The Harry Potter universe is as vast as it is creative. This is best shown in how the series expertly covers centuries of history throughout the first seven books. While the main story focuses on Harry’s adventures, it’s through the people he encounters that the story is expanded even further. That being said, while there is more than enough lore to sift through, there are still certain pieces of information that get lost through the cracks. One small yet crucial example of this is the fact that Voldemort and Harry Potter are actually distant cousins.
Since their family resemblance is far from recognizable, the best way to verify this is through the exploration of the two characters’ lineage to see exactly where the duo connects. Surprisingly, their familial ties go back as far as the Peverell family. Even though their life story isn’t fully explored, the final Harry Potter installment explains that the Peverells are the original carriers of the Deathly Hallows.
Voldemort’s bloodline is tied to Cadmus Peverell, who, according to Beedle the Bard, crossed a bridge with his brothers that many had perished on. This angered Death, who masked his frustration with adoration and offered them each a gift. Cadmus wanted something that could bring back the dead in an effort to humiliate Death, thus obtaining the Resurrection Stone. Before his untimely demise, Cadmus must have fathered a child, as the stone was later turned into a ring that was passed down through the Gaunt family. From there, the bloodline continued until Tom Riddle got his hands on the ring and turned it into a Horcrux.
The youngest brother to cross the bridge was Ignotus Peverell. He was the wisest and most humble among the brothers and put these traits on display when facing Death. Rather than ask him for a gift that could lead to a terrible fate, he instead requested a way to leave their meeting without Death following him. As a result, he obtained the Invisibility Cloak. Thanks to his judgment, Ignotus was the only brother to avoid an untimely end at the hands of the Deathly Hallows. In his later years, Ignotus fathered a son, who had a granddaughter that married Hardwin Potter. From there, the bloodline finally continued to Harry Potter, as did Ignotus’ Invisibility Cloak.
Although they are only distant relatives, both Voldemort’s and Harry’s stories greatly parallel their ancestors’. For example, like Cadmus, Voldemort has a perverse fascination with death and learning ways to control and cheat it. Yet, even after all of his efforts to become something more than human, he suffers the same fate as anyone else. In contrast, Harry is just as wise as Ignotus when it comes to solving problems and avoiding a terrible fate. His ability to outsmart his opponents even saves his life on more than one occasion throughout the series, like when he faces Voldemort one last time.
While they walk vastly separate paths, there’s no denying the lineage between Voldemort and Harry Potter. However, as their lives and the Harry Potter franchise as a whole have shown, it’s not one’s family tree that decides a person’s character, but their own choices and desires. This is why Harry walks a similar path to Ignotus and Voldemort, more so follows Cadmus; because their personal selflessness or greed aided their biggest decisions.
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