Possession by Voldemort

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 74992

We have had many examples of possessions by Voldemort, but the final 
one in OoP has me thinking more about this.

To review what we know, Voldemort spent much or all of the time he 
was hiding in Albania possessing small animals.  In GoF he explains 
that none of them lasted long, it shortened their lives.  I also 
have no doubt that it was quite painful for the animals.  Even 
Wormatail heard the rumors of it from the other rats when he was 
searching for Voldemort after his escape.

In PS/SS, Quirrell explained that Voldemort felt the need to possess 
*him* after the failed attempt to steal the Stone from Gringotts.  
Quirrell puts it this way: "When I failed to steal the stone from 
Gringotts, he was most displeased.  He punished me...decided he 
would have to keep a closer watch on me...."  Now, I'm not entirely 
sure if Quirrell's case is a true possession or not.  Voldemort is 
*inhabiting* Quirrell, and can punish him by causing him pain (or, 
more pain than usual), but he never seems to act *through* him; 
rather, he just gives him orders.  The arrangement *does* seem as 
though it would have been fatal to Quirrell fairly early on, as it 
was for the Albanian animals, neccessitating the drinking of Unicorn 
blood to keep the host body alive (until Voldemort deserts it in the 
end).

In CoS, the situation is entirely different, however, it is still 
caused by the real Tom Riddle who at the age of sixteen enchanted a 
diary to be able to possess someone.  The eventual victim is Ginny, 
of course, but her possession is nothing like what happens when the 
real Voldemort possesses.  Ginny does not feel pain, and her life is 
not shortened *until* Diary!Riddle decides the time is right to 
steal it.  Diary!Riddle does act through Ginny (in contrast to what 
Voldemort does to Quirrell), and Ginny loses chunks of time whenever 
this is happening.  All this is interesting in light of what Ginny 
says to Harry in OoP: that she knows what it feels like to be 
possessed by Voldemort.  Her assertion bothers me, because it seems 
clear that she *doesn't* know, really, given what we know about 
Quirrell's possession (and Harry's, eventually).

Finally we come to Voldemort's possession of Harry at the end of 
OoP.  I was surprised when it happened, because at this point 
Voldemort has a body *of his own*!  How did he do it, then?  When he 
apparated out of the column of water from the fountain, did he drop 
his body off inside a handy broom closet and enter Harry's, 
travelling like an astral projection?  Or was he all, body and soul, 
hiding somewhere, and only their minds joined via the scar link 
(most likely, I guess)?  Surely, he didn't possess Harry with his 
body as well as his mind (ugh)?  In any case, this possession 
reminds me most of the small animal possessions of his Albanian 
days: he acted (spoke) through Harry, he caused him great pain, and 
I have no doubt that the possession would have killed Harry had 
Voldemort been able to keep it going.

The idea of possession by Voldemort seems to quite important.  It 
seems to be like all three of the Unforgivable Curses rolled into 
one, and so much worse than all of them.  I wonder if Voldemort will 
ever confront Harry by possessing someone else?  (Now I am thinking 
of the divination homework in GoF where Harry ended by predicting 
his own death by decapitation, and later Ron's parrot fake wand cut 
the head off Harry's haddock fake wand, but the possibilities are 
endless...)

Annemehr
wishing she could post a full-blown theory instead of endless 
questions...