113-540: Lord Voldemort ( / ˈ v oʊ l d ə m ɔːr / VOHL -də-mor , /- m ɔːr t / -mort in the films) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling . He first appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) and returns either in person or in flashbacks in each novel in the series except the third, Harry Potter and
226-623: A Ministry of Magic official; this affected his health and he died soon after returning home. His signet ring passed to his son, Morfin Gaunt, who was convicted of assaulting a Muggle, and later died in Azkaban, convicted this time as a party to the murder of Tom Riddle Sr and Riddle's parents. Dumbledore discovers the real culprit while visiting Morfin in Azkaban to gather information about Voldemort. After Dumbledore successfully extracts Morfin's memory of his encounter with his nephew, he tries to use
339-444: A pathological fear of death , which he regards as a shameful and ignominious human weakness. According to Rowling, his Boggart would be his own corpse. Rowling also said that the difference between Harry and Voldemort is that Harry accepts mortality, and thus Harry is, in the end, stronger than his nemesis. Rowling establishes Voldemort throughout the series as an extremely powerful, intelligent, and ruthless dark wizard, described as
452-617: A troll , they develop a friendship with her. When the trio seeks the Philosopher's Stone , Ron uses his skill at Wizard's Chess to allow Harry and Hermione to proceed safely through a dangerous, life-sized chess game. At the last dinner of the school year, the Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore rewards Ron's chess skill by giving him fifty House points, which helps Gryffindor win the House Cup. Ron returns in Harry Potter and
565-780: A Potterwatch movement in the real world to fight back against Big VoldeMedia from further pushing out local and foreign news, minority representation, and the right to a Free Press." Julia Turner of Slate Magazine also noted similarities between the events of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the War on Terror . She said that Voldemort commits acts of terrorism such as destroying bridges, murdering innocents, and forcing children to kill their elders. Rowling compared Voldemort to Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign . Voldemort has also been compared to other fictional characters, such as Sauron from The Lord of
678-498: A boy, and Ginny reacts by pointing out that Ron has never been kissed. To bolster Ron's confidence for an upcoming Quidditch match, Harry pretends to give him a luck potion . Believing he has actually taken the potion, Ron performs well and Gryffindor wins the match. During the ensuing celebration, Ron kisses Lavender Brown . Hermione becomes jealous and begins to ignore Ron, who gradually becomes dissatisfied with his relationship with Lavender. In March, Ron eats chocolates containing
791-514: A child in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . By the time filming arrived Christian Coulson was 29, and not considered suitable to return as the adolescent Riddle. Thomas James Longley was originally scheduled to take over the role, but last minute renegotiations saw Frank Dillane cast instead. In the 2016 stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , it is revealed that Bellatrix gave birth to Voldemort's daughter Delphi before
904-570: A group of Death Eaters to retrieve the prophecy, where the Order of the Phoenix meets them. All but Bellatrix are captured, and Voldemort engages in a ferocious duel with Dumbledore. When Dumbledore gets the upper hand, Voldemort attempts to possess Harry but finds that he cannot; Harry is too full of that which Voldemort finds incomprehensible, and which he detests as weakness: love. Sensing that Dumbledore could win, Voldemort disapparates, but not before
1017-520: A human fear: the fear of death. She said: "Voldemort's fear is death, ignominious death. I mean, he regards death itself as ignominious. He thinks that it's a shameful human weakness, as you know. His worst fear is death." Throughout the series, Rowling establishes that Voldemort is so feared in the wizarding world that it is considered dangerous even to speak his name. Most characters in the novels refer to him as "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" rather than say his name aloud. In Harry Potter and
1130-428: A lightning bolt. Nearly every witch or wizard dares not utter his name and refers to him instead with such monikers as "You-Know-Who" , " He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ", or "The Dark Lord" . Voldemort's obsession with blood purity signifies his aim to rid the wizarding world of Muggle (non-magical) heritage and to conquer both worlds, Muggle and wizarding, to achieve pure-blood dominance. Through his mother's family, he
1243-502: A love potion. Horace Slughorn administers an antidote, then kindly offers Ron some mead. Unbeknownst to Slughorn, the mead is poisoned; Harry saves Ron's life by forcing a bezoar down his throat. Ron is taken to the hospital wing, where he is visited by a panic-stricken Hermione. After recovering, Ron reconciles with Hermione and breaks up with Lavender. Later in the novel, Death Eaters enter Hogwarts. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and other students and staff fight them. Snape kills Dumbledore during
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#17327802690521356-423: A loveless union—but of course, everything would have changed if Merope had survived and raised him herself and loved him. The enchantment under which Tom Riddle fathered Voldemort is important because it shows coercion, and there can't be many more prejudicial ways to enter the world than as the result of such a union". Like most archetypical villains, Voldemort's arrogance leads to his downfall. He also suffers from
1469-428: A loving but poor family. Many of his possessions are hand-me-downs . Harry is famous but would prefer to avoid the spotlight; Ron, in comparison, is often perceived as a mere lackey and sometimes becomes jealous of the recognition Harry receives. Overshadowed by his many siblings and the fame and achievements of his friends, Ron's inferiority complex and need to prove himself are the main thrusts of his character arc. As
