Hong Kong
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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…