On Voldemort, Villainy and Vanquishing Death

We as people and devout Harry Potter fanatics, often discuss what makes a hero. The specific qualities and characteristics are scattered and it's often hard to differentiate between them. Loyalty, self-sacrifice, bravery, humble people, heroes always surprise us, blossoming where you will never expect them. However, what I thought a lot about was what makes a villain? Are we bound for corruption or are we just born, bad eggs? 

The most striking examples of villainy are in Voldemort and his followers, the dreaded Death Eaters. Throughout the entire series I had conflicted feelings toward him. Hatred for his lack of remorse, blind and cold-blooded murders and ruthless manipulation. Voldemort killed, tortured and maimed members of the Order of the Phoenix, innocent wizards, muggles. Voldemort was eerily in-human, he went the furthest and caused the most chaos. He destroyed anyone in his path and silencing the rest, using fear as his weapon in his rise to power as the greatest dark wizard of all time.

His sociopathic lack of remorse and mechanical qualities were the most disturbing and memorable, but not surprising due to his exceedingly dark childhood. Alone and mentally imprisoned in an orphanage he took his anger and malice out on animals and the other orphans. Voldemort can't be blamed for his childhood but plenty of other people have had horrendous childhoods and are decent human beings today. Which leaves us with the notion that his mind was corrupt from the start. The lack of regard for life is Voldemort's and the Death Eater's defining quality, that defines all except one.


Draco Malfoy has been called weak and disgraceful by many. What I think is that this weakness is skittish-ness most of the time, but a few instances it is Draco's redeeming qualities shining through, the shred of empathy and human emotion in him. It's the disguised heroism which he resents so much, the incapability to kill Dumbledore, to fully become one of the Death Eaters. Draco can't come to terms with his empathy and attachment to life and living things. Voldemort cannot come to terms with death. He resents the unknown like undoubtedly most of the human race. Death is the last enemy to be vanquished, Voldemort knows he cannot defeat death, only hold it at bay with the horcruxes, he is afraid. 

That is what separates not only Draco but Harry, Hermione, Ron all of the people fighting the evil in the world, from Voldemort and the ruthless Death Eaters. The manipulation, destruction and in-human control. Harry worries thought the series whether he is becoming like Voldemort, they do have an incredibly strong and dangerous connection. But Harry doesn't have to worry after all ... Voldemort is one bad egg.