A Harry Potter fan theory suggests that Draco Malfoy was turned into a werewolf in the latter half of the series. The interesting theory has been around for years, but it cyclically gains attention from time to time from the evidence stemming from J.K. Rowling’s book series and the movie adaptations. Is the fan theory true, and did Rowling discreetly hint in her fantasy novels that Harry’s nemesis becomes a werewolf?
Draco was one of the primary antagonists throughout the Harry Potter franchise. He may not have been as dangerous as Lord Voldemort, but his family’s allegiance proved trouble for Harry. Draco entered Hogwarts the same year as Harry and remained a thorn in his side for much of his educational career. After Draco’s father Lucius was sent to Azkaban, Draco took his place as a Death Eater. Voldemort ordered Draco to kill Albus Dumbledore, with the Dark Lord intending the young wizard to fail. The Malfoy family ended up defecting their loyalty before the Battle of Hogwarts came to an end, but the fan theory might hold a better explanation into why the family cut ties with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
In short, the Harry Potter theory explained that Draco was never a Death Eater but instead, a werewolf. This would have occurred between Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Draco’s transformation would have provided an explanation into his noticeable change of behavior that was presumably meant to show his struggles with being a Death Eater. The believers of the fan theory even dedicated a website highlighting the evidence.
The Evidence Suggesting That Draco Malfoy Was A Werewolf
The theory pointed out the dialogue from Remus Lupin in Half-Blood Prince in which he stated that Voldemort had a history of ordering Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf, to bite the children of his enemies. Lucius memorably failed at obtaining the prophecy that Voldemort desperately sought. He and fellow Death Eaters were subsequently imprisoned, and the theory argued that Voldemort punished Lucius for his failures by sending Fenrir to bite Draco and turn the boy into a werewolf.
Draco’s transformation would have resulted in his sick and pale nature that Harry noticed in the later installments. It was thought that Draco was having issues with his Death Eater responsibilities, but it could have been a much more serious struggle. Rather than showing off his Dark Mark as a warning, he could have been showing off his werewolf bite, indicating the power he gained. Becoming a werewolf would have wiped his pure-blood status. Voldemort took pride in his pure-blood regime, so the Malfoys might have defected due to Draco’s new half-blood status for their own safety.
How The Werewolf Theory Was Deemed To Be False
The evidence used to back the werewolf theory was certainly compelling, but Rowling has debunked the idea via Twitter. In the tweet, the author states that she hadn’t heard the belief that Draco was a werewolf before a fan directly asked her. She added that “Draco definitely isn’t a werewolf,” but that didn’t have every Harry Potter fan convinced. Rowling has a history of changing Harry Potter canon, and a segment of fans are skeptical of her statement when it comes to what is and isn’t true in the wizarding world, especially when it involves major theories. Whether or not Rowling told the truth, the theory indicating that Draco was a werewolf is certainly interesting, and it’s amusing to think what could have been if the series went deeper down that path.
Next: Harry Potter: Dumbledore’s Horcrux Theory (& Why Rowling Hates It)
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