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Draco Malfoy: "Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"
Harry Potter: "You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you."
— Harry Potter noting the gang's cowardly and codepedent nature[src]

Draco Malfoy's gang[15] was a group of Slytherins who were often the children of Death Eaters, and/or Voldemort sympathisers. The leader of the group was Draco Malfoy, the son of a well-known Death Eater and wealthy pure-blood, Lucius Malfoy, hence their name.

Most of the members were not just children of Death Eaters, but also pure-bloods who used their status in order to assert their dominance as wizards. At least Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle's fathers were known Death Eaters.[16] That may be the reason they knew each other so well, seeing as Draco made friends with them shortly after meeting in their first year at Hogwarts.[1]

The gang generally used their abilities and statuses to bully and terrorise the other students of different houses at Hogwarts, especially the younger students. Draco and his gang frequently antagonised Harry Potter and his friends, and Malfoy also used his position as prefect to bully some first years when he got the power in his fifth year. Their main target of hatred were Muggle-borns and Blood traitors alike.[9]

History[]

1991–1992 school year[]

Draco Malfoy: "Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle, and my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. [...] You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Harry Potter: "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks."
Draco Malfoy: "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
— Draco introducing himself to Harry Potter on the Hogwarts Express in 1991.[src]
POA Draco Malfoy's gang

The gang left to right: Gregory Goyle, Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Pansy Parkinson

Draco Malfoy showed up on the Hogwarts Express in September of 1991 with Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle in tow. The length of their acquaintance prior to that time is unknown, but this was the start of Draco's gang while at Hogwarts. From the beginning, Draco antagonised Harry Potter, with or without his gang around.[1][17] This worsened when Harry was seen in the company of Ronald Weasley (about whom Draco was told by his father that his family were 'blood traitors'), and later was seen with Hermione Granger (who was Muggle-born).

Another instance of the gang bullying Harry and Ron was when Harry was challenged to a duel by Draco, which Harry went to; Draco alerted Argus Filch that he'd overheard people planning to meet at the place where he'd set up the duel, and Filch almost caught Harry and Ron (and Neville Longbottom and Hermione, who'd tagged along).[3] Future members of the gang - specifically Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini - were are also sorted into Slytherin House alongside Draco.[13]

1992–1993 school year[]

Lucius Malfoy: "I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin. Though if his grades don't pick up, that may indeed be all he is fit for - "
Draco Malfoy: "It's not my fault. The teachers all have favourites, that Hermione Granger - "
Lucius Malfoy: "I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam."
— Draco and his father talking in Borgin and Burke's in 1992.[src]

In 1992, Draco Malfoy joined the Slytherin Quidditch team as Seeker (by buying his way in), which led to more bullying of Harry Potter and friends by his gang,[9] as Harry was in the Gryffindor Quidditch team and would frequently have matches against the Slytherin team. Later in the year, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate two of the gang, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, to discover if Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin.[8]

1993–1994 school year[]

"An unworthy trick! A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake!"
Minerva McGonagall punishing Malfoy's gang for their behaviour at a Quidditch match[src]
PansyParkinsonMocking

Goyle, Draco, Crabbe and Pansy mocking Harry by pretending to be Dementors

In 1993, during the Gryffindor Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, members of Draco's gang tried to sabotage Harry Potter by pretending there was a Dementor behind him.[10] While at lessons for Care for Magical Creatures, when Malfoy was injured by a Hippogriff, Pansy Parkinson criticised Rubeus Hagrid, who had been teaching the class, for letting him get hurt.[4]

Later on in the school year, Draco was slapped hard by Hermione for cruelly laughing at a distressed Hagrid, which shocked Malfoy and his gang, leaving Crabbe and Goyle specifically utterly dumbfounded.[18]

1994–1995 school year[]

"Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles — Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up — Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth."
— Malfoy and Harry firing spells at each other[src]
B4C18M1 Densaugeo and Furnunculus

The result of Harry and Malfoy's brief duel

Before the start of the school year, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle antagonised Harry and Ron on the Hogwarts Express.[19] Later when Harry was selected as the fourth Triwizard Tournament, Malfoy's gang and the rest of the Slytherins began mocking him by wearing "POTTER STINKS" badges.

In the dungeons before the start of a Potions lesson, Malfoy and his friends antagonised Harry again, which resulted in Harry and Malfoy engaging in a brief duel with each other, but with their spells missing their targets; Malfoy's Densaugeo hex hit Hermione, and Harry's Pimple Jinx hit Goyle.[20]

1995–1996 school year[]

"If anything more was needed to complete Harry's happiness, it was Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's reactions. He saw them with their heads together later that afternoon in the library, together with a weedy looking boy Hermione whispered was called Theodore Nott. They looked around at Harry as he browsed the shelves for the book he needed on Partial Vanishment, and Goyle cracked his knuckles threateningly and Malfoy whispered something undoubtedly malevolent to Crabbe. Harry knew perfectly well why they were acting like this: He had named all of their fathers as Death Eaters."
— The gang's hostility torwards Harry Potter in the Hogwarts Library[src]
Inquisitorial Squad

