Summary
Draco Malfoy spent the early portion of theHarry Potterfranchise as a classic school bully who would push and probe Harry Potter. However, inHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, his character takes a much darker twist, as his entire plot throughout the movie involves attempting to murder Albus Dumbledore.
It’s the main plotline throughout thisHarry Pottermovie, and it ultimately leads to the Hogwarts headteacher dying even though Draco isn’t the person directly responsible. However, the twist completely changes his character and sends him down a path he never recovers from within the movies, but there is a reason why he’s given the difficult task.
The Malfoy Family Are Under Threat & Draco Steps Up
The Malfoy family are shown as prestigiousthroughout the early Harry Potter movies until a drastic change takes place. That’s because certain moments aren’t showcased in the film, such as how furious Lord Voldemort is with Lucius Malfoy for failing to retrieve the prophecy. It causes real tension between them even though Lucius has pledged himself to the Dark Lord. Ultimately, it leads to Lord Voldemort placing pressure on the family to do his bidding for him as he knows he can’t defeat Dumbledore in a head-on battle after their epic duel inside the Ministry of Magic.
Because Draco has inside connections to Dumbledore due to being a student at Hogwarts, the idea is that he is the best option to kill him as he wouldn’t be suspected. Lord Voldemort essentially threatens to kill the entire Malfoy family if Draco can’t fulfill his task, and that pressure, coupled with the fact that he accepts the challenge at the moment he, wants to impress him. However, Severus Snape steps in and does an Unbreakable Curse with Draco, which means he’d do the deed if Draco failed.
Draco then spends the school year trying to kill Dumbledore, but it becomes clear he’s not willing to do it face-to-face. In his first attempt, he tries to force Katie Bell to deliver a package with a cursed necklace to the headteacher, but she ends up touching it and almost gets killed in the process. He then attempts another form of poison by bringing a bottle of mead to Professor Slughorn, who would give it to Dumbledore. Once again, that doesn’t work, though, asRon Weasley gets poisonedafter he drinks the drink instead.
What Is The Unbreakable Curse
Snape is essentially pressured into doing the Unbreakable Curse with Dumbledore, even though it means that his friend must die or he will die. If the Unbreakable Curse is broken, those involved in it are killed, which is why Snape spends the entire movie looking out for Draco in a bid to make sure he remains safe and doesn’t get caught with his task. That’s Dumbledore’s responsibility becauseSnape opens up about the entire situation to him.
He’s a double agent throughout the story, pretending he’s helping Lord Voldemort while feeding information to Dumbledore throughout. That’s something he does in this scenario, too, despite knowing the impact it’s going to have on his life, whether he kills Dumbledore or ends up dying himself. It’s an example of how committed he is to the cause because he puts his life on the line to prove his loyalty to Lord Voldemort, even though he’s ultimately doing the opposite. It creates a complex storyline, but arguably the greatest in the franchise, as Snape’s full life isn’t explained until the final movie when theimpact of him murdering Dumbledorebecomes clear.
Why Dumbledore Ensures Draco Doesn’t Kill Him
Ultimately, Dumbledore is killed at the end ofHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which creates one of the most shocking and emotional moments in the entire series. It removes one of the most powerful wizards on that side of the war and forces a huge change at Hogwarts as thethe school loses its headteacher. However, despite his best efforts throughout the school year, it is not Draco who is the killer.
The murder occurs at the top of the Astronomy Tower when Draco corners Dumbledore, but the wiser wizard already has a plan. He works hard to convince Draco not to be the one to kill him, and even though Draco reveals he has no choice in the matter, he doesn’t end up being the one to utter the killing curse. That responsibility fell to Severus Snape, who Dumbledore empowered to be the one to do it, knowing that he was secretly working on the same side as him. Dumbledore didn’t want Draco to become a killer as he knew it would change his life forever, showcasing one final moment of kindness.
This scene was also crucial in later movies because Draco disarmed Dumbledore. It leads to Lord Voldemort killing Snape, as he thinks hehas the Elder Wand, while Harry manages to gain that particular wand after a skirmish with Draco. As a character, Draco is never the same as that level of darkness, and the mental torment of the entire situation doesn’t leave him. However, the impact doesn’t commit him to the darker side of the wizarding world, which is why he secretly helps Harry later on in theHarry Potterfranchise.
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