Dumbledore and Voldemort ~ Their Connection to Harry

[Weasleyfanforever]

We all know that the only one Voldemort really feared was Dumbledore. Also, we know that, although while normal magic is powerful, there are dark magic spells which decent wizards can't even think of using, because of the extreme power and danger. Could it be that Voldemort fears Dumbledore so much because he is connected in some sort of way with him? Although Dumbledore doesn't use the dark arts,that we know of, he could be somehow connected with them indirectly. Also, could Harry have defeated Voldemort so many times if he wasn't influenced by Dumbledore's power? There are many Gryffindors that share Harry's qualities - braveness and loyalty are what Gryffindors are made of. Could it be the unique connection between the Hary and Voldemort and Harry and Dumbledore that makes Harry so powerful? Do Voldemort and Dumbledore share some history? Of course, JKR has made it clear that there's no fammily connection. Could it be a connection with Hogwarts and the Houses, or the magic around Hogwarts?

[Finnegan]

I might be going a bit off-topic with this, but I think that there is a psychoanalytical explanation to the connections between these three characters; Harry, Voldemort, and Dumbledore.

Harry is the central character of Harry Potter. Central characters are often "doubled". That is to say, there are characters in the same story who share some of their traits, but are given different 'psychological profiles'. This is done to represent other parts of the central character than can be done by usual description and action. Voldemort and Dumbledore are Harry's doubles.

Getting very Freudian, Dumbledore represents the super-ego, while Voldemort represents the id. Dumbledore is the part that wants to do what society has taught the individual is right, and Voldemort is the part that just gives in to his more primal drives to dominate.

Getting slightly less Freudian, Harry is initially placed outside of the order because he is an orphan. The Dumbledore part wants him to find his place in the order, and become a fully-fledged person with a fully-fledged identity. The Voldemort part, however, wants to move further out of the order, beyond the boundaries of the order's law.

Both Voldemort and Dumbledore are integral parts of Harry's psyche, but only one of them can dominate, which is why they are at odds with each other. But I think that this is the place in which the connection between the characters is "explained", so to speak.

[Alz]

On a very much more basic level, the links between the three are also not to be overlooked ...
Harry and Tom Riddle are both orphans raised in less than happy circumstances ...
Dumbledore and Harry both have scars - this is a subtle comparison that I feel may serve some purpose later on ...
Voldemort fears Dumbledore ...
Dumbledore's 'feelings' for Harry cloud his judgement ...
Harry share traits with Voldemort such as Parselmouth and the ability to open the chamber of secrets ...
Harry can call the services of Fawkes, Dumbledore's trusted pet ..

.. I could go on and on but what I am trying to say is that Harry is directly influenced by one, indirectly influenced by the other - but a mixture of both of them serves to make Harry Potter the powerful Wizard he is ...

[Tinkerbell]

My belief is that the three are connected and mentioned in the prohecy - that it is actually Dumbledore who will kill Voldemort, but for some reason needs Harry to assist him in doing this - whether Harry is the 'weapon' with which Dumbledore needs to vanquish Voldemort, or the combined powers/attributes of the two will defeat Voldemort, I don't know!

[Alz]

..I dont have a problem with that :D

For some reason both Voldemort (moreso) and Dumbledore all have traits that Harry has .. so it is more than plausible a connection exists between all three ...
Riddle and Dumbledore have a history - Voldemort and Dumbledore have a history - Voldemort and the Potters have a history - Dumbledore and Potters have a history - it just seems so tight that you have one person who is very like Harry and the other person 'steering' Harry through these turbulent year - the thing is they all know each other well - Dumbledore and Voldemort moreso .... it has to be established later in the books that the links between Voldemort and Dumbledore stretch further than we first assume on face value ...

[Brycen05]

I think that we are over analyzing the situation a little much. Maybe it has to do with Harry's mother's side of the family and Dumbledore's love for muggles. It is possible that Dumbledore had a muggle (grand)parent who links him to Harry's family. And as said before the magical scars that Harry and Dumbledore share could have both been inflicted by voldemort. :cool:

[Alz]

See once again no issue - but why would Voldemort attacking Dumbledore's knee? :p
I am with you - they could be both marks of Dark Lords.

But you have to look at similarities which JKR draws all the time - especially surround Harry and Voldemort - I think a little less so with Dumbledore ...
They all share history - one way or another - so the link it definitely there ... it is a matter of the exact link and what the ramifications of it are ...
I think the past beef between Voldemort and Dumbledore has contributed a great deal to the current situation - but it isn't overly emphasised by JKR just at the moment ...

[Fortescue]

My belief is that the three are connected and mentioned in the prohecy - that it is actually Dumbledore who will kill Voldemort, but for some reason needs Harry to assist him in doing this - whether Harry is the 'weapon' with which Dumbledore needs to vanquish Voldemort, or the combined powers/attributes of the two will defeat Voldemort, I don't know!

I don't think the prophecy refers to Dumbledore in any way. It's strictly between Harry and Voldemort. I like the idea that Harry is a weapon, although I don't see Dumbledore using him that way. I assume that when Harry does serve the fatal blow to Voldemort, Dumbledore will be dead. I hate to say it - but I think JKR is going to kill him off. It will be Harry's love for Dumbledore and the anguish over his death that gives Harry the strength and courage to do what he has to do.

The connection between Voldemort and Harry is simply the aftermath of Voldemort's attack, and the powers he transferred to Harry. Harry has powers of his own, the ones spoken of in the prophecy, but the reaction Harry has whenever Voldemort feels emotional, or the fact that Harry can see through Voldemort's eyes - this is their connection. The connection between Dumbledore, Harry and Fawkes is a more similar connection. After all, the three of them are on the side of good, not evil. Voldemort is out in left field by himself. I don't think there is a connection at all between Dumbledore and Voldemort - just ones desire to defeat the other in the name of their cause and beliefs. I get the feeling from the dialogue between Voldemort and Dumbeldore in the Ministry that that was their first confrontation in a dueling situation. It seemed that Voldemort was prepared to be inflicted a fatal blow from the "only one he ever feared." It could be that Dumbledore knew of Voldemort's fear of him - he saved the fatal blow for a later date, maybe to catch Voldemort off guard, or to make him feel too secure in his power.

Harry draws his power and courage from the mere thought of Dumbledore when he's in a bind. This was shown in SS/PS. Since then, whenever Harry faces Voldemort, Fawkes is either there, or is represented as in the graveyard scene when the phoenix song emanated from the web of lights, which also reminded Harry of Dumbledore.

"And then an unearthly and beautiful sound filled the air .... It was coming from every thread of the light-spun web vibrating around Harry and Voldemort. It was a sound Harry recognized, though he had heard it only once before in his life: phoenix song.
It was the sound of hope to Harry . . . the most beautiful and welcome thing he had ever heard in his life . . . He felt as though the song were inside him instead of just around him ... It was the sound he connected with Dumbledore, and it was almost as though a friend were speaking in his ear . . .
Don't break the connection. (GoF, pg 664 US)

In OotP, Harry watched as Fawkes saved Dumbledore's life in the Ministry by swallowing the curse Voldemort shot at Dumbledore. Fawkes showed his loyalty to Dumbledore, thus sacrificing himself - Harry showed his loyalty to Dumbledore in the Chamber and Fawkes came to his rescue because of it. The three are a very loyal and powerful group, and as long as they stick together, I don't believe the group can be totally defeated by Voldemort, or anyone else.