Voldemort wanted to kill Harry Potter because of a prophecy that he heard, that claimed that there would be a boy whose powers would end him.
The Harry Potter franchise was premised on the boy who lived, Harry Potter. A teenage boy that was mystified in the world of witches and wizards, after he was the only one to have survived the death curse from the Dark Lord, Voldemort.
For seven books and eight movies, fans were captivated as the boy who lived matured and honed his powers to eventually be the end of Voldemort.
A sequence of events that started when Voldemort heard a prophecy that there was a boy that would be the end of his powers.
How did Harry Potter become, “the boy who survived”?
Harry Potter was dubbed “the boy who lived”, after he survived a death curse by Voldemort. He survived the death curse because of his mother, Lily Potter’s love.
When Voldemort attempted to kill Harry, Lily put herself in front of the curse, which placed a protective spell on Harry, but subsequently killed her.
Voldemort was unaware of this kind of magic, as it was an ancient magic that he did not know about, or even fathom.
Following the death of his parents, Harry went to live with his only surviving relatives, his aunt and uncle in order to hide his existence from Voldemort until he came of age.
Why did Voldemort want to kill Harry?
Voldemort wanted to kill Harry Potter because of a prophecy he heard, that claimed that there would be a boy who was born whose powers would be the end of him.
In light of Voldemort and Harry sharing a similar past, along with the fact that Harry had survived his death curse due to his mother’s love, Voldemort was convinced that Harry was his mortal enemy.
This fact is made clearer in the sixth instalment of Harry Potter, The Half Blood Prince. The book and the movie showcase how, as a result of the two sharing a similar past and both being marked by Lily’s protective spell, they had a bond between them.
This is as Harry could communicate with snakes, similar to Voldemort.
However, that similarity would later be explained by Dumbledore, who told Harry that Voldemort unknowingly transferred some of his powers to Harry when he tried to kill him as a baby, making him the eighth horcrux.
Who was behind the prophecy?
The prophecy that set the whole Harry Potter series into motion was foreseen by Professor Trelawney when she was being interviewed for a job at Hogwarts. During her interview, she 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…”
Who told Voldemort about the prophecy?
Severus Snape was the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy. At the time of Professor Trelawney’s interview, Snape was still one of Voldemort’s spies and part of the Death Eaters.
Therefore, upon hearing the prophecy, he told The Dark Lord about it. However, he did not know the repercussions of his actions, as it would result in the death of the woman he loved and best friend, Lily Potter.
Following her death, Snape confessed his deception to Dumbledore, who instructed him to remain in Voldemort’s circle as a double-agent, making him a part of Dumbledore’s army .
Who betrayed Harry Potter’s parents?
Knowing that Harry’ life was in danger, his parents placed a Fidelius Charm over their home in Godric’s Hollow.
The Fidelius Charm was meant to shield their location and protect Harry from the imminent threat of Voldemort and his death eaters, but one of their supposed friends, Peter Pettigrew betrayed them.
Pettigrew was entrusted as their Secret Keeper as a decoy, instead of their closest friend, Sirius Black. However, it turned out that Pettigrew was also a Death Eater and within a week, had shared their location with Voldemort.
Final thoughts
The Harry Potter franchise has grown into a universe with more than just the books and films, it has evolved into an actual world. Over two-decades since the first film was released, the franchise is still as popular as it was back in 2001.
The premise has always been Harry seeking revenge on Voldemort for the death of his parents and to put an end to his tyranny within the wizard world.
A motive that was sent into motion after Voldemort killed his parents in an effort to kill Harry as a baby, because of a prophecy that suggested Harry would be his end.