1582-492: A manifestation of the Dark Lord's teenage self that resides inside a magical diary found by Ginny Weasley . In this book, Ginny is written as a shy girl with a crush on Harry. Feeling anxious and lonely, she begins to write into the diary and shares her deepest fears with the sympathetic Tom. However, at the climax of the story, when the manifestation of Riddle rearranges the letters in his name to write "I am Lord Voldemort", he
1695-730: A play written by Jack Thorne from an original story by Thorne, J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany . The plot occurs nineteen years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . In the play, Ron and Hermione send their daughter Rose on the train to Hogwarts. Hermione is now the Minister for Magic , while Ron manages Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with his brother George. In the second act, Harry's son Albus Severus and Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius travel through time, and their actions change Ron and Hermione's relationship during their time at Hogwarts. Ron falls in love with Padma Patil at
1808-539: A result of the ritual with Harry's blood. He then summons his Death Eaters to the graveyard to witness the death of Harry as he challenges Harry to a duel. However, when Voldemort duels Harry, their wands become magically locked together due to the twin phoenix feather cores of the wands. Because of a phenomenon later revealed as Priori Incantatem , ghost-like manifestations of Voldemort's most recent victims (including Harry's parents) then appear and distract Voldemort, allowing Harry just enough time to escape via Portkey with
1921-552: A result. In the book, Voldemort unsuccessfully tries to regain his dissolved body by stealing the titular Philosopher's Stone . To achieve his objective, Voldemort uses Professor Quirrell 's aid by latching onto the back of the latter's head. However, at the climax of the book, Harry manages to prevent Voldemort from stealing the stone. In the second instalment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Rowling introduces Voldemort's true identity, Tom Marvolo Riddle, who appears as
2034-455: A younger son named Hugo . In interviews following the release of the novel, Rowling gave differing accounts of Ron's life after the events of the series. On one occasion she said Ron and Harry work for the Ministry of Magic as Aurors. In a later interview, she said that Ron works at the joke shop Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes with his brother George . Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is
2147-516: Is also a playable character in Lego Dimensions , with archive audio of Fiennes' portrayal in the films used for his voiceovers. Antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist . The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – antagonistēs , "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, rival," which
2260-506: Is derived from anti- ("against") and agonizesthai ("to contend for a prize"). The antagonist is commonly positioned against the protagonist and their world order. While narratives often portray the protagonist as a hero and the antagonist as a villain , like Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter , the antagonist does not always appear as the villain. In some narratives, like Light Yagami and L in Death Note ,
2373-425: Is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a first-year student on his way to the wizarding school Hogwarts . During the school year, Ron befriends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger . Being the only member of the trio who was raised in wizarding society, he provides insight into wizarding customs and traditions. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and
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#17327802690522486-440: Is not always a person or people. In some cases, an antagonist may be a force, such as a tidal wave that destroys a city; a storm that causes havoc; or even a certain area's conditions that are the root cause of a problem. An antagonist may or may not create obstacles for the protagonist. Societal norms or other rules may also be antagonists. An antagonist is used as a plot device, to set up conflicts, obstacles, or challenges for
2599-582: Is often the case that the biggest bullies take what they know to be their own defects, as they see it, and they put them right on someone else and then they try and destroy the other and that's what Voldemort does." In the same year, Rowling became more precise about Voldemort. She began to link him to real-life tyrants, describing him as "a raging psychopath , devoid of the normal human responses to other people's suffering". In 2004, though, Rowling said that she did not base Voldemort on any real person. In 2006, Rowling told an interviewer that Voldemort at his core has
2712-408: Is present for most of the action throughout the series. Ron is portrayed by Rupert Grint in all eight Harry Potter films . Ron was one of the first Harry Potter characters that Rowling created. Although Ron and Hermione form a romantic bond in the series and eventually have children, Rowling confessed in a 2014 interview that she wrote the relationship as "a form of wish fulfilment". She said
2825-498: Is revealed to be the boy who would later become the Dark Lord himself. Riddle states he has grown strong on Ginny's fears and eventually possesses her, using her as a pawn to unlock the Chamber of Secrets , whence a basilisk is set free and petrifies several Hogwarts students. Harry defeats the manifestation of Riddle from the diary and the basilisk. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , Albus Dumbledore reveals to Harry that
2938-435: Is sent to Azkaban. After he regains his body in the fourth book, Rowling describes Voldemort as having pale skin, a chalk-white, skull-like face, snake-like slits for nostrils, red eyes and cat-like slits for pupils, a skeletally thin body and long, thin hands with unnaturally long fingers. As mentioned in the first chapter of the seventh book, he also has no hair or lips. Earlier in life, as seen through flashbacks contained in
3051-640: Is the last descendant of the wizard Salazar Slytherin , one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is the leader of the Death Eaters , a group of wizards and witches dedicated to ridding the Wizarding World of Muggles and establishing Voldemort as its supreme ruler. In a 1999 interview, Rowling said Voldemort was invented as a nemesis for Harry Potter, and she intentionally did not flesh out Voldemort's backstory at first. "The basic idea [was that Harry] didn't know he
