10 Times Harry Potter Almost Became a Dark Wizard

Ever since he first received his letter(s) to Hogwarts, Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter has been a force for good in wizarding society. Considered the “Chosen One,” he fought Umbridge’s injustice, freed Dobby the house elf, and defeated Lord Voldemort, just to name a few things. However, Harry’s heroic journey was not always so straightforward, and several times, his actions and circumstances took a decidedly darker turn.

Shockingly, it’s not that uncommon for a hero to become the villain of his story, and several times, Harry was certainly tempted to do just that. If not for the love and support of those around him, these events could have easily turned Harry into the darkest wizard of all.

10

His Childhood Could Easily Have Been a Villain’s Backstory

The murder of Harry’s parents was just the beginning of a tumultuous childhood in which he was often neglected or abused. The Dursleys were the opposite of a loving family, and their cruelty could have easily shaped Harry into something wicked. Besides making him live in a cupboard under the stairs, they barely fed him, verbally (and even once physically) abused him, and more generally neglected and bullied him. Quite frankly, we’re surprised Harry didn’t take his revenge the moment he learned he had powers.

Hard Times Continued

After escaping the Dursleys, Harry had every reason to hope that his childhood would get easier. However, his time at Hogwarts was also traumatic, with constant threats against his life and the deaths of many beloved friends. Yet still, he tried to leave a good impression and more generally do good at school, even when the school itself was trying to convince him not to.

9

The Sorting Hat’s Temptation

Soon after arriving at Hogwarts, Harry was seated beneath the Sorting Hat, which was meant to determine which House would be the best fit for him. He told the hat he wasn’t interested in Slytherin, but it tried to convince him that he could do great things there. Ultimately, he was sorted in Gryffindor, to both his relief and the joy of his friends, but we can’t think the Sorting Hat was onto something—he would have done great, but horrible, things.

Slytherin’s Reputation

Throughout the Harry Potter franchise, Slytherin had a terrible reputation. To be fair, multiple times, Slytherin students proved their goodness while various non-Slytherins showed they were just as bad, if not worse, than the snake students. However, it seems likely that Slytherin would have been a bad influence for a boy in Harry’s situation. New to the Wizarding world, isolated from all that he knew, it would be easy for him to latch onto a problematic, but compelling, ideology if it meant finally belonging.

8

The Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised was a magical item that would show the viewer “nothing more or less than [their] deepest and most desperate desires.” During the first film, as Harry looked into this mirror and saw his parents, Voldemort promised him that, if he gave him the Sorcerer’s Stone, the Dark Lord would bring them back. Most likely, this was a lie that would have ended in Harry’s death. However, there’s a non-zero chance that Voldemort would have worked with Harry under the false promise of achieving this goal, and in turn, corrupted him.

Deepest Desires

While trying to convince Harry to give him the stone, Voldemort said, “There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it.” Harry doesn’t fall for the line, but there’s a world in which he might have. Given everything Harry’s been through, it’s not inconceivable that he might have desperately latched on to an empty promise to get his parents back—especially if he were completely alone, much like he had been before meeting Ron, Hermione, and his other friends.

7

When He Used Sectumsempra on Draco

Draco Malfoy was a “pure-blooded” wizard and Slytherin who attended Hogwarts. Though he initially tried to befriend Harry, the two became bitter enemies, and their relationship was often the cause of conflict in both the books and movies. During The Half-Blood Prince, Harry confronted Draco about a cursed necklace that had almost killed a fellow student. Chasing him to the bathroom, Harry cast a spell that severely wounded Draco, and if not for Professor Snape’s help, things could have ended very badly.

Unleashing Darkness

Admittedly, Harry didn’t fully understand what the curse could do, as he’d found it in a book by the Half-Blood Prince (who was later revealed to be Snape). He also seemed horrified by its power, as well as the fact that the book contained many other spells just like it.

Fortunately, Ginny stored the book in the Room of Requirement so that it couldn’t be misused. However, hurting Draco could easily have unleashed something darker in Harry, and if he had chosen to learn more from the book, it’s scary to think what he might have done—especially since he’d later use even worse spells.

6

When He Used the Cruciatus Curse

The Unforgivable Curses, so named because they are unforgivable, include Crucio, Imperio, and Avada Kedavra. The first of these, also known as the torture curse, was used by Harry after Beatrix murdered Sirius. Admittedly, his attempt failed, as Crucio required the caster to “mean it.” However, in the book, he later tried (and failed) to cast the spell on Snape after Dumbledore’s death, and eventually, he successfully used it on Amycus Carrow, showing that he legitimately desired to inflict pain.

Pain Born of Pain

Both times Harry tried and failed to use the curse, it was out of grief that someone he loved had been killed. In the case of Amycus, however, he used the spell out of anger that McGonagall had been spat upon. Certainly, this is a rude thing to do, but it seems to pale in comparison to the other situations. Thus, the question arises of whether there’s ever a right or just time to use the curse, and if so, whether Harry was capable of identifying it, or if he was simply and darkly driven by impulse.

