Why did Voldemort aim for Harry's head at Godric's Hollow?

[phoenixashe]

JKR has said that the location of the scar is more important than the shape, which got me thinking, why is the scar on Harry's head and not somewhere else? That is obviously were the spell hit him, but why would Voldemort aim his wand at Harry's head? The past times we have seen the avada kedavra performed, the curse is aimed at the chest. This makes sense because that is where the heart is, and it is a killing curse. After Voldemort killed Lily, he had plenty of time to decide how to kill Harry, so hitting him in the head could not just have been an accident or mistake, he was at point blank range. So here's my question:

Do you think Voldemort aimed at Harry's head for a reason?

[shmcminn]

This might be kinda far out there but if power=knowledge and Harry had "The power to conquer the dark lord" then wouldn't Voldemort want to eliminate that knowledge. Therefore he would be aiming at the brain. This is just a wild guess, I can't really come up with a better reason.

[kala_way]

I don't think Voldemort aimed for Harry's head. A one year old sitting in a crib and looking up at someone--well, the biggest target is their head.

I think the location of the scar is important because it has to do with his eyes, Lily's eyes, and his vulnerability & strength.

[Anemoi]

I think he knew/suspected something about Harry/Lilys eyes, it could have been why he gave Lily a chance to live, and something to do with the shocking revelation about her (perhaps its about her eyes and Harrys eyes and it helping him take down Voldy/Horcruxes etc?) and perhaps he aimed for the eyes because he saw them as the biggest threat and wanted to get rid of them? I dunno..., perhaps the curse that failed is why he needs glasses? O_O

[phoenixashe]

Originally Posted by kala_way

I don't think Voldemort aimed for Harry's head. A one year old sitting in a crib and looking up at someone--well, the biggest target is their head.

I think the location of the scar is important because it has to do with his eyes, Lily's eyes, and his vulnerability & strength.

How do you know he was sitting up? If he was in his crib he was probably laying down, in which case his chest would be just as easily accessable. And when Harry has flash backs he hears his parents voices and but only sees the flashing green light. This always gave me the impression that he was laying down. The eyes are certainly important for some reason we'll find out later, but I'm wondering if him aiming for harry's head isn't something more than that.

[Anemoi]

Originally Posted by phoenixashe

How do you know he was sitting up? If he was in his crib he was probably laying down, in which case his chest would be just as easily accessable. And when Harry has flash backs he hears his parents voices and but only sees the flashing green light. This always gave me the impression that he was laying down. The eyes are certainly important for some reason we'll find out later, but I'm wondering if him aiming for harry's head isn't something more than that.

Well, aside from the eyes which, granted, seems a bit too obvious, we really don't have much to go on as to why else he would aim for the head. And if JKR says the location was something important well... i mean, honestly the "eyes thing" is rather obvious I suppose, but I cannot think of any other reason. I mean, she didn't really say it was all that important, just that it was more important than the shape.


Well, i'm overanalyzing things again. The point is, we really don't have much to go on, besides something to do with his eyes (which she say is significant and is repeated over and over) or perhaps Voldemort just acting in a way that is most symbolic whenever possible, and going for the part of the body he thinks would most hold the knowledge and power to defeat him (the brain, the intelligence, the part of Voldemort that gave him the cunning to become to powerful) and going for the head for purely symbolic reasons, I cannot think of anything else.

[kala_way]

Originally Posted by phoenixashe

How do you know he was sitting up? If he was in his crib he was probably laying down, in which case his chest would be just as easily accessable. And when Harry has flash backs he hears his parents voices and but only sees the flashing green light. This always gave me the impression that he was laying down. The eyes are certainly important for some reason we'll find out later, but I'm wondering if him aiming for harry's head isn't something more than that.

At almost one and a half he would have most likely been walking--and with screams, banging doors, and maniacal laughter he would have likely been awake and sitting up, probably crying as well. Crib gates come up quite high and the mattress is usually lowered for older babies so they can't climb out, so I doubt he would have been able to see out easily

I've worked in a nursery and I'm just basing it on what I know of babies and cribs, I'm not saying it's not possible that he was laying down and Voldy aimed for his head for some reason, I just don't think it's very probable.

