A Study of Draco Malfoy
Name: Draco Lucius Malfoy
Age: 11 (first appearance), 17 (pictured), 36 (final appearance)
Gender: Male
Hair Colour: Platinum
Eye Colour: Grey
Race: Caucasian
Nationality: English
Mentioned Family: Lucius Malfoy (father), Narcissa Black Malfoy (mother)
Date of Birth: June 5th, 1980
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Colour Palette: Dark Greens, Blacks, and Silvers
Base Work: Harry Potter by JK Rowling
History (fact based): Draco is a pure-blooded wizard who began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991, the same year as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. He was sorted into Slytherin and quickly befriended Vincent Crabbe and and Gregory Goyle, also of the Slytherin house. His attempt to befriend Harry was unsuccessful and he is generally viewed as the main student rival to the Golden Trio. He was appointed Seeker of the Slytherin quidditch team during his second year and it is widely speculated that this only happened because his father bought the entire team new Nimbus 2001s (a novelty broom). During his third, fourth, and fifth years, he continued to harass the Golden Trio until his father was found to be a Death Eater as was imprisoned in Azkaban for his crimes. As a result, in order to replace his father, he begrudgingly became a Death Eater towards to beginning on his sixth year, thus obtaining the Dark Mark. He practiced his hexes and jinxes in order to become able to complete his ordered task: kill Albus Dumbledore. In the end, along with some help, he managed to succeed at this task. Because of this, Voldemort released his father from Azkaban. During the Battle of Hogwarts, he actually decides to stay at Hogwarts and (secretly) fights against Voldemort. At the end of the battle, he is seen pleading with a Death Eater for forgiveness. He is saved by Harry and the rest of the trio, and although standoffish about it, is proven to be very greatful. He evaded imprisonment by switching his alliegance from Voldemort to Hogwarts. He later married Astoria Greengrass, both agreeing to move past pure-blood ideas, and had a son named Scorpius Malfoy.
Analysis (opinion based): Draco has gone through his fair share of trouble, and his past isn't exactly the cleanest. There's a lot of speculation in him, about whether he's good, bad, deserves to be forgiven, or not. It's true, he definitively became a Death Eater and definitively killed Dumbledore. However, it is also true that he definitively had no desire to do any of it and that his killing of Dumbledore greatly contributed to the end of the Battle of Hogwarts (Harry got the Elder Wand). Although he didn't get a solidified redemption arc, I believe that this was done on purpose. Whether or not the reader believes that he is innocent or guilty was made to be up to them. Given what he did (guilty) under the circumstances in which he did it (innocent), it's up to the onlooker to speculate and why. Draco went on to be married and be a father, and although married another pure-blood, decided to break family tradition and raise the child without those ideals. It's possible that this alludes to the fact of him breaking family tradition in several ways, for example, officially relinquishing his beliefs as a Death Eater. This is never openly stated, but given the circumstances, it proves change. Draco only committed what he did because he was afraid of his father, but this shows that he is no longer, in turn showing that he is no longer bound by evil. This was never outright said, but could very well prove that he is willing to change for the better in more ways than one. That does not, however, overrule what he did. He committed a detestable act, not only in being a Death Eater, but also in constantly belittling Harry and his friends just because of the circumstances. There was no requirement from his father to be a bully, so what he did there wasn't necessary at all. On the other hand, being a bully is not an inherently evil act and in the end could mean nothing. Draco was generally only evil by any means because he was raised on strict family values and traditions. Alternatively, he knew no other way. He only did what he was taught, which isn't his fault. He proved change as an adult, and although it does not automatically make his past actions go away, it does automatically mean less of them in the future.
Do I believe Draco Malfoy is innocent or guilty?
I believe he's innocent. He deserves to be punished for what he did to an extent, but any amount of research could easily tell you why. Given that, it's unfair to completely place the blame on him.