A lot of things happened in the Harry Potter series, so it’s very easy to forget some details, including that Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort are actually related – and no, it has nothing to do with a piece of Voldemort’s soul living in Harry. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series began in 1997 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, setting the basis for what would become an extensive world of its own. The series came to an end in 2007 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but fans still got their fix through the film adaptations of the books.
The Harry Potter film series ran from 2001 to 2011, with a total of eight films as Deathly Hallows was split into two parts. But even with all the books and films, there was still a lot to learn about Harry Potter and company, and through the website Pottermore (now called Wizarding World), Rowling has been sharing more information on this universe – some things more relevant than others. At some point, Rowling expanded a bit more on Harry’s ancestors, and revealed that he is in fact related to Lord Voldemort himself.
Tracking a fictional family tree can be tricky and confusing, but Harry and Voldemort’s common ancestors are actually pretty easy to locate within the Harry Potter universe thanks to their fame and relevance.
Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort Are Distant Cousins
The link between Harry and Voldemort goes all the way back to The Tale of the Three Brothers and the Deathly Hallows. Antioch Peverell, the oldest brother, was said to have crafted and possessed the Elder Wand, which was passed down through combat. Cadmus Peverell, the second brother, was in possession of the Resurrection Stone (and was said to have crafted it as well), which passed down through his descendants until it came into the Gaunt family, who placed it within their signet ring. Ignotus Peverell was the youngest, and the one who had the Cloak of Invisibility. It initially passed down through his male descendants, but when his granddaughter Iolanthe Peverell married Hardwin Potter, the Cloak made it to the Potter family, and was eventually given to James Potter.
Now, that’s the link Harry has with the Peverells, but how does that connect to Voldemort? Well, the House of Gaunt are descendants of both the Peverell and Slytherin family, specifically of Cadmus Peverell and Salazar Slytherin. Marvolo Gaunt was the father of Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort’s grandfather, which is why Voldemort acquired the ring/resurrection stone and turned it into a horcrux. This means that Harry Potter and Voldemort are (very) distant cousins due to their links to the Peverell brothers.
Very much like in the real world, there are some interesting and sometimes kinda confusing connections between families when traced back through decades. Of course, Harry and Voldemort’s link wouldn’t have changed their relationship at all simply because Voldemort was selfish, evil, and incapable of understanding what love is, making it impossible for him to change his mind about immortality, getting rid of “mudbloods”, and killing Harry Potter.
Next: Harry Potter Theory: How Horcruxes Are Made (& Why Rowling Won’t Say)
