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"It is often said of the Malfoy family that you will never find one at the scene of the crime, though their fingerprints might be all over the guilty wand. Independently wealthy, with no need to work for a living, they have generally preferred the role of power behind the throne, happy for others to do the donkey work and to take the responsibility for failure. They have helped finance many of their preferred candidates’ election campaigns, which have (it is alleged) included paying for dirty work such as hexing the opposition."
— Description[src]

Malfoy was the surname of a wealthy pure-blood wizarding family and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They lived in Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, England. The Malfoys were related to many other pure-blood families, including the Blacks, Lestranges, Greengrasses, and Rosiers. They were also related to the Tonks and Lupin families, of mixed wizarding and Muggle heritage, much to the Malfoys' disdain,[9] as they were pure-blood supremacists, although they were not themselves against marrying Half-bloods.[2]

The Malfoys gained a reputation for their pure-blood supremacy and heritage. During the First and Second Wizarding Wars, they supported Lord Voldemort and some members were even Death Eaters under his command.

History[]

Early history[]

"I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been."
Draco Malfoy[src]

The Malfoy family consisted of an ancient line of pure-blood wizards, most of whom attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and were traditionally sorted into Slytherin House. Like many other progenitors of noble English families, the wizard Armand Malfoy arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror as part of the invading Norman army. Having rendered unknown, shady, (and almost certainly magical) services to King William I, Malfoy was given a prime piece of land in Wiltshire, seized from local landowners, upon which his descendants have lived for ten consecutive centuries.[2] Armand's descendants included many noble lords and other influential figures.[10]

The Malfoy family soon gained their reputation for pure-blood supremacy and courting richness and power from those around them. Until the passing of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1692, the Malfoys integrated themselves in high-class Muggle society. Though hotly denied by subsequent generations, there is ample evidence to suggest that the first Lucius Malfoy was an unsuccessful aspirant to the hand of Elizabeth I, and some wizarding historians allege that the Queen's subsequent opposition to marriage was due to a jinx placed upon her by the thwarted Malfoy. The Malfoys expanded their already large estate with the lands of their Muggle neighbours, and dabbled successfully into Muggle currency and assets, becoming one of the wealthiest families in wizarding Britain.[2] A known company belonging to the Malfoy family was the Malfoy Apothecary, which sourced Superior Red wine, a name perhaps hinting at their characteristic blood purity.[11] Though they opposed the Statute of Secrecy at first, they soon embraced it and cut off all ties with Muggle families, denying that they had ever fraternised with such people.[2]

After this period, the Malfoys instead began to seek influence over the newly formed British Ministry of Magic, using their considerable wealth to do so. Though no Malfoy is known to have ever aspired for the position of Minister for Magic, many members of the family financed the elections of their preferred candidates for the post, even going so far as to pay to have the opposition hexed.

Notable Malfoys of past generations included the fourteenth-century Nicholas Malfoy, who was believed to have dispatched many a fractious Muggle tenant under the guise of the Black Death, though escaping censure by the Wizards' Council; Septimus Malfoy, who was greatly influential at the Ministry in the late eighteenth century, many claiming that Minister for Magic Unctuous Osbert was little more than his puppet,[2] as well as Abraxas Malfoy, who was widely believed to be part of the shady plot that saw the first Muggle-born Minister (Nobby Leach) leave his post prematurely in 1968. However, nothing was ever proven against Malfoy.[2]

"The family has, however, eschewed the somewhat dangerous practice of inter-marrying within such a small pool of pure-bloods that they become enfeebled or unstable, unlike a small minority of fanatic families such as the Gaunts and Lestranges, and many a half-blood appears on the Malfoy family tree."
— Description of the Malfoy family[src]

Though the family was inclined to blood-purity, they were unwilling to practise the dangers of inbreeding with cousins, correctly knowing that it would and could potentially endanger their genes, and would accept marrying half-bloods due to the small pool of available pure-bloods. Hence, it is possible to find several half-bloods on the Malfoy family tree. This differed them from the more fanatical groups such as Blacks, Lestranges and Gaunts, though apparently this did not deter their respect from such families,[2] likely because of their riches.