3164-521: Is under the Imperius Curse . Establishing a totalitarian police state , he has Muggle-borns persecuted and arrested for "stealing magic" from the "pure blood" wizards. After failing to kill Harry with Draco's father Lucius Malfoy 's borrowed wand (to avoid the effect of Priori Incantatem ), he goes on a murderous search for the Elder Wand , the most powerful wand ever created, seeing it as
3277-650: Is worse". Voldemort appears in The Lego Batman Movie as one of the prisoners in the Phantom Zone that Joker recruits to take over Gotham City . Though Ralph Fiennes is featured in this movie as the voice of the British butler Alfred Pennyworth , he does not reprise his role as Voldemort. Instead, Voldemort is voiced by Eddie Izzard . Outside of the Harry Potter video games, Voldemort
3390-531: The Potter Puppet Pals sketches by Neil Cicierega . One of the episodes including him was the seventeenth most viewed video of all time as of 2008 and the winner for "Best Comedy" of the year 2007 at YouTube. "Continuing the Magic", an article in the 21 May 2007 issue of Time , includes mock book covers designed by author Lon Tweeten, laced with pop culture references. One of them, the "Dark Lord of
3503-708: The Forbidden Forest , Voldemort strikes him down with the Elder Wand. However, the use of Harry's blood to resurrect Voldemort's body proves to be a major setback: while Harry's blood runs in Voldemort's veins, Harry cannot be killed as his mother's protection lives on now in Voldemort too. Instead, Voldemort unknowingly destroys the part of his own soul that resides in Harry's body. Voldemort forces Rubeus Hagrid to carry Harry's apparently lifeless body back to
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3616-573: The King's Cross -like limbo after his confrontation with Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Rowling also mentioned that, despite his extreme fear of death, he cannot become a ghost . Voldemort appears in every Harry Potter film , with the exception of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . Several actors have portrayed him in his varying incarnations and ages. In Harry Potter and
3729-526: The Mirror of Erised , in which one sees one's greatest desire, he would see "Himself, all-powerful and eternal. That's what he wants." Rowling also stated that Voldemort's conception by influence of Amortentia—a love potion administered by his mother, a witch named Merope Gaunt , to the Muggle Tom Riddle—is related to his inability to understand love; it is "a symbolic way of showing that he came from
3842-525: The Battle of Hogwarts. Twenty-two years later, Delphi poses as Cedric's cousin and manipulates Harry and Ginny's second son Albus Severus Potter and his friend, Draco and Astoria Greengrass 's son Scorpius Malfoy , into stealing a prototype Time Turner with which she hopes to resurrect her father. Using the Time Turner, Scorpius accidentally creates an alternative timeline where Voldemort killed Harry at
3955-476: The Chamber of Secrets (1998). During the summer after his first year at Hogwarts, Ron writes to Harry several times. He receives no answer because his letters are intercepted by Dobby the house-elf . Ron becomes so concerned that he and his brothers Fred and George fly to Harry's house in their father's enchanted car . Harry spends the next month at the Weasleys' home . When Harry and Ron are unable to board
4068-537: The Dance", shows Voldemort teaming up with Harry on Broadway. In the MAD Magazine parodies of the films, the character is called Lord Druckermort, a backwards reference to the magazine's longtime caricaturist Mort Drucker . In Alan Moore 's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1969 , a young Tom Marvolo Riddle (introduced as "Tom", whose middle name is a "marvel" and last name is a "conundrum") appears, and becomes
4181-420: The Dark Lord who tried to kill Harry Potter because the boy was prophesied to destroy him. Voldemort murdered Harry's parents, James and Lily , but as a result of his mother's love and willingness to sacrifice herself for him, baby Harry survived when Voldemort tried to murder him with a Killing Curse . Voldemort was disembodied, and Harry was left with a mysterious, lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead as
4294-407: The Deathly Hallows , a " taboo " spell is placed upon the name, such that Voldemort or his followers may trace anyone who utters it. By this means, his followers eventually find and capture Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger . In the second book, Rowling reveals that I am Lord Voldemort is an anagram of the character's birth name, Tom Marvolo Riddle (in translated editions of
4407-685: The Gaunts spoke Parseltongue. At the time of the story, the Gaunts' only material asset is a ramshackle shanty in Little Hangleton, that stood in a thicket in a valley opposite the Riddle House. Like the Riddles, the Gaunts were also unpopular with the local residents, with a reputation for being vulgar and intimidating. Marvolo Gaunt was the last family patriarch. He was sentenced to a short term in Azkaban for his and his son's assault upon
4520-484: The Gaunts, is a Parselmouth , meaning he can converse with serpents. This skill was inherited from his ancestor, Salazar Slytherin. The Gaunt family speak Parseltongue among themselves. This highly unusual trait may be preserved through inbreeding, a practice employed by the Gaunt Family to maintain their blood's purity. When Voldemort attempts to kill Harry his ability to speak Parseltongue is passed to Harry through
4633-561: The Goblet of Fire , Voldemort is initially only heard, possessing the scratchy, weak voice heard in the first film. By the film's climax, however, he appears in his physical form for the first time, played by Ralph Fiennes . As in the book, Voldemort is shown clad in dark black robes, being tall and emaciated, with no hair and yellowish teeth; his wand has a white tone, and the handle appears to be made of bone; his fingernails are long and pale blue while his toenails appear to be infected. Unlike in
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4746-529: The Half-Blood Prince , through the medium of Dumbledore's Pensieve . The Gaunts were once a powerful and influential family, and are the last known descendants of Salazar Slytherin . However, a vein of mental instability and violence within the family, reinforced through cousin marriages intended to preserve the pureblood line, had reduced them to poverty and squalor, as shown in the Pensieve's "memory" that Harry and Dumbledore witnessed. Like Salazar Slytherin,
