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Could Harry and Draco ever have been friends?

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**Spoiler warning: This article contains info on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child**

## Maybe they could have been friends 

Yes, Draco Malfoy was abhorrent at Hogwarts. Yes, he was cocky. Yes, he was awful to Harry, got mixed up in a very dark crowd, and was generally just, as Ron would call him, a git. All of these things are very fair to say. 

However, was all of this behaviour down to influences in Draco’s life? If he’d made better choices, made better friends, could things have been different for him? Could he then have been friends with someone like Harry, if he had the capability of being a better person? If his parents had been kinder, maybe he would’ve been kinder? And maybe then, when he met Harry in Madam Malkin’s shop in Diagon Alley for the first time, would he have seemed more attractive to Harry as a companion?

The signs were there that this could have been. Very much a product of his parents’ making, (just look at how frequently Draco brought up his father...) Draco strutted around Hogwarts with his cronies boasting about how great it was being rich, being in Slytherin, and being pure-blood. But these are all things he was taught to be proud of. Draco’s ideologies were very much passed on by mum and dad, Lucius and Narcissa, who, in turn, absorbed these ideologies from their own families: the Malfoys and the Blacks respectively. 

Both families dabbled in Dark magic and the idea that to be a Muggle, or have non-magical blood, or to be ‘half’ in some way, was wrong. It is no surprise that a lot of family members on both sides were connected to Lord Voldemort. Arguably, Draco was simply too enveloped in this world to think any differently, and within this general mindset, came a lot of cruelty, anger and coldness – which all began to shape his personality.

But what does all of this have to do with being friends with Harry? Well, it was Draco’s general demeanour that repelled Harry in the first place. And there are examples of wizards who came from Dark wizarding families who did choose different company to become better people. Sirius Black is probably the best example of this – running away from his pure-blood loving family that he didn't agree with to find kinder company. Sirius’s bravery led him to the Hogwarts house Gryffindor (the rest of his family were usually Slytherins) and there he found his like-minded friends, James Potter and Remus Lupin. So Sirius broke the cycle of the rest of his family, and spent the rest of his life fighting against the darker side of the Wizarding World, rather than joining it.

Draco could've chosen different friends and a different attitude at Hogwarts, just like Sirius, but Draco was always dogged by fear and insecurity. In later books, we began to learn that Draco was terrified of his Death Eater father’s way of life, despite often bragging about it. Due to Draco’s bravado, which he used as a self-defence mechanism, Harry chose not to be friends with the rude boy he met in Madam Malkin’s, who instantly displayed prejudice towards his half-giant friend Hagrid (something his parents would’ve taught him to feel) and generally exuded bad faith. Even the name ‘Malfoy’ roughly [translates to ‘bad faith’ in French!](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/etymology-behind-harry-potter-character-names)

But it all could have been different. In *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*, [a more wholesome Draco emerged](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/what-i-learnt-from-draco-malfoy-by-playing-draco-malfoy). In a post-Voldemort atmosphere, no longer surrounded by the toxicity of his parents, Draco was making better choices, such as [marrying someone who did not carry the ideals of his own family](https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/draco-malfoy). And then there was his son [Scorpius](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/how-scorpius-malfoy-proved-everyone-wrong-about-slytherin), who was naturally compassionate. This surely shows that Draco, like his son, had the potential to be ‘good’, if only he had grown up without such terrible influences. Maybe a more secure Draco would’ve been a little nicer in Madam Malkin’s, and maybe a braver Draco could’ve rejected his family’s ideals, like Sirius did. If he'd been encouraged to be more open-minded, maybe he would've met people who challenged his viewpoints, rather than Crabbe and Goyle, who simply always agreed with him.

Only a very different Draco could’ve been friends with Harry. But it *could* have been different.

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## No, they could never have been friends

*‘You’ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.’ 
He held out his hand to shake Harry’s, but Harry didn’t take it.’*

__Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone__ 

The truth is, Harry was never going to take Draco’s hand on the Hogwarts Express, whether Harry had met Ron Weasley or not. Harry had already got the measure of Draco Malfoy back in Diagon Alley, when Draco had been quick to dismiss Hagrid as a ‘sort of savage’. Hagrid was the first person Harry could really remember being kind to him at all, so that was never going to go down in Draco’s favour when it came to friendship. But there was something else about Malfoy – first in Madam Malkin’s and then later, on the Hogwarts Express, that we argue meant that Harry would never have considered being his friend – Draco liked to make people feel like outsiders. 

