Why Does Voldemort Want To Kill Harry Potter (And How Did He Actually Survive)?

One of the most intense aspects of the "Harry Potter" book series by J. K. Rowling, and the movie adaptations from Warner Bros. Pictures, is the volatile relationship between the titular protagonist and He Who Must Not Be Named (aka Voldemort). Voldemort is Harry's archenemy, and it is Harry's destiny to finally vanquish the Dark Lord. In response, Voldemort, who has a rather complicated timeline, tries to put an end to the boy wizard in almost every installment. 

The earlier books indicated that Voldemort's vendetta was driven by Harry "defeating" him as a baby — but it wasn't exactly clear why Voldemort, one of the most powerful wizards to ever live, had wanted to kill Harry so badly in the first place. This is finally explained in the fifth film, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," though the book goes into far more detail. When Harry and his friends go to the Department of Mysteries, they learn of the Lost Prophecy, made during Professor Sybill Trelawney's Hogwarts job interview with Albus Dumbledore many years ago. 

The prophecy foretold that a boy born at the end of July to parents who thrice defied Voldemort would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. Voldemort, after hearing the prophecy for himself, assumed that it must refer to the Potters and their young son — though Neville Longbottom, also born at the end of July, could also have been the Chosen One. 

Voldemort put a lot of stock in the prophecy, and decided that he must kill this child, whose destiny was to face and defeat him. As fans know, Lily Potter did not go down without a fight, putting herself between her son and Voldemort. This sacrifice gave birth to a magical protection that is incredibly human and lovely, and something Voldemort has no hope of understanding. 

Though there are probably ways to get around the prophecy, it is important to note that this is one of a few times where Professor Trelawney's ability is taken seriously. Voldemort does not brush her off, perhaps because of the same fear of death that drives his hunger for immortality, also leading him to split his soul into pieces and hide them inside Horcruxes. Voldemort feels that he must take every measure to prevent it the prophecy from being coming true. He also has a bit of a one-track mind, and will not let anything get in the way of his quest for domination. 

When Lily Potter gave her son the ultimate protection of a mother's love — something Voldemort himself never had — the killing spell rebounded and it initially seemed that the prophecy has been fulfilled. Most of Voldemort's powers were taken from him, and he was on the verge of death. However, instead of letting the future unfold as Trelawney predicted, Voldemort sought many measures to extend his life — from drinking unicorn blood, to desecrating his father's grave and stealing Harry's blood for a spell to restore his body. 

His crazed obsession shows that Voldemort can never understand the humanity of Lily's sacrifice, and how her actions had more power than all of his magical strength. Instead, he is only focused on power and domination, not caring if he damages his body beyond repair or loses the little humanity he has left — which is what ultimately gives Harry Potter the power to defeat him in the end.