While we know of the lightning bolt on his forehead, Harry Potter has many different scars that create him and it helps make him a fully formed character.
Harry Potter has quite the amount of scars, metaphorically and literally. If it wasn’t his famed lightning bolt, it is the phrase that Umbridge had him write over and over again that ended up on his hand for the rest of his life. He is continually reminded of his past and what led him to where he is today.
In Cursed Child, there is a wonderful element that shows us that Harry’s scars are always there for him. Every time he’s nervous, or worried, he shakes out his hand and, when you realize why he’s doing that, it is heartbreaking. Even as an adult, he’s still plagued by what happened to him growing up and it reflects in his body movements.
His scars, though, are not just physical. When Harry sees his parents in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, it is clear that his lack of connection to his parents and the death of all the parental figures in his life still has an impact on him. He stands by and watches them, unable to talk to his parents as he hasn’t been able to his entire life.
It’s terribly depressing to think about this character as barebones as possible. He’s just a lost boy who never really had the time or compassion shown to him than most everyone else around him. And that’s clear in moments when Harry expresses his upset about his parents or reflects on his scars. He might be an adult man but he’s still just that little boy who had to save the world.
Harry’s scars help to make him into the man he is and he doesn’t shy away from them.