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Narjas Zatat
Sep 05, 2016
Seven books, eight movies and hundreds of thousands of fan fiction stories later and the world of Harry Potter refuses to die.
In the latest string of fan theories, reddit user WippitGuud may have just come up with the mother of all explanations about the “Did Harry Potter die in book seven?” question.
If you've been living in a rock in the earth's core and haven't gotten around to reading the books or watching the films, what are you doing on this article? There will be spoilers, below.
You’ll remember in one of the final scenes in the film/book combo, Harry Potter has a conversation with the dearly departed Albus Dumbledore in what appears to be a ghostly Kings Cross station.
Did he die? But surely not – after all, his mother Lily sacrificed herself to save him, which is why he’s thus far evaded Voldemort’s best efforts to kill him.
But.
Picture: YouTube/screengrabAccording to WippitGuud, Lily’s sacrifice had nothing to do with Harry surviving the Avada Kedavra killing curse in the forest.
In fact, Harry Potter did die.
When Harry was hit by the killing curse as a baby, it rebounded and killed Voldemort, necessitating that he create a new body. This did not happen the second time.
As we know from the last two books, which took the trio traipsing around Britain hunting for bits of Voldemort, the only way to destroy a horcrux is to destroy the container that holds the piece of the soul. This is why, in Chamber of Secrets Harry stabbed Tom Riddle’s diary with a basilisk fang and in Deathly Hallows Ron had to destroy Slytherin's locket.
Harry needed to be destroyed for the part of Voldemort's soul to be killed. Had Lily's protection been responsible for the survival, he would not have died. Hence that portion of soul would also not have died. So, Harry must have been killed.
Further, when Harry and Dumbledore are in the ghostly King's Cross station, the old mentor tells Potter that:
You were the horcrux he never meant to make Harry…
And when Harry asks him what he was supposed to do, Dumbledore smiles and replies:
Picture: YouTube/screengrabI think, if you so desired, you’ll be able to board a train.
Meaning, most likely, TO THE NEXT WORLD.
So how did Harry resurrect himself?
He was master of the Deathly Hallows, that's how.
Picture: YouTube/screengrabHe had the stone and the cloak, and the curse was cast from the Elder Wand, which he was currently master of. Because Harry chose to not defend himself, the Wand was not defeating Harry, so its allegiance did not change. Dumbledore even comments on it, "And that, I think, will have made all the difference." Had he tried to duel, he would've lost allegiance to the wand when he lost, and simply died.
If you'll cast your mind back, Voldemort gave the students the choice to give up Harry Potter or die. To avoid a blood bath, Harry Potter sacrificed himself.
The people in Hogwarts had the same protection that Harry had when Lily sacrificed herself to protect Harry.
In Deathly Hallows Harry says:
I've done what my mother did. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them.
So there you have it: Potter was master of the Deathly Hallows which made him master of death, giving him the power to resurrect himself.
We don't blame you if you need to sit down.
H/T: reddit
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