Every good story needs not only heroes but also villains. Those who will stand against the heroes and will make their lives more difficult - either by challenging them or by putting various obstacles in their way. In the world of Harry Potter, Harry's great enemy - one of them, that is - is none other than Draco Malfoy.
For a moment, it looks like Harry and Draco might be friends but the young Malfoy quickly ruins it. And in all of their time at Hogwarts, rivalry exists between them. Even though Draco mostly functions as an antagonist, there are still a lot of sad things about his life that make it possible to sympathize with him.
Forced To Try And Kill Dumbledore
Draco Malfoy wasn't always pleasant, in fact, he could be quite intolerable at times. But that doesn't change the fact he was no killer.
In a way, Draco respected Dumbledore and he liked studying at Hogwarts. So he didn't want to kill Dumbledore. Unfortunately, Voldemort didn't give him another option and he treated Draco like a pawn, fit only to do his bidding... or be punished.
Had To Become A Death Eater
Not only was Draco forced to kill Dumbledore which was something that went against his nature, but he also had to become a Death Eater.
Judging by what the readers and the audience know about Draco if given a choice, he may not have joined the ranks of Death Eaters, if for no other reason than a vein of cowardice. But he had to do it anyway in order to protect his parents from Voldemort and save his own life.
The Relationship With His Parents
Narcissa Malfoy genuinely loved her son and it looked like Draco's safety was the most important thing to her. But other than that, Narcissa wasn't a bad person.
The same can't be said for Draco's father Lucius who followed Voldemort and did his bidding - first because he wanted to and then because he was too scared and weak to stand up to Voldemort. Parents should protect their children but instead, Draco's parents led him straight to Voldemort's ranks.
He Couldn't Befriend Harry
With all, that's happened since it's easy to forget that Draco didn't always hate Harry. In fact, he wanted to be his friend when they first met at Hogwarts.
Unfortunately, Draco acted out his worst tendencies and he sneered at Ron which made Harry reject him. A shame since these two could have actually been good friends if only Draco had considered his actions more closely.
His Post-Hogwarts Life Remains A Secret
Unlike the fate of some other important Harry Potter characters, Draco's life after he had left Hogwarts mostly remains a mystery. Even though Draco's fans would like to learn more about his life as an adult.
What's known is that Draco married Astoria Greengrass, they had a son named Scorpius and led a much more peaceful and tolerant lifestyle than Draco's parents. Still, it would be nice to get a more detailed glimpse into Draco's life.
His Insecurity
Some bullies come from a place of their inner insecurities - insulting others makes them feel better about themselves, and this was the case with Draco.
Though he was terribly unpleasant, it seemed like he was always over compensating for something, and in many cases, trying to prove himself to the unsavory standards of his family.
His Loneliness
Unlike Harry, who has his two close friends, Ron and Hermione, Draco mostly seems to be alone. Yes, he often has Crabbe and Goyle by his side, but it's clear from their interactions that Crabbe and Goyle are more Draco's sidekicks than genuine friends.
Even Pansy Parkinson, the girl who crushed on Draco, didn't really ever seem to connect with him. All in all, Draco was mostly lonely which would also partially explain his jealousy of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
The Time Harry Almost Killed Him
To be fair to Harry, Draco wasn't in the mood to chat and he seemed ready to give back just as hard as he got. But it was still crossing a line for Harry to use the spell Sectusempra against Draco - especially since he had no idea what the spell could do.
Draco ended up bleeding profusely and it's safe to assume he could have died if Snape hadn't intervened in time.
Because Harry Caught Him Crying In The Bathroom
There's no denying that even before Draco was bleeding on the floor, fans' hearts went out to him as he sobbed in the bathroom.
Fearing for himself and his family, and feeling completely cornered in his life, this scene was a rare, and tragic, glimpse into Draco's emotional state. Definitely one of the times it was hard not to feel anything but sympathy for Draco.
He Lost His Wife
Draco Malfoy never had that many close people, and when he married Astoria and they had their son Scorpius, it looked like things would finally get better for him.
But Astoria died and Draco had to raise his son as a single dad - and considering how Scorpius turned out, he did a good job. Raising a kid alone is never easy, let alone after losing the person one loves.