What if? — Part One — What if Harry wasn’t a horcrux?
Preface : Some of the questions remain in the mind. Some of the questions that start with “what if?” Come, venture in the world of doubts and alternatives, as I answer some of the most amazing, hilarious, stupid and down-right terrifying “what ifs” you will ever find in Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Miraculous Ladybug and Just Add Magic. This is Part one.
On the very unfortunate night in the Potter manor, James Potter had been murdered by Tom Marvolo Riddle, famously known as Voldemort, the cheater of death. Lily Potter had died trying to save her only son, Harry Potter. He was on a mission to run from Thanatos, known as death, and be immortal. Voldemort had received a prophecy that a boy would kill him, he tried to find who the boy would be, and narrowed down two possibilities, Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. Considering Neville to be not so much of a threat, he had gone for Potter. As he raised his wand towards Lily Potter, the mother of Harry, and said the literally magical killing curse, “Avada Kedavra”, he felt something strange. He could not describe it. It was like a magical force pulling him towards the boy, who was only a few months old. He thought it was his greed to overcome his greatest fear: the fear of death. What he failed to realize was the fact that a love barrier had been created. As he shot the killing curse at young Harry, the curse rebounded and hit himself. But what he wanted was somewhat accomplished. He wanted to kill Harry and also make a Horcrux but only succeeded in the latter, making Harry a Horcrux.
Now, many of you in the wizarding world already know what happened to Harry next. But today, I am going to tell you about what would have happened if Harry wasn’t a Horcrux.
It is a common fact that if you are too close to a Horcrux, bad thoughts start to cloud your mind. Since Harry had become a Horcrux and started staying with the Dursleys, the Dursleys had been cruel to him, and the reason could have been because of Harry being a Horcrux. Harry being a Horcrux could mean Harry would not have the iconic lightning bolt scar and if he did, it would not have pained often… That ultimately means that we would not get warnings in the Philosopher’s Stone. Apart from that, everything would go the way it was in Philosopher’s (or Sorcerer’s) Stone.
Everything would change in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry not being a Horcrux would mean he would have also not been a parseltongue, because he had got that ability due to Voldemort being a part of him. This would also mean that in Chamber of Secrets, he would not have been able to control that snake in the duel and also would not have been able to hear the basilisk’s voice. This means that he would not try to solve the mystery and Hogwarts would close down. By chance, if he tried to solve the mystery for the sake of Hermoine, he would defeat Tom Riddle and the basilisk like he did. Nothing would change in the Prisoner of Askaban and the Goblet of Fire. Voldemort would still be reborn because, as wormtail says, “Blood of the foe” and not “Blood of the last Horcrux”.
Everything would change in the order of the phoenix. Voldemort would not have a connection with Harry which would mean he would not be able to tell that Arthur is dead and Arthur Weasley’s ultimate demise could cause a lot of distress. Harry would not even go to the Department of Mysteries as he has no connection with Voldemort (which would mean Sirius doesn’t die). But instead, if Voldemort would try to make Harry come to the Department (as he needs the prophecy), Sirius would also die. The Half-blood Prince would remain the same and not much change would be done in it. In the Deathly Hallows, Harry would not need to sacrifice himself (which would mean that the lovely talk between Dumbledore and Harry would not occur), they would only have to find and destroy 6 Horcruxes, the last one being Nagini, and Harry’s “Love Barrier” would not be formed for the school. Meaning that there will be no element of surprise as he wakes up and hides in his cloak. Neville would kill Nagini the same way. Harry would still be able to beat Voldemort as he becomes the Master of Death, acquiring and yielding all three Deathly Hallows.