During his long years with the Dursleys, Harry had been made to feel like the outsider, the poor relation, every single day he spent in the cupboard, rather than a real bedroom. For so many years, Harry had been the ‘wrong sort’ to the Dursleys, who liked to remind him of it at every opportunity. He knew what it was like to be the person other children were nasty about at school, the way Draco gossiped spitefully about Hagrid in Madam Malkin’s. And he also knew what it was like to be constantly told that some people were better than others. The Dursleys constantly compared him to Dudley and told Harry that his cousin was every bit his superior.  Harry was never going to take kindly to someone warning him not to make friends, ‘with the wrong sort’ because that kind of attitude had meant that he – Harry – had been friendless and miserable in his school and home life for as long as he could remember. 

Draco Malfoy, though he initially offered his hand to Harry, would arguably have been unable to tolerate a friendship with the Boy Who Lived too. It was Draco’s mission in life to tell people how superior he was to them, but that might have become a little tricky if he was best mates with one of the most famous wizards of all time – something even the infinitely humbler, Ron, struggled with. From boasting about his father’s influence at the Ministry to sucking up to Umbridge and [becoming a member of the Inquisitorial Squad](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/importance-of-badges-in-the-harry-potter-books), Draco tirelessly fought to make himself stand out from his peers. But this was something that Harry had never had to work at – the scar on his forehead marking him out as special from the start. We argue this would have been extremely difficult for Draco to maintain a proper friendship with famous Harry Potter – his ego just couldn’t have coped with it.

Given this intrinsic need to distinguish himself from others, it is no wonder really, that Draco would get sucked into Lord Voldemort’s rhetoric of pure-bloods and power; it fed directly into Draco’s need to feel superior. Harry, on the other hand, was never going to befriend a boy who made others feel small or inferior. 

Draco and Harry might have had a shared love for Quidditch, both playing Seeker on their house teams. And indeed, they had a shared experience of being raised by a bully – Lucius for Draco, and the Dursleys for Harry. 

But that was never going to be enough to mean these two would ever be friends.

     ***

So, what do you think? Could Harry and Draco ever have been friends? If you’re old enough, let us know on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/wizardingworld), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wizardingworld) or [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/wizardingworld/).


Learn to make bracelets that show off your Hogwarts house colours

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Did the Sorting Hat place you in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Gryffindor? Wherever you belong, these bracelets are perfect for showing off your house pride. And when you’ve made one for yourself, how about using your crafting magic to gift them to the Harry Potter fans amongst your friends and family? 

Don’t know which house you belong in yet? [Visit the Official Sorting Ceremony on our website, where you can be sorted into your house, as well as discover your wand, Patronus and Hogwarts pet!](https://my.wizardingworld.com/register) 

Watch the video below to discover how to make these special Hogwarts-house bracelets… 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P7X60eqLuFM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

For more of our arts and crafts videos, [sign up for the Harry Potter Fan Club newsletter today](https://my.wizardingworld.com/register)and be among the first to receive the latest Wizarding World news, events, activities, exclusive access and more – straight to your inbox.


The Even Lesser-Known Characters Quiz

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Blagger's guide to Quidditch homepage carousel 

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Go Back to Hogwarts with LEGO Harry Potter: Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

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Hogwarts Express LEGO 

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## Finding Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

This recreation is particularly poignant around the 1st September. Check out the LEGO steam on the Hogwarts Express!

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LEGO Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

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Find more animations from our friends at LEGO here! Just click on the video you want to watch and enjoy the magic... But that's not all – we've hidden 7 letters that make up a secret code on 7 of the 9 video pages below. Watch the video and then scroll all the way to the bottom of each page see what you can find. Collect all 7 letters and try to work out the magical word. Then download the Wizarding World App, enter the code and unlock an extra surprise!

[Watch Potions and parties in the Astronomy Tower here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-astronomy-tower)

[Watch the Privet Drive Invasion scene here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-privet-drive-invasion) 

[Watch the Privet Drive rescue scene here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-privet-drive-rescue)

[Watch Harry catching the Snitch scene here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-catching-the-golden-snitch)

[Watch the famous flying car adventure here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-the-flying-car-adventure)

[Watch Buckbeak's rescue here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-buckbeak-rescue)

[Watch the Hungarian Horntail at the Triwizard Tournament here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-triwizard-tournament)

[Watch Dolores Umbridge in the Forbidden Forest here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-the-forbidden-forest)

[Watch the attack on The Burrow here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-activities-attack-on-the-burrow)

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LEGO have also put together some Back to Hogwarts activities for you to download here to get properly into the spirit with the family. It’s not all about building bricks, you know.

