Harry Potterwas first released as a book series that had not even been completed (2007) before being made into a film franchise series in 2001. And yet in seven books and eight movies, no one but the title character himself has ever walked away from The Killing Curse (one of three Unforgivable Curses that causes instantaneous death), and Harry managed to do it twice. This reputation even gave him the title of “The Boy Who Lived.” The Killing Curse (orAvada Kedavra) is supposed to be a life-ending curse that no wizard, no matter how powerful, can undo. Although the curse can be counteracted with Sacrificial Protection powered by love, once the damage is done there is no going back.
So how didHarry Potternot only survive this Unforgivable Curse with no more than a scratch, but also again a second time? When Harry was just a baby, his mother and father (Lily and James Potter) were killed when Voldemort came to end Harry’s life. Voldemort was a great and powerful wizard, but he was evil and corrupted. After a reading from Divination professor Sybill Trelawney that stated he would be defeated by a male child born at the end of July, Voldemort had two guesses as to who this child would be. One was Neville Longbottom whom Voldemort sent Death Eaters after, and the other wasHarry Potterwhom Voldemort went to kill himself.
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Voldemort said he did not want to waste perfectly good wizards, especially purebloods. His only mission was to kill the twopotentials threats in his futureso that he would never be challenged. This is why Voldemort even told Lily to step out of the way when he came to kill Harry; he told Lily she did not have to needlessly die. Voldemort’s goal in life was to be the most powerful, threatening wizard of all time, and to always escape death. He never wanted to die, which is why he made six Horcruxes and went to kill Harry. But when Lily refused to step out of the way and protect her child at all costs, even her own life, that kind of love was not known to Voldemort. It’s magic could not be understood.
In order to create a Horcrux, a wizard must split their soul andhide a piece of it in an objectin order to become immortal. To do this, they must first commit murder. Voldemort intentionally made six Horcruxes, but when he usedAvada Kedavraon Harry, he unintentionally created a seventh Horcrux. Instead of dying, Lily’s love for Harry created a counter ‘curse’ known as Sacrificial Protection and saved Harry. This type of love and sacrifice is a blood curse, and will forever protect the life of the individual whom has been ‘cursed.’ So, when Voldemort attacked Harry with The Killing Curse after Lily died defending him, Harry’s protection curse caused the magic to bounce off (or rebound) and strike Voldemort, causing him to ‘die’ and lose his mortal body.
Until the fourth book and film, Voldemort is still trying to get back his physical form (much like Sauron in Lord of the Rings) but fails a few times before finally using Harry’s blood to bring back his body and regain full strength. When Voldemort returns for the finale of the series, he again usesAvada Kedavraon Harry. But as Dumbledore explained, Lily’s love curse remains active while Harry’s threat (Voldemort) is still in existence since that is what Lily initially was protecting Harry from. When Voldemort used The Killing Curse on Harry, he was actually using it on one of the last remaining Horcruxes buried within Harry.
Because Voldemort’ssoul was no longer fragmented—save for a large serpent named Nagini—he would soon be vulnerable enough to be killed for good. When Harry was struck, he was forced into a sort of Limbo reality where he encountered Dumbledore, who offered Harry a brief explanation of what had happened as well as a choice to go to his final resting place to be with his parents, or go back and finish off Voldemort. Harry obviously chooses to continue living, and with the help of Neville (who was fulfilling his side of the prophecy by killing Nagini) Harry is able to end the reign of Voldemort for good.
Harry Potterwas sort of immortal against Voldemort as long as he was alive and a threat. With Voldemort dead, Lily’s love curse or spell would have fulfilled its purpose andno longer have been in effect. Harry was the only known wizard to survive The Killing Curse, but it seems that if a similar situation occurred, where one sacrificed themself for another out of deep love and care, then they too could have that lasting protection against evil with the power of love.
