billywigsting

[billywigsting]

Draco Malfoy and his desperate aching need for attention

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SOOO DRARRY!!! Actually just them full stop...

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ITS BREWING

I am going to be unstoppable in year two when we study attachment... Draco Malfoy needs to watch his back

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theyre so stinking cute i cant

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the nature vs nurture argument but its draco malfoy and The Dark

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OKAY this one im gonna preface by saying I KNOW its a romantic song but two of the lyrics will be interpreted as platonic (theyre in the same screenshot) and so i will colour them slightly different to the romantic lyrics as an indicator to be TOTALLY CERTAIN. I DO NOT PROMOTE INCEST. anyway... Onwards!

Okay, I'm going to start with this lyric as I feel like it encompasses all of the themes I'm going to discuss. So, Draco knows he and Harry can't be together, even before his ruined reputation and without his bad attitude. They're simply fated to be opposites, Harry loud where Draco is quiet, Harry brave where Draco is not, and Harry kind while Draco is cruel. On opposites sides of a war, predetermined prophecy and an irresponsible father. Harry was always meant to be light and Draco dark. They were not destined to stand beside one another let alone in holy matrimony. Yet he wishes it different, and even after the war with his actions looming dark overhead, Harry still tries to be his friend and Draco hopes to become something more. He knows it's impossible, but it can't hurt to hope (after all he's been doing it for most of his life).

Also I feel like another interpretation of this lyric in terms of something else I will discuss later can be the disconnect between Draco and his father and how that chasm is furthered by his imprisonment. I've mentioned this before (because I believe Draco's relationship with his father is an integral part of his character) but the disconnect between Draco and Lucius' ideals being a big turning point in the development of Draco's character and then their relationship only worsens thereafter. With the war coming to an end and his father turning tail on his responsibilities to their family, Draco cannot fathom looking up to this shadow of a man anymore. Admiration still lingers in his heart for the man Lucius once was but he no longer knows the man who calls himself his father. Just as he was doomed to fail in his task, he is doomed to lose his father. To be without the man who taught him who he should be, forced to question his own mind and destiny and rewrite his own script.

AGGGHHHH post-war Draco being embarrassed or ashamed about being seen in public with Harry. Obsessing over Harry's public image and determined not to warp it, because the world should see Harry how he does. Draco knows he isn't worthy of even being near to the Saviour after what he's done, but he cannot resist the pull. Constantly in orbit with each other and who is Draco to refuse the chosen one? JUST. THE IMAGE OF DRACO AVOIDING HARRY IN PUBLIC BUT THEM BOTH BEING BUDDY BUDDY IN THE DORMS OR IN PRIVATE BECAUSE HE ISNTT AFRAID OF BEING SEEN. (And of course Harry misinterpreting this as Draco just not wanting to be seen with him so he starts avoiding Draco and then Draco is just devastated)

I THINK ITS JUST THE WAY WE ARE????? Like holy fuck. Both of them thinking they're supposed to fit a mould and be what everyone else expects them to be. The way they argue and the way they obsess over one another. The way they are so different but so similar. The way Draco drifts up to the astronomy tower when it all gets too much and Harry provides a blanket of safety, warming the ice in Draco's veins. The way their nightmares both tend to feature the same man, how they both know how it feels to have Voldemort root through your very being and infect it. How they think they're simply unfixable and unchanging and yet they have so much left to do. They are simply just the way they are, in love with one another but far too afraid to make it real. Two young boys who were never taught how to love.

'I used to wonder if you'd kill me' applying to both then. Harry being afraid that Draco would reveal him at the manor, not knowing what Draco's erratic behaviour in sixth year might cause, having to live with the constant fear of being hunted or handed over or killed and not being able to shake that afterwards. Confiding within Draco and realising he hasn't said this to anybody else, wanting to be completely open and honest with Draco but being terrified of what that means.

And then Draco thinking that his last day on Earth would be in that bathroom, under Harry's gaze and at his wand. Soaked in water and blood and not knowing if his parents will be spared after his failure. Thinking that Harry or his friends (at Hogwarts) will come after him for his part in their torment even though his shaking hands got him into more trouble at home. (Because what Death Eater can't cast Crucio on those unworthy, what Malfoy is such a coward?). Not knowing if Harry was going to leave him in that fire or whether he would be killed by his own wand in what used to be his home. And then telling Harry this in a moment of weakness, maybe even without meaning too as the scars on his chest are revealed, and Harry is so sorry it hurts. Draco doesn't think he deserves the apology, think it would've been okay, been Right, if Harry was the one to kill him. He deserved every scar he got, both mental and physical.

