by Imelyen » Friday 1 July 2005 3:14:11am
I think the whole thing with Harry and Voldemort sharing a life force is complete hogwash. The prophecy says either must die at the hand of the other. If Harry kills Voldemort he, Harry, would die. But the prophecy says Voldemort is the only one who can kill him, which would effectively stop Harry from being able to destroy himself. As far as why Dumbledore didn't try to kill Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic. I believe he knew it would be a futile attempt because he knows Harry is the only one who can do it.
Voldemort was the one who created the Avada Kadavra curse, and since he taught his followers how to use it, he would, of course, have found a way to guard himself from it (evil people have a tendancy of betraying their masters when they have received all they can from them), expecting betrayal from within.
When Dumbledore says that Voldemort transfered powers to Harry when he failed to kill him, it means that he gave Harry the extra boost in power that he was lacking to be Voldemorts equal (the prophecy he would mark him as his equal).