4859-783: The Harry Potter Alliance compare media consolidation in the US to Voldemort's regime in Deathly Hallows and its control over the Daily Prophet and other media saying that "Once Voldemort took over every form of media in the wizarding world, Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix formed an independent media movement called 'Potterwatch'. Now the HP Alliance and Wizard Rock have come together to fight for
4972-514: The Minister for Magic sees him in person, making his return to life public knowledge in the next book. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2003), Voldemort continues his rise to power. He murders Amelia Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and begins to target members of the Order of the Phoenix. In a series of flashbacks, it is revealed that Voldemort was the son of
5085-538: The Ministry of Magic. They then infiltrate the Ministry and retrieve a Horcrux in the possession of Dolores Umbridge. Fearing the locket containing the Horcrux might be lost or stolen, Harry requests that someone wear it at all times. Wearing the locket has a profound effect on Ron, who lashes out at Harry and Hermione and abandons them. Ron immediately regrets his decision to leave, but is captured by Snatchers and cannot return. Eventually he reunites with his companions with
5198-443: The Philosopher's Stone , Voldemort's manifestation is as a face on the back of Quirrell's head, an effect achieved by computer generated imagery. Ian Hart , the actor who played Quirrell in the same film, provided the voice and the facial source for this character. Voldemort also appears in a scene in the Forbidden Forest where he is seen drinking the blood of a unicorn. As Voldemort's face was altered enough by CG work, and Hart's voice
5311-466: The Prisoner of Azkaban , in which he is only mentioned. Voldemort, an anagrammatic sobriquet for his birth name Tom Marvolo Riddle , is the archenemy of Harry Potter , who according to a prophecy has "the power to vanquish the Dark Lord ". After killing Harry's parents, Lily and James Potter , he attempts to murder the boy, but instead leaves him with a scar on his forehead in the shape of
5424-611: The Quidditch Cup. Near the end of the novel, Ron battles Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries alongside Harry, Hermione, Ginny , Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood . He is injured during the fight, but makes a full recovery. Ron returns as Quidditch Keeper in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005). However, he performs poorly at Quidditch after learning that Hermione may have kissed Krum. He becomes upset when he observes his younger sister Ginny kissing
5537-594: The Riddle family is buried. Harry is captured and, after Pettigrew uses Harry's blood to fulfil a gruesome magical ritual, Voldemort regains his body and is restored to his full power. For the first time in the series, Rowling describes his appearance: "tall and skeletally thin", with a face "whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was as flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils". Rowling writes that his "hands were like large, pale spiders; his long white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, his face;
5650-475: The Rings ; they are, during the time when the main plot takes place, seeking to recover their lost power after having been considered dead or at least no longer a threat, and are also so feared that they are sometimes unnamed. The entertainment website IGN listed Voldemort as the seventh best Harry Potter character, calling him "truly frightening". Several campaigns have used Voldemort to compare his evil to
5763-578: The Rye , almost every character other than the protagonist may be an antagonist. Another example of this occurring is through Javert in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables , in which Javert displays no malicious intent, but instead represents the rigid and inflexible application of the law, even when it leads to moral and ethical dilemmas. An aspect or trait of the protagonist may be considered an antagonist, such as morality or indecisiveness. An antagonist
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#17327802690525876-630: The Whomping Willow, where he is snatched by a large black dog and dragged into a tunnel. Ron and his friends follow the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. The dog turns out to be Sirius Black , who explains that Scabbers is actually the Death Eater Peter Pettigrew . As Ron returns to Hogwarts with Harry, Hermione, Sirius and Remus Lupin , Pettigrew knocks Ron unconscious and escapes. Ron is forced to remain in
5989-600: The Yule Ball with Padma Patil . He becomes very upset when he sees that Hermione's date to the Ball is Krum, and the two have a heated argument. In the second task of the Tournament, Harry must rescue Ron from the depths of the Hogwarts lake. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), Ron is made a Gryffindor prefect. His brother Percy congratulates him and advises him to become an ally of Dolores Umbridge ,
6102-522: The Yule Ball, with the result that Ron and Hermione never marry. However, this alternate timeline is eventually erased, and the original timeline is restored. In 2016, Paul Thornley portrayed Ron Weasley in the stage debut of the play at the Palace Theatre in London. For his performance, Thornley was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Play at the 2017 WhatsOnStage Awards . Thornley reprised
6215-587: The actors who portray the central trio, Alfonso Cuarón , who directed the third film in the series, Prisoner of Azkaban , assigned them to write an autobiographical essay about their character, written in the first person, spanning birth to the discovery of the magical world, and including the character's emotional experience. Of Rupert Grint's essay, Cuarón recalls, "Rupert didn't deliver the essay. When I questioned why he didn't do it, he said, 'I'm Ron; Ron wouldn't do it.' So I said, 'Okay, you do understand your character.'" Commenting on Ron's character development in
6328-544: The ancient and powerful magic which Lily Potter invoked and that would protect Harry from harm. On her website, Rowling wrote that Voldemort's wand is made of yew, whose sap is poisonous, and which symbolises death. It forms a deliberate contrast to Harry's wand, which is made of holly , which she chose because holly is alleged to repel evil. Rowling establishes in the books that Voldemort is magically connected to Harry via Harry's forehead scar. He disembodies himself when his Killing Curse targeting Harry rebounds on him, leaving