Harry still being a boy at heart, not allowed to grow up in his own time and not being shown or taught emotional maturity. His only examples being his best friends and yet he still does not understand what goes on within him. In a fit of rage or frustration or even sadness he rejects the notion of loving Draco, of ever being capable. Knows how strongly Ron and his family disapprove of the Malfoys, knows how horrid Draco was to Hermione, how his whole being seemed to have been raised for cruelty and hatred. And so he doesn't give himself the time to consider a relationship, not even a friendship, with Draco (at first). Draco being stubborn as a mule and despite the blatant rejection, still wanting to prove Harry wrong. Part of him still stuck on that snubbed handshake back in first year and the other part wanting to be right and to win. He doubts it will amount to anything, but he still tries. Wants to prove to Harry that he is desirable and can be anything Harry wants him to (even if all Harry wants is Draco to be himself).

Both of them thinking they're too old for schoolyard bullying and childhood rivalries and maturing to the point of realising they are finally allowed to be their own people. That they can move past their past and rewrite the ending set out for them. They are most certainly Not those kids anymore and Draco wants to fight for a new future with Harry. And Harry doesn't want to fight back against that. Both of them agreeing that they've left this all far too long.

'i see the worst of me inside you' Draco looking at Scorpius and seeing both the traits that he would've been shamed for and traits he does not want Scorpius to possess. The arrogance that runs in both of his family trees, the cowardice holding him back from doing what's right, the loyalty that led him astray. He fears for Scorpius, and prays he doesn't end up anything like him. Draco does not want that life for him, even though the white-blond hair upon Scorpius' head immediately sets him out as a target. Someone to blame for the past despite him not even being alive to witness it.

'I hate the way I'm just like you' Draco not wanting to be like his father but in the end he Believes he's just like him. Always having wanted to grow out his hair but fearing he would too closely resemble Lucius upon doing so. The same eyes and that same furrow of his brow when upset. The same anger that was taught to him and the sadness he was taught to be ashamed of. Hatred that coils in his chest that his father placed there at a young age and nurtured more than he did Draco. He hates it. And he cannot see how different he really is, how his bravery is something his father would never possess. How his cheeks are soft like his mother's and his nose dips just like hers. How his eyes are like his cousin's and his happiness his Own.

It takes Harry to show him.

Harry and Draco both being up close and personal with Voldemort, similar ages, thinking that the other was raised how they wished to be, sharing life debts and trauma and simpy understanding one another. There's not much for me to say on this, the lyric is Drarry to a T.

Sorry if this one was mostly waffle!! Hopefully it makes sense haha.

Song is 'going under' by Ali Wolv

[billywigsting]

Hiii I am officially back on my bullshit! No Surprises Radiohead and how it is literally Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. To differentiate them there may be some formatting with colours just because.

SO! This is both Draco and Harry but I will be explaining why these lyrics are Draco first.

'A heart that's full up like a landfill'. Draco's heart is filled with fear and loyalty and dread. He loves his parents to a fault and thus his devotion is unwavering, he does not want to be a death eater, he does not want to hunt Harry Potter, he does not want to kill Dumbledore, but he must, for his parents will bear the consequences of his failures and he must not fail them. He wants to restore glory to his father's name, wants to see his mother smile again, wants this evil evil man out of his house and he is filled with such negativity and shit that the only thing it could be compared to is a landfill. Things keep getting thrown on the heap of rubbish piling inside of his heart and all he can do is try.

'A job that slowly kills you' like... I'm sorry but he was set up to fail. You could see the guilt and the fear weighing him down in sixth year. And even if he did succeed, or enjoyed the job, he would be punished for it eventually. Sent to Azkaban to die a slow, lonely death consumed by the madness lying dormant in his blood. The effect of Voldemort's dark magic on the manor and the wizarding world as a whole showed his strength and his sheer Corruption that surely those close to him who lacked conviction would also be affected. And we don't know what was happening behind the scenes, was Draco punished for his slow progression during his task? Punished for stepping a toe out of line? The speed at which he moved when ordered to pick up the wands at the manor surely sheds some light upon his situation. If it was all fine and dandy then why was he so terrified of Bellatrix, they were family after all.

