Dumbledore hit the nail on the head when he guessed that Harry Potter’s scar was a sign of a connection forged with Voldemort, and given its importance to the storyline, it’s no surprise that Harry’s scar is one of the most talked about subjects in the wizarding world. As a permanent reminder of his run-in with Voldemort, Harry’s scar is distinctive, famous, and loaded with deeper meaning (not to mention a piece of Voldemort’s fractured soul). Here are 10 facts about Harry’s scar that even devoted Potterheads might not know.
10. Its Shape Doesn’t Actually Have A Deeper Meaning
It’s hard to believe that someone as meticulous as J.K. Rowling would choose a lightning bolt-shaped scar simply because she thought it was cool, but in one Mugglenet interview, that’s exactly the reason she gave.
“To be honest, because it’s a cool shape. I couldn’t have my hero sport a doughnut-shaped scar.”
Wut. You mean to tell me that she didn’t spend hours upon hours outlining the deeper meaning of his scar shape in her wizarding notes?! Although it sounds like something she would do, apparently she didn’t.
9. Over 5000 “Scar Templates” Were Used During Filming
Any true Potterhead will tell you that Harry Potter’s scar is pretty freaking important, so it was absolutely crucial for the filmmakers to get the placement and the look of Harry’s scar juuuuuust right. So how did they do it? Special templates were strapped to Daniel Radcliffe and his stunt doubles’ heads (similar to headgear) and the scar was carefully applied approximately 5,800 times during filming! That’s a lot of work for one little detail, but the fandom wouldn’t have it any other way.
8. Its Shape Resembles An Ancient Rune
At Hogwarts, the Study of Ancient Runes, more specifically Runology, is an elective course taken by Hermione herself. In the Harry Potter Universe, ancient runes are an old form of writing once used by wizards and witches, similar to hieroglyphs. Although there are many magical things in Harry Potter that we wish were real, ancient runes actually DO exist in the real world. One particular rune symbol, the Sowilo, is shaped suspiciously like Harry’s famous scar. Interestingly enough, Sowilo means “sun” and represents victory and protection. Coincidence?
7. It’s An Outward Symbol Of His Internal Suffering
Although Harry Potter was pretty sassy in the books, don’t let his good humor fool you- this kid has been through a lot, and his scar represents all of his early childhood trauma. Rowling explained in an interview that she wanted him to be physically marked by what he had been through, and that the scar was an outward expression of his emotional turmoil. Rowling made sure to place the scar where it could be easily seen (on the forehead), so that other people would recognize him as being a survivor, the chosen one, or the cursed one (pick one).
6. It’s Triggered By “The Master Soul”
We all know that Harry’s scar hurts whenever Voldemort is nearby, but why? When Harry escaped Voldemort as a child and survived the Death Curse, a piece of Voldemort’s fractured soul melded into Harry’s body (or scar). When Voldemort is near, it’s not just Harry’s scar tissue that is hurting him, it’s actually the piece of Voldemort’s soul that’s trying to get back out the way it entered. According to Rowling, it “entered this boy’s body through a wound, and it wants to rejoin the master’s.”
Doesn’t sound like Tylenol is going to help with this, Harry!
5. It Cannot Be Removed By Magic
Surely in a world filled with magic, someone would be able to remove Harry’s scar, right?! Nope. As Dumbledore said in the very first book, “he’ll have that scar forever”.
Because Harry’s scar is the result of a failed murder attempt by Lord Voldemort, not even a skilled wizard like Dumbledore could make it disappear. Remember, it was left by a curse that was supposed to kill Harry, but instead forged a permanent connection between Harry and Voldemort (thus turning Harry into a Horcrux). Fortunately for Harry, the scar is a good look for him.
4. It’s Not His Only Scar
Harry Potter has more than one scar on his body, although the one on his head is certainly the most famous. One particular scar was a result of his run-ins with Delores Umbridge, who had him write “I must not tell lies” on his own hand with a blood quill during detention. As a result, Henry is left with a handwritten scar that tingles whenever Harry hears Umbridge’s name.
Given how many scrapes Harry gets himself into, I would be surprised if he didn’t have scars all over his body.
3. It’s Not A Lightning Bolt, At All
Although Harry’s scar is described by many as a lightning bolt, its shape just so happens to also be the hand motion used to cast Avada Kedavra, or “The Killing Curse,” one of the strongest spells in the wizarding world. So what’s the connection?
Avada Kedavra was used by Voldemort to murder Harry, only the spell rebounded and Harry’s scar was the direct result of surviving the curse. So did the spell literally leave its mark upon Harry’s brow? Sure looks like it.
2. It Was Almost The Last Word In The Series
Before she ended the Harry Potter series with the words “all is well,” the final word of the Harry Potter series was almost “scar.” In an interview with Dateline, Rowling explained that for the longest time, the last line was something like ‘only those whom he loved could see the lightning scar.’ This would reference the final platform scene, when Harry was surrounded by his loved ones who were the only ones close enough to see it. This would have also made the scar’s fate somewhat ambiguous, leaving readers to wonder whether the scar was still there at all.
1. It Changes Position
Although Harry’s scar is in the middle of his forehead in the books and in Rowling’s sketches, it ends up over his right brow in the movies. Like many movie changes, the subject of Harry’s scar placement was controversial, but this particular change was made by J.K. Rowling herself.
Because the exact location of Harry’s scar is never specified in the books, filmmakers went directly to Rowling for an answer.
“Razor sharp, just off center”, she told director Chris Columbus.
Can’t argue with that!