6441-500: The arrival of a group of over thirty Mary Poppins who descended with their umbrellas to defeat them. In 2015, British activist Majid Nawaz used and popularized the term Voldemort effect to describe the inability to name, shame and isolate Islamist extremism from the moderate Muslim community. During the 2016 United States elections , Daniel Radcliffe was asked by Sky News journalist Craig Dillon if he would compare Donald Trump to Lord Voldemort; Radcliffe responded, "Trump
6554-578: The battle and now rules the wizarding world. In an attempt to achieve this future, Delphi travels to Godric's Hollow on the night Voldemort killed Harry's parents, hoping to avert the prophecy that led to her father's downfall. After receiving a message from his son, Harry, together with Ron, Hermione and Draco (who by now has become friends with Harry after they join forces to save their respective sons) transfigures himself into Voldemort so that he can distract Delphi, allowing them to overpower her. The real Voldemort kills Harry's parents as prophesied, and Delphi
6667-413: The battle, after which Ron and Hermione vow to help Harry find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes . Rowling said that before this novel, Ron is "quite immature". She said the events of Half-Blood Prince help the character to "grow up emotionally" and "make himself worthy of Hermione". In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007), Ron and his friends use Polyjuice Potion to impersonate employees of
6780-423: The body of fellow-student, Cedric Diggory , who was murdered by Pettigrew on Voldemort's orders. Voldemort returns near the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003). He engineers a plot to free Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters from Azkaban and then embarks on a scheme to retrieve the full record of a prophecy stored in the Department of Mysteries regarding Harry and himself. He sends
6893-477: The book, his middle name or entire birth name is/are often changed in order to allow anagrams to be formed in other languages). According to the author, Voldemort's name is an invented word. The name Voldemort is derived from the French vol de mort which means "flight of death" or "theft of death". Voldemort makes his debut in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . In this story, Rowling introduces him as
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#17327802690527006-452: The book, his pupils are not cat-like, and his eyes are blue, because producer David Heyman felt that his evil would not be able to be seen and would not fill the audience with fear (his eyes do briefly take on a snake-like appearance when he opens them after turning human, but quickly turn normal). As in the book, the film version of Voldemort has snake-like slit nostrils with the flesh of his nose significantly pressed back. Ralph Fiennes' nose
7119-473: The books progress, he matures from an insecure boy to a competent young man capable of strategy and leadership. Ron is given his brother Charlie 's old, chipped wand, which is made out of ash and has a unicorn hair sticking out of the end. He holds the wand together with Spellotape after nearly breaking it in half at the start of Chamber of Secrets , but it malfunctions dreadfully after this, backfiring spells, making strange noises, and emitting objects from
7232-487: The castle as a trophy, sparking another battle during which Nagini, his last Horcrux, is destroyed by Neville Longbottom . The battle then moves into the Great Hall, where Voldemort fights Minerva McGonagall , Kingsley Shacklebolt , and Horace Slughorn simultaneously. Harry then reveals himself and explains to Voldemort that Draco became the true master of the Elder Wand when he disarmed Dumbledore; Harry, in turn, won
7345-616: The characters are fundamentally incompatible in some ways, but that their relationship might function with "a bit of counselling". Ron is introduced in the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997). He and his family encounter Harry Potter at King's Cross station and help him find the Hogwarts Express . Once aboard the train, Ron and Harry meet Hermione Granger , whom they initially dislike. At Hogwarts , all three students are assigned to Gryffindor House. After Ron and Harry save Hermione from
7458-547: The climax of the book. Rowling lets many seemingly unrelated plot elements fall into order. It is revealed that Voldemort's minion Barty Crouch Jr , disguised as Hogwarts professor Mad-Eye Moody , has manipulated the events of the Triwizard Tournament in Harry's favour. Voldemort's goal is to teleport Harry under Dumbledore's watch as a reluctant participant to the Little Hangleton graveyard, where
7571-457: The curse didn't work on Harry. So he's left with this lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead and the curse rebounded upon the evil wizard, who has been in hiding ever since." In the second book, Rowling establishes that Voldemort hates non- pure-blood wizards, despite being a half-blood himself. In a 2000 interview with the BBC , Rowling described Voldemort as a self-hating bully: "Well I think it
7684-581: The diary was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes . Voldemort does not appear in the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , either in person or as a magical manifestation. He is, however, heard when Harry passes out from the harsh effects of a Dementor . Towards the end of the story, Sybill Trelawney , the Divination professor, makes a rare genuine prophecy: "The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight,
7797-472: The enchanted car rescues them. Ron and Harry then enter the Chamber to save Ron's sister Ginny , who was kidnapped. After Harry rescues her, both boys are given awards for their service to Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Ron's pet rat Scabbers goes missing. Ron, Harry and Hermione eventually discover him hiding in Hagrid 's hut. When Scabbers runs off again, Ron chases him to
7910-402: The evidence to have Morfin released, but Morfin dies before the decision can be made. The House of Gaunt ended with Morfin's death. Merope Gaunt ( / m ɛ ˈ r oʊ p i / ) was the daughter of Marvolo, and sister of Morfin. Harry's first impression of her was that she looked "like the most defeated person he had ever seen". She married Tom Riddle Sr and became pregnant within three months of