'Bruises that won't heal'. First of all, is it a Draco Malfoy analysis if I don't mention the dark mark he will never be rid of? That won't heal, it marrs his body, his mind, his reputation, anything it can get its dirty hands on because why would the pain end when the man responsible is dead? Not when he's so clearly branded you, livestock, ready to be slaughtered by those who say they're better and good and right. He doesn't want this ink staining his skin but he cannot remove it and it will follow him until his death. Even after. Also bruises that won't heal could also be a representation of trauma being either repressed, continually reopened, or just simply being haunted by it and not being able to move on or heal. And maybe being so thick with guilt that you don't want to heal, you want to wallow in that misery and prostrate before those that you hurt because you deserve nothing more than to be looked down upon.

'You look so tired and unhappy'. I feel this is self explanatory with what I have said so far haha. He is not a happy puppy I must say. Once again going back to sixth year, the dramatic shift in his demeanor from fifth to sixth showed the effect everything was having on him. Even after being almost killed he lies indifferent in the hospital wing, staring blankly until he resigns himself to going back to the cabinet. He walks around in black and yes the obvious connotations of him being a part of the dark in contrast to the light, those are also mourning colours.

'A job that slowly kills you'. Harry was raised from birth to die at the hands of Voldemort for the greater good of wizardkind. His hunt for the horcruxes being a vital part of this journey but also the most dangerous and draining. Hunted from nearly all corners of wizarding Britain, trying to hold his friends together, mourning the deaths of those he failed to save. And he thinks it is his fault, because he is the Boy Who Lived and it's horribly ironic. He still lives whilst he watches those he loves die for him and it breaks him more and more each day. He is eventually completely fine with the prospect of dying for the cause because it would mean the safety of those left alive and it would mean that Harry himself wouldn't have to carry on. Pick up the pieces and be worshipped as a hero when all he was trying to do was live. When all he wanted was to be normal.

'Bruises that won't heal' being potential blights left upon his soul and/or mind by Voldemort's intrusion. Being made a horcrux and having a part of that evil inside of Harry must've left something hollow within him after it left. And the same point as Draco with the trauma that is, quite frankly, inescapable. And with Harry he is made to perform. Make speeches about his heroism, lament over those lost, be polite with the politicians who wished him dead the week before, all while drowning under the weight of his own guilt and insecurity. His grief sits low in his stomach and he cannot let it out, isn't given the time to.

'You look so tired and unhappy' is once again pretty self explanatory. The misery of his childhood, being almost killed every year at place he was supposed to be safe, being a sacrificial lamb for the one man he trusted most, believing the safety of the word was down to him and him alone. He had to be tired. He just couldn't bear to let anybody know. After all, he's dealt with it alone before and nobody would take kindly to the saviour bowing his head and asking to be left alone. He was born to bring hope to the hopeless and he will die doing so.

HARRY HARRY HARRY HARRY!!! TO A T!!!

'Bring down the government'. His opposition towards the ministry and it's corruption. Blatantly going against them and flaunting the influence he has over people despite not being in a typical position of power. Continually questioning Umbridge despite imminent punishment, being a part of an uprising against her and really saying no, 'they don't speak for us', but I will. And with the rise of the Dark Lord the corruption in the ministry only spread, and those corrupt got cockier. His inherent being was a stance against the dark, a rebellion, a protest, a threat. His existence shone with defiance and he was a beacon of light, actively working to bring them down by ridding the world of their leader.

'I'll take a quiet life'. I am a FIRM believer in Harry just wanting to be a normal kid but resigning himself to his fate. Feeling as though he, who wanted to be saved for so many years, can't possibly leave the world to ruin. And after the war he just wants peace. A quiet little chalet in the middle of nowhere just to exist without meaning and without expectation. He just wants to be.

'A handshake of carbon monoxide'. A metaphorical representation of how he feels doing all this performative bullshit after the war and shaking hands with everyone, signing autographs, taking pictures, perhaps. Or a reference to him shaking hands with death and being willing for it to take him, not scared at all. Handshakes are typically polite gestures but signify trust and respect. Harry trusts that with his death he will save the wizarding world. He shows death respect and grasps hands with it, forming an agreement and giving up control. He walked to his death calmly and solemnly yet determined.

'They don't speak for us' could also be related to Draco by way of his own loyalties and beliefs shifting over time and realising he is misaligned with the power he resides with.

'Silent, silent'. Draco no longer has his previous defiant demeanour, he stays silent, prefers to keep his answers short and his interactions shorter. The only man he speaks to is the Dark Lord and that is only when spoken to. He has learnt his lesson for being mouthy.

'Silent, silent' being how Harry reacted when he realised what he had to do to make Voldemort finally vulnerable. He didn't protest or complain or cry or even laugh. He walked silently to the forest and died the same.