5

When He Used the Imperius Curse

After learning that one of the Horcruxes keeping Voldermort alive, Hufflepuff’s Cup, was in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault, Hermione used Polyjuice Potion in order to pass herself off as Bellatrix and enter the bank. Unfortunately, the goblins grew suspicious, so Harry used the Imperius curse on one named Bogrod to help them access the vault. When things went awry, the trio tried to escape, and a dragon killed Bogrod in the process.

Slippery Slope

Like we mentioned with Crucio, Harry certainly had a reason for using this Unforgivable Curse, but technically, so does anyone who’s ever used one. Additionally, it can be argued that Harry had no choice but to use it, but he quite literally took that element of choice away from Bogrod, which largely contributed to the goblin’s death.

To make matters even worse, along with Bogrod, multiple wizards and other goblins appeared to be killed as the trio fled. Harry’s actions were necessary in order to find and destroy the Horcrux, but at a certain point, other people’s lives (and deaths) must also be taken into account when deciding whether Harry’s actions were actually “good” or the start of something dark.

4

If He’d Decided to Keep the Elder Wand

The Elder Wand was an incredibly powerful magical device that was known to corrupt those who wielded it. One of the Deathly Hallows created by Death, Harry won the “Deathstick” from Draco after besting him in a duel. After using it to defeat Voldemort, Harry broke the wand at the end of the movie (frustratingly, before fixing his own wand). But if he’d instead chosen to keep it, things could have taken a very different turn.

Power Corrupts

Throughout the series, the idea that power corrupts is palpable. If Harry had kept the wand, his power would have been almost limitless. While it might seem out of character for Harry to want the wand, he was actively being encouraged to keep it by Ron in the books. Additionally, it would have been easy for Harry to hold onto the wand so that it wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands, only for its power to corrupt him and make him the exact sort of person he would have wanted the wand to be kept away from.

3

His Connection to the Horcruxes

While hunting the Horcruxes to defeat Voldemort, Harry, Hermione, and Ron discovered Slytherin’s locket. Eager to destroy it, the trio soon realized that it had a magical protective spell. While searching for something to break it, each of them wore it in turns, realizing that it greatly affected their mood to the point that they couldn’t cast a Patronus. This effect was especially negative on Ron, who began to think horribly dark thoughts about his friends. If Harry had been the only wearer, or if he had worn it longer, it could have had similarly disastrous effects.

Harry the Horcrux

Even beyond the influence of the other Horcruxes, the connection that most affected Harry was the link he had directly to Voldemort. Since Harry was a Horcrux, he was able to see certain events through the Dark Lord’s eyes and even hear some of his thoughts. In this sense, he was constantly being exposed to darkness, which easily could—and sometimes did—overwhelm and consume him.

2

Prophecies Are Tricky Things

During 1980, Sybill Trelawney prophesied that a great wizard with the power to rival Voldemort would be born to a couple who had thrice bested the Dark Lord. Voldemort was informed of this part of the prophecy, but he didn’t realize that he’d have a hand in choosing who it referred to. By attacking baby Harry, he caused the prophecy to land squarely on the infant’s shoulders, thus securing his fate and their connection to come.

The end of the prophecy, that “neither can live while the other survives,” gave Harry no choice but to kill Voldemort, or else be killed, and the idea that he was “mark(ed) as [Voldemort’s] equal” led several of the Dark Lord’s followers to believe (and hope) he’d be equally evil as well.

The Chosen One

While many thought Harry was the Chosen One capable of defeating Voldemort, others thought he was the Chosen One capable of replacing him. This could easily have become a self-fulfilling prophecy if Harry had chosen to go through with it. In other words, if he’d decided to embrace the dark side of wizardry, he would have had plenty of Death Eater followers supporting him. This is especially worth noting since, multiple times, the “good wizards” who were ostensibly in his corner let him down.

1

Dumbledore’s Cold Shoulder

Throughout the movies, there are several hints that Dumbledore doesn’t fully trust Harry. He wants to, but he’s also well aware that the boy could easily embrace a path of darkness or unwillingly be used in Voldemort’s schemes. This is especially apparent in Order of the Phoenix, when he keeps Harry at arm’s length, worried that he might be used by Voldemort as a spy. His reasoning isn’t really explained in the movies, which could leave viewers just as confused—or left in the dark, and tempted by it—as Harry was himself.

Harry’s Love

As previously mentioned, love is what ultimately allowed Harry to combat Voldemort and any inclinations he might have held toward darkness. By ignoring Harry when Harry needed him most, Dumbledore was depriving him of the very care that sustained him. Luckily, the love of his mother, which had protected him from Voldemort’s killing spell, remained with him long after. In effect, maybe it’s most accurate to say that this love is what prevented him from ever becoming a dark wizard.

As new spin-off ideas continue, it’s very possible that Harry Potter could follow one of the sinister paths above, or that a new director could envision something entirely different—though equally dark—for the “disturbed and dangerous” Boy Who Lived.