There are a variety of Harry Potter theories circling the internet which attempt (with varying success) to fill in the gaps or draw connections between events in Rowling’s books. One which I have recently come across, and which makes logical sense, is that of Draco Malfoy being a werewolf.
*Spoilers alert. Obviously*
There are a variety of hints provided in the novels that support this theory, particularly in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The timeline makes sense; Lucius Malfoy ‘failed’ Lord Voldemort after he failed to obtain the prophecy about Harry and the Dark Lord. This led to:
a) The prophecy (created by Sybil Trelawny) smashing in the Department of Mysteries
b) A bunch of Death Eaters were arrested and taken to Azkaban, including Lucius himself
c) An extremely unhappy and volatile Lord Voldemort who would be likely to seek revenge on Malfoy’s family for the disgrace he brought to the dark side.
Additionally, Malfoy, albeit unknowingly, handed over a horcrux to Ginny Weasley, planning to use the results for his own benefit.
Could this revenge involve scheduling Fenrir Greyback, renowned satanic werewolf, for a family visit? I think yes.
About Fenrir Greyback
Unlike Remus Lupin, who takes numerous measures to ensure he will not harm wizards when he transforms under the full moon, Greyback positions himself close to wizards, particularly children, to maximise bite potential. He wishes to create enough werewolves to overthrow the wizards, or so we learn from Lupin.
Greyback attacked both Remus Lupin and Bill Weasley.
We also know that Voldemort promises Greyback prey for his services. Could Draco be some of this prey?
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In the novel, Harry becomes suspicious that Draco has been branded with the dark mark and is Voldemort’s newest recruited Death Eater. Although it becomes apparent by the end of the book that Draco is firmly situated on the dark side, we never actually see proof that the dark mark is on his arm. All we have is Harry’s hunch.
What if it was a werewolf bite?
Draco missed a Quidditch match against Gryffindor, which was odd because he generally never misses a chance to prove himself against Harry. Also, he began to skip classes and failed to hand in his Transfiguration homework twice. We know he isn’t incapable of doing the work; he made it into Professor McGonagall’s NEWT class. We hear of Malfoy crying in the bathrooms on multiple occasions, a far cry from the arrogant, obnoxious douchebag who used to strut about Hogwarts like he owned it. Harry describes Draco as having a “greyish tinge” to his face, yet because we experience the story through Harry’s tunnel vision, we only link this information to that of Draco being a death eater and the subsequent stresses which accompany that. Harry is so set on this theory that he doesn’t give us room to contemplate otherwise.
Mugglenet compares Harry’s observation of Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince with his observation of Professor Lupin, the werewolf we get to know the most intimately in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban;
“Malfoy did, after all, look a little ill. This was the first time (Harry) had seen Malfoy close up for ages; he now saw that Malfoy had dark shadows under his eyes and a distinctly grayish tinge to his skin.” (p 321)
“Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes…” (p 185)
Coincidence? I think not . . .
Draco’s own reactions to Fenrir Greyback in the novel are evidence also. In the beginning, in Borgin & Burkes, Draco refers to Greyback as “a friend of the family”, thus insinuating he has some sort of relationship with the werewolf. Conversely, in the tower scene at the end of the novel, Draco seems terrified of Greyback, especially when questioned by Albus Dumbledore.
“And, yes, I am a little shocked that Draco here invited you, of all people, into the school where his friends live….”“I didn’t,” breathed Malfoy. He was not looking at Fenrir; he did not seem to want to even glance at him. “I didn’t know he was going to come—” (page 593).
It’s interesting to note that Dumbledore seems more concerned for Draco’s “friends” than Draco himself – Mugglenet suggests this is because Dumbledore may already know Draco is a werewolf. Why is Draco so scared of Greyback when he referred to him as a friend earlier? During this scene, Malfoy pulls away his sleeve and shows Borgin something on his arm that scares him. We are led to believe, again through Harry’s bias, that this is the Dark Mark, but there is no proof of this. What if it were a werewolf bite?
Of all the theories out there, this one is backed by some pretty solid evidence, and I can’t think of anything in the story that doesn’t fit! What do you think?
Featured Image: SoVeryUnofficial, via Deviant Art
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