ABSTRACT
When considering J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter saga, it is common to discuss Voldemort’s “reign of terror”. Some have even argued that the Ministry of Magic’s response to Voldemort’s return is a parody of attempts by the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States to counter terrorism. In this chapter we explore the links between Voldemort and terrorism by expanding this analysis to consider Voldemort’s morphological adaptation. Specifically, out of his own fear of dying and his resultant efforts to cheat death, Voldemort divides his soul into six Horcruxes (and an additional unintentional one). This, we argue, is a reflection of a much wider pattern of decentralization in Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs). Many modern VEOs (such as Al-Qa’ida or the Islamic State) have sought to develop new affiliate organizations in diverse locations across the world. In doing so, such organizations often increase their spread (and perhaps their ideological impact) but they weaken their strategic control. In comparing the morphological adaptation of Voldemort with modern VEOs this chapter explores the conditions within which they decide to decentralize, as well as the ideological drivers that push them to act in certain ways.