Recent history[]

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."
— Harry refuses to accept Draco's offer of friendship[src]
DH1 The Malfoy Family

The Malfoy Family in their sitting room in Malfoy Manor

Lucius Malfoy, the son of Abraxas Malfoy, was one of the few pure-blood wizards left by the late 20th century. He joined the Death Eaters when they came to power in the First Wizarding War. He married Narcissa Black, a fellow pure-blood of similar wealthy background, and they had one son, Draco, who later became Harry Potter's main rival in his school years. The Malfoy family was one of the first wizarding families to repent following Lord Voldemort's first defeat, claiming they had been bewitched, in 1981.[12]

They allied themselves with him again during the Second Wizarding War, believing strongly in the notion of blood purity.[13] However, Voldemort became displeased with Lucius for his failure to obtain the prophecy involving him and Harry Potter in 1996. While Lucius was in Azkaban, Voldemort ordered his son Draco to kill Albus Dumbledore, a seemingly impossible task, as a way to punish Lucius.[14]

After Dumbledore's death at the hands of Severus Snape and the Death Eaters' escape from Azkaban in 1997, the Malfoys had fallen out of favour with the Dark Lord. They were extremely uncomfortable with having their home used as his base of operations. Voldemort went as far as to strip Lucius of his wand during a Death Eaters meeting and even mocked the Malfoys for being related to the Tonks family, a family that contained Muggle ancestry and even a werewolf member.[15]

Malfoys on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Draco, Astoria, and Scorpius in 2017

Before Voldemort's ultimate defeat, the Malfoys switched sides; Narcissa lied to the Dark Lord in assistance of Harry Potter, and neither she nor Lucius participated in any of the fightings during the Battle of Hogwarts.[15] None of the Malfoys were subsequently imprisoned in Azkaban because of this defection.

Draco then married Astoria Greengrass sometime between 1998-2005, and had a son called Scorpius circa 2006. In 2017, Draco and Astoria were at King's Cross station to see Scorpius off to Hogwarts when Harry Potter saw him again.[15] Scorpius was sorted into Slytherin House, just like his ancestors before him.[16]

Draco's marriage with Astoria was met with the disapproval of his parents. While Astoria was a pure-blood of one of the fellow Sacred Twenty-Eight families, her change in blood-supremacy views influenced by the Second Wizarding War disappointed Lucius and Narcissa. Draco, who underwent the same changes, would stand up to his parents, which led to family reunions being fraught with tension. Draco was content with letting the Malfoy bloodline die alongside him to preserve Astoria's frail health due to her blood malediction, much to Lucius' chagrin, but Astoria wanted a child for her husband so that he would have a companion. As a result, Scorpius was born, but Astoria died thirteen years after his birth. Due to Astoria's deteriorating health, the family went into seclusion, which led to false rumours that Astoria was unable to conceive and used a Time-Turner to go back in time to conceive a child with Voldemort, leading to false accusations that Scorpius is the son of Voldemort.[16]

Malfoy family crest[]

Malfoy Family Crest WU

Malfoy Family Crest

The family crest paid homage to Salazar Slytherin, bearing the colours black, green and silver, as well as images of several serpentine creatures. The Latin words Sanctimonia Vincet Semper appeared inscribed on a silver banner, meaning Purity Will Always Conquer.[17]

In 2019, the Malfoy family crest was captured by the Calamity and began to appear around the world as a Foundable.[18]

Family members[]

Known members[]

Wizard(s) Notes
Armand Malfoy First Malfoy in Great Britain, arriving with the Norman conquest. Given land in Wiltshire because of his services to William the Conqueror.
Nicholas Malfoy Alleged dispatcher of a fractious Muggle tenant under the guise of the Black Death, who escaped censure by the Wizards' Council.
Lucius Malfoy I Unsuccessful aspirant to the hand of Elizabeth I, accused of casting a jinx on her to force her to stay single.
Brutus Malfoy Editor of the anti-Muggle periodical Warlock at War.[19]
Septimus Malfoy Advisor to the Minister for Magic sometime between 1789 to 1798.
Unidentified Malfoy portrait (III) Depicted in portraits in Malfoy Manor, bearing the Malfoy coat of arms.
Unidentified Malfoy portrait (V)
Abraxas Malfoy Alleged perpetrator of a mysterious illness that had befallen upon Minister for Magic Nobby Leach in 1968; father of Lucius Malfoy II and grandfather of Draco Malfoy. Died of Dragon-Pox sometime between 1968 and 1996.
Lucius Malfoy II Second-in-command of the Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War, Chairman of the Hogwarts Board of Governors from 1982 to 1993, high ranking member of the Ministry of Magic from 1990 to 1996 and disgraced Death Eater during the Second Wizarding War; son of Abraxas Malfoy and father of Draco Malfoy.
Narcissa Malfoy (née Black) Wife of Lucius Malfoy, and mother of Draco Malfoy.
Draco Lucius Malfoy Death Eater at the height of the Second Wizarding War. Defected during the Battle of Hogwarts and presumably pardoned. Son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and father of Scorpius Malfoy.
Astoria Malfoy (née Greengrass) Wife of Draco Malfoy and mother of Scorpius Malfoy. Died of a blood borne curse inherited from an ancestor in 2019.
Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy Son of Draco and Astoria Malfoy. Sorted in 2017 along with Rose Weasley and Albus Potter.