8023-450: The final book, Rowling explained that "Ron is the most immature of the three main characters, but in part seven he grows up. He was never strong footed, people see him mostly as Harry's friend; his mother had actually wanted a girl and in the last book he finally has to acknowledge his weaknesses. But it's exactly that which makes Ron a man." Ron proves his bravery and magical ability several times, such as by playing 'real wizard's chess' in
8136-434: The first book, entering into the Forbidden Forest with Harry during the second book despite his arachnophobia , producing a full-corporeal Patronus Charm in the fifth book and even, in the seventh book, getting basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets by mimicking Parseltongue without understanding it. Some of Ron's qualities serve as foils to Harry's. Whereas Harry is an orphan with more gold than he needs, Ron comes from
8249-555: The first novel, Ron is described as "tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose". He has the trademark red hair of the Weasleys, and is one of Harry's tallest schoolmates, even outgrowing some of his older brothers. Rowling has stated that Ron has blue eyes. Ron is known for his humour, loyalty, readiness to defend his friends and his love of food. In an interview, Rowling described Ron as very funny but insensitive and immature. As his first exercise with
8362-491: The greatest and most powerful Dark Wizard of all time. He is known as one of the greatest Legilimens in the world and a highly accomplished Occlumens ; he can read minds and shield his own from penetration. Besides Dumbledore, he is also the only wizard ever known to be able to apparate silently. Voldemort was also said to fear one wizard alone, Dumbledore. In the final book, Voldemort flies unsupported, something that amazes those who see it. Voldemort, like his ancestral family,
8475-530: The help of the Deluminator he inherited from Dumbledore. He finds Harry attempting to recover the Sword of Gryffindor from an icy pool and rescues him from drowning. Harry forgives Ron for leaving and insists that he use the sword to destroy the locket. The trio are captured by Snatchers but are rescued by the house-elf Dobby, who dies during the escape. Eventually, the trio returns to Hogwarts, hoping to find
8588-412: The hero from achieving his desire but is competing with the hero for the same goal. According to John Truby, "It is only by competing for the same goal that the hero and the opponent are forced to come into direct conflict and to do so again and again throughout the story." Ron Weasley Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling . He
8701-518: The hospital wing of Hogwarts while Harry and Hermione travel back in time to rescue Sirius and the hippogriff Buckbeak. The Weasleys invite Harry and Hermione to the Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000). Ron is in awe when he sees his favourite Quidditch player, Viktor Krum . He is even more excited when Krum comes to Hogwarts to participate in the Triwizard Tournament . At Christmas time, Ron attends
8814-424: The influence of a love potion symbolises the coercive circumstances under which he was brought into the world. In the main plot of the book, Voldemort's next step is to engineer an assault on Hogwarts, and to kill Dumbledore. This is accomplished by Draco Malfoy , who arranges transportation of Death Eaters into Hogwarts by a pair of Vanishing Cabinets, which bypass the extensive protective enchantments placed around
8927-511: The influence of politicians, large media and corporations. "Lord Voldemort" is a nickname sometimes used for Peter Mandelson . Voldemort is also a recurring theme among wizard rock bands. Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock! is the second album from Harry and the Potters , and the character is mentioned in songs such as "The Dark Lord Lament" and "Flesh, Blood, and Bone". Voldemort also appears in
9040-529: The last unknown Horcrux shown in Harry's vision. Having lost the Sword of Gryffindor to Griphook the goblin, Ron gets an idea to procure more Basilisk fangs and manages to speak enough Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets , where Hermione destroys the Horcrux in Helga Hufflepuff's cup. He begins to worry about the fate of Hogwarts' elves. Upon hearing this, Hermione drops the basilisk fangs she
9153-534: The new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor appointed by the Ministry of Magic. Ron, however, does not support Umbridge's policy of refusing to teach students practical defensive magic. He, Harry and Hermione form the group Dumebledore's Army, which provides a venue for students to practise defensive spellcasting. Ron also joins the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Keeper and helps Gryffindor win
9266-507: The new avatar of Oliver Haddo at the story's conclusion. In A Very Potter Musical , Voldemort is played by actor Joe Walker. In a segment celebrating British children's literature at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London , an inflatable Voldemort appeared alongside other villains, The Queen of Hearts , Captain Hook , and Cruella de Vil , to haunt children's dreams, before
9379-499: The novel Goblet of Fire , but jokingly conceded: "I was only interested in my scene, and I had to go through thousands and thousands of other scenes which I did, dutifully, until I got to my scene and I read it many, many, many, many, many times and that was my research." Fiennes reprised his role as Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2 . Fiennes's nephew, Hero Fiennes Tiffin , portrayed Tom Riddle as
9492-435: The occupants of Hogwarts mercy if they give up Harry, he assembles a large army and launches an invasion of the castle, where Harry is searching for Ravenclaw's Diadem . Voldemort orders his pet snake Nagini to execute Snape, believing it would make him the true master of the Elder Wand, since Snape killed Dumbledore. He then calls an hour's armistice , in exchange for Harry. When Harry willingly walks into Voldemort's camp in
9605-439: The protagonist is a villain and the antagonist is an opposing hero. Antagonists are conventionally presented as making moral choices less savory than those of protagonists. This condition is often used by an author to create conflict within a story. This is merely a convention, however. An example in which this is reversed can be seen in the character Macduff from Macbeth , who is arguably morally correct in his desire to fight
