If you have seen Harry in any of the Harry Potter movies, you must have noticed the shape of a lightning bolt on side of his forehead. What was the lighting bolt doing to his forehead? Is it some kind of symbol or birthmark with a superpower?
This kind of question might have made you curious too. Well, then you are in the correct place. This article certainly has answers to your curiosity.
Coming back to the question about the thunderbolt mark on Harry’s forehead, it was a scar and it was not since his birth. Now you must wonder how it came into the existence then. Don’t worry here we present you the article to answer all your curiousness, all you have to do is read the whole of it.
How did Harry get a scar?
It was the time during the first wizarding war, Harry’s parents were the founding member of the Order of Phoniex, and were battling against Lord Voldemort. The Dark Lord was desperately searching for Harry.
Hence, both Lily and James had to seek a hiding place to protect their son from Voldemort. Unfortunately, Peter Pettigrew betrayed Potters and disclosed the hiding place to Voldemort. Consequently, he arrived there at Godric’s Hollow.
Upon his arrival, Lily along with little Harry went to hide, James bravely fought against him and died proudly. Then, Voldemort moved into the room where Lily and Harry were hiding. Lily begged for mercy and pleaded not to kill her son, and to kill her instead.
Why would a cruel Dark Lord have pity on her? He cast a Killing Curse (Avada Kedebara) on both mother and son. Lily had died on the spot while the death curse on Harry backfired and hit the Dark Lord instead. It left Harry unharmed leaving a mark of a lightning bolt on his forehead.
It was not just a scar it was a mark that made him a “boy who lived”. It also was later disclosed that Voldemort had unwillingly passed some of his power while casting Death’s curse on him. Not only that Voldemort had latched a fragment of his soul on him making him one of the Horcruxes and Voldemort was unknown about it.
Okay, let me also reveal how Harry survived the Death Curse. All the credit goes to his mother, who placed the love protection spell and sacrificed her life to save him. This was the reason why the Killing Spell cast on Harry bounced and hit Voldemort instead.
Now you must have wondered why on the earth Voldemort wanted to kill Harry which eventually caused the scar on his forehead. Lets me put a light on this matter too.
Why does Harry have a scar?
The reason behind Harry’s scar is the Killing Curse on him by Voldemort which he survived due to Lily’s Protection spell as explained above. Well, Voldemort would not just randomly kill any child although he was very evil. Then why did he want to kill Harry who was just young and innocent to cause any harm to him?
It was the prophecy that was predicted by Sybill Trelawney to Dumbledore after he interviewed her as a Divination professor. The prophecy stated:
“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…“
— Sybill Trelawney’s first prophecy in front of Dumbledore
The prophecy clearly revealed that the boy, born at the end of July 1980, whose parents had defied Voldemort three times would have the power to conquer Voldemort.
The prophecy was overheard by Severus Snape who further told Voldemort about it. However, Snape was able to expose only a part of the prophecy as he was caught by Alberth Dumbledore in the middle when the prophecy was made.
As soon as Voldemort knew about the prophecy, he went in search of the boys who met the requirements. There were boys: Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom who fitted the prophecy. Now in this condition prophecy also stated that Dark Lord himself would choose the one to whom would the prophecy referred. So, why did Voldemort choose Harry over Neville?
Voldemort found Harry more like him. Harry was a half-blood just like him and unlike Neville Longbottom who was a pure-blood. Thus, Voldemort desperately searched for Harry and ultimately cast an Aveda Kedevera curse. Then, you know what happened.
All these events left him with an enduring scar on his forehead which reminded him of his painful past.
When exactly did Harry get a scar?
We are already aware that it was the time of the first wizarding war when Harry’s parents were hiding from Voldemort.
To be more specific, Voldemort killed Harry’s parents and had an unsuccessful attempt to kill him on 31 October 1981. It was exactly the time when Harry got the scar on his forehead. He was just a 15-month-old child at that time.
This date marks a series of unfortunate events for Harry. First, he lost both of his parents, then he himself was attacked with a killing curse and finally he was left with a scar that remained lifelong. Along with the physical pain it caused, it must also have reminded him of his deceased parents. Isn’t it so heartbreaking?
Harry had a contradicting relationship with his scar. His emotions toward his scar differed as he knew about its truth. Let us know more about his connection with his scar throughout the years.