Dolores Umbridge inducting several students (including Draco Malfoy and his gang) into the Inquisitorial Squad

In 1995, at the beginning of the school year, Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy become Slytherin Prefects. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle joined the Slytherin Quidditch team as Beaters. Later, under Dolores Umbridge's control of Hogwarts, many in the gang were appointed members of the Inquisitorial Squad and given powers to dock points beyond those of Prefects.[14] Malfoy's gang was very loyal to Umbridge.[14][11] This year Malfoy was also seen in the company of Theodore Nott, a small, weedy boy who was also the son of a Death Eater.[7]

1996–1997 school year[]

Hermione Granger: "But what's all this about him going up there with a variety of students? How many people are in on it? You wouldn't think he'd trust lots of them to know what he's doing—"
Harry Potter: "Yeah, that is weird. I heard him telling Crabbe it wasn't Crabbe's business what he was doing... so what's he telling all these... all these... God, I've been stupid. It's obvious, isn't it? There was a great vat of it down in the dungeon... He could've nicked some any time during that lesson..."
Ron Weasley: "Nicked what?"
Harry Potter: "Polyjuice Potion. He stole some of the Polyjuice Potion Slughorn showed us in our first Potions lesson... There aren't a whole variety of students standing guard for Malfoy... it's just Crabbe and Goyle as usual...Yeah, it all fits!"
— The trio discussing the activities of Malfoy's gang in the Gryffindor common room[src]

In 1996, Harry Potter spied on Malfoy's gang on the Hogwarts Express using his Invisibility Cloak to see if Malfoy was a Death Eater as he suspected. It is also revealed that Pansy Parkinson has feelings for Malfoy, as his head was in her lap and she was stroking his hair. Though it is unknown if he reciprocates, it is likely because of the fact that he didn't pull away when she stroked his head.[5] The gang unknowingly helped Malfoy to kill Dumbledore (they know they were helping him, but not what he was trying to accomplish).

Crabbe and Goyle, using Polyjuice Potion, also stood watch outside the Room of Requirement while Draco attempted to repair the Vanishing Cabinet inside.[21] Although Nott was again seen in Draco's company, this time in Horace Slughorn's Potions class,[22] he remained outside of the gang, probably of his own free will. Despite the gang still assisting Draco to their full power, Draco himself started to distant himself from them, not telling them anything.[21]

1997–1998 school year[]

Draco Malfoy: "STOP! The Dark Lord wants him alive –"
Vincent Crabbe: "So? I'm not killing him, am I?, but if I can, I will, the Dark Lord wants him dead anyway, what's the diff—? It's that Mudblood! Avada Kedavra!"
Draco Malfoy: "Don't kill him! DON'T KILL HIM!"
— Malfoy arguing with Crabbe and Goyle during the Skirmish at the Room of Requirement[src]
Harrypotter7part2photo2

Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle and Blaise Zabini in their seventh year

Throughout most of 1997–1998 school year, Draco Malfoy was separated from his gang, following the events at the top of the Astronomy Tower at the end of the previous year. He and his family out of favour with Lord Voldemort, he was put to ill use by the Dark Lord, forced to torture others who had earned Voldemort's disfavour via the Cruciatus Curse. Meanwhile, the members of his gang attended Hogwarts, receiving preferential treatment both for being Pure-bloods and members of Slytherin House. Some of the gang were appointed by the Carrows to use the Cruciatus Curse to punish misbehaving students.[23]

Just prior to the Battle of Hogwarts, Pansy Parkinson was held at wand-point by almost the entirety of the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws when she suggested turning Harry over to Voldemort.[2] During the Battle of Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy returned to Hogwarts as part of the attacking group and reunited with Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. The group attempted to ambush Harry Potter in the Room of Requirement.

Crabbe died when he could not control the Fiendfyre he conjured, while Draco pulled an unconscious Goyle to safety high up on a stack of desks to avoid the flames. They were both rescued by Harry, Ron, and Hermione using broomsticks.[2] In the aftermath of the war, Draco escaped punishment by the Ministry of Magic thanks in part to Harry's testimony about his innocence in Albus Dumbledore's death and because of his mother, Narcissa Malfoy's actions in lying to the Dark Lord about Potter's death.

2017[]

Nineteen years after the end of the war, Draco Malfoy had married Astoria Greengrass, and was seen escorting his son, Scorpius Malfoy, onto the Hogwarts Express as the boy left for his first year at school.[24] By then, Draco and Harry had set aside their animosity towards each other.[25] It is unknown if Draco and/or Astoria still spoke with the rest of the gang. But it is unlikely that they did, seeing as Draco turned against the Death Eaters completely.

2020[]

Draco admitted to Harry and Ginny Potter that he always envied Harry's friendship with Ron and Hermione, while Draco himself had little in common with Vincent and Gregory, aside from their prejudice against other blood-statuses that Draco alone grew out of. Their thuggish and unintelligent behaviours made them very unreliable at best.[25] Coupled with Crabbe's deranged attack that costed his own life and nearly took the rest of theirs, Malfoy lost all respect he may have had for him, while also ending his relationship with Goyle, who proved himself as cruel and sadistic as Crabbe was during the year that Voldemort took over. Draco also ceased his relationship with Pansy Parkinson, who was his girlfriend during their years at school, and instead he married Astoria, a nicer girl he fell in love with.

