A Harry Potter villain is now an unlikely new-year mascot in China

Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter’s privileged teen nemesis in J.K. Rowling’s wildly successful book series, is popping up in festive displays in China ahead of the Lunar New Year. (Warner Bros/Everett Collection via CNN Newsource)

HONG KONG — With the Year of the Horse galloping into view, an unexpected face has emerged in China as a symbol of fortune: a villain from Harry Potter’s wizarding world.

Draco Malfoy, Potter’s privileged teen nemesis in J.K. Rowling’s wildly successful book series, is popping up in festive displays in the country ahead of the Lunar New Year.

The good fortune is in the name: “Malfoy” is transliterated as “Ma Er Fu” in Mandarin. The first word “Ma” means “horse” (马), while the third refers to good fortune (福). Read together, it sounds like horses are bringing good luck.

Videos on Chinese social media show people adorning their homes with red posters carrying well-wishing phrases, known as fai chun or chunlian, in an annual festive ritual.

Only this time, alongside messages wishing for wealth and health is the signature grin of the blond bully from Hogwarts school.

The Year of the Horse begins on Feb. 17 with the end of the Year of the Snake (an animal equally apt for Malfoy, as the symbol of Slytherin, his house at Hogwarts).

The Harry Potter franchise has been a hit in China. Nearly 10 million translated copies of books were sold even before the last instalment was released in 2007, its Chinese publisher told state broadcaster CCTV that year.

When the re-mastered version of the first Harry Potter movie was released again in 2020, the film raked in US$27.6 million at China’s box office, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Tom Felton, who played Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series for a decade from 2001, marked his most famous role’s unlikely crossover.

He posted a picture on his Instagram of a giant banner hanging at the atrium of a Chinese shopping mall, featuring the character in a wizard costume.

A short clip on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, shows someone sticking their Malfoy-faced fai chun on their fridge. The video garnered more than 60,000 likes, with another user commenting: “You’re genius.”

Some in China have spotted an opportunity to make a few bucks, selling the posters on Chinese e-commerce platforms.

“The fu has arrived,” one customer wrote on Pinduoduo, another e-commerce platform.

“Bring me some fortune in 2026, young master,” they said.

By Chris Lau, CNN