Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

by

J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany

Draco Malfoy Character Analysis

Draco is Scorpius’s father and Harry’s former rival at school. Towards the beginning of the play, Draco is struggling with his wife Astoria’s recent death and his reputation as a former Death Eater. Like Harry, he also feels that he doesn’t fully understand his son but still strives to protect him. He explains to Harry that Astoria was always very frail, and so he didn’t want to risk having a child with her in case it caused her complications. However, she insisted on having a child, knowing that she didn’t want Draco to be lonely after she died. When she became pregnant with Scorpius, Draco hid her away so she could rest, but as a result rumors sprung up that Scorpius was actually Voldemort’s son. Draco spends much of the play attempting to dispel these rumors and feeling frustrated that Harry and Albus are causing so many problems for Scorpius. In an alternate timeline in which Voldemort lives, Draco is the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry instead of Harry, and it is clear that Scorpius doesn’t fully live up to his expectations. By the end of the play, however, Draco realizes how brave and kind Scorpius is, and they are able to reconcile in the corrected timeline because Draco understands Scorpius more fully.

Draco Malfoy Quotes in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The Harry Potter and the Cursed Child quotes below are all either spoken by Draco Malfoy or refer to Draco Malfoy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Parenthood Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 3 Quotes

ROSE: The rumor is that he’s Voldemort’s son, Albus.

A horrible, uncomfortable silence.

It’s probably rubbish. I mean… look, you’ve got a nose.

The tension is slightly broken. SCORPIUS laughs, pathetically grateful.

SCORPIUS: And it’s just like my father’s! I got his nose, his hair, and his name. Not that that’s a great thing either. I mean—father-son issues, I have them. But, on the whole, I’d rather be a Malfoy than, you know, the son of the Dark Lord.

SCORPIUS and ALBUS look at each other and something passes between them.

Related Characters: Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Rose Granger-Weasley (speaker), Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Voldemort
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 4 Quotes

ALBUS: At Harry Potter and his disappointing son.
HARRY: What does that mean?
ALBUS: At Harry Potter and his Slytherin son.

[…] HARRY look at ALBUS, concerned.

HARRY: Al—
ALBUS: My name is Albus, not Al.
HARRY Are the other kids being unkind? Is that it? Maybe. if you tried making a few more friends… without Hermione and Ron I wouldn’t have survived Hogwarts, I wouldn’t have survived at all.
ALBUS: But I don’t need a Ron and Hermione. I’ve—I’ve got a friend, Scorpius, and I know you don’t like him but he’s all I need.
HARRY Look, as long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters to me.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Harry Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 6 Quotes

SCORPIUS: From the moment I first heard of it, I was desperate to go. I mean, Dad didn’t much like it there but even the way he described it… From the age of ten I’d check the Daily Prophet first thing every morning—certain some sort of tragedy would have befallen it—certain I wouldn’t get to go.

ALBUS: And then you got there and it turned out to be terrible after all.

SCORPIUS: Not for me.

ALBUS looks at his friend, shocked.

All I ever wanted to do was go to Hogwarts and have a mate to get up to mayhem with. Just like Harry Potter. And I got his son. How crazily fortunate is that.

ALBUS: But I'm nothing like my dad.

SCORPIUS: You're better. You're my best friend, Albus. And this is mayhem to the nth degree.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Voldemort
Related Symbols: Time-Turners
Page Number: 102-103
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 15 Quotes

DRACO: My father thought he was protecting me. Most of the time. People say parenting is the hardest job in the world—they’re wrong—growing up is. We all just forget how hard it was.

As hard as he tries to resist them, these words resonate with HARRY.

I think you have to make a choice—at a certain point—of the man you want to be. And I tell you that at that time you need a parent or a friend. And if you’ve learnt to hate your parent by then and you have no friends… then you’re all alone. And being alone—that’s so hard. I was alone. And it sent me to a truly dark place. For a long time. Tom Riddle was also a lonely child. You may not understand that, Harry, but I do—and I think Ginny does too.

Related Characters: Draco Malfoy (speaker), Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Voldemort, Ginny Weasley
Page Number: 134
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 16 Quotes

SCORPIUS: Sometimes—sometimes I find myself thinking—maybe they're true too.

ALBUS: No. They’re not true. And I’ll tell you why. Because I don’t think Voldemort is capable of having a kind son—and you’re kind, Scorpius. To the depths of your belly, to the tips of your fingers. I truly believe Voldemort—Voldemort couldn’t have a child like you.

Beat. Scorpius is moved by this.

SCORPIUS: That’s nice—that’s a nice thing to say.

