How do you think things would change if Draco was a girl?
Surprisingly little, really. Draco already gets some feminizing framing, and JKR really does seem to *want* to keep the wizarding world world-building more-or-less gender blind.
Like... Draco (Draca?) would still be the Malfoy heir. I think Lucius might outright dote on a daughter slightly more - he gives me serious Girl Dad vibes - but he already kinda dotes on Draco, so. Anyway, the Daddy's Girl/Daddy's Little Princess of it all would be off the charts. Draco would still try to make friends with Harry, he'd still turn her down, and she'd throw a tantrum about it.
Fem!Draco would still have Crabbe and Goyle as goons, still be into Quidditch, still be Slytherin seeker, still be Snape's teacher's pet... for all I know, Pansy would still be kinda into her. I don't see Voldemort treating Lucius' daughter any different than he treats Lucius' son. Same with Dumbledore, Bellatrix. Who else does Draco have important relationships with?
The biggest difference would be how Harry relates to her, because right off the bat Draco reminds Harry of Dudley (and if she were a girl he would probably not make that connection.) And then, when he learns that Draco *isn't* actually all that much like Dudley, he still gets under Harry's skin... because I think on some level Harry's cast Draco as "wizard default," or even - this kid has the the life I would have had if my parents hadn't died, and he doesn't even deserve it.
So, weirdly I think Book 1 Harry would be *less* hyper-fixated on Draco if she was a girl. It's be more removed, the way he thinks about Pansy. Until Draco gets on the quidditch team anyway. Harry has kind of a *thing* for girls who play seeker, and look. There's something about people with a mean streak that he also finds very compelling.
So there might be a little less "Based on nothing, I think Draco Malfoy is behind it all." But it evens out, because I also think that a Female Draco would pick on Hermione like... way more. Because now Harry has chosen Hermione OVER her. And... Hermione's a muggleborn, and so annoying, and her hair sucks and her teeth suck and she's badly dressed etc. Draco (and pansy) are so happy to spread rumors about Hermione during Book 4, I really do think that with Fem!Draco Hermione would have to put up with like... so much more of that. Even if Harry has got some kind of attraction... until Fem!Draco can be start being decent to Hermione, I don't see it going anywhere. Also I think Fem!Draco would have the hugest crush on Cedric.
I think Fem!Draco wouldn't be able to goad Harry and Ron into punching her... but she'd still be able to goad them into punching Crabbe and Goyle, so same difference. The only scene I see playing out notably differently would be the Sectumsempra bathroom scene. Like... Harry's not following Draco into the girls bathroom when she's crying. That means Harry holds onto the Prince's potion book for longer - which doesn't really make a difference - but what DOES make a difference is Harry not getting a good visual memory of Ravenclaw's diadem when he goes to hide it. Which means he's going to have a lot more trouble finding it in Book 7. Worst case scenario - that makes the Voldemort conflict drag on a lot longer. Best case scenario - the fact that they have *less* history of antagonism means that Draco is able to offer to help Harry a little more openly, and SHE probably recognizes that diadem, after basically living in that room for all of Book 6.
