What Really Happened to Draco Malfoy

Why did Voldemort choose Draco Malfoy to kill Dumbledore, and was Draco ever meant to survive the mission? In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Draco is given an impossible task that slowly destroys him, but the real reason Voldemort chose him goes back to Lucius Malfoy’s failure at the Ministry of Magic. This Harry Potter lore deep dive explores Draco Malfoy’s full story during his sixth year at Hogwarts, from the moment Voldemort orders him to assassinate Albus Dumbledore to the night Draco finally stands over him on the Astronomy Tower and realizes he cannot do it. Narcissa Malfoy understands the danger immediately. Believing Voldemort has chosen Draco as punishment for Lucius, she secretly goes to Severus Snape and forces him to make the Unbreakable Vow to protect her son and complete the mission if Draco fails. At first, Draco is proud to have been chosen by the Dark Lord. But as the year continues, that confidence collapses. He becomes pale, thin, exhausted and increasingly desperate. His cursed necklace nearly kills Katie Bell. His poisoned mead almost kills Ron Weasley. Harry eventually finds Draco crying in a bathroom because he knows Voldemort will kill him if he cannot finish the job. Yet Draco also accomplishes something nobody expected. He repairs the Vanishing Cabinet, allows Death Eaters into Hogwarts, reaches the Astronomy Tower and disarms Dumbledore. Everything except the killing. Dumbledore offers Draco a way out. Draco lowers his wand. Severus Snape kills Dumbledore instead. But this is not a simple Draco Malfoy redemption story. Draco had spent years as a bully, using blood-status prejudice against Hermione, mocking Harry and Ron, and embracing the beliefs of his family. Fear does not suddenly make him a good person. What it does reveal is that when Draco is finally asked to become the person he had been raised to be, he discovers that he cannot murder someone. The story continues at Malfoy Manor, where Draco refuses to clearly identify Harry Potter, and during the Battle of Hogwarts, when Harry turns back into the Fiendfyre to save Draco’s life. That decision eventually allows Harry to tell Narcissa Malfoy that Draco is alive, leading Narcissa to lie directly to Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Draco does not defeat Voldemort himself. But his choices become one link in the chain of events that helps bring Voldemort down. This is the tragic story of Draco Malfoy, the boy Voldemort sent to kill Dumbledore and expected to die trying. Subscribe for more Harry Potter lore, character backstories, hidden details, book analysis and Wizarding World stories. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Why Voldemort Chose Draco Malfoy 00:19 — The Punishment for Lucius Malfoy 00:40 — Narcissa Realizes Draco Is Meant to Die 00:52 — Snape and the Unbreakable Vow 01:50 — Draco Thinks He Has Been Chosen 02:12 — Draco’s Sixth Year Begins to Destroy Him 02:46 — The Cursed Necklace and Katie Bell 03:01 — The Poisoned Mead and Ron Weasley 03:32 — Draco Breaks Down With Moaning Myrtle in Bathroom 04:01 — Draco Repairs the Vanishing Cabinet 04:34 — Draco Disarms Dumbledore 05:25 — Why Draco Couldn’t Kill Dumbledore 06:02 — The Truth About Draco Malfoy 06:42 — Draco’s Choice at Malfoy Manor 07:46 — Harry Saves Draco From Fiendfyre 08:02 — Narcissa Malfoy Lies to Voldemort 08:50 — How Draco Became Part of Voldemort’s Defeat 09:10 — Draco's childhood and what he was raised to do #HarryPotter #DracoMalfoy #HarryPotterLore