J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter has been kicking around for quite some time now. Many of those who grew up reading the books and watching the movies as kids are now well into adulthood. This doesn't mean such fans ever stopped returning to the wizarding world, however.
No, for those who grew up alongside the characters, it's likely Harry, Hermione, and Ron never really left, but rather that one's relationship to them shifted and grew throughout the years. Looking back now, it's strange for many to realize that these beloved characters look like children now; even in their last years at Hogwarts, they were only teens! It might even change how one judges many of the characters they were once sure of--for example, Draco Malfoy.
Sympathetic: Wanted To Be Harry's Friend
It's easy to forget that the first time Draco came on screen, it was actually in an effort to form a friendship. The reason this is so easy to forget is due to Draco's rather unlikeable approach to the matter.
He implores Harry to befriend him, but his way of doing so is through humiliating Ron. It's easy to dislike Draco for this, but on reflecting, he was only a little boy. Such an instance reveals more about Draco's sad upbringing.
The Worst: Shames Ron's Family
Draco has a habit of repeatedly putting shame on Ron's family. Any instance where he gets the opportunity, he makes sure to comment on the fact that the Weasleys are poor. It's obvious that he does this out of insecurity and simply knowing nothing else to say, but it doesn't change how cruel it is. His need to be feared and end up on top trumps any consideration for others.
Sympathetic: Pressured By Voldemort
As much as many might not like Draco, it's hard not to pity him at least a little bit once he is taken under Voldemort's wing. Anyone commanded by Voldemort has little to no say in the matter as if they refused they would meet a timely death.
Draco is given a great task directly from Voldemort himself, placing an immense amount of pressure on him and making him into a darker person than he necessarily wanted to be.
The Worst: Prejudiced
Draco is one of those kids constantly touting the ideas of their parents. The Malfoys are a family of proud "pureblood" wizards, and they look down on anybody who has "muggle" blood. Draco was raised with this prejudice, and he carries it into his life, at times directing it at Hermione who is, of course, from muggle parents.
Sympathetic: Used, Just Like Harry
Harry and Draco may be enemies throughout the series, but by the end, it's made clear that both actually have something in common. Harry has been guided all along, constantly nudged in the direction that Dumbledore needed him to go in--"like a pig to the slaughter", as Snape puts it. Draco is similarly shaped by his parents to be a part of the Death Eaters, and then likewise used by Voldemort to carry out his needs.
The Worst: A Coward
One of the great unlikeable qualities of Draco is also a reason why the viewer ends up pitying him. Despite what he pretends to be and likes to think of himself as, Draco proves himself to be a coward again and again.
He is not a fighter, he is nervous and afraid whenever he is faced by a threat, and he harms other people in attempts to better himself.
Sympathetic: Obviously Insecure
Draco is riddled with insecurity from the start. From the moment he asks Harry to be his friend and is rejected by him, it's clear that Draco takes rejection to heart.
He is sensitive, and if he had been raised differently such sensitivity could have been cultivated in a healthy way. Instead, he is raised by people who see it as weakness, thus insuring that he feels constantly ashamed of himself. This causes Draco to be a bitter person who takes out his troubles on other people.
The Worst: Jealous
Draco is deeply jealous of Harry, and basically anyone who gets attention aside from himself. Because Harry was born into fame, this made him destined to be either one of two things to Draco--his comrade, causing him to become a famous ally to Draco and therefore making him look cool, or an enemy.
Not being Dracos friend immediately made him an enemy, because Draco can't stand not being in the good favor of the spotlight--his jealousy once again causing his downfall.
Sympathetic: Born Into Violence
The more viewers got to know Draco's family over the course of the movies and books, the more complicated their judgment of him was destined to become. No matter how much of a good person one might try to be, how does one succeed in such a cruel family? Draco's family is not only cruel to other people but would likely reject him or punish him if he didn't prove himself to be the same as them. It's hard to blame him when he was molded to be who he was.
The Worst: He Had A Choice
While Draco's cruel and heavy-handed upbringing should be taken into account, a person can't be excused solely on who raised them. If this were the way of doing things, nearly everyone would be excused for any wrongdoings. Harry was also raised by cruel people, and he ended up nothing like them. Granted, Harry was completely rejected, whereas Draco was brainwashed, but the fact remains that everyone has a choice in their actions, and Draco rarely made a good choice.