Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Pansy Parkinson

Overview
Pansy Parkinson is a member of Slytherin House in Harry's year, with a face like a pug (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). She and Draco Malfoy seem to have a romantic relationship towards the end of the series.

Philosopher's Stone
Pansy is seen at the Sorting, where her name, but not her house, is mentioned.

After Neville's accident in his first Flying lesson, Draco jeers at Neville's expression; Parvati Patil tells him to shut up, and Pansy accuses her of being sweet on Neville. She is here described as a "hard-faced girl"; as flying lessons are shared with the Slytherins, we can infer that she is in Slytherin house.

Prisoner of Azkaban
Pansy, who has been told about Harry's experiences with the Dementor on the Hogwarts Express, calls across the Great Hall at breakfast to taunt him.

When Draco is injured by a Hippogriff, we see Pansy at his bedside in the Hospital Wing.

Goblet of Fire
Pansy is apparently Draco Malfoy's date for the Yule Ball.

When Witch Weekly runs a story on Hermione suggesting that she has both Harry and Viktor Krum on a string, it is Pansy who discovers this. She throws a copy of the magazine to Hermione in Potions class.

Order of the Phoenix
Ron reports that Pansy Parkinson is one of the two prefects for Slytherin house, the other being Draco Malfoy.

It is mentioned that Pansy Parkinson shares one of the horseless carriages up to the school with Draco Malfoy and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle.

On the second day of classes, Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle are laughing about something as they arrive at Care of Magical Creatures class. When Professor Grubbly-Plank asks if anyone can identify the creatures she has in front of her, Hermione puts her hand up, and Draco imitates her. Pansy shrieks with laughter, then screams as the little bundles of twigs on the table jump up, revealing themselves to be Bowtruckles.

At Gryffindor's first Quidditch practice, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle have accompanied Draco Malfoy to the pitch, and laugh appreciatively at every joke Draco makes about the Gryffindors. Harry in particular finds Pansy's screams of mirth annoying.

As the first Quidditch match approaches, Pansy tries to upset Harry by telling him that Warrington is going to be trying to knock him off his broom. Harry responds that with Warrington's bad aim, he has nothing to worry about.

In the first Care of Magical Creatures class after Hagrid's return, Professor Umbridge is examining Hagrid's teaching. She has clearly already decided that Hagrid is a half-wit, so when she asks Pansy if she has trouble understanding Hagrid, Pansy plays along, saying that often the lessons just sound like grunting. Throughout the examination by Umbridge, Pansy is laughing, as are Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle.

When Dumbledore's Army is betrayed, Pansy is one of the "trusted students" that Umbridge brings to break up the meeting. Pansy is able to get into the Room of Requirement and retrieve the parchment that shows the names of all the people in Dumbledore's Army, which she gives to Umbridge.

After Fred and George depart the school, there are a number of attacks against Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, of which Pansy is a member. It is mentioned that she misses an entire day's classes because she has suddenly grown antlers.

Half-Blood Prince
On the Hogwarts Express, Harry, under his Invisibility Cloak, sneaks into Draco Malfoy's compartment to try and find out what Draco is up to. Draco, who has his head in Pansy's lap, is boasting to Pansy that he may not be attending Hogwarts for his seventh year, that he has been given a greater mission. Pansy is stroking his hair as she listens.

Harry later tells Ron what he had overheard, and Ron, twice, says he thinks that Draco was boasting to impress Pansy.

Deathly Hallows
After Harry's return to the school, when all students are assembled in the Great Hall, Lord Voldemort's voice is heard from outside, demanding that Harry Potter be surrendered. Pansy Parkinson, sitting with the other Slytherins, jumps up and points her wand at Harry, exclaiming that all they have to do is capture him and Voldemort will leave the school alone. The entire Gryffindor table rises and aims their wands at her and the other Slytherins, followed almost immediately by the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Professor McGonagall dismisses her comment and immediately evacuates Slytherin House, while the of-age student wizards in the other three Houses are allowed to remain, if they so choose.

Strengths
We believe Pansy Parkinson to be intelligent, as one presumably must have at least passing grades to become a prefect. Her having multiple classes alongside Hermione, widely considered the most brilliant witch of her age, unfortunately cannot be used as an indicator, as there seems to be only one year class.

Weaknesses
Her habit of selecting weaker opponents for her bullying would indicate a certain cowardice, common in bullies. Hermione seems to suggest she is unattractive, and Harry's opinion would seem to corroborate this, but we may have to discount this as being biased by Pansy's having targeted Hermione.

Relationships with Other Characters
Pansy often picks on other students, mainly Gryffindors like Parvati Patil, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. She tends to concentrate her aggressions on those less powerful, younger, or smaller than herself. Her friends are other Slytherin girls, and she is often seen giggling with them. In her sixth year, Pansy seems to like fawning over Draco Malfoy, fondling and stroking his hair.

Analysis
Just as Harry has his nemesis in Draco, Hermione must have a nemesis as well, and apparently Pansy is selected for that role. We don't, however, see as much of her as we do of Draco; this may be because Hermione is playing a supporting role. However, Pansy's bullying behaviour, directed at Hermione among others, serves a larger purpose: the author is using Pansy as a way of showing that Draco's ongoing attacks against Harry and other Gryffindors are not a characteristic of Draco, but of Slytherin house as a whole. It is the Sorting Hat who tells us, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, that
 * These cunning folks use any means, To achieve their ends.

There is not anything inherently evil in this, but it does easily lend itself to abuses. In the case of Pansy and Draco, clearly the means used for advancement include putting down other students. Unpleasant as it may be, it seems that having Pansy portrayed in this way is intended to show that this sort of behaviour is accepted in Slytherin house in general.

Questions

 * 1) Who does Pansy marry?
 * 2) Does Pansy have any kids?