Attitude toward Harry Potter[]

Harry Potter was in the same year as most of Draco Malfoy's gang. Harry, being a Gryffindor, was despised by the gang of Slytherins and was the target of much of their taunts and bullying.[1][13][3] Draco Malfoy's gang often bullied Harry Potter near upcoming Quidditch games in an attempt to make him nervous.[10] As the years went by, however, Harry became used to the teasing and often made amusing comebacks.

This seemed to change around their sixth year, as Draco's mission made him more stressed out, and he lost focus on his usual bullying and abuse of power.[5][21] By the next year, Draco finally came to a better relationship with Harry, though far from a true friendship. Crabbe, on the other hand, had turned from bully to outright murderer, as he attempted to murder Harry and his friends with dark magic.[2]

Members[]

Loosely associated members[]

Possible members[]

Behind the scenes[]

  • Theodore Nott was never a member of Malfoy's gang, although he was occasionally seen in the company of Draco and his friends. J. K. Rowling described Nott as "a clever loner who does not feel the need to join gangs, including Malfoy's."
  • Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle are seen in a courtyard in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. Whenever Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk by, they point at them and laugh.
  • While Blaise is considered a member, he is only seen hanging out with them in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 6 (The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 31 (The Battle of Hogwarts)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 9 (The Midnight Duel)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 6 (Talons and Tea Leaves)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 7 (The Slug Club)
  6. 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 26 (Seen and Unforeseen)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 12 (The Polyjuice Potion)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 7 (Mudbloods And Murmurs)
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 13 (Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw)
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 32 (Out of the Fire)
  12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 27 (The Lightning-Struck Tower)
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 7 (The Sorting Hat)
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 28 (Snape's Worst Memory)
  15. J.K.Rowling Official Site - Extra Stuff
  16. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33 (The Death Eaters)
  17. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 8 (The Potions Master)
  18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 15 (The Quidditch Final)
  19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 11 (Aboard the Hogwarts Express)
  20. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 18 (The Weighing of the Wands)
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 21 (The Unknowable Room)
  22. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 9 (The Half-Blood Prince)
  23. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 29 (The Lost Diadem)
  24. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Epilogue (Nineteen Years Later)
  25. 25.0 25.1 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Draco Malfoy's gang
Dm's gang
Leader
Draco Malfoy
Members
Blaise Zabini · Draco Malfoy · Graham Montague (possibly) · Gregory Goyle · Marcus Flint (possibly) · Millicent Bulstrode (possibly) · Pansy Parkinson · Pike · Vincent Crabbe
Death Eaters
Dark Mark Pottermore
Leader: Lord Voldemort
Death Eaters

Avery II · Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Crabbe · Bartemius Crouch Junior † · Antonin Dolohov · Gibbon † · Goyle · Gareth Greengrass's brother · Jugson · Barnaby Lee's father · Barnaby Lee's mother · Bellatrix Lestrange † · Rabastan Lestrange · Rodolphus Lestrange · Walden Macnair · Mulciber I · Mulciber II · Nott · Pyrites (possibly) · Augustus Rookwood · Rosier · Evan Rosier † · Thorfinn Rowle · Selwyn · Merula Snyde's father · Merula Snyde's mother · Travers · Wilkes † · Corban Yaxley · Unidentified Death Eaters

Death Eater defectors

Regulus Black † · Igor Karkaroff † · Draco Malfoy · Lucius Malfoy · Peter Pettigrew † · Severus Snape

Death Eater allies

Borgin · Vincent Crabbe · John Dawlish · Delphini · Golgomath · Gregory Goyle · Fenrir Greyback · Mafalda Hopkirk · Narcissa Malfoy (defected) · Ismelda Murk (unofficially, supposedly) · Nagini · Mr Padgett · Mrs Padgett · Pansy Parkinson · Quirinus Quirrell · Albert Runcorn · Stanley Shunpike (Imperiused) · Scabior · Serpent of Slytherin · Pius Thicknesse (Imperiused) · Dolores Umbridge

Other affiliations

British Ministry of Magic (under Voldemort's control) · Daily Prophet (under Voldemort's control) · Dementors · Draco Malfoy's gang · Kreacher (formerly) · Tom Riddle's gang · Gang of Slytherins · Giants (Golgomath's control) · Inferi · Charmed skeletons · Muggle-Born Registration Commission · Theodore Nott (possibly) · Snatchers · Werewolf army · The Unforgivable

Death Eater establishments

Abandoned nuclear power plant · Borgin and Burkes · British Ministry of Magic Headquarters (under Voldemort's control) · The Cave · Chamber of Secrets · Forbidden Forest · Gaunt Shack · Lee family house · Lestrange Vault · Little Hangleton graveyard · Malfoy Manor · Misty Dell · Riddle House · Snatcher Camp · Spinner's End (Severus Snape's house) · The Abandoned Substation · The Ruins · The Quarry

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