Draco Malfoy: Bully or Misunderstood?
Arrogant, condescending and plain mean: my first opinion of the Malfoy heir were the same as Harry's. But then one can hardly blame us. Upturned noses and pale faces that sneer at the guardian angel who'd just whisked you away from your abusive family don't leave much room for an alternate interpretation. When that face then turns up in your compartment and insults the first friend you ever had, that ought to cement your opinion of it. My thirteen year old self loved to hate the elitest. I'd seethe at his insults and obsess over his alleged evil plots alongside our Boy Who lived. However, towards the end of the series, we see his snobbery give way to immense insecurity in the face of familial pressure. We see him hesitate to follow his family on the path of hatred and murder and even go against them, refusing to identify the heroes to Lucius. This is huge since we know how much he looked up to his father and wanted to please him. Had he simply followed his family to Na...