Voldemort believed Harry Potter was the "chosen one" primarily due to a specific prophecy and his own narcissistic interpretation of its details, which led him to select Harry over another potential candidate.
The Prophecy of the Chosen One
The belief in Harry as the "chosen one" originated from a prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney to Albus Dumbledore. The relevant part of the prophecy foretold:
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..."
This prophecy indicated a child born at the very end of July, whose parents had successfully resisted Voldemort three times. Two children fit these criteria:
- Harry Potter: Born on July 31st, to James and Lily Potter.
- Neville Longbottom: Born on July 30th, to Frank and Alice Longbottom.
Voldemort's Critical Decision
Voldemort, having heard a partial account of the prophecy from Severus Snape, was faced with a choice between these two potential targets. His decision-making process was heavily influenced by his own psychological makeup, specifically his profound narcissism.
Voldemort's narcissism caused him to choose Harry as his intended victim. He fixated on the fact that Harry, like himself, was a half-blood. This shared background, in Voldemort's twisted perception, made Harry an "equal" and, paradoxically, a more fitting adversary or target for the prophecy than Neville Longbottom, who was a pure-blood. He saw himself reflected in Harry's blood status, despite his disdain for all non-pure-bloods.
This choice was a critical miscalculation, as Voldemort's first choice to follow the prophecy by targeting Harry was, in fact, the direct cause of his own temporary undoing.
Factors Influencing Voldemort's Choice
The table below illustrates the key differences and Voldemort's reasoning:
| Factor / Candidate | Harry Potter | Neville Longbottom |
|---|---|---|
| Birth Date | July 31st | July 30th |
| Parents' Defiance | James & Lily Potter (Thrice defied Voldemort) | Frank & Alice Longbottom (Thrice defied Voldemort) |
| Blood Status | Half-blood | Pure-blood |
| Voldemort's View | Chosen as "equal" due to shared half-blood status; a more formidable rival in his own narcissistic view | Dismissed, not seen as a fitting adversary or "equal" |
| Outcome | Targeted by Voldemort, marked as his equal, and becomes "the Boy Who Lived" | Not targeted by Voldemort for the prophecy's fulfillment |
The Consequences of His Narcissism
By choosing Harry, Voldemort inadvertently "marked him as his equal," as the prophecy stated. When Voldemort attempted to kill baby Harry, Lily Potter's sacrifice invoked ancient magic, causing the Killing Curse to rebound upon Voldemort himself, destroying his physical body and leaving Harry with a lightning-bolt scar and a piece of Voldemort's soul. This act firmly established Harry as the one with the "power to vanquish the Dark Lord," a direct result of Voldemort's own fatal interpretation and narcissistic selection.
Voldemort's decision was therefore not based on an objective analysis of the prophecy, but on a deeply flawed, self-serving perspective that ultimately sealed his own fate.
