Harry Potter's scars

From Harry Potter Wiki

Harry Potter has obtained a number of scars over his lifetime, as well as a few injuries
that might have resulted in scaring. The one he is most well known for, and the first he
received, is on his forehead and is shaped like a lightning bolt; it is the result of a Killing
Curse striking him when he was an infant and played a role in his conflict with, and
eventual defeat of, Lord Voldemort.

Contents
• 1 Harry Potter's scars
o 1.1 The lightning-bolt scar
o 1.2 Scars on Harry's hand
o 1.3 The locket scar
• 2 Possible Scars
o 2.1 Nagini's bite scar
• 3 Behind the scenes
• 4 Notes and references

• 5 See Also

Harry Potter's scars

The lightning-bolt scar

Illustration of lightning scar.

"That ain't no ordinary cut on your forehead, Harry. A mark like that only comes
from being touched by a curse, an evil curse."
—Rubeus Hagrid to Harry Potter[src]
A scar on Harry Potter's forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt[1] is the result of failed
murder attempt by Lord Voldemort on October 31, 1981, when he struck fifteen-month-
old Harry with the Killing Curse. Harry is the only person to survive the curse because
his mother's loving sacrifice protected him.[2] Unbeknownst to Voldemort, the incident
also inadvertantly made Harry into a Horcrux, as a piece of the Dark Lord's soul
embedded itself in Harry.

In the years to come, Harry's scar hurt whenever Voldemort was close, or whenever he
was in danger from the Dark Lord or his followers, the Death Eaters, such as when one
set off the Dark Mark near him in 1994. When Harry was forced to confront the newly-
returned Voldemort in the graveyard in Little Hangleton in 1995, his scar burned
terribly.[3]

Harry showing his scar to Ron Weasley.

Harry Potter at the age of fourteen.

Lucius Malfoy: "Haven't you always wondered what was the reason for the
connection between you and the Dark Lord? Why he was unable to kill you when
you were just an infant? Don't you want to know the secret of your scar? All the
answers are there, Potter, in your hand. All you have to do is give it to me."
Harry Potter: "I've waited fourteen years..."
Lucius Malfoy: "I know."
Harry Potter: "I guess I can wait a little longer..."
— Lucius Malfoy trying to persuade Harry to hand him the Prophecy in the
Department of Mysteries[src]
At this point, it became clear to Albus Dumbledore and to Harry that the scar was part of
a link between his mind and that of Voldemort. It would hurt whenever Voldemort was
experiencing strong negative emotions, and sometimes Harry was able to see into
Voldemort's thoughts. It was through this connection that Harry saw Nagini attack Arthur
Weasley in 1995. To try to prevent Voldemort from invading Harry's mind, Dumbledore
had him take Occlumency lessons with Severus Snape, thought they were ultimately
unsuccessful. In June of 1996, Voldemort used the link to send Harry a false vision of his
godfather being tortured in order to lure him to the Department of Mysteries, where he
and his friends were attacked and a battle ensued. Voldemort briefly possessed Harry at
the end of this battle, but when Harry focused on feelings of grief for his beloved,
murdered godfather, Voldemort experienced great pain and pulled out from his mind.
Dumbledore theorized that Voldemort would never attempt to enter Harry's mind again.[4]

Another picture of Harry showing the scar on his forehead.

Dumbledore: "I guessed, fifteen years ago, when I saw the scar on your
forehead, what it might mean. I guessed that it might be the sign of a connection
forged between you and Voldemort."
Harry: "You've told me this before, Professor."
Dumbledore: "Yes, Yes, but you see...it is necessary to start with your scar. For it
became apparent, shortly after you rejoined the magical world, that I was correct,
and that your scar was giving you warnings when Voldemort was close to you, or
else feeling powerful emotion. And this ability of yours...to detect Voldemort's
presence, even when he is disguised, and to know what he is feeling when his
emotions are roused...has become more and more pronounced since Voldemort
returned to his own body and his full powers..."
— Albus Dumbledore to Harry Potter[src]

Although Harry never mastered Occlumency, he did eventually learn to exert moderate
control over the connection between himself and Voldemort. While searching for the
Horcruxes with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he felt his scar burn many times, on
the occasions when Voldemort was angry, and was able to glimpse his thoughts and
perceptions at those times. For example, when Harry questioned Mr. Ollivander about the
existence of the Elder Wand, he had seen a vision from the past in which Ollivander was
telling Voldemort that Gregorovitch had the Elder Wand. He also saw Voldemort ordering
Draco Malfoy to torture Thorfinn Rowle through Voldemort's eyes.[5]

