Malfoid, A Woman Worth Fighting For

Art by the lovely @yunayuispink

If you've spent any time at all over the past few weeks on quite literally any social media site, you've seen Malfoid, a female version of Draco Malfoy that has exploded after Redten posted this picture. It has taken the Internet by storm: a deluge of art, fanfics, literary analysis, and even a waltz was composed in honor of her.

But why?

Why would a genderbent version of one of the antagonists from a nearly 30-year-old book series all of sudden capture the hearts of men everywhere?

Because she's a woman worth fighting for.

By tweaking this one aspect, Malfoid moves from slightly effeminate, cowardly school bully into a complex woman whose conflicting wants and desires elevate her almost to or flat out to the status of deuteragonist, depending on how much of the series is rewritten.

The story almost writes itself: it is the push and pull of a woman trying to live up to the expectations of her parents and friends while also realizing that inside, she does not want to do that. She wants to be with the boy-turned-man that she loves, Harry Potter, who is the antithesis of everything she was raised to believe. One side of her must win in the end, or in other words: neither can live while the other survives. Her internal struggle parallels Harry's external struggle so perfectly, and function as a feminine foil to Harry's masculine journey to defeat Voldemort and save the world.

But what's the point of saving the world if you don't get the girl? And why save the world for a girl you don't think is worth it?

That is heart of Malfoid: she, as this tsundere rich girl (with a sprinkling of himedere on top), is above Harry's reach, at least at the start. Over the seven books, Harry goes through challenge after challenge, trial after trial, ordeal after ordeal, all to grow from boy into man. He proves himself over and over again that he can raise himself up to be the man Malfoid needs, and she notices his efforts. She is his reward for all the hardships he goes through, and he is her reward for everything she goes through.

That isn't to say that she's just be a damsel in distress with no agency. Malfoid, as a fully fleshed-out character, needs to go through many if not all of the same story beats that Draco goes through, even with different motivations. In the story, Malfoid is the figurative princess captured by the dragon, only in this case it's a mental prison instead of a physical one.

One major change in motivation that I'd like to see explored more is the weight of being the sole female heir of the Malfoy name (here's a short post-series fanfic exploring this). For Draco, he's trying to live up to his father's expectations and become his father. For Malfoid, she is contending with what her father sees as an inherent failure: no matter what, the Malfoy name ends with her because she is a woman.

That's the juicy stuff right there: pure fuel for all her actions later in the series, where she's trying to do everything she can to be the heir her father wants but can never be. The only safe way out for her is to reject that mindset entirely, which is impossible for her... without Harry there with his hand outstretched, providing her the safety of a different path to go and someone who will stand by her side to protect her. She needs only to reach out and take his hand, which she will only after being pushed to her absolute limits.

When she does reach out and take his hand, he needs her just as much as she needs him, because there's no other way to defeat Voldemort.

Voldemort's final defeat by Malfoid and Harry working together (as so incredibly depicted here) is the final slaying of the dragon that haunts them both: Harry, for all reasons in the series, and Malfoid, for the social expectations that have nearly ruined her life.

Harry frees himself, frees Malfoid his love, and saves the world. Malfoid frees herself, frees Harry her love, and saves the world.

It's everything you want from a story.

What you also want from a story is thematic consistency, and Malfoid is perfect for that on other levels.

As is, Slytherin is depicted as the evil house where only Dark Wizards and Witches go, which is unfair. Slytherin is supposed to be the house of cunning, ambition, resourcefulness, and shrewdness. These traits, by themselves, are not inherently evil traits. Having some amount of all of them are healthy. Harry himself had enough of each and was almost sorted into Slytherin until he asked the Sorting Hat to not put him in there. With Malfoid embodying the Slytherin values and later using said values to help Harry defeat Voldemort brings a redemption to the entire house that had Voldemort himself.

There's also the main lesson of the series: love triumphs over evil. Malfoid not only helping Harry but also being a love interest only works in service of this theme. Their love for each other overcomes Voldemort's evil, both in each other's hearts and physically in a magical duel. This comes full circle from Lily's choice to sacrifice herself to save Harry at the start of the series. The parental love for their child defeated Voldemort initially, and the romantic love between man and woman defeat him for the final time.

On a meta level, Malfoid as a love interest for Harry fits well in a coming-of-age story. One of the most important parts of going through adolescence and becoming an adult is to learn how to love. Not the love of trashy romance novels, not the lust one might feel for porn, but romantic, mature love between a man and woman that allows for a family to grow. To steal a line from my favorite musical, to love another person is to see the face of God.

Assuming there's not too much changed in the series with creating Malfoid, the relationship between Harry and Malfoid is incredibly rocky all the way to the end. It has its highs (Yule Ball) and its lows (bathroom duel), but ultimately they love each other, despite the times they fail. They forgive each other by the end of the series, for the sake of their relationship that they both want to pursue.

This sort of message is badly needed today: every mistake needs to be broadcast across social media, every slip-up needs to be met with a break up or divorce, and vows between man and woman mean little to nothing. Restoring the sanctity not just of marriage but of love itself will make the lives of every man, woman, and child better. Love will triumph over evil, but you need to open yourself up to love in the first place.

Forgiveness, patience, and understanding not only of others but also for yourself are but the beginning of what's needed to love. Harry and Malfoid's relationship show all of these things: things go well between them when they are those and go poorly when they do not embrace those values. It is a wonderful lesson to be teaching young boys and girls as they begin to navigate the world and become men and women in their own right.

This is why Malfoid is worth fighting for.

She is a woman in her own right, fully self-actualized and capable of her own choices, including choosing Harry over what she was raised to believe.

She is a symbol of a woman worth bettering yourself for so that she can realize your worth and choose you over every other man.

She is a symbol of romance and love made flesh, or in this case ink and paper.

So go. Women, become Malfoid so you can find your Harry. Men, become Harry so you can find your Malfoid. She's out there, you just need to find her. I know I'll be fighting for her myself, wherever she is. When I do find her and when she needs me to rescue her from her own Voldemort, I'll be ready and willing to do just that for her.