Why is Draco an only child?

[Grey Wolf]

No: HPFGUIDX 127081


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Emma Hawkes <ehawkes at i...> wrote:
> Given his family's obsession with bloodlines, why is Draco an only child?

My own take on it is essentially historical: the Malfoys act in all respects as a classical 
family of nobility. For a noble family, the only three reasons to marry were titles, land and 
money (two out of three for best results :D ). Now, it is obvious that Malfoys aren't aiming 
for titles (that is, the only distinction they seem to want is that of pureblood, more on that 
later), nor are they hurting for money (clearly stablished in many places, particularly in the 
first couple of books, as well as in the frequent bribes used to remain in good standing). 
So the most logical aim must be lands, at this point. 

Having two (or more) children is a fundamental mistake when you're aiming for lands, 
because you usually need to divide family lands in two (even more so in the wizarding 
world, where you can't just pack the second child away into the church). If this is what they 
are thinking, a single child who they can arrange marriage to another landlord would 
further concentrate power into the family, while several children would force to divide it 
into several branches, with a subsequent loss of land for each branch.

Now, I mention titles above. We know that there are titles in the WW - Merlin order, diverse  
academical achivements, etc etc., but so far we have failed to be impressed by hereditary 
titles, equivalent to our barons, counts and so on. There is a concept of family line, but the 
only point in favour of one or another is their relative purity, as it is well known. This, 
however, just limits the objectives, but it doesn't nullify them. It is clear that pure wizard 
families take extreme pains to ensure that they remain pure, which in turn means creating 
an equivalent to titles, which in this case they're just surnames. But Malfoys are already a 
top wizarding family, so it is hard to imagine who they could marry to increase their own 
sense of importance. This is why I discarded "titles" as a reason for having children.
 
> * His parents are too inbred to produce more children.  (Consider how 
> similar their nordic looks are.)

While imbreeding might very well be a problem (which has been mentioned several times, 
as a matter of fact), there is no real reason to think this might be the case, IMO. 
Inbreeding usually results in what children they have also presenting recessive traits and 
while Malfoy is a disgusting little ferret, he seems physically sound. Granted, it is difficult 
to tell due to the advanced medical magics that the WW has access to.

> * His parents are trapped in a loveless marriage.  (Arranged 
> marriages would fit with the bloodlines obsession.)

Most marriages over the ages have been arranged, and thus you have to assume "loveless" 
(although I've often heard that the idea of "marriage for love" is a quite recent adition to 
our culture). This hasn't, at any rate, stopped most societies from continuing. Malfoy Sr. 
doesn't seem to be one to shy away from what he perceives to be his duty towards his own 
status, so I would discount that lack of love would stop him from fathering children, if he 
thought that it was his duty to do so. Even if he has to resort to Magical Viagra 
(engorgement charms?).

> * His parents chose not to have more children.  (Draco, like the 
> others in his year, was conceived and born almost at the height of 
> the last war.  Perhaps fewer people chose to have children at that 
> point?  That would explain why there seem to be more students in the 
> school overall than can be accounted for by multiplying the number of 
> kids in Harry's year.)

There was this old theory that said that the aligment of DE children in a small amount of 
time answered to a dark purpose. While nothing much ever came out of it, that I 
remember, it cannot be discarded. Malfoy, Crabb, Goyle and others all had children around 
the same time. Since I've already been repulsive by suggesting Viagra in the post, I might 
as well go all the way and suggest that, for example, one of the spells for eternal life that 
Voldemort was toying with involved serial possesion of bodies - in which case, most DEs 
would prefer to posses someone of their own line rather than using some lesser blooded 
individual. Since it also had to be younger (not much point in possesing someone with less 
life left than you had), most might have decided to have children the moment the spell was 
discovered - but had to be abandoned as an idea after Voldemort went vapour. It might 
still be in the works, though*.

> * He has siblings who are much older than him or much younger, so 
> Harry has not yet noticed them.

All the Malfoys have attended Slytherin (we have been told), so I have to disagree with 
Eggplant there. Al older brother wouldn't be left out of the World Cup, either. But maybe a 
baby brother that was left with the nanny? Of course, this is reusable: except in the three 
months following the Cup, Draco could have had a baby borther at any time and we would 
have no reason to be informed - unless Malfoy gloats about it to Harry, and it would be 
rather OoC.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf, trying out posting in a web browser that has given him problems in the past, so 
please excuse him if the lines are all weird

*For those cheering for a Draco Redemption, the fact that his daddy only wants him to use 
his body as a step in eternal life might be a reason for him to do a Snape and join the 
good guys.