'This is my final fit, my final bellyache' being both of them resigning themselves to their fates. Draco's last act of defiance being standing with the light and yet when he heard his mother call and realised nobody wanted him to stay he left, walked towards the dark and the bright white of his mother and gave up on redemption. Also not wanting to fight Harry in the room of requirement, not wanting to leave his friend behind in the fire, not wanting to give up Harry's identity despite the shit it would get him in. All of these acts of confidence and sacrifice that would ultimately get him nowhere, bring him pain or punishment. Why try anymore? And Harry realising that even after everything he has done if he does not know it will have all been in vain, everyone would have died for nothing and it would be all his fault. His one last act being suicide for the sake of everyone else and even with the revival stone there was no guaranteeing that he would be able to return home. He was ready for it to be over, the pain and the loss and the fear.

'Such a pretty house'. The manor being a place of pride and splendour. An ancient wizarding home passed down generations of Malfoys and taken care of as it should've been. Loved over decades with their magic interwining beneath the floorboards and holding up the walls. Care staining the hardwood and brick foundations. The manor was nurtured for so long and yet ended as a place of misery and hurt so powerful even the ancestral magic shrunk back. Too scared to defy its new "master"

'Such a pretty garden' goes along the same idea as above and I like to believe that Draco and his mother used to tend to it and then to see it wither broke their hearts. Felt as though their last bit of control snapped and nothing left belonged to them.

Also the ideal of a pretty house with a white picket fence and a pretty garden and wishing you were there in that situation. Praying he wasn't in that house over the holidays but dreading his return to Hogwarts. His safe places no longer safe and both filled with agony, what else is he meant to do if not pretend?

Both Harry and Draco not having the capacity for emotional regulation after the trauma of the war and just being so scared all the time. Jumpy and paranoid and begging for nothing to happen for the safety to be real for once, not imagined.

Okay I did NAWT mean for this to be nearly 2000 words or to stay up until 1.30 am but. Here we are LMAO. If you made it this far thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed!

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Hard Times Ethel Cain is Draco Malfoy. If anyone wants to hear why (or if i decide to do a long ass post as per usual) lmk.

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prom queen icp drarry ?

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More lyrics from Family Tree, Ethel Cain that are Draco Malfoy

The idea that Lucius taught Draco prejudice and arrogance whilst Narcissa taught him cruelty and decorum is like. Ugh. Narcissa Black this beautiful, strong, graceful witch who can command a room if needs be but glide through unnoticed when necessary. Who is a descendant of the stars, the noble house of black, holy and glorious and superior. Her etiquette immaculate in all things, including duelling, and her tongue and mind sharp. She knows how to pander and how to win. Knows what to say to give herself the upper hand, where to strike and how to hurt without getting her hands dirty (because she wouldn't want to be seen doing something as unbecoming as Arguing or Fighting in public). She can twist words and spark rumours and tear people down without having to be in the room. And so, as her mother taught her, she teaches Draco. Attempts to prepare him for a world that will not readily bow to him as they do at home, attempts to give him a leg to stand on when everything Lucius has fed him falls flat.

She knows fullwell that Lucius is mostly bark rather than bite and his cowardice rules superior, coats his spine and teeth, he will Always turn tail. She knows that what Lucius teaches Draco will lead him to failure, and she cannot have that. Her son, born of the stars in the far north, be led to ruin by a man she is bound to. Now this isn't me saying she doesn't love Lucius and isn't loyal to him because that is simply not the case. But at the end of the day if their views aligned 100% then they wouldn't be human, it is inevitable for disagreement to occur in any relationship. Anyway she has high standards for Draco, as every pureblood mother should, and knows she must teach him standards and etiquette that Lucius will focus less on in favour of politics and history and prejudice. She also knows that Draco is a mouthy, entitled, arrogant little boy who (like most children) will recklessly spout whatever his father says to him or to other people. And despite these beliefs of pureblood supremacy being prevalent in pureblood culture she isn't disillusioned enough to believe that everyone else agrees with it outside of these circles. In fact many people openly DISagree with these sentiments and thus she takes on the responsibility of preparing him to defend himself when he inevitably upsets people.

This is entirely typical of Lucius' aforementioned cowardly disposition. He has shirked responsibility for his wrongdoings by turning his back, paying it away, or simply ignoring it for years and years. A loyal death eater throughout both of the wars even during Voldemort's dormancy. He almost kills Ginny. He drags his family into a mess he created. He manipulates the ministry. He throws galleons around like they're sweets and with a saccharine tone slinks his way into high ranks and high responsibilities just so that he can avoid prosecution and do more harm without consequence.

