I thought he would come, said Voldemort in his high, clear voice, his eyes on the leaping flames. I expected him to come.
These were the words ushered from Voldemort’s mouth just moments before Harry Potter met his apparent demise.
Harry’s Sacrifice
In this moment, Harry had made the choice to sacrifice himself in order to protect his friends, exchanging his own life with the safety of every other witch and wizard who bravely fought against Voldemort’s forces.
- Previous confrontations with Voldemort:
- Meeting with a fragmented Voldemort attached to Professor Quirrell.
- Duel in the graveyard of Little Hangleton.
Unlike these encounters, this time Harry had come forward without any intentions to fight back. He came to die.
Harry’s Survival
Of course, we later find out that Harry, who stared death right in the face, eventually survives. But what I want to discuss today is how he survives. If we go by Harry Potter canon, there are several explanations that shed light on how Harry manages to survive, and we owe our gratitude to Dumbledore for providing us with answers to these sorts of questions.
But what I want to suggest today is that Dumbledore lied. Today we will discuss why Dumbledore lied and explore the real way that Harry was able to return to the land of the living.
Revisiting the Forbidden Forest
Encounter with Voldemort
To set the scene, let’s revisit the Forbidden Forest when Harry comes face to face with Voldemort.
“Harry Potter,” Voldemort said very softly, his voice might have been part of the spitting fire. “The boy who lived.”
None of the Death Eaters moved. They were waiting. Everything was waiting. Hagrid was struggling, and Bellatrix was panting. Harry thought inexplicably of Ginny and her blazing look and the feel of her lips on his.
Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was still tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry looked back into the red eyes and wanted it to happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear.
He saw the mouth move in the flash of green light, and everything was gone.
Harry in Limbo
After this exchange with Voldemort, Harry is hit with the Killing Curse, and the next thing we see is Harry waking up in a strange place, a place unlike anything else we had seen previously.
- Harry’s surroundings:
- Bright mist.
- Not hidden by Cloudy Vapor.
- The floor seemed to be white, neither warm nor cold, but simply there.
It would be reasonable at this point to conclude that Harry is dead and that he has come to a sort of afterlife. In fact, that’s the conclusion that Harry comes to as well, having the following exchange with his old headmaster.
“But you’re dead,” said Harry. “Oh yes,” said Dumbledore, matter-of-factly. “Then, I’m dead too?” “Ah,” said Dumbledore, smiling still more broadly.
“That is the question, isn’t it? On the whole, dear boy, I think not.”
Dumbledore’s Explanation
The conversations that Harry has with Dumbledore suggest that he isn’t dead. As the pair continue their conversation, Dumbledore explains that Harry is in fact still very much alive because his soul is entirely intact.
- Harry’s options:
- Go on to the afterlife.
- Return to the land of the living as a whole person.
Harry chose the latter.
The explanation for this given in the books is twofold:
- Mother’s Sacrifice: The same magic that had protected him for all his life was still tethered to the land of living as it ran through Voldemort’s veins.
- Years prior, Voldemort rebuilt his body using Harry’s blood, and this kept Harry anchored to the mortal realm.
- “Precisely,” said Dumbledore, “he took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it. Your blood in his veins, Harry. Lily’s protection inside both of you. He tethered you to life while he lives.”
- Harry’s Soul: Harry’s soul wasn’t hit with the Killing Curse, but rather, the piece of Voldemort’s soul latched to Harry was.
- “Your soul is whole and completely your own, Harry.”
Issues with Dumbledore’s Explanation
I think Harry died. Let’s look at the facts.
- First Attempt on Harry’s Life:
- When Voldemort tried to kill Harry as a baby, the Killing Curse rebounded and destroyed Voldemort’s physical form.
- If the same magic protected Harry this second time, you’d think that the same thing would have happened.
- No Visible Mark:
- When Harry was hit by the Killing Curse as a baby, it left a visible mark.
- The second time around, this didn’t happen, suggesting some other magic was involved.
- Horcrux Destruction:
- To destroy a Horcrux, its container must be destroyed.
- Harry’s body was intact, implying Harry too had to be destroyed to kill the part of Voldemort’s soul inside him.
- King’s Cross Limbo:
- If Harry truly had the option to move on, he must have been dead.
- Sacrificial Magic:
- After being struck down by Voldemort’s curse, Harry inadvertently cast a piece of sacrificial magic that protected all of his allies.
- “I’ve only noticed how none of the spells he put on them are binding. You can’t torture them. You can’t touch them.”
The Role of the Deathly Hallows
I think there was other magic at play here that gave Harry the choice to return to life—magic related to three little magical artifacts you may have heard of, the Deathly Hallows.
Master of Death
Before Harry was shot down by Voldemort’s Killing Curse, he found himself in a unique circumstance—he was the Master of Death.
- Possession of the Deathly Hallows:
- Invisibility Cloak.
- Resurrection Stone.
- Elder Wand.
Being a Master of Death represents different aspects of mortality and its relationship with power, resurrection, and invisibility.
- Elder Wand: Signifies the power over others.
- Resurrection Stone: Represents the longing for life after death.
- Invisibility Cloak: Symbolizes the ability to evade the inevitability of death.
Together, these Hallows create a triad that encompasses the different facets of humanity’s relationship with mortality. This allowed Harry to conquer death and return to the land of the living after dying.
Allegiance of the Elder Wand
Because Harry chose not to defend himself when facing Voldemort in the forest, he wasn’t truly defeated, meaning the allegiance of the Elder Wand didn’t change. If Harry had tried to defend himself and lost ownership of the Elder Wand, he might have lost the option to return to the land of the living.
Why Dumbledore Lied
Why would Dumbledore lie about all of this and create an elaborate story to feed Harry?
- Dangers of Power:
- Dumbledore knew the dangers of having such power.
- The allure of inconceivable strength bears the potential to change people.
- Dumbledore’s Youth:
- Along with Gellert Grindelwald, harbored ambitions of locating and claiming the Hallows.
- Vision of a future where wizards would dominate and influence Muggles for the greater good.
As Dumbledore grew older, he recognized how the pursuit of power led him down a rocky path. He never wished for Harry to endure the same thing.
And that’s it for this blog! Had you ever questioned Harry’s death and how unusual everything seemed? Let me know in the comment section below.
