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In Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, everyone is using "Voldemort"'s name freely in present day as he is dead and there is no fear of his available death eaters either.

However when Albus and Scorpius try to humiliate Cedric Diggory in Second task of Tri-wizard tournament and while coming back to the present only Scorpius makes it to the present. Here it is complete Voldemort's rule. Voldemort is alive and so is his fear.

But still how come everyone easily takes or say the name of "Voldemort" without any fear? Like "Voldemort and Valour"? Has Voldemort allowed everyone to take his name?

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  • This has been raised before and generally seen as an error, but I figure if he has successfully taken over then there is no need for his name to be treated in the same way as it was. He doesn't need to create mystique, he's already taken over everything and wields great power.
    – ThruGog
    Oct 26, 2016 at 15:18

2 Answers 2

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Voldemort refers to himself in the third person (never a good sign, avoid people who do so) as 'Lord Voldemort':

Harry’s voice was high, clear, and cold, his wand held in front of him by a long-fingered white hand. The man at whom he was pointing was suspended upside down in midair... “I have it not, I have it no more! It was, many years ago, stolen from me!” “Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Gregorovitch. He knows. . . . He always knows.” ~Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - The Thief

His followers, sympathizers (and Snape) refer to him as 'the Dark Lord' when speaking about him and in his presence they address him as 'My Lord'

My Lord,” Yaxley went on, “Dawlish believes an entire party of Aurors will be used to transfer the boy —”~Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - The Dark Lord Ascending

Bellatrix is the one who objects when Harry calls him simply 'Voldemort':

“Shut your mouth!” Bellatrix shrieked. “You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood’s tongue, you dare—” ~Order of the Phoenix, chapter 35 -Beyond the Veil

The people who fought him, like Dumbledore and Harry call him 'Tom' or ' Riddle' to his face, (which he hates as this name represents his muggle father) and 'Voldemort' when he is not present:

So, Tom . . . to what do I owe the pleasure?” Voldemort did not answer at once, but merely sipped his wine. “They do not call me ‘Tom’ anymore,” he said. “These days, I am known as —” “I know what you are known as,” said Dumbledore, smiling pleasantly. “But to me, I’m afraid, you will always be Tom Riddle. ~Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- Lord Voldemort's Request

and Harry in the final battle:

I’ve done what my mother did. They’re protected from you. Haven’t you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can’t torture them. You can’t touch them. You don’t learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?” “You dare —” “Yes, I dare,” said Harry. “I know things you don’t know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don’t. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake? ~Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -The Flaw in the Plan

Other Order members also call him Voldemort. All the rest call him 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. As the only people dare calling him 'Voldemort' were the ones who fought him, he used a spell to track people with it:

“but the name’s been jinxed, Harry, that’s how they track people! Using his name breaks protective enchantments, it causes some kind of magical disturbance — it’s how they found us in Tottenham Court Road!” “Because we used his name?” “Exactly! You’ve got to give them credit, it makes sense. It was only people who were serious about standing up to him, like Dumbledore, who ever dared use it. Now they’ve put a Taboo on it, anyone who says it is trackable — quick-and-easy way to find Order members! They nearly got Kingsley — ~Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Xenophilius Lovegood

But that doesn't mean he objects people uttering to the name "Voldemort". He doesn't seem to have a problem with it:

How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort’s powers were destroyed?” There was an odd red gleam in his hungry eyes now. “Why do you care how I escaped?” said Harry slowly. “Voldemort was after your time. . . .” “Voldemort,” said Riddle softly, “ is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter. . . .” ~Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - The Heir of Slytherin

I am not a big fan of the Cursed Child, but the scene you're referring to happens in a dystopian society, where Voldemort had won. People supposed to idolize him so 'you-know-who' is out of the question. There is no conflict of dark vs. light any more, so no reason calling him the 'Dark Lord'.

'For Voldemort and Valour' is an catchy alliteration so probably the guy Voldemort put in charge of the PR came up with it and it reminds both of Mao, Stalin and Kim Il sung's cult of personality and of the greeting in the Third Reich, so it seems convincing and fitting considering the situation.

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    The greeting in the Third Reich also happened to be alliterative and based on the leader's name, so there is definitely an out-of-universe connection.
    – Pwassonne
    Oct 31, 2016 at 19:37
  • The quote that you bring to show that Voldemort doesn't mind be called Voldemort is from his sixteen-year-old self, where he first adopted the name. It doesn't show whether adult Voldy was okay with it.
    – ibid
    Nov 4, 2016 at 4:40
  • @ibid i actually brought two. What do you think he wanted to say after "These days, I am known as..."
    – user68762
    Nov 4, 2016 at 6:27
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If you're reading the play and thinking its a nice addition but not 'real' Harry potter, than you can probably accept that it is a mistake. If to you, it is 'real' Harry Potter because JK Rowling helped the scriptwriters, maybe my explanation will satisfy you.

In the Voldemort-rules present, Voldemort has ruled for many years. At this point, he has been the 'King' of the wizarding world for years. Imagine if Hitler had won WW2. Eventually, everyone gets used to it. Yeah, we're ruled by a psycho who could kill us in a minute if he wants to. Old news.

Eventually, You-know-who is a fragment of the past, when he was always hidden, maybe around the corner. Everyone has their place in their world, and they know where he is. Most people in the ministry will see him, or see someone who sees him, and it would be odd to call someone you see You-know-who.

Those who worked with him would call him Lord Voldemort to his face, and those who worked with them would call him Voldemort.

"Dora, order Lord Voldemort a cup of coffee." "Chef, brew Voldemort's breakfast coffee."

Obviously you can't use You-know-who in that context.

Like people said Professor Dumbledore, Dumbledore, Dumbledore's Army. Likewise, Lord Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort and Valor.

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  • I believe the Death Eaters use 'The Dark Lord' even amongst themselves instead of saying his name and are scandalized when Harry dares say Voldemort in OOTP, so I don't think your theory of acclimatization holds up - too much internal rigidness and fear even amongst the Death Eaters which would trickle down to anyone else. Oct 26, 2016 at 22:45
  • As Neeshka says, after the dark wins over the light, there is no more 'Dark' Lord Oct 27, 2016 at 16:43

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