After Harry learned that he was a Horcrux, he willingly went to what he believed would
be his death. Voldemort's Killing Curse, however, only destroyed the piece of his own
soul that was inside of Harry. Harry survived, and went to defeat Voldemort, once and for
all. Afterwards, his scar never hurt again.[5]

Scars on Harry's hand

Harry Potter's scars on his hand, result of his detention by Dolores Umbridge.
Ron: "Bloody hell, Harry. The woman's torturing you... If the parents knew about
this..."
Harry: "I haven't got any of those, have I, Ron?"
Hermione: "But, Harry, you've got to report this."
— Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger when they see the scars on Harry's
hand[src]

Dolores Umbridge, a Ministry employee, became Defence Against the Dark Arts
professor and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts in Harry's fifth year. She pushed the Ministry's
position that Lord Voldemort had not returned, and that Harry and Dumbledore were liars
or nutters for saying otherwise. Harry argued with her about this on numerous occasions,
resulting in her assigning him detentions. She made him write lines with a Blood Quill,
which used his own blood as ink. As a result, Harry was left with a scar on his left hand
reading "I must not tell lies".[6]

The locket scar

""I couldn't get the Horcrux off you. It was stuck, stuck to your chest. You've got a
mark; I'm sorry, I had to use a Severing Charm to get it away." He pulled the
sweaty T-shirt he was wearing away from himself and looked down. There was a
scarlet oval over his heart where the locket had burned him."
—Hermione Granger and Harry Potter in 1997[src]

After Harry and Hermione narrowly escaped from Voldemort in Godric's Hollow in late
1997, Hermione took care of Harry, who was injured during his struggle with Nagini.
Some time during the fight, the locket Horcrux that Harry had been wearing around his
neck attached itself to the skin on his chest and resisted detachment to the point that
Hermione had to use a Severing Charm to remove it. This left an oval-shaped scar over
Harry's heart.
It is unknown why the locket held onto Harry as it did. It may have responded to
Voldemort's desires, as Nagini, another Horcrux, did at the same time. It may have also
simply reacted to being in the presence of another Horcrux, as Harry's scar on his
forehead reacted to proximity to Voldemort and to Nagini. The locket first pressed against
Harry when Nagini coiled around him, "squeezing the air from him, pressing the Horcrux
hard into his chest, a circle of ice that throbbed with life, inches from his own frantic
heart"[5].

Other Possible Scars

There are some injuries which Harry received that may have left scars.

Nagini's bite scar

"The snake bit you too, but I've cleaned the wound and put some Dittany on it..."
—Hermione Granger to Harry Potter[src]

When Nagini attacked Harry when he and Hermione ventured to Godric's Hollow on
December 24, 1997, the snake bit him on the forearm. After Disapparating, Hermione put
some Dittany on the wound. By the time Harry woke up, the bite was "half-healed"[5]. It
is unknown if this left a scar, because although Dittany generally repairs damage to the
skin, Nagini was a venomous snake, which may have exacerbated the injury. When she
bit Arthur Weasley in 1995, the healers at St. Mungo's had a difficult time keeping the
wound closed because her poison dissolved his stitches[4] and was immune to common
magical forms of healing. Nagini may not have given Harry as severe a bite because
Voldemort ordered her to hold him, not to kill him[5].

Behind the scenes

• According to J.K. Rowling during a web chat with her, the lightning scar no
longer burns or hurts after Voldemort's defeat.[7]
• In the films, Harry's scar is off-center on his forehead. This was done at J.K.
Rowling's insistence, because many fans believe that the scar is in the middle of
his forehead; but the scar's location is never mentioned within in the books' text.
• The scar on Harry's forehead prompted Draco Malfoy to come up with and use
the mocking nickname of "Scarhead" for Harry, which he first used during the
Quidditch match of Gryffindor versus Slytherin in 1992[8], but used multiple times
since.
• In the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the scars on
Harry's left hand read "I must not tell lies". Also, he has scars on his right hand
saying "I will not break rules" (done after Umbridge found the Dumbledore's
Army).
Notes and references
1. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 2
2. ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
6. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
7. ↑ Web chat with J.K. Rowling
8. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets