In Harry Potter

, the pure-blooded Malfoy family were loyal followers of Voldemort, both times that he rose to power, but somehow they always avoided punishment. Harry Potter’s greatest rival may have been the monstrous Voldemort, a powerful Dark Lord of magic who killed his parents and eventually found his way back to Hogwarts to plague Harry as a young man, but while attending Hogwarts, Harry had another rival, Draco Malfoy.

As it turns out, Draco had a connection to Voldemort through his family. As disciples of the Dark Lord, the Malfoy’s proved to be a plague to the Wizarding World in a variety of ways, and their cruel and dismissive natures certainly reflect that. But, after Voldemort disappeared, they managed to come away largely unscathed. However, after Voldemort came back, and the Malfoy’s appeared by his side once again, it appeared as though they would finally pay for their crimes. Yet somehow, the rich and malevolent Malfoy’s still avoided time in Azkaban.

The Malfoy’s Were Pardoned After Voldemort Died In Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

The Malfoy’s Appear Impossible To Pin Down

As revealed in the follow-up story, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the Malfoy’s did not end up serving time in Azkaban or anywhere else after Voldemort was destroyed in the Battle of Hogwarts. Despite being faithful allies to the single most terrifying wizard to ever plague the Wizarding World, they managed to get a pardon. Of course, the Malfoy’s did appear to be genuinely terrified of Voldemort when he returned, and their decision to serve him may have been influenced by their desire for self-preservation, but they still ᴀssisted him in attacking Hogwarts, and Draco even became a part of the plot as the person who opened the door for Voldemort and his followers to lay siege on the school.

This treachery, and their clear betrayal of the people who showed them kindness, forgiveness, and acceptance after their former transgressions, was nothing short of evil. And it appears that even with their reluctance to follow Voldemort, and their eventual moment of courage as they defected from the Dark Lord’s side, it was the first time that they actually acted in a way that was for the benefit of more than just themselves, but even that could be framed as selfishly hoping to abandon a life that was made so detestable by Voldemort’s cruelty, and evil.

Why The Malfoy’s Weren’t Punished For Their Crimes As Death Eaters

The Malfoy’s Managed To Work Out A Deal

However, having made the decision to side with the students and teachers of Hogwarts against their former master, it appears to have been a clear signal that the Malfoy’s actually did have a change of heart. Due to this act, and the actions of Narcissa Malfoy, who saved Harry, they were able to earn freedom from imprisonment, and avoid further punishment. They also gave up the names and information of other Death Eaters, which helped to further buy their way out of trouble.

In reality, it appears that their repentance may not have been entirely genuine, and the family, who were wholly reliant on their wealth, comfort, and status, were desperate to buy their way out of trouble. Though younger generations hopefully learned to become more authentic and less easily persuaded to follow zealots. Their ideologies about pure wizards and their cruelty towards other living creatures still appear to be central to who they are, but with time and education, the Malfoy’s may eventually grow beyond their narrow-minded natures.

Draco Seems To Live A Relatively Normal Life After Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows

Draco Malfoy Got To Live A Full Life After Hogwarts

Draco, who hoped to weasel his way into Harry’s good graces upon their arrival at Hogwarts, only to see him befriend a mudblood like Hermione and the impoverished Weasley’s, was incredibly cruel to Harry and his friends. He used slurs, intimidation, and large friends to try and push Harry and other students around. Eventually, he found himself at the center of a plot to let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts, and he promised to kill Dumbledore. But despite his heinous actions, Draco apparently repented and led a normal life after Hogwarts.

This is reconfirmed in both the epilogue of the Harry Potter books and The Cursed Child, where Draco is married to a woman named Astoria Greengrᴀss, and sends his son, Scorpius Malfoy, to Hogwarts alongside Harry and Ginny’s children. However, as a wealthy heir to the Malfoy fortune, Draco had no need to work, and he maintained a collection of dark artifacts. All in all, the Malfoy’s managed to make it out of their servitude to Voldemort unscathed, which may be one of the most frustrating outcomes for any character in the Harry Potter books.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students’ time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series тιтled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.