Hades

Hades is a codename for Lord Voldemort. This alias was used by members of the Order of the Phoenix during the Second Wizarding War on the secret radio programme, Potterwatch. The use of this specific codename is exclusive to the film adaptations and does not appear in the original novels.

The codename “Hades” was employed on the underground radio show Potterwatch, a programme created to broadcast uncensored news and maintain morale for those resisting Lord Voldemort and his regime. To protect their identities from Death Eaters and the Ministry of Magic, the broadcasters and their guests used codenames for themselves (e.g., Remus Lupin as “Romulus,” Lee Jordan as “River”) and for key figures. While the original novels depict the broadcasters defiantly using the name “Voldemort” to combat fear, the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows introduced “Hades” as a specific codename for Voldemort himself, ensuring his identity was clear to listeners without activating the Taboo placed on his true name (film).

The name is taken directly from Greek mythology. Hades was the ancient Greek god of the Underworld, the realm of the dead. He was a son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. Though often conflated with evil, Hades was more accurately a grim, dispassionate custodian of the dead. The choice of “Hades” as a codename for Lord Voldemort is thematically appropriate for several reasons:

• Association with Death: Voldemort's primary goals and magic are deeply entwined with death, including his obsessive quest for immortality, his creation of Horcruxes, and his command over the reanimated corpses known as Inferi.
• Ruler of a Dark Realm: Just as Hades ruled the Underworld, Voldemort sought to rule the Wizarding World through fear, darkness, and oppression, creating a “kingdom” of terror.
• Figure of Fear: The name Hades, like the name Voldemort, inspired immense fear. In ancient times, people often avoided saying Hades's name, using euphemisms instead, which parallels the wizarding community's use of “You-Know-Who” or “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”.

The use of “Hades” as a codename for Voldemort is a deviation from the source material, created for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. In the novel, the broadcasters on Potterwatch make a point of using the name “Voldemort” to encourage bravery among the resistance. In the film, the codename is used by Kingsley Shacklebolt (codename “Royal”) to report on Voldemort's activities without triggering the Taboo curse, which alerted Death Eaters to the speaker's location whenever the name “Voldemort” was spoken aloud (film).