At the end of the day he will always flee, and Draco this young boy who looks up to his father as some sort of untouchable God, a being who represents everything he aspires to be one day. And so Draco, devoted and completely blinded by loyalty, internalises and imitates his actions, beliefs, mannerisms. Anything he can feasibly achieve. And thus he adopts his father's cowardice, his penchant for avoiding responsibility and running away from his own problems. And yet, despite this, he is the one who holds his head high beside his mother, while Lucius scrambles after them frantically and slimey and cowardly.

So yeah, his father taught him to do and then run, fuck the consequences, you don't need to know them because what you don't know can't kill you.

I feel as though a hierarchy like that of which is implied in a pureblood household brings with it expectations. And when these expectations are failed to be met it brings ridicule. A public spectacle of failure and the only ones that know it are those who have lived it. Any mistake, a low grade, being second best, an untucked shirt, a wrinkled robe. Any small mistake that that can be picked upon will be and punishment will range depending on the the slight.

Yet they all share one common theme. Whenever Draco fails his father never forgets to remind him that Draco was raised better than this. He was raised to be perfect and each little thing that proves he isn't is an insult to Lucius. And Lucius, having been treated the same by his father (who was likely treated the same by His father and so on), teaches him the only way he knows how. Punishment and ridicule.

And when his failings are revealed in a drunken rant to other pureblood fathers, they will laugh at him in tandem. Pass him around and pick apart those failings as they do with all of the children, especially the heirs. Because why wouldn't punishment motivate them to be better? If you, as an heir, are not at least slightly afraid of your father, than he is soft and you are both unworthy of the family name.

HAHA ANYWAYYY thank you for reading !! Enjoy your time !

[billywigsting]

I am going to be unstoppable in year two when we study attachment... Draco Malfoy needs to watch his back

[billywigsting]

These lyrics are draco malfoy to a T and you will find out why down below 👇🏻 (lyrics from Family Tree, Ethel Cain)

"Jesus can always reject his father"

During the war, Draco sees how his father has fallen, how much of an embarrassment he is to their name, how little he cares for the fact that hes brought them all into this mess, and how Draco himself has had to pay for Lucius' failures. He no longer identifies with this man he idolised as a boy, no longer wants to be seen with him, no longer wants to be associated with him. Even the reluctance to go to him shows this, all he has left is his mother. And it doesn't matter whether or not Draco wants to be known by or seen by this man because, at the end of the day, Lucius only knows the person he wants Draco to be, not who he actually is. And thus the idea of rejection is born. You can see his discomfort under Lucius' hand when identifying Harry, and as previously mentioned his disregard for his fathers call. It's not difficult to assume that this rift only grew as Draco became more and more misaligned with the views his father holds (and that he put upon Draco).

"But he cannot escape his mother's blood"

I have two possible interpretations of this line that can either coexist or exist individually.

My first interpretation is the Black madness. A history of inherited mental illness and generational trauma that infects the blood of the Blacks. Walburga Black, who is absolutely barmy if her portrait is anything to go by; Elladora Black, the one who started the tradition of beheading their servants and hanging their heads like trophies (which is batshit); Bellatrix Lestrange (formerly Black), is totally off her rocker and I am certain it's implied she was always like that, Azkaban only made her more depraved she was always insane; Orion Black, implied extreme paranoia as he places every single ward and protection spell he can find on Grimmauld; and Sirius, who may not have been mad prior to his unjust stay in azkaban (considering his almost seamless integration back into society), but likely had some sort of personality disorder. Either way there is a lot of evidence of mental illness over the family tree and without that there's the obvious generational trauma that can most definitely fuck with your head.

With Draco being a Black (named as one and everything despite the obvious disconnect between Narcissa and her family - or whats left of it) it is highly likely he inherited some sort of mental illness and that on top of the displacement of Lucius' heavy childhood trauma and, as mentioned previously, the inherent generational trauma surrounding pureblood families, is a dreadful mix. I believe he has some sort of mild to moderate anxiety disorder (its hard to say with how little we actually get of his character). My reasoning behind this is how his cowardice is emphasised as a main part of his character throughout the entirety of the series (despite him doing plenty things that are the opposite of cowardly). He has a panic attack in the half blood prince, is very overreactive to situations that scare or overwhelm him, and is both incredibly defensive and flamboyant (i cant think of a better word). His attitude almost seems put on in a way when acting around his peers and around Harry, Hermione, and Ron. He has obviously been brought up as the sole heir and thus the next most important figure in his family and he clearly has something to prove. This arrogance and pride he has been taught plus the fear of not meeting expectations or failing his father both whirl around one another and create a massive prat constantly attempting to show off, one up, and impress.

