledore and Horace Slughorn, because no one in the school learns of his attempts to eliminate Dumbledore.

    435 votes
  • 3
    305 VOTES

    Malfoy Is The Smartest Slytherin Student In His Year

    Malfoy Is The Smartest Slytherin Student In His Year
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Malfoy in the movies is portrayed as something of a nitwit until the sixth film, but he's brighter in the source material. Although Malfoy doesn't reach the lofty standards set by Hermione Granger, he's more skilled than you might think.

    The majority of Slytherin students are depicted as unintelligent brutes, including Crabbe and Goyle, but Malfoy is an exception. Tellingly, Malfoy is one of only a handful of Slytherin students to make it to the N.E.W.T. Potions class when other students fail. 

    He also passes Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with "Exceeds Expectations" at the O.W.L. level. Malfoy is weaker than Harry and Ron in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he doesn't have the advantage of the Dumbledore's Army lessons the other two did. 

    305 votes
  • 4
    262 VOTES

    Malfoy Recognizes Sirius's Dog Form And Threatens Harry With This Knowledge

    Malfoy Recognizes Sirius's Dog Form And Threatens Harry With This Knowledge
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Peter Pettigrew informs Lucius Malfoy about Sirius Black's status as an Animagus, which renders Sirius's dog form a useless disguise because Voldemort's followers will recognize him.

    When Sirius accompanies Harry to the train station in his Animagus form in Order of the Phoenix, Draco spots the dog and confronts Harry inside the train.

    Draco, suggesting that his father has told him about Sirius's Animagus form, tells Harry, "I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line." His taunt unsettles Harry, who then tries to avoid Draco at school because he might learn more about Sirius.

    262 votes
  • 5
    271 VOTES

    Malfoy Gets Punched By Ron For Trying To Play Both Sides During The Battle Of Hogwarts

    Malfoy Gets Punched By Ron For Trying To Play Both Sides During The Battle Of Hogwarts
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Malfoy is inherently a coward who looks to stick with the side in the most dominant position. During the Battle of Hogwarts, he constantly switches allegiances for his own benefit. At one point, he drops, then reasserts his loyalties to Voldemort's followers in a short span.

    Malfoy's plan to snatch Harry and hand him over to Voldemort in the Room of Requirement doesn't work, and Harry tries to rescue him when the place burns because of Crabbe's Fiendfyre curse. Malfoy abandons the Death Eaters here, but returns to Voldemort's faction a few minutes later when one of the Death Eaters comes close to slaying him for his treachery. 

    Ron sees through Malfoy's slimy nature and proceeds to punch him out in anger, which remains Malfoy's last involvement in the conflict until Voldemort's downfall.

    271 votes
  • 6
    192 VOTES

    Malfoy Gets Beaten Up By Harry And George Weasley When He Insults Their Mothers

    Malfoy Gets Beaten Up By Harry And George Weasley When He Insults Their Mothers
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Malfoy is livid after Slytherin's match against Gryffindor in Order of the Phoenix because he loses the Snitch to Harry yet again. Knowing that Dolores Umbridge despises Harry, Malfoy begins to provoke the latter by repeatedly insulting Harry's stay at the Weasleys - he specifically takes shots at Mrs. Weasley, which angers Fred and George Weasley.

    Realizing that Harry is restraining himself, Malfoy then insults Harry's deceased mother, which leads an enraged Harry to pounce on Malfoy.

    Malfoy is then attacked further when George joins in; the pair end up breaking Malfoy's nose before Umbridge intervenes.

    Malfoy gets the last laugh when Umbridge bans Harry, George, and Fred from Quidditch permanently.

    192 votes
  • 7
    212 VOTES

    Malfoy Forces Crabbe And Goyle To Take Polyjuice Potion And Guard The Room Of Requirement

    Malfoy Forces Crabbe And Goyle To Take Polyjuice Potion And Guard The Room Of Requirement
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Malfoy realizes he will be busted if anyone sees him exiting the Room of Requirement while he's repairing the Vanishing Cabinet there, so he enlists the aid of lookouts. He makes Crabbe and Goyle take on the form of girls to stand outside in the hall and alert him should someone pass by.

    Harry notices what he assumes to be first-year female students in the area until he deduces they must be Crabbe and Goyle. Despite Harry's correct assumption, Malfoy is smart enough not to exit the room after Harry scares Crabbe and Goyle off, which ensures that he doesn't get caught in his plan.

    212 votes
  • 8
    182 VOTES

    Malfoy Becomes A Snitch For Rita Skeeter

    Malfoy Becomes A Snitch For Rita Skeeter
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire / Warner Bros. Pictures

    During Goblet of Fire, reporter Rita Skeeter learns a great deal of inside information about the Hogwarts students' lives. Harry spots Malfoy talking to his hand at one point and is puzzled by what he witnesses.

    Rita is eventually revealed as an Animagus who can turn into a beetle and was perched in Malfoy's palm when Harry saw them. Malfoy is the one who provides Rita with all the dirt she needs on Harry and his friends that she then twists into libel for the Daily Prophet.

    Malfoy has nothing to gain from this arrangement other than satisfaction at causing distress to Harry because Rita's writing turns the public's opinion against him and his friends.

