[HPforGrownups] Re: Some questions on the series as a whole ...

[k12listmomma]

No: HPFGUIDX 181884

> Samadjar Wrote:
>
>> > 1. What happened to Voldemort's body in Godrics Hollow?  If his
>> > dead body was found in the ruins, then why did people think he
>> > disappeared?
>
>> > If his body was not there - on what basis did everyone in wizarding
>> > world guess that something happened to him and started celebrating?
>> > Voldemort is very secretive about his whereabouts even to his
>> followers- so what made people guess so early that he is not
>> powerful anymore?
>
> Beatrice:  This is a good question.  There doesn't seem to be a
>> specific answer in the texts.
>
> Geoff:
> There is an interesting series of comments which Hagrid makes to
> Harry in PS which might give food for thought:
>
> '(Harry) - "But what happened to Vol - sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?"
> "Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter
> kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see...
> he was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he go? Some say he
> died......
>
> ...Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers.
> Too weak to carry on...."'
>
> (PS "The Keeper of the Keys" pp.46-47 UK edition)
>
> The implication being that there was no body at Godric's Hollow. The
> other presumptions probably followed because Voldemort's activity just
> ceased - abruptly and inexplicably.

Shelley:
In Deathly Hallows, we get a further answer. (I don't have my book handy for 
the chapter and exact quote.) In Voldemort's memory of the killing night, he 
says something to the effect of "he knew he couldn't stay in that home in 
the broken state he was in", and so that answer is correct- there was no 
"body" to be found could verify that Voldemort died, because Voldemort 
himself decided to leave the house before he was discovered to be broken. 
This was the basis for people saying that he wasn't dead, but would be back 
one day.  But, everyone knew that his reign of terror had stopped, and those 
who were spying on the faithful Death Eaters knew even they were searching 
for their leader, with no luck. Even they didn't know where he went. They 
were confused, because they were now leaderless.