He is also almost Crazed in his attempts to kill dumbledore, showing the instability of his mental state during this time. One of the smartest in his year and he made the mistake of accidentally almost killing two students in his reckless attempts. It screams of desperation and almost looks like a cry for help as though saying "you know im trying to kill you, get me out of this situation, ask me why, kill me first, anything". He stops eating, withdraws from his friends, and hyperfixates on repairing the vanishing cabinet, even when caught his initial reaction is one of intense fear and lack of thought. Trying to kill Harry in the bathroom as though it would even work but also as if it wasn't the stupidest possible idea he could've had in the moment!! (obviously fight or flight but still, come on Draco, clarity of mind please!!) If he wasn't mentally ill before then he definitely is now, and whether the war/voldemort LIVING IN HIS HOUSE exacerbated that dormant madness or made it, it's clear that he is not doing well. And then with the potential of time in azkaban, solitary, or ministry holding after the war?? There is no way that wouldn't have worsened any underlying, pre-existing, or subtle issues (like it most likely did with sirius). And so! He cannot escape the madness that runs through his mother's blood.

My second interpretation of this is the idea of traitors running in the family. Andromeda marrying a muggleborn, Regulus taking the locket from under Voldemort's "nose", Sirius running away from home, Narcissa lying to Voldemort. Of all the Black's we know about, I'd say that is a pretty significant amount to deviate from the path set for them and thus be labelled traitors.

Draco (who is apparently number one coward, maybe a close second after Neville) then performs two acts of rebellion. TWO!! Not one but two! Unbelievable. He doesn't identify Harry when he's brought in by the snatchers (even though it would guarantee them the win and restore his family's (his father's) status in that world, showing further Draco's disconnect) and he throws Harry his wand in the final battle (IDC ITS CANON). Even without the throwing wand scene the fact that Draco's wand was Loyal to Harry is still absolutely astronomical and a show of disloyalty to the dark. Unicorn hair cores are the most faithful of all the cores and remain strongly attached to their first owner. Hawthorne wands tend to have peculiarities with misfires and backfiring. Harry could use it well enough to kill Voldemort (which was likely still a feat even in his weakened state). So. The shift in Draco's own loyalties and the turmoil inside him both represented by his wand's traits (hawthorn wands are most at home with wizards going through turmoil) and its change in loyalty from Draco to Harry.

Unrelated but the fact that hawthorne wands are adept at Both curses and healing magic? How did I not know this. But yeah thats another way he cannot escape his mother's blood, he cannot escape the propensity for defiance that the Black family holds.

"He'll scream and try to wash it off his fingers"

This just screams turmoil and regret and the need to disconnect from your reality. Just as Jesus tries to wash his mother's blood off his fingers, Draco tries to scrape the Dark Mark from his skin, tries to drown out the screams that echoed throughout his Home, tries to wash off the pain and guilt and shame of all hes done. His hands fixed the cabinet that let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. His hands gripped the wand that disarmed and almost killed Dumbledore. His hands have done so much harm and he Can't rid himself of it no matter how hot the water, how strong the hex, how hard he scrubs, he could take them off and transfigure them into something else but that would still be ugly. Marred with filfth and blood and the purety he thought ran through his veins looks the same on the wooden floors as everyone elses.

This mark, ink black against pale white skin, is a brand, a reminder, grief, pain, and he wants rid of it. So stark against his arm that it's impossible to miss, nobody will forget his crimes and Voldemort has made sure of it, Lucius condemned him to death the second he could. It's almost a punishment, for a father too prideful to love him and a mother too afraid to save him.

He wishes he could dig the ink out of his skin and spill it over the floor. They're already ruined.

[billywigsting]

Class of 2013 but it's Draco returning to the manor after the war and the trials not only asking his mother for permission to stay but asking the manor itself also. He haunts the corridors of the place, the magic hes lived with his whole life now sick with darkness and rot and every corner he turns he can still see the past. Death eaters planning their next raid, Nagini eyeing up whoever she fancies next, Bellatrix waiting to jump the next person she sees, and Voldemort. Everywhere.