Harry and scar’s relationship
Harry’s scar was the only thing that Harry adore growing up with the Dursley family as he believed it was the only thing that he owned. After knowing the truth behind the existence of a scar on his forehead, his relationship with the scar begin to change.
It was his scar that made him recognized all over the wizarding world as a “boy who lived”. Besides he was also called an orphan and a victim of Voldemort. The scar which was only part of his life was turning into something more when he came to Hogwarts. It seemed it was coming into life, causing pain in his forehead. He felt extreme pain when Voldemort was near to him.
The mystery of the scar was gradually unveiled also when Harry was in his second year. After he had destroyed Tom Riddle’s diary, Dumbledore told him that some power have unwillingly transferred to Harry the night Voldemort gave Harry a scar. That was the reason why Harry could speak Parseltongue.
Harry was fed up with his scar and the unwanted attention and popularity he got through it. The scar was not the only thing he possess, it also became the thing useful for him. In Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire, Harry began to experience a series of dreams that seemed to link to Voldemort. His scar hurt whenever he used to have visions about Voldemort, mostly about plans for his next move.
The unbearable pain he faced in his forehead when Voldemort was near him, made Dark Lord easier to attack him in the fight during the Goblet of Fire.
In the Harry Potter and Order of Phoenix, Harry had a very bitter relationship with a scar. Wizards around mocked him for his scar. Rita Skeeter’s article in The Daily Prophet even mention line such as ‘Let’s hope he hasn’t got a scar on his forehead or we’ll be asked to worship him next’
Constant pain in his scar became a reminder of the return of Voldemort which the Ministry of Magic denied and mocked him instead. Thus the scar became the source of his emotional trauma the mark on his head seems to define him which made him more disappointed.
We witnessed something more in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince about a scar. We came that Neville Longbottom also fitted the prophecy but Lord Voldemort choose him instead.
Thus the scar was not only the wound but also a target as the prophecy also said “neither can live whilst the other survives.” Hence only one among Harry and Voldemort could survive which signified Harry must defeat Lord Voldemort. The scar is now a reminder of the purpose of his life.
As we already Harry got the vision of Voldemort as he felt the pain in his scar, in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows, it became a link to find the Horcruxes to destroy Voldemort’s soul.
Harry even felt pain while burying Dobby. Bright thing is that he had control over his pain even though he felt extreme pain digging deeper to the ground. This control helped him to face Voldemort in the final battle too.
When Harry went to Limbo where he met Dumbledore, he was seen without the scar. However, the scar reappeared when Harry was back on the earth to battle with Dark Lord.
The scar was seen in Harry nineteen years later in the final battle. It still was the remainder of his painful past for his early nineteen years.
Could Harry’s scar on his forehead be removed?
Harry is seen with the scar throughout the films except for the time when he went to limbo. Is it possible to remove the scar with any of the magical means?
We have witnessed magical cures, healing patients so prominently that even the even scars are removed. Well, everything has limits, even magics. The wounds which are severe enough would leave a permanent mark, just like the scar of Harry Potter. Killing Curse was cast on him, how can’t it be not powerful enough to leave a deep scar?
Hence, that sort of scar would not heal, no matter how many spells and potions are thrown at it. Harry is not alone to have the permanent scar, Ron’s brother Bill and George possessed them too. Even Mad-Eye Moody had a pockmarked patchwork quilt face too.
Did he have other scars besides his forehead?
Well, the scar on Harry’s forehead is not only the one he possessed. Take the scar on the back of his right hand which read “I must not tell lies.”
Remember the time when Dolores Umbridge was the Headmistress of Hogwarts? During that time Harry got the news Voldemort was after the prophecy and he had captured his godfather, Sirius Black. He along with Ron and Hermione broke into Umbridge’s office and got caught.
That was the moment when he was punished. Umbridge ordered him to write those words on his right hand with her enchanted quill, which magically carved those lines in his flesh. Such a brutal thing, he had to face. That scar remained on his hand for several years even though he soaked it in murtlap solution several times.
Closing up
The scar on Harry’s forehead made him the “boy who lived”. In the wizarding world, his scar was defining him. This was not a good thing, even Harry hated it. Ultimately he proved he was much more than his scars, much more than a boy who survived the Killing curse by Voldemort.
He defeated the one who gave him that scar and established his new identity in the wizarding world. Further, he was a successful Auror and devoted his life to working in the Ministry of Magic.
We knew that the scar held an important part in Harry’s life. We know our love for Harry, we would love him with or even without the scar.
