Editing Draco Malfoy (section)

===Magical abilities and skills===
During the series, Draco is portrayed as a cunning, competent young wizard. In his second year, he successfully performed the ''Tarantallegra'' curse against Harry,<ref name="{{HP2}}ch11">{{HPref|book=2}}{{page needed|date=January 2011}}</ref> a curse used by Death Eater [[Antonin Dolohov]] in book 5,<ref name="{{HP5}}ch35">{{HPref|book=5}}{{page needed|date=January 2011}}</ref> and also successfully cast the Serpensortia spell in the same scene, conjuring a serpent from his wand just as Voldemort would later do against Dumbledore in book 5,<ref name="{{HP5}}ch35"/> and Snape against McGonagall in the final book.<ref name="{{HP7}}ch30">{{HPref|book=7}}{{page needed|date=January 2011}}</ref> His character further develops in the sixth book, in which he is among very few students able to reach the required level to take Advanced Potions.<ref name="{{HP6}}ch9">{{HPref|book=6}}{{page needed|date=January 2011}}</ref> Draco also proved capable at [[Occlumency]], which he learned from his Aunt Bellatrix.<ref name="{{HP6}}ch9"/> Rowling recalled a discussion with her editor about Draco having mastered Occlumency while Harry could not. The author said that this is due to Draco being someone "very capable of compartmentalising his life and his emotions".<ref name="tlc"/> Draco's wand is 10&nbsp;inches precisely, made of hawthorn with a unicorn hair core, and which Ollivander states is "reasonably springy".<ref>{{HPref|book=7}}, page 493</ref>

When asked what shape Draco's [[Patronus Charm]] is, Rowling replied that, at least by the end of the sixth book, Draco was not capable of producing a Patronus, as it is not magic routinely taught at Hogwarts.<ref>{{cite web|first=J.K.|last=Rowling|url=http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=118|title=What is Draco Malfoy's Patronus?|publisher=J.K. Rowling Official Site|access-date=1 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226090011/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=118|archive-date=26 December 2010}}</ref>