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In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, we find out in an alternate reality, Harry died at the Battle of Hogwarts (at least I think it was the Battle of Hogwarts). But how? Didn't Harry's blood run through Voldemort's veins along with his mother's protection, therefore tethering him to life as long as Voldemort lived? Here's a direct quote from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

"He took my blood," said Harry.

"Precisely!" said Dumbledore. "He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it! Your blood is in his veins, Harry, Lily's protection inside both of you! He tethered you to life while he lives!"

Unless Voldemort never took in Harry's blood in the alternate reality, Harry should not have been able to die, correct?

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    Spoiler in question. Thank you :,(
    – Lucharx
    Commented Aug 2, 2016 at 9:13
  • Also, Harry was master of Elder Wand... Commented Mar 2, 2017 at 18:27
  • Avada Kedavra? Well that and it's CC...
    – Pryftan
    Commented Jul 18, 2018 at 0:16

3 Answers 3

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Because things are complicated

It is true that Harry survived in part because of Lily's protection, Voldemort having taken it into himself, and of course his own possession of the Elder Wand. However, Rowling is very explicit: Harry still could have died.

It is important to state that I always saw these kinds of magic (the very deepest life and death issues) as essentially un-scientific; in other words, there is no “Elder Wand + Lily’s Blood = Assured Survival” formula. What count, ultimately, are Harry and Voldemort’s own choices. They have each been given certain weapons and safeguards, but the power of these objects and past happenings lie in how they are understood, and how they are used or enacted upon. Harry has a deeper and truer understanding of the meaning of the objects and past events, but his greatest powers, those that save him, are free will, courage and moral certainty.

In other words, nothing is entirely certain. Something entirely different could have happened, depending on subtle and perhaps ultimately unknowable factors.

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  • Tying in with the choice aspect; during the King's Cross chapter in Deathly hallows Dumbledore explains that Harry could board a train that would take him 'on'... and presumably remain dead. It is possible that Harry chose to remain dead in the alternate reality.
    – Kapler
    Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 1:45
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TLDR; Because Neville didn't kill Nagini Voldemort was un-killable.

They state that Harry dies because Cedric Diggory kills Neville. This means the whole battle of Hogwarts is thrown off as now Voldemort still has his remaining Horcrux in Nagini, while we don't know exactly what happens, assuming that Harry and Voldemort still have the same show down in the woods, and Voldemorts Soul fragment is removed from Harry, they are no longer tied together anymore, and Voldemort or anyone else for that matter can kill Harry, while Voldemort can still be "killed" but has 1 horcrux left to re-resurrect himself with.

Snape: Cedric Diggory killed only one wizard and not a significant one — Neville >!Longbottom. SCORPIUS: Oh, of course, that’s it! Professor Longbottom was supposed to kill Nagini, Voldemort’s snake. Nagini had to die before Voldemort could die. That’s it! You’ve solved it! We destroyed Cedric, he killed Neville, Voldemort won the battle. Can you see? Can you see it?

Despite everything else the fact that Nagini didn't die throws off the entire fight, we don't know Exactly what happens but that is why Voldemort lives, and Harry dies.

Voldemort is not limited to Aveda Kedarva to kill Harry.

Since Nagini is not dead, Voldemort could simply use Nagini to kill him. Harry can still die, despite Voldemort being alive, Voldemort just probably cant kill him personally.

Its also not clear that Voldemort killed Harry, just that he is dead.

Have you swallowed something funny in there? Become a Mudblood without any of us noticing? Harry Potter died over twenty years ago as part of that failed coup on the school — he was one of those Dumbledore terrorists we bravely overthrew at the Battle of Hogwarts. Now come along — I don’t know what game you’re playing but you’re upsetting the dementors and entirely ruining Voldemort Day.

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    But none of that has anything to do with the sacrificial blood protection that ran through Harry and Voldemort's veins, and kept Harry alive. Nagini has absolutely nothing to do with the blood protection to tethered Harry to life.
    – Zack
    Commented Jul 31, 2016 at 21:53
  • @Zack based on this scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/35074/… it agree's with you, so we must assume this is a retcon plain and simple. we are lead to believe that its specifically due to Nevilles death.
    – Himarm
    Commented Jul 31, 2016 at 22:37
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    This is not the only retcon were stuck with, remeber that somehow they were all able to see the potters house that was under Fiduleos charm
    – Himarm
    Commented Jul 31, 2016 at 22:43
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    All is explained in the companion novel: "Enoby u were almost shot!11" said Serious. "But da ballet could not kill u since u were form anodder time."
    – Adamant
    Commented Jul 31, 2016 at 22:59
  • scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/58683/… says that voldemort can kill harry in other ways
    – Himarm
    Commented Jul 31, 2016 at 23:39
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The body that Voldemort made for himself WAS destroyed by Harry.

Maybe since Voldemort's soul was in Nagini, it killed Harry.

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