ALBUS: And it’s something I should have said a long time ago. And you don’t—you couldn’t—hold me back. You make me stronger—and when Dad forced us apart—without you—

SCORPIUS: I didn’t much like my life without you in it either.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Draco Malfoy, Voldemort
Page Number: 141-142
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

SCORPIUS: You—Polly Chapman—want me to take you to a—ball?

There is the sound of screaming behind him.

What is that screaming?

POLLY CHAPMAN: Mudbloods, of course. In the dungeons. Your idea, wasn’t it? What’s going on with you? Oh Potter—I’ve got blood on my shoes again…

She bends and carefully cleans the blood of her shoes.

Like the Augurey insists—the future is ours to make—so here I am, making a future—with you. For Voldemort and Valor.

SCORPIUS: For Voldemort it is.

POLLY walks on, SCORPIUS look agonized. What is this world—and what is he within it?

Related Characters: Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter, Delphi Diggory, Draco Malfoy, Voldemort
Related Symbols: The Augurey
Page Number: 166
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 4 Quotes

DRACO: Astoria always knew that she was not destined for old age. She wanted me to have somebody when she left, because… it is exceptionally lonely, being Draco Malfoy. I will always be suspected. There is no escaping the past. I never realized, though, that by hiding him away from this gossiping, judgmental world, I ensured that my son would emerge shrouded in worse suspicion than I ever endured.

HARRY: Love blinds. We have both tried to give our sons not what they needed, but what we needed. We’ve been so busy trying to rewrite our own pasts, we’ve blighted their present.

Related Characters: Draco Malfoy (speaker), Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, Astoria Malfoy
Page Number: 257
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 11 Quotes

DELPHI: Two of you? Choices, choices. I think I’ll kill the boy first. Avada Kedavra!

She fires the Killing Curse at ALBUS—but HARRY throws him out of the way. The bolt smashes into the ground.

He fires a bolt back.

You think you’re stronger than me?

HARRY: No. I’m not.

They fire bolts mercilessly at each other as Albus rolls quickly away and slams a spell into one door and then another, opening them.

ALBUS: Alohomora!

HARRY: But we are.

ALBUS: Alohomora!

HARRY: I’ve never fought alone, you see. And I never will.

And HERMIONE, RON, GINNY, and DRACO emerge from the doors, and fire up their spells at DELPHI, who screams out in exasperation. This is titanic. But she can’t fight them all.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Harry Potter (speaker), Delphi Diggory (speaker), Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Lily Potter (Harry’s Mother)
Page Number: 287
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 12 Quotes

HARRY: Voldemort is going to kill my mum and dad—and there’s nothing I can do to stop him.

DRACO: That’s not true.

SCORPIUS: Dad, now is not the time…

ALBUS: There is something you could do—to stop him. But you won’t.

DRACO: That’s heroic.

GINNY takes HARRY’s hand.

GINNY: You don’t have to watch, Harry. We can go home.

HARRY: I’m letting it happen… Of course I have to watch.

HERMIONE: Then we’ll all witness it.