The air is stifling and ice cold at all times and all he can bear is to curl up in his childhood bedroom and pretend.

He doesn't speak, as there is no one left to speak to, and he begs for the safety and comfort of the manors magic to wash over him once more. He knows he can no longer pursue the dreams he had as a child, nor can he follow the path his father laid out for him, so he stays inside, rots as the garden does, and feels as hollow as the walls of his home.

[billywigsting]

He gives mitski and you cannot tell me I'm wrong!! I have evidence and reasoning and PROOF. (and crazy autism)

[billywigsting]

Draco Malfoy and the Authoritarian Personality

The Authoritarian Personality is characterised by distinct beliefs, behaviours, and values, deriving typically from negative childhood experience.

The main characteristics of an authoritarian are:

Extreme respect for authority and submissiveness to it

Contempt for those they percieve to be of a lower status or 'other' group

Intolerant of those who hold different views to them

Hostility towards those they percieve different or threatening

Extremely rigid thinking wherein ambiguity is upsetting

Of these basic characteristics, Draco Malfoy is shown to display all of them in varying degrees.

Extreme respect for authority and submissiveness to it

I'd say the most obvious case of this would be Draco's respect and submission to his father. First displayed in the Chamber of Secrets in Borgin and Burkes when Lucius tells him off for touching things. His reaction is instantaneous and he immediately backs off and apologises, for how his attitude is poetrayed throughout the majority of the series (mostly in interactions with Harry and his friends) this is a very clear juxtaposition of behaviour. His snark and attitude are nowhere to be seen when beside his father, even in the Half-Blood Prince when he is making fun of Ron and his family he immediately quiets when Lucius says so. This display of character intentionally highlights Draco's deference to authority.

Furthermore, we see in the Philospher's Stone when he snitches on the golden trio to McGonagall he only pipes up to protest his detention. Still he doesn't argue or snark and then we see him going to his detention with the others. His grumbling and groaning on the way to and in the forbidden forest show his true feelings on the matter and thus reflects his submission to authority. He is well behaved in lessons (except for when the teacher isn't present) and is diligent in his studies.

This respectful behaviour to those of a higher authority is likely due to his pureblood upbringing, in which I imagine (as the only son and heir of the Malfoy family) involves a lot of expectation and pressure.

Contempt for those of a lower status and Intolerant of those who hold different views to them

This is the main quality that makes Draco a major antagonist of the series. His prejudice towards muggleborns, blood traitors, and anyone else who didn't fit what he was taught was worthy, pure, and deserving of respect. He bullies Ron for being a Weasley because his family are poor and blood traitors. Despite the fact that to him (or his implied blood purist belief system) a blood traitor is a greater slight than being poor, he seems to mainly pick on Ron (and the Weasley family) for being a lower class than the Malfoys.

His prejudice towards muggleborns is also a massive part of both his character and Hermione's. His repeated use of the slur "mudblood" shows his inherent hatred for those he has been taught and thus percieved as a weaker and inferior 'race'. His hatred towards Hermione for being muggleborn is used as a point to bounce off insecurities that Hermione has and reinforce her studious behaviour (which could be seen as overcompensating for her lack of a wizarding background).

Draco also shows no respect for Hagrid, who his father openly disapproves of, proving that the hierarchy Draco was raised to follow has no space in it for those who do not live up to the standards of his father. This is why, despite Hagrid's legitimate authority as the groundskeeper and then the teacher of care of magical creatures, Draco does not percieve him as an authority figure and blatantly insults and disrespects him infront of his peers.

Hostility to those they percieve different or threatening

After being rejected by Harry as a friend Draco immediately decides that the next best course of action is to be a constant thorn in his side, a literal prick. Whether this was because of the admiration and fascination towards the boy who lived that almost all wixen held or because this rejection caused Draco to percieve Harry as a threat is another matter entirely.

Harry's blatant support of Dumbledore (someone "different" that his father disapproves of) is a point of contention for Draco, Harry's skill at Quidditch being higher than Draco's, and Harry's overall popularity and character could all be percieved as threats that Draco needs to retaliate against. He is outwardly hostile to Harry and his friends, the fact that they're Gryffindors being a further difference to look down upon.

Extremely rigid thinking

My only evidence for this is the fact that throughout the series Draco is so stuck in his ways. It doesn't matter if Hermione is the brightest witch of the year she is still a 'mudblood'. It doesn't matter if Ron is funny and caring he is still a blood traitor. It doesn't matter what anyone does to challenge his views and prove them wrong, even under Voldemort we don't really know whether his reluctance and fear was due to a change of heart and value or just out of sheer cowardice. (i like to believe the former and that seeing his father, this brilliant untouchable figure, fall from grace kind of snapped him out of some of that reverence)

The next part of the Authoritarian Personality is it's origins: how does one develop such a personality?

