It's easy for the Ministry to call the "Wraith Voldemort" a myth. It's much harder to fight a "Tom Riddle" who could potentially walk into the Ministry, claim he was a victim of dark magic, and use his charisma to get elected to high office.
Harry is the Lion's heart trapped in the Serpent's skin, guided by a Ravenclaw's mind. He is a boy who has traded "gold and glory" for "iron and ink," realizing that his path to victory lies in mastering the dark rather than just running toward the light.