9718-431: The protagonist. Though not every story requires an antagonist, it often is used in plays to increase the level of drama. In tragedies, antagonists are often the cause of the protagonist's main problem, or lead a group of characters against the protagonist; in comedies, they are usually responsible for involving the protagonist in comedic situations. Author John Truby argues that a true opponent not only wants to prevent
9831-480: The red eyes, whose pupils were slits, like a cat's, gleamed still more brightly through the darkness". It is revealed that with Pettigrew's help, Voldemort had created a small, rudimentary body, corporeal enough to travel and perform magic, and formulated a plan to restore his own body by capturing Harry. A portion of the plan had been overheard by Frank Bryce , a gardener, whom Voldemort then killed. Voldemort then completes his plan and returns to life in his full body as
9944-478: The role in 2018 at the Lyric Theater on Broadway. Rupert Grint portrays Ron Weasley in all eight Harry Potter films . He auditioned after seeing a segment on the children's news programme, Newsround , inviting children to apply for the role. Grint sent in a photo, a self-written script and a rap explaining his suitability for the part. Rowling was supportive of the casting, calling Grint perfect for
10057-605: The role. Grint's performance in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone earned him the Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent and the Young Artist Award for Most Promising Young Newcomer. In a 2020 article, Nathan Sharp of Screen Rant described him as the most "natural" child actor in the early films, and "excellent from minute one". Grint commented on playing Ron in the series: "The line between Ron Weasley and me got thinner with each film". In
10170-440: The scar on Harry's forehead. In the books, and to a lesser extent in the films, Harry's scar serves as an indicator of Voldemort's presence: it burns when the Dark Lord is near or when Voldemort is feeling murderous or exultant. According to Rowling, by attacking Harry when he was a baby Voldemort gave him "tools [that] no other wizard possessed—the scar and the ability it conferred, a magical window into Voldemort's mind". Voldemort
10283-520: The school. The cabinets allow Voldemort's Death Eaters to enter Hogwarts, where battle commences and Dumbledore is cornered. Hogwarts professor (and re-doubled agent) Severus Snape uses the Killing Curse against Dumbledore when Draco could not force himself to do so. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007), Voldemort furthers his quest for ultimate power. He disposes of the Minister for Magic and replaces him with Pius Thicknesse , who
10396-405: The second and sixth books, Tom Marvolo Riddle was handsome and tall with pale skin, jet black hair, and dark brown eyes. He could charm many people with his looks. The transformation into his monstrous state is believed to have been the result of creating his Horcruxes and becoming less human as he continued to divide his soul. In the films, Voldemort's eyes are blue with round pupils, as the decision
10509-403: The servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before." The servant is eventually revealed to be Peter Pettigrew , who, for the 12 years since Voldemort's fall, has been disguised as Ron's pet rat, Scabbers. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), Voldemort reappears at the start and
10622-533: The small bit of the former's soul. After that bit of soul is destroyed, Harry loses this ability. In a flashback in the sixth novel, Voldemort boasts to Dumbledore during a job interview that he has "pushed the boundaries of magic farther than they had ever before". Dumbledore states that Voldemort's knowledge of magic is more extensive than any wizard alive and that even Dumbledore's most powerful protective spells and charms would likely be insufficient if Voldemort returned to full power. Dumbledore also said that Voldemort
10735-450: The streets of London. The only thing she had left was the heavy gold locket that had once belonged to Salazar Slytherin, one of her family's most treasured items, which she sold for a small amount. When she was due to give birth, she stumbled into a Muggle orphanage, where she gave birth to her only son. She died within the next hour. Several people have drawn a parallel between Voldemort and some politicians. Rowling has said that Voldemort
10848-433: The third best Harry Potter character, writing that his status as comic relief makes him "instantly endearing". The IGN writers observed that "unlike most sidekicks, Ron isn't a coward or a simpleton, nor is he content to live in Harry's shadow ... Ron overcomes his shortcomings with faithfulness and perseverance". Empire magazine included Ron's friendship with Harry as one of the 33 best friendships in film. In 2003,
10961-535: The train to Hogwarts, they take the flying car instead. Ron receives a Howler from his mother, who berates him for taking the car. Later in the novel, Ron and Harry use Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as they infiltrate the Slytherin dormitory and attempt to gather information about the Chamber of Secrets. During a journey into the Forbidden Forest , Ron is forced to encounter his worst nightmare: spiders. The giant arachnids nearly devour Ron and Harry, but
11074-419: The tyrant Macbeth , the protagonist. Examples from television include J.R. Ewing ( Larry Hagman ) from Dallas and Alexis Colby ( Joan Collins ) from Dynasty . Both became breakout characters used as a device to increase their shows' ratings. Characters may be antagonists without being evil – they may simply be injudicious and unlikeable for the audience. In some stories, such as The Catcher in
11187-500: The wand's allegiance when he took Draco's wand. Refusing to believe this, Voldemort casts the Killing Curse with the Elder Wand while Harry uses a Disarming Charm with Draco's, but the Elder Wand refuses to kill its master and the spell rebounds on Voldemort who, with all of his Horcruxes destroyed, finally dies. Rowling stated that after his death, Voldemort is forced to exist in the stunted infant-like form that Harry sees in