Unspecified relations[]

The following individuals were depicted as portraits in Malfoy Manor, suggesting a relation with the Malfoy family, but their exact status within the Malfoy family (if at all) is unspecified:

Family tree[]

 
 
 
 
 
 
Malfoy family
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Armand Malfoy
(fl. 1066)
 
 
 
 
 
(many generations)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nicholas Malfoy
(fl. c. 1340s)
 
 
 
 
 
(many generations)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lucius Malfoy I
(fl. 1500s)
 
 
 
 
 
(many generations)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brutus Malfoy
(fl. 1675)
 
 
 
 
 
(many generations)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Septimus Malfoy
(fl. 1700s)
 
House of Black
 
Rosier family
 
 
 
 
 
(many generations)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abraxas Malfoy
(fl. 1954)
 
Cygnus Black III
(19381992)
 
Druella Rosier
(fl. 1950s)
 
 
 
Tonks family
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Greengrass family
 
Lucius Malfoy
(b. 1954)
 
Narcissa Black
(b. 1955)
 
 
 
 
Andromeda Black
(b. 1953)
 
Edward Tonks
(d. 1998)
 
 
Lupin family
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Daphne Greengrass
(b. c. 1980)
 
Astoria Greengrass
(c. 19822019)
 
Draco Lucius Malfoy
(b. 1980)
 
 
 
 
 
Lestrange family
 
Nymphadora Tonks
(c. 19731998)
 
Remus John Lupin
(19601998)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy
(b. c. 2006)
 
 
Bellatrix Black
(19511998)
 
Rodolphus Lestrange
(b. c. 1950s)
 
 
 
Edward Remus Lupin
(b. 1998)
 
 

Etymology[]

Malfoyfamilytree-pottermore-layered2-half

Pedigree of the Malfoy family

Malfoy is derived from the French "mal foi", meaning "badly (or in this case, bad) faith" or "unfaithful". In law, "bad faith" refers to a case in which a malicious motive on the part of a party in a lawsuit undermines their case. This would be relevant to the general cruel natures displayed by Lucius and Draco as well as Narcissa. In existentialism, "bad faith" is a philosophical concept in which people blame their own failures on external factors, thus denying responsibility for their actions. This could also refer to the Malfoys' tendency to switch their loyalties to avoid danger or punishment, rather than steadfastly supporting their presented views.

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. Draco, who is descended from the main line of the family, along with his father, mother, wife and son, are all Pure-blood.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Malfoy Family" at Wizarding World
  3. Harry Potter Film Wizardry
  4. Violetta Bulstrode was the maternal great-great-grandmother of Draco Malfoy
  5. The portrait of Elizabeth Burke was hung in Malfoy Manor, so it is possible that she was related to the Malfoys.
  6. The Malfoys are related to the Weasleys through the Narcissa and her descent from the House of Black.
  7. The Malfoys are related to the Potters through the House of Black and the Weasley family. However, they are only related to Dorea Black, her husband and son, and Ginny Weasley and her husband and children
  8. 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  9. Black family tree
  10. What is Life Like in a Magical Family? | Discover Harry Potter Ep. 7
  11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Chapter 23 (Malfoy Manor)
  12. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  13. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  16. 16.0 16.1 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  17. Harry Potter Film Wizardry
  18. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, "Brilliant Event: Fighting Forces
  19. The Tales of Beedle the Bard
  20. 20.0 20.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
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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