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Slytherin vs. Gryffindor: Was Draco Malfoy sorted into the wrong house?



        "Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed 'SLYTHERIN!' " ~ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, page 120, paragraph 10
        It seems the Sorting Hat had no qualms about placing the infamous Draco Malfoy into Slytherin, the power hungry house of ambition. As the series goes on, the sorting hat's decision make more and more sense; we see Malfoy's personality unravel, and pronounce his inner "stupid git." But then the sixth book arrives, and we see how he has truly transformed from the proud eleven- year-old to a terrified sixteen-year-old. Seeing that the entire saga is told from Harry's point of view, it can be said that the information told to us can be a bit... well... stretched
        I have strong reason to believe that Draco Malfoy, has, in fact, been sorted into the wrong house. Why, you ask? Let me explain.
        First, a bit of background knowledge. Everyone, wizard or Muggle, has a bit of every quality that is symbolized in the four houses (the four houses are: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.) Everyone has a little bit of ambition, a little bit of brains, a little bit of bravery, and a little bit of loyalty in them. The the Sorting Hat choose people that are, say, the smartest for Ravenclaw, or the loyalest and most hard working for Hufflepuff (notice the -est on the end of each trait.) Likewise, Slytherin prizes ambition and Gryffindor prizes bravery. 
        Now, where does Malfoy fit in? If we were to think like the Sorting Hat, we can deduce this:
  • He most definitely isn't a Hufflepuff; there is no sense of loyalty or hard work in him. 
  • We know an ideal Ravenclaw is somewhat like Hermione Granger (though she is a Gryffindor), and it's pretty obvious that Malfoy, though by no means stupid, is not studious.
        This leaves us with Slytherin and Gryffindor. We can see his Slytherin traits:
        Throughout the book series, Malfoy does not shows any signs of ambition. He has not voiced a goal he wishes to achieve (being a Death Eater doesn't count here because he was mostly forced to join, he was perfectly happy where he was.) However, he is always looking for ways to prove he is better, and resolves to snide remarks and mean comments, attempting to make other feel small. He has quite a lot of ego, and is a (bit too) proud pure-blood. He has a distinct hatred of Muggle-borns. He is proud of his all-Slytherin family, and very much wishes to continue this trend. Not to mention, he's quite conceited. 
        Then, there is his Gryffindor side:
        Malfoy is extremely brave. He was Voldemort's youngest recruit, although the reason he was chosen was not because of his skill. Malfoy does not care about risks, or of consequences. He had, though with difficulty, succeeded in cornering Albus Dumbledore, though he did not cast the killing curse. Malfoy had been able to keep his head on after the Battle of Hogwarts, with so much hatred pouring out to him. He even managed to reclaim some of his dignity. Although he was led down the wrong path, his accomplishments are quite extraordinary. Draco has as much bravery in him as Harry himself.
        So then why Slytherin? Did his Slytherin traits outweigh his inner Gryffindor? Or was it just a blind pick? I think, the Sorting Hat decided to rely on lineage. Although the Sorting Hat touched Malfoy' head quite briefly, it must have been able to see his bravery and his ego, and decided to go for House that suited his family, not Malfoy himself.
        So there you have it. Perhaps, now my article has changed some of your views on Draco Malfoy, the boy who was judged on his mistakes alone.

*In case you didn't notice, I have a soft spot for Draco Malfoy. He is a character as complex as, say, Severus Snape. :)*



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