[Identify the magical creatures](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/1DK6pO6SCaoD46Oyn8qqUc/79808977553ac048570aa2cf0022dc47/HP_at_home_x_LEGO_LEL_A4_01_FINAL.pdf)

[Spot the differences in this Hogwarts lake scene](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5sL3EAVcrxrQiOUMQszHbj/0f7fe90ed0f83ab59d80f2d7aa7062ff/HP_at_home_x_LEGO_LEL_A4_03_FINAL.pdf)

[Phoenix and Basilisk art challenge ](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/50PBi5FYjFMFAGNtPoW0P6/6f3a06c2d6adf7354de26692314a469a/HP_at_home_x_LEGO_LEL_A4_04_FINAL.pdf)

[Draw a picture of a Pensieve memory](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/18R2xfINS7Te5qmEwkOZC0/f10e14b2d80fa8387bdb2f990a7d3c9b/HP_at_home_x_LEGO_LEL_A4_05_FINAL.pdf)

See more on [LEGO Harry Potter on LEGO.com or build your own magical Wizarding World adventures!](https://www.LEGO.com/HarryPotter)


Introducing Hogwarts Legacy

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All the action from Back to Hogwarts 2020

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Here’s how all of our Wizarding World family got involved with Back to Hogwarts 2020.

## The Back to Hogwarts 2020 livestream 

You all know the tradition by now – but just one more time... At 11 o’ clock on the 1st September, this is the moment the Hogwarts Express departs Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and takes the students off to school. Every year, we all celebrate this special day in the Wizarding World calendar by counting down to 11 o' clock – and this year – we did so digitally. TV & radio broadcaster Vick Hope (in her finest Hogwarts regalia) presented a livestream full of quizzes, entertainment, Harry Potter activities - and we were treated to guest appearances from some famous faces.

Do not fear if you missed it! You can catch up on the [show right here.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/all-the-action-from-back-to-hogwarts-2020)

## Contributions from all across the Wizarding World family 

In the livestream, you’ll have spotted some Harry Potter film actors getting involved, such as James and Oliver Phelps (the Weasley twins) Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) and Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy). There were also contributions from the cast members from different productions of *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!*

We also had fans from all over the world joining us for the big countdown, of course, making the moment even more special. Not to mention trivia challenges, [a snippet of Pottermore Publishing's Journeys to Hogwarts audio experience](https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/listen-new-journeys-to-hogwarts-audio-experience), and much more. [We'll let you watch it for yourself.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/all-the-action-from-back-to-hogwarts-2020)

## A digital presence at King’s Cross station 

For obvious reasons, fans were not able to partake in the annual congregation at King’s Cross Station in London this year. But we did find a magical way to bring you all together... across many different countries and continents. 

## A mosaic of all your happy faces!

Last week, we asked you to submit your favourite photo of yourself celebrating the Wizarding World, and you did not disappoint. [You can now view the mosaic in all its glory](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/back-to-hogwarts-mosaic-revealed), where all your contributions coalesce to create a giant image of Hogwarts. Contributions also featured at King’s Cross Station – so even though you couldn’t be there in person, you were, in your own magical way. Again, take a look at the livestream to see if you can spot yourself.

Also - be on the lookout for our newsletter, if you’re signed up for the [Harry Potter Fan Club](https://my.wizardingworld.com/register), where certain territories can learn how to download their image from the mosaic as a keepsake. And, there’s still an opportunity to be involved! Our submission deadline for photos ends this Friday. [Details here.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/submit-your-photos-to-back-to-hogwarts-mosaic)

## A weekend of magical activities 

Before the 1st September even happened, we couldn’t help but get the Hogwarts party started early. Across social media and our website, we brought the magic of Hogwarts to *you* this year - and challenged you to take part in a series of activities with our Wizarding World friends and family. If you're old enough, you can take a look at our Facebook page to see absolutely everything.

And here's just a few highlights... 

- Some very talented Wizarding World fans inspired us with [their crafts, bakes and photography.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/fans-harry-potter-inspired-crafts-and-recipes)

- [Join illustrator Emily Gravett as she dives into the process of bringing Quidditch Through the Ages to life.](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=320512809003052&extid=HxrPt5SjNsdhqAtE)

- Watch Cineconcerts and orchestra partners bring us the [epic global performance of ‘Harry Potter Film Concert Series Around the World at Home’!](https://www.facebook.com/wizardingworld/posts/3632770093423995)

- [Watch John Skelley from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child get sorted into his house](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2806747386240346&extid=rHPCHNGScgQqKB21). 