Researchers concluded that the authoritarian personality was developed during childhood as a result of harsh parenting. This parenting style was typically featured:

extremely strict discipline

impossibly high standards

expectations of absolute loyalty

severe criticism of percieved failings

low autonomy

conditional love

I believe that as the Malfoy heir he would have been brought up in an extremely harsh environment. Now that's not to say his parents didn't love him. Narcissa clearly adores Draco and spoilt him rotten, sending him chocolates whilst he was at Hogwarts and everything. Lucius also likely loved Draco as his only son and clearly Draco thought he was a safe base considering all of his "wait till my father hears about this" nonsense.

We are shown in Sirius Black's upbringing how strict and harsh a pureblood upbringing can be, and I don't doubt Lucius was raised the same way by his father (and his before that and so on) that these are the beliefs you are supposed to uphold, this is the way you are expected to behave, and so on and so forth. Such old families with such old belief systems and views also likely view parenting and discipline the same way, implying that harsh disciplinary action would likely have been taken upon any percieved mistake the child made. This is further supported by Lucius making a point of hitting Draco's hand with his cane whenever he does something he deems inappropriate or incorrect (e.g. Borgin and Burkes, Quidditch World Cup).

It is almost guaranteed that Lucius had impossibly high standards and that is also likely the reason Draco got whatever he wanted, because if he proved himself worthy to everyone else then he could bring pride to the family name. As his only son and heir, Lucius is passing down the family name and everything that comes with it down to this boy and needs to ensure he is prepared and deserving of it, explaining his high expectations.

The expectation of absolute loyalty is also implied in the pureblood hierarchy and how deferent Draco is to his father, if this wasn't expected of him then it is almost certain he would act differently as his character is So different away from his father. The only time we see this loyalty waver is in Draco's reluctance to cross the battlefield at his command, instead listening to Narcissa's call.

Extreme criticism of percieved failings falls into the discipline category and I do believe that Lucius is a man who likes to lecture (and patronise). I wouldn't put shouting and spitting in anger past him.

Low autonomy is the imposition of a parents wants onto the child, making decisions for them with little to no input from the child themselves. This is implied in pureblood culture with arranged marriages and the expectation to be friends with people of the same status and in the same circles (that your parents want you to be friends with) despite your own feelings on the matter. Draco likely had Lucius looming over his shoulder making decisions for him left right and centre, the dark mark being the biggest thing.

All of the above suggests that parental love is conditional. Thus if Draco fulfills these conditions, if he submits and succeeds and listens then he will be loved. If he wasn't the perfect heir then it's likely that he would recieve a lot less love from his father, especially considering his use to Lucius would be completely void.

These experiences during childhood are thought to create resentment and hostility in the child that are left to fester and are displaced onto those percieved weaker (due to a fear of reprisal if that hatred was expressed towards the parents). This explains the central trait of obedience - the hatred of people percieved as inferior or weaker than them (which Draco clearly holds). It can also cause the child to have an extremely low self esteem due to the lack of positive reinforcement and having to face constant criticism. This low self esteem and inadequacy can manifest as a need to prove oneself and I think Draco tried to appear more confident than he really was. He put on a loud, showy personality, made fun of the golden boy (the person who held the most attention in the school) and flaunted about his money and status. Is that really the type of person he is or is he overcompensating? Trying to seek out any type of attention and feeding off of his "admirers" because he doesn't have any other way of feeling needed and useful? Or maybe Hogwarts is his opportunity to act out and be a little shit without the looming threat of harsh discipline and his father's cold fury.

The last part of Draco's character that fits with the authoritarian personality is his idolisation of his father. He speaks of Lucius as his saviour, every little inconvenience he brings him up and scurries off, threatening everyone with the prospect of his father. Nothing much ever seems to happen but that doesn't stop Draco from referring back to him when in need. He clearly looks up to him, mirroring his mannerisms and beliefs, wanting to be the heir his father wants.

So that is a short overview of why Draco Malfoy has an authoritarian personality or Seemingly has one. It's not exactly a perfect explanation for everything ever but i thought it fit and wanted to talk about it... THIS IS MY FIRST POST!!!! Its honestly late so if any of that doesnt make sense or is lacklustre in quality lmk 💀