[Anemoi]

Originally Posted by kala_way

At almost one and a half he would have most likely been walking--and with screams, banging doors, and maniacal laughter he would have likely been awake and sitting up, probably crying as well. Crib gates come up quite high and the mattress is usually lowered for older babies so they can't climb out, so I doubt he would have been able to see out easily

I've worked in a nursery and I'm just basing it on what I know of babies and cribs, I'm not saying it's not possible that he was laying down and Voldy aimed for his head for some reason, I just don't think it's very probable.

However as JKR said, it was more important than the shape of his scar (the location was) and it seems that it being because Harry was acting as babies do would not even be as important as the shape at all, which is why it seems there might be more to it.

[Fostwolf]

Maybe he aimed for Harry's head to make sure he killed him.

[phoenixashe]

I wonder if he aimed for Harry's head rather than his heart because he sees it as the strongest part of the body. Everyone else considers the heart the real center of life on a person, but with Voldemort's constant underestimation of the power of love, he didn't think it would be important to hit the heart, but rather the mind.

[YellowRose]

Luck of the draw,... or luck of the aiming of the wand. But really, Voldemort wanted to kill Harry, and I presume it's natural (if you can call it that) to aim for the head when you want to kill somebody.

[phoenixashe]

Then why did Snape aim for Dumbledore's chest. It says the curse hit him square in the chest. And the way Cedric fell back spread eagle, that would only have occurred from a hit to the center of the body. It seems whenever we see this curse performed by someone else they aim for the chest, not the head.

[nicloetje]

First of all: Voldemort would never consider the heart the strongest part of the body, for he does not believe in love.
Secondly,I think that aiming at his head would be more like an execution. Thats what I first thought of at least...

Okay, no thirds and so on :P

[fawkes_17]

I agree that Voldemort feels that the heart is not the strongest/most important part of the body,that's why he aimed for the head. The other people killed by the avada kedavra curse, were killed by other people, so maybe that's another one of Voldemort's trademarks?

Mugglenet has quite a interesting editorial (quite a long read - worth it though!) touching on the fact of why snape was trusted by dumbledore and the importance of harry/lilly's eyes. it basically comes down to the fact that snape has the ability to heal dark magic (sectumsempra, etc) and that he found harry and healed his wound (he couldn't just have a scar, there must first be a wound that healed) and that is also why dumbledore trusts him. (imagine harry has to find out snape proved his loyalty by saving his life without dumbledore's order!) The wound could have affected his eyes and snape might have "transferred" lilly's eyes to him which would/played an important role (getting slughorn's memory, other...) in HBP/DH. any hoo, here's the link:

http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/...ipalsp01.shtml

Njoy!

[DaveyFoSho]

Perhaps he did not try the Avada Kedavra Curse on harry but some other reallly powerful curse. Why else would the house be destroyed? It is common knowledge that a killing curse produces a clean and efficient jet of green light then you are done. I am not denying the fact that if he did use the Avada that harry would have still been saved. The protection was there no matter what Voldy Used. Perhaps he tried a powerful spell to drain Harry of his essence and powers and obtain them for himself, but that backfired and caused the destruction of the house.... If you think about it there was no witness to the fact that Voldy indeed used the AK on Harry. It was just assumed due to the fate of the other Potters.

[Shannah]

Perhaps it is not where he aimed the curse, perhaps the scar is just the place on Harry's body that absorbed, or reversed the curse onto Voldy. Just a random thought.

[mather]

Shannah actually poses a good point, but really I don't think there is any canon to prove anything here.

[Floo_powder]

I thought I read in an interview along with the shape being distinctive, she wanted it a place that couldn't be really hidden. If it were on his chest or upper arm, with a shirt and long sleeves, he could hide it.

[FredWeasleyJr]

I think there are a couple reasons the scar is on Harry's forehead and I have seen them viewed in the thread already.

Number one is that if the scar were anywhere else on his body, it could easily be hidden. The scar is what really makes Harry noticeable and identifiable.

Number two is that we dont know if this is where voldemort [i][b]aimed[i][b] the spell. we dont know much about the avada kedavra spell eccept for the fact that its not supposed to leave a trace, and it kills you instantly. And we also know that harry is the only known survivor of the curse. Therefore...we dont know how the curse would exit the body.

So its very possible that Voldemort aimed the spell at the chest and it exited through the head

[fawkes_17]

That's a good point, and I really like the idea that it is because his head absorbed the spell... I think for the legilimency it was also important that his "head" be connected to Voldemort.