RON: We’ll all watch.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Harry Potter (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Draco Malfoy (speaker), Ginny Weasley (speaker), Hermione Granger (speaker), Ron Weasley (speaker), Delphi Diggory, Voldemort, James Potter (Harry’s Father), Lily Potter (Harry’s Mother)
Page Number: 291
Explanation and Analysis:
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Draco Malfoy Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The timeline below shows where the character Draco Malfoy appears in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 3
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
...to stop talking to the boy. Scorpius acknowledges this, saying it’s because his parents are Draco and Astoria Malfoy and they didn’t get along with Albus and Rose’s parents. Rose points... (full context)
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
...a nose. The tension breaks some, and Scorpius assures them that he looks just like Draco, and that he’d rather be a Malfoy than the son of the Dark Lord. (full context)
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 4
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Albus gets on the train, and Draco Malfoy appears next to Harry. He explains to Harry that the rumors about Scorpius’s parentage... (full context)
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 12
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
...the Ministry of Magic, Harry and Hermione explain to a crowd (with Ginny, Ron, and Draco among them) that Voldemort’s allies have been showing movement for a few months after the... (full context)
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
...interfered with—Boomslang skin and lacewing flies have been stolen—and Hermione replies that they can investigate. Draco protests, saying that Voldemort is dead, but Hermione wonders if it’s possible that Voldemort might... (full context)
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Harry asks if those with a Dark Mark have felt anything, and Draco accuses Harry of being prejudiced. He says that Harry is just stirring up rumors to... (full context)
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 15
Parenthood Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
...the Potter home, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny are having a meal together, talking about Draco. Ginny says that he’s simply grieving Astoria and he’s obsessed with trying to dispel the... (full context)
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
...her head in the sand like Cornelius Fudge, even if it makes her unpopular with Draco. Just then, an owl swoops into the room with a letter. It’s from Professor McGonagall:... (full context)
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 17
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Inside the Ministry, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco meet up, racked with worry about Albus and Scorpius. There haven’t been any incidents reported... (full context)
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Ginny agrees with Draco, looking at Harry pointedly and saying that she thinks Albus and Scorpius ran away. Catching... (full context)
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 3
Parenthood Theme Icon
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
...Hermione and Ron both appear out of the chimney, offering to help search the forest. Draco emerges as well, cascading out of the soot. Harry is surprised to see him there,... (full context)
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 7
Parenthood Theme Icon
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
...on the Time-Turner, and Albus wonders if they’ve changed anything. Suddenly, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Draco emerge, and Albus and Scorpius look at them all dumbly. Albus asks if something is... (full context)
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 13
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
...is doing to Albus, but they hear a knock on the door. Ginny leaves, and Draco enters, consumed by anger. He says that he has come to talk about Albus and... (full context)
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
At this accusation, Draco takes out his wand. He and Harry start to duel, blasting spells at one another... (full context)
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 15
Parenthood Theme Icon
Back at the Potter home, Draco apologizes for losing his temper. He says that he can’t reach Scorpius, and he knows... (full context)
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Draco then explains that he always envied Harry for having Ron and Hermione. Draco didn’t really... (full context)
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Draco explains that being truly alone is very difficult—it sends you to a dark place. Voldemort... (full context)
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 18
Parenthood Theme Icon
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
...he spoke to her and says he needs to apologize to his son as well. Draco then emerges from the chimney, and they all say that they need to find Albus... (full context)
Part 1, Act 2, Scene 19
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
The stage warps, and time begins spooling backwards. Just then, Harry, Ginny, Draco, and Professor McGonagall arrive in the bathroom. Myrtle explains that Albus and Scorpius just disappeared,... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 3
Parenthood Theme Icon
Scorpius visits Draco—he is the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry. Around his office are flags... (full context)
Parenthood Theme Icon
Scorpius says that Astoria told him Draco was a better man than Scorpius could see, but he’s not so sure. At this,... (full context)
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Draco asks if Astoria really said that about him, and Scorpius says that she always thought... (full context)
Parenthood Theme Icon
Draco asks what’s brought this on, and Scorpius says that he’s seen himself in a different... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 9
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Suddenly, Harry, Draco, Ginny, and Professor McGonagall find Scorpius and Albus, explaining that Myrtle told them some of... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 17
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Just then, Harry, Ginny, and Draco walk in, explaining that Albus and Scorpius are missing again and Harry is still having... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 18
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Harry and Draco barge in at St. Oswald’s home for Old Witches and Wizards, asking Amos where Albus... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 21
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Back at St. Oswald’s, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Ginny look around Delphi’s room. They realize that she must have used a Confundus... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 1
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
...and Hermione kept the Time-Turner (not realizing Albus and Scorpius lied about what happened), but Draco defends Hermione and Harry, saying that they’ve just been trying to protect everyone. Ron stands... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 4
Parenthood Theme Icon
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Just then, Draco arrives, remarking that Scorpius said that in the alternate reality, Draco was Head of Magical... (full context)
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Draco explains that Astoria was always very sick, and he didn’t want to risk her health... (full context)
Parenthood Theme Icon
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Harry says that he and Draco both tried to give their sons what they themselves needed—not what Scorpius and Albus needed.... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 6
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
...a chance to get Albus back. They decide to send an owl to Hermione and Draco to meet them at Godric’s Hollow with the Time-Turner. Ginny and Harry kiss again, full... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 7
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Ron, Hermione, Draco, Harry, and Ginny walk through present-day Godric’s Hollow. Hermione looks over to Harry, asking if... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 8
Parenthood Theme Icon
When Albus looks up to find Ginny, Harry, Ron, Draco, and Hermione, he runs into Ginny’s arms, thrilled that they got the note. Draco and... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 10
Parenthood Theme Icon
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
...plan: Harry will lure Delphi into the church and then they can all attack her. Draco isn’t sure, saying there are too many variables, but Albus assures Draco that Harry won’t... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 11
Parenthood Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Ron, Hermione, Draco, Scorpius, and Albus watch the church window. Albus assures Ginny that it’s going to be... (full context)
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
...unlocks the doors, Harry assures Delphi that he’s never fought alone. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Draco emerge and fire spells at Delphi, who tumbles to the floor, bound. Without taking his... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 12
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
...church as Voldemort enters the Potter home, knowing that his parents are going to die. Draco and Albus comment that it’s heroic to know that Harry could stop him, but to... (full context)