The boy who lived, better known as Harry Potter has been a part of everyone's lives for over 20 years. Throughout this incredible journey, J.K. Rowling has created a magical world that people cherish and love. Over the years, fans all over the world (like myself) have given it a life of its own, transforming it into a reality for many people. Fans are so obsessed with this unique magical world that we actually want to be part of it by taking online quizzes to see which Hogwarts house we belong in (I'm a Gryffindor by the way), collect wands (I do that too), learn the spells (no comment: I may know them) and even cry every time they finish reading the last book for the millionth time or watching the movies for the billionth time (guilty...).
One of the biggest feuds in Hogwarts history is between the houses Gryffindor and Slytherin. This rivalry between the houses is centered around Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. Ever since they met, Draco and Harry clash due to the fact that they are two boys with extremely different views on what is right and what is wrong. But, they both have strong ideals when it comes to defending what’s important to them. Most of their characteristics can be traced back to their family background. Potter and Malfoy, both come from well-known families, but they do not grow up in a safe nest like other people. Harry is clearly known as the boy who defeated the Dark Lord, but wizards do not acknowledge the fact that in the muggle world, Harry was just a boy trying to survive on his own since the Dursley's never considered him part of the family and therefore, he gets treated as a slave, abused and bullied by his own "family". The fact that Harry's parents were murdered by Voldemort when he was just a baby caused him to grow up without the honest, comforting love of a parent. On the other hand, Malfoy is raised by both of his parents, but even though he has both parental figures, he grows up without love. Draco’s dad is a loyal servant of Voldemort, the Dark Lord. He forces Malfoy to turn to the dark side and become one of Voldemort’s servants, a death eater. Draco is pushed to make harsh decisions for a young adult, including the fact that he must obey Voldemort’s orders and murder Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the world. Harry, on the other hand, develops his life around his mission of finally destroying the Dark Lord and avenging the death of his parents. Bravery is Harry Potter’s middle name. By the last film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," one can see how Harry is portrayed as a brave young man who is willing to sacrifice himself for others while Draco would never risk his life in order to save someone else's.
As stated before, Harry Potter is a boy who never experiences the love of a mother or a father, but he does find his family in his friends. These friendships reach a point where they get in trouble together, fight whatever situation they stumble upon and are even willing to die for one another. However, the same thing cannot be said about Draco’s “friends.” They are the lowest rats existent due to the fact that the only thing they seek is the power and recognition Draco's "friendship" provides. Draco never experiences the beauty of true friendship because he is a self-centered young adult who only cares about himself. He uses people for his own benefit and does not care about the true meaning of friendship.
Nineteen years after Voldemort’s death in the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy are seen at King’s Cross Station dropping off their children who will emerge on the Hogwarts Express in order to start a new chapter in their lives. One can witness how Harry and Draco make a drastic change after many years of oppression by authority or in Draco’s case, his parents. They both manage to happily create a family. Two teenagers who are sorted into rival houses, but love to ride a broom and play Quidditch face life changing experiences that help them develop into successful adults.
The boy who lived grows up into the man who saved his world from its own downfall, while the egotistical, wicked boy walks away from all that darkness he carried around for years and developed into a proud father who made many mistakes, but truly learned from them. Draco Malfoy taught us that not everyone is born evil, and Harry Potter taught us to never give up. We might think that because these two characters are enemies, they are completely different. It turns out that they are not so different after all, they are quite similar actually. They are two young adults fighting for what they truly want, which is to be accepted.