    182 votes
  • 9
    245 VOTES

    Malfoy Almost Went To Study At Durmstrang

    Malfoy Almost Went To Study At Durmstrang
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Wizarding children don't need to attend schools in their native countries; they can choose to study at those abroad as long as they fit the criteria to be enrolled. Durmstrang Institute's Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, is a former Death Eater who remains an acquaintance of Lucius Malfoy, and the latter intends to send his son to Durmstrang. But his mother, Narcissa, refuses to send him so far away from home. 

    Draco says in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that he would have liked Durmstrang's style of teaching the Dark Arts, telling his friends, "Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not the defense rubbish we do."

    245 votes
  • 10
    223 VOTES

    Malfoy Is The First Wizarding Child Harry Meets

    Malfoy Is The First Wizarding Child Harry Meets
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Harry's first meeting with a child from the Wizarding World takes place in Diagon Alley, where he runs into Draco Malfoy. Both boys are in Madam Malkin's shop trying on school robes, and are left by themselves at one point, prompting Malfoy to strike up a conversation.

    Harry instantly gets a bad impression from Malfoy because he refers to Hagrid as a servant and sneers at Harry's friendship with someone who isn't wealthy.

    Malfoy goes on to grill Harry about his parentage, voicing his relief that Harry has magical parents - Harry doesn't tell him his maternal grandparents were Muggles due to the bad vibe he gets from Malfoy.

    Malfoy never gets a chance to learn Harry's identity because their conversation is interrupted, and it isn't until they meet on the Hogwarts Express that he learns who Harry is supposed to be.

    223 votes
  • 11
    169 VOTES

    Malfoy Attempts To Use The Cruciatus Curse On Harry Before He's Hit By The Sectumsempra Spell

    Malfoy Attempts To Use The Cruciatus Curse On Harry Before He's Hit By The Sectumsempra Spell
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Malfoy initiates the dueling session with Harry in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom in Half-Blood Prince. He's ultimately no match for Harry's superior skills and resorts to trying to torment his rival into submission.

    Malfoy yells out the Cruciatius Curse, but isn't fast enough because Harry counters first with the Sectumsempra spell. Although Harry doesn't realize his chosen curse would come close to claiming Malfoy's life, he doesn't feel guilty about it because Malfoy attempted to harm him first.

    169 votes
  • 12
    190 VOTES

    Malfoy Makes Up A Song To Mock Ron's Quidditch Skills

    Malfoy Makes Up A Song To Mock Ron's Quidditch Skills
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets / Warner Bros. Pictures

    In the books, Malfoy takes advantage of Ron's lack of confidence in Order of the Phoenix. After Ron's poor performance in his debut Quidditch match as the Gryffindor Keeper, Malfoy comes up with a song titled "Weasley Is Our King" that features embarrassing lyrics to mock him.

    Everyone in Slytherin House sings the tune during Gryffindor's Quidditch match against them, which causes Ron to fumble on the field. "Weasley Is Our King" becomes widespread around the school, nearly frustrating Ron enough to quit.

    Eventually, Malfoy's antagonism turns on him when Ron helps Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup, and the school alters "Weasley Is Our King" into a song that praises Ron instead. 

    190 votes
  • 13
    175 VOTES

    Malfoy Tries To Ambush Harry For Landing His Father In Prison

    Malfoy Tries To Ambush Harry For Landing His Father In Prison
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Malfoy's sneering attitude toward Harry is ended for good after his father is captured by the Ministry because Harry successfully outs Lucius as a Death Eater. Malfoy is filled with vengeance and looks for retribution by going after Harry.

    Malfoy's first attempt is thwarted by Professor McGonagall, so he and his pals try again on the Hogwarts Express. Unfortunately for Malfoy, Dumbledore's Army members are nearby and set upon Malfoy all at once, which results in him getting knocked out with a horrible deformity on his face until the curses wear off. 

    175 votes
  • 14
    140 VOTES

    Malfoy Is Selected As Slytherin House Prefect And A Member Of The Inquisitorial Squad

    Malfoy Is Selected As Slytherin House Prefect And A Member Of The Inquisitorial Squad
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / Warner Bros. Pictures

    Although Malfoy isn't the high achiever his father was at school, he does follow in his dad's footsteps to become a prefect. In Order of the Phoenix, Malfoy sneers at Harry when he learns his rival missed out on the honor (Ron is appointed Gryffindor prefect instead), then tries to give Harry detention for nonsensical reasons.

    When Malfoy sees that his powers as a prefect have no effect on Harry and Ron, he sucks up to Dolores Umbridge. His pandering reaps him benefits when Umbridge makes him part of her Inquisitorial Squad.

    Malfoy goes on to misuse his Inquisitorial Squad authority by stripping the Gryffindors of their house points for unfair reasons.

    140 votes
  • 15
    157 VOTES

    Malfoy Dresses As A Dementor To Disrupt A Quidditch Game

    Malfoy Dresses As A Dementor To Disrupt A Quidditch Game
    Photo: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban / Warner Bros. Pictures

    In Prisoner of Azkaban, to ensure that Gryffindor won't have a chance to win the Quidditch Cup, Malfoy interferes in their match against Ravenclaw by trying to take down Harry, the Gryffindor Seeker.

    Malfoy and his pals, aware of Harry's fear of dementors, don cloaks during the match to pretend to be dementors. Malfoy wants Harry to fall from his broom like he did in a previous game due to a dementor, but his plan backfires when Harry hits him with a Patronus charm.

    Malfoy and his crew end up hurting themselves when they're scared by Harry's Patronus and Professor McGonagall punishes them.

    157 votes