11300-540: The weapon he needs to overcome Harry's wand and make him truly invincible. His journey takes him to Nurmengard , the prison where Gellert Grindelwald is kept, and he kills Grindelwald as well. He finally locates the Elder Wand and steals it from Dumbledore's tomb. Later, Voldemort finds out that Harry and his friends are hunting and destroying his Horcruxes when informed of their heist on the Lestranges' vault at Gringotts in search for Hufflepuff's Cup . After offering
11413-413: The wedding. It is suggested that she tricked her husband into loving her by using a love potion, but sometime during her pregnancy, chose to stop administering the potion. It is implied that Merope had grown tired of living the lie and thought that her husband might have grown to love her, or that he might have stayed for the sake of their unborn child; however, he left her. Desperate, Merope wandered through
11526-660: The witch Merope Gaunt and a Muggle named Tom Riddle. Riddle abandoned Merope before their child's birth, soon after which Merope died. After living in an orphanage, young Riddle met Dumbledore, who told him he was a wizard and arranged for him to attend Hogwarts. Riddle was outwardly a model student, but inwardly took sadistic pleasure in using his powers to harm and control people. He eventually murdered his father and grandparents as revenge for abandoning him. The book also discusses Riddle's hatred of Muggles, his obsession with Horcruxes , and his desire to split his soul to achieve immortality. Rowling stated that Voldemort's conception under
11639-422: The worth and humanity of anybody except himself. He feels no need for human companionship or friendship and cannot comprehend love or affection for another. He believes he is superior to everyone around him, to the point that he frequently refers to himself in the third person as "Lord Voldemort". Rowling also stated that Voldemort is "incredibly power hungry. Racist , really", and that if Voldemort were to look into
11752-534: The wrong end. Ron's new wand is fourteen inches, willow and unicorn hair, which he procures before the start of his third year at Hogwarts. Ron's talents are rarely shown, but he, like the other DA members, survives a violent encounter with adult Death Eaters in Order of the Phoenix , and it is implied that during the Death Eater assault in Half-Blood Prince he held his own quite well because he
11865-445: Was "a sort of" Adolf Hitler , and that there is some parallel with Nazism in her books. Rowling also compared Voldemort to Joseph Stalin . Alfonso Cuarón , director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban compared Voldemort to George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein , who he said "...have selfish interests and are very much in love with power. Also, a disregard for the environment. A love for manipulating people." Andrew Slack and
11978-416: Was a wizard ... And so then I kind of worked backwards from that position to find out how that could be, that he wouldn't know what he was. ... When he was one year old, the most evil wizard for hundreds and hundreds of years attempted to kill him. He killed Harry's parents, and then he tried to kill Harry—he tried to curse him. ... Harry has to find out, before we find out. And—so—but for some mysterious reason
12091-460: Was affected enough, there was no confusion by Hart's playing of the two roles. In that film, he was also shown in a flashback sequence when he arrived at the home of James and Lily Potter to kill them. In this scene Voldemort is played by Richard Bremmer , though his face is never seen. His next appearance would be in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as the 16-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle (portrayed by Christian Coulson ). In Harry Potter and
12204-525: Was being helped by Felix Felicis, the good luck potion. In Deathly Hallows , Ron loses his original wand, and takes Peter Pettigrew's wand for his own. Following this, Ron begins to demonstrate more aptitude and general knowledge, along with a sudden spurt in maturity after a terrible row with Harry. For a while, he effectively leads the trio in the hunt for the Horcruxes while Harry suffers a major depression. The entertainment website IGN selected Ron as
12317-463: Was born Tom Marvolo Riddle on 31 December 1926. His mother Merope died in childbirth, leaving the baby to grow up alone in an orphanage. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , it is revealed that Voldemort murdered his father and grandparents, leaving himself the only surviving member of the Riddle family. Most of the exposition of the House of Gaunt ' s background occurs in Harry Potter and
12430-400: Was carrying and kisses him for the first time. He also takes part in the Battle of Hogwarts, witnessing the death of his brother Fred, and teams up with Neville to defeat Fenrir Greyback . In the epilogue of Deathly Hallows , which is set nineteen years after Voldemort's death, Ron and Hermione are sending their daughter Rose Granger-Weasley off to her first year at Hogwarts. They also have
12543-527: Was made not to have his portrayer Ralph Fiennes wear colored contact lenses. Rowling described Voldemort as "the most evil wizard for hundreds and hundreds of years". She elaborated that he is a "raging psychopath , devoid of the normal human responses to other people's suffering", and whose only ambition in life is to become all-powerful and immortal. He is also a sadist who hurts and murders people—especially Muggles—for his own amusement. He has no conscience , feels no remorse or empathy, and does not recognise
12656-480: Was not covered in makeup on the set but was digitally removed in post-production. In this first appearance, Voldemort also has a forked tongue, but this element was removed for the subsequent films. Fiennes stated that he had two weeks to shoot the climactic showdown scene where he is gloating over a terrified Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe . Fiennes said with a chuckle: "I have no doubt children will be afraid of me now if they weren't before." In preparation, he read
12769-480: Was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen. Although Voldemort remains highly accomplished and prodigious in skill, he is enormously lacking and highly inept in the most powerful magic, love. This inability to love and trust others proves to be Voldemort's greatest weakness in the series. Voldemort initially voices scepticism that his own magic might not be the most powerful, but upon returning to power, he admits to his Death Eaters that he had overlooked
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