Lord Voldemort’s relentless pursuit of Harry Potter is a central, driving force throughout the Harry Potter series. It’s a conflict that shapes Harry’s life from infancy and dictates many of the key events in the wizarding world. But why was Voldemort so fixated on eliminating this particular boy? It wasn’t simply about eliminating a potential adversary; Voldemort’s motivations were deeply rooted in his pride, his thirst for power, and his understanding of specific magical circumstances.
One crucial aspect of Voldemort’s obsession stems from his immense pride and belief in his own superiority. Having achieved a level of dark magic unmatched in the wizarding world, Voldemort considered himself the most powerful wizard of all time. The fact that a baby, Harry Potter, had seemingly been instrumental in his downfall was a profound blow to his ego. As Voldemort himself admits in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
“Again, Voldemort looked up at the slowly revolving body as he went on, ‘I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes where Harry Potter is concerned. Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors, than to his triumphs.’”
This quote reveals Voldemort’s acknowledgment of past failures in his attempts to kill Harry. He views Harry’s survival not as a testament to Harry’s strength, but as a consequence of Voldemort’s own errors and miscalculations. This perspective fuels his determination to personally handle Harry’s demise. He believes that only he is competent enough to rectify his past mistakes and ensure the successful execution of his ultimate goal. It becomes a matter of personal pride to prove his capabilities and erase the stain on his self-proclaimed invincibility.
Furthermore, Voldemort’s desire to kill Harry is inextricably linked to his need to prove his strength and dominance to both himself and his followers. The curse that rebounded off Harry and resulted in Voldemort’s initial downfall was a significant blow to his reputation and power. He recognizes Harry as a major threat, a symbol of resistance to his reign and a constant reminder of his vulnerability. Voldemort suspects that his Death Eaters might be harboring doubts about his power after his defeat, and eliminating Harry becomes a crucial demonstration to quell these doubts and reassert his supreme authority. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he states his intentions clearly:
“You see, I think, how foolish it was to suppose that this boy could ever have been stronger than me,’ said Voldemort. ‘But I want there to be no mistake in anybody’s mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger.”
This declaration underscores Voldemort’s need to publicly and decisively prove his superiority over Harry. He wants to eliminate any perception of Harry as a credible threat or someone who could potentially surpass him in power. Killing Harry in front of his Death Eaters serves as a powerful display of Voldemort’s might, solidifying his position as the undisputed Dark Lord.
Finally, a critical, and perhaps less overtly emotional, reason for Voldemort’s insistence on killing Harry himself relates to Lily Potter’s protective magic and its circumvention. Voldemort understood that Lily’s sacrifice had created a powerful protection that prevented him from directly harming Harry. This magical shield was a significant obstacle that had thwarted him for years. However, by using Harry’s blood in the potion to regain his physical form, Voldemort believed he had cleverly neutralized this protection, as he explains in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:
“You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?’ Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. ‘You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him – and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen … I could not touch the boy.’ … ‘His mother left upon him the traces of her sacrifice … this is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it … but no matter. I can touch him now.”
By taking Harry’s blood, Voldemort mistakenly believed he had removed Lily’s protection from himself. This act gave him the confidence to confront Harry directly, knowing that the old magic that had once shielded the boy would no longer be effective against him. This understanding further reinforced his desire to be the one to deliver the killing blow, as he was now uniquely positioned to overcome the magical barrier that had previously saved Harry.
In conclusion, Voldemort’s relentless desire to kill Harry Potter was a complex mix of motivations. It was fueled by his colossal ego and the need to rectify past failures, his desperate urge to prove his unmatched power to his followers and himself, and his calculated, albeit flawed, understanding of how to overcome Lily Potter’s protective magic. These factors combined to make Harry Potter the singular object of Voldemort’s deadly obsession, driving the narrative arc of the entire Harry Potter saga.
