What shape is Harry Potter’s scar in J.K. Rowling’s books?

Harry Potter’s scar is shaped like a lightning bolt in J.K. Rowling’s books.

The scar is on Harry’s forehead and is the visible mark left by Lord Voldemort’s failed killing curse. When Harry was an infant, Voldemort attempted to kill him, but the curse rebounded after Harry’s mother, Lily Potter, sacrificed herself to protect him.

The lightning-bolt shape became one of Harry’s most recognizable features in the books and film adaptations. The scar can also hurt when Voldemort is nearby or when the connection between them becomes especially strong, making it more than a simple physical identifier.

The scar is sometimes described as a symbol of Harry’s survival and the continuing link between him and Voldemort. It is not a birthmark: the story presents it as an injury caused during the attack on 31 October 1981, the night Harry’s parents died.