- MinaLima talk to us about [their beautiful 2020 Back to Hogwarts artwork.](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1577445789105083&extid=yOhgKQtxvXXwSzQv)

- And get the tissues ready for this rousing light show, courtesy of The [Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood.](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=984900515340615&extid=vrvFcrhJ2rtmGOIK)

## New products revealed for your Hogwarts trunks 

[Build a Bear released new Harry Potter bears](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/build-a-bear-workshop-launches-wizarding-world-inspired-range) (warning: these are extremely adorable), LEGO released a [new Diagon Alley set](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/lego-harry-potter-introduces-through-the-bricks) (complete with an [immersive AR experience](https://www.lego.com/EntertheMagic) on their website) and the general release of our new pin seeking collections went live today, including Hogwarts [house themed pins to get us started.](https://explore.wizardingworld.com/pins)

***

A huge bravo to everyone who participated in Back to Hogwarts 2020, wherever you are in the world. Although we celebrated things a little differently this year, thank you for helping us make the day still special with this huge, global party. And remember, you can still keep the fun and games going by browsing [our Back to Hogwarts hub](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/back-to-hogwarts) whenever you like. [That giant Hogwarts won't build itself! ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/create-your-very-own-hogwarts-castle)

Same time next year? 

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LEGO introduce Through the Bricks AR experience and new Diagon Alley set for Back to Hogwarts 2020 

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Harry Potter fans are used to magic bricks... just think of what happens when Hagrid taps the wall to get into Diagon Alley!

And speaking of Diagon Alley...


LEGO Through the Bricks with James and Oliver Phelps

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Today, LEGO has found a way to invite you into the famous wizarding shopping district with some innovative magic of their own: introducing Through the Bricks. The team have created a digital Diagon Alley through animated AR, with fully fleshed out versions of all of your favourite shops, including Ollivanders, Quality Quidditch Supplies and Flourish and Blotts.

Using a smartphone or a scannable QR code, you are invited into this LEGO version of Diagon Alley to explore, and you’ll even be greeted by a little LEGO Fred and George to show you around. 

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This is all to celebrate the release of their latest set – yes, you guessed it – the LEGO Harry Potter Diagon Alley set! At a mammoth 5,544 pieces, LEGO fans will be able to capture the true essence of the secret wizarding shopping district with the help of 14 minifigures (including Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and Diagon Alley regular, Florean Fortescue!) and more key locations, such as Quality Quidditch Supplies and Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. 

So, to play LEGO: Through the Bricks, or learn more about the new Diagon Alley set, [visit LEGO’s official website via your smartphone now. ](https://www.LEGO.com/EntertheMagic)Scannable QR codes that take you into the experience will also be featured at select LEGO stores from 1st September, so you can pop into Diagon Alley on the go.

The Diagon Alley set is simply the latest Wizarding World release from LEGO this year, with other brilliant Harry Potter-themed play sets and minifigures unveiled earlier this summer.  

You can also enjoy these animations of LEGO bringing some of those iconic Wizarding World moments to life, such as Harry’s foray with some liquid luck – and an awkward collision with a certain house-elf at Privet Drive. You can also play along with some activity sheets too, to properly get into the Back to Hogwarts mood - [all here.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/back-to-hogwarts-lego-harry-potter)

As Fred and George’s favourite map would say: Mischief Managed!  For more information on LEGO and Harry Potter, [visit their official website.](https://www.LEGO.com/EntertheMagic)

MinaLima discuss the magic behind their Back to Hogwarts 2020 artwork

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Take a sneak peek at MinaLima's brand new home in Soho, London (opening 1st September!) as they discuss their love of Hogwarts and their special artwork their team created just for this year. 

MinaLima discuss going Back to Hogwarts

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The design team, who are behind the iconic look and feel of the Wizarding World films, created this very special piece of artwork for Back to Hogwarts in 2020, which you can pick up as a [limited edition print from their shop.](https://minalima.com/product/back-to-hogwarts-print/)

This poster has served as the official look for our Back to Hogwarts theme this year, encapsulating the excitement of entering the wizarding world for the first time perfectly.

BTH 2020 MinaLima full poster

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And that's not all from MinaLima. Look out for MinaLima's illustrated edition of *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone*, coming 20 October 2020, published by Bloomsbury in the UK and Scholastic in the US. [Learn more about the upcoming book here.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/scholastic-new-illustrated-edition-sorcerer-stone-minalima)

Find out your Hogwarts house

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