Killing Curse

"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it - you could all get your wands out and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed."

- Barty Crouch, Jr. as Alastor Moody

The Killing Curse is a curse that causes instantaneous death and is one of the three Unforgivable Curses, as well as being the worst one of the three. There is no known counter-curse or cure for it apart from someone else sacrificing him or herself for you; however, one may dodge the green bolt, use a physical barrier to block it, or intercept the bolt with another spell. An explosion or green fire may result if the spell hits something other than a living target. Cursing another human with the Killing Curse carries a punishment of a life sentence in Azkaban (unless the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse).

The only wizard known to survive this deadly curse is Harry Potter. Lord Voldemort was famous for using this curse regularly and indiscriminately. Its incantation is Avada Kedavra, which also serves as an alternate name for the curse.

Creation
The Killing Curse was invented during the early middle ages, by dark witches or wizards. The curse was created primarily as a means of quickly and efficiently slaying one's opponent in a duel.

"Unforgivable"
"The Cruciatus, Imperius and Avada Kedavra Curses were not made "unforgivable" until 1717."

- Albus Dumbledore

After the Wizards' Council was reformed into the Ministry of Magic tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Killing Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be dark magic, and, along with the Cruciatus and Imperius curses, were declared "unforgivable" in 1717. The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in Azkaban.

Legalisation
During the First Wizarding War, when Barty Crouch Sr. was in charge of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he fought violence with violence, and legalised the three Unforgivable Curses for Aurors against the Death Eaters in order to win the war. This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary. However, in the 1994–1995 school year, Barty Crouch Jr., under the disguise of Alastor Moody, showed these three curses to his fourth year classes on spiders despite the Ministry's disapproval.

When Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry, the three curses were once again legalised: this time every wizard and witch had the right to use them as they please. In fact, they were practiced in Hogwarts as part of the curriculum of Dark Arts class under the tutelage of Professor Amycus Carrow. After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt, the three curses were once again forbidden.

Appearance and effect
The Killing Curse is described as a jet of blinding green light, which causes the victim instant death. There are no secondary effects; the victim simply "drops dead" for no biological reason. It is possible that the victim's internal organs cease function, or that once the spell hits a person's body, it simply kills every living cell in the victim's body. It could also cause sudden brain death, simply stopping the progress of every electrical synapse in the brain simultaneously by draining all potential energy there. In addition to this, it is possible that it causes a person's soul to "pass on", and leave the body, similar to when the body dies naturally, and the soul passes on into whatever afterlife there may be. Victims of the Killing Curse that have been examined with Muggle methods are known to show no visible signs of trauma. Though Muggle methods are unable to identify the means of death, Ministry of Magic specialists are familiar with the markings, or lack of them. The killing curse is known to leave no identifiable marks or any signs of the reason for death. Victims appear to "drop dead", or to appear "perfectly healthy apart from the fact they were all dead."

When this curse hits an inanimate target, its effect varies: it can produce small fires, small greenish explosions, or explosions of such intensity that can blow up an entire story of a cottage. However, certain objects, such as the centaur statue of the Fountain of Magical Brethren, managed to block the curse without any visible damage to itself.

The curse requires a great deal of magical talent to perform correctly. In 1994, Barty Crouch, Jr., disguised as Alastor Moody, claimed that, if all of the students before him were to get out their wands and perform it on him at one time, he would probably get nothing more than a nosebleed. However, as his loyalties were with Lord Voldemort, it is unknown to what extent his words were accurate. It is possible to cast the curse nonverbally, as Bellatrix Lestrange released a green light to kill a fox without incantation.

Fatality
The Killing Curse is known as unblockable, as once it strikes the victim, it results in automatic and instant death. However, there are exceptions from special protections that may prevent the absolute fatal effects, which would reduce to scarring or the body and soul separating.

Only two people are known to have survived a direct application of the curse: Harry Potter, who was saved when his mother, Lily Evans, lovingly sacrificed herself by blocking the spell with her body, and Lord Voldemort, when it backfired with his attempt to kill Harry in 1981, because of his Horcruxes. However, Harry Potter was the only person known to have survived Avada Kedavra with no ill effects; Voldemort, on the other hand, was reduced to no more than a shadowy spirit, less than a ghost. Over a decade later, Harry would survive the curse another three times: once during Priori Incantatem in his battle against Lord Voldemort in the graveyard in his fourth year. Again, in 1998 when the curse killed only the Horcrux inside him, and once more when the wand being used to curse him, the Elder Wand, refused to destroy him because Harry was its true master. This also makes Harry the only person to have survived the Killing Curse multiple times.

Phoenixes are also somewhat immune to the Killing Curse, due to them being immortal. In 1996, Fawkes swallowed one intended for Albus Dumbledore. He burst into flames, dying instantly, but then was reborn from his ashes.

The Killing Curse can be survived if it is dodged or physically blocked by an object, such as the statues Dumbledore animated to protect Harry Potter during his duel with Voldemort after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Also, some objects may explode or burst into flames if hit. Although considered unblockable by magic, as noted above there are rare circumstance in which it can be blocked.

The Killing Curse is not the only spell that will cause death to a living creature. Other spells may cause injury or bleeding, such as Fiendfyre, Sectumsempra, possibly Antonin Dolohov's curse, if cast at a person, the Blasting Curse or Expulso, or an overuse of the Stunning Spell. References have been made to Aurors using deadly force against opponents, but whether this means they were authorized to use the killing curse (i.e. a "licence to kill") is unclear. Despite the circumstances, it is unknown whether the curse was used by anyone but Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Known practitioners

 * Lord Voldemort
 * Barty Crouch Jr.
 * Peter Pettigrew
 * Thorfinn Rowle
 * Severus Snape
 * Vincent Crabbe
 * Bellatrix Lestrange
 * Gellert Grindelwald
 * Other Death Eaters and Dark Wizards.

Known victims

 * Tom Riddle Sr. - 1943, by Tom Riddle
 * Thomas Riddle - 1943, by Tom Riddle
 * Mary Riddle - 1943, by Tom Riddle
 * Viktor Krum's grandfather (possibly Killing Curse) - pre. 1945, by Gellert Grindelwald
 * James Potter - 1981, by Lord Voldemort
 * Lily Potter - 1981, by Lord Voldemort
 * Harry Potter (survived both) - 1981, 1998, both times by Lord Voldemort
 * Frank Bryce - 1994, by Lord Voldemort
 * Cedric Diggory - 1995, by Peter Pettigrew
 * Gibbon - 1997, by Thorfinn Rowle
 * Albus Dumbledore - 1997, by Severus Snape
 * Charity Burbage - 1997, by Lord Voldemort
 * Alastor Moody - 1997, by Lord Voldemort
 * Hedwig - 1997, by unknown Death Eater
 * Gregorovitch - 1997, by Lord Voldemort
 * Gellert Grindelwald - 1998, by Lord Voldemort
 * Lord Voldemort (backfire, survived the first time) - 1981, 1998, both times by himself
 * Several others during the Revolution, First Wizarding War and Second Wizarding War

Etymology
Avada Kedavra is based on the Aramaic עַבְדָא כְּדַברָא, avda kedavra, meaning "what was said has been done." This phrase is also the origin of abracadabra, which, like hocus pocus, is used by magicians as a magic word when they perform tricks.

During an audience interview at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 15 April, 2004, J. K. Rowling had this to say about the spell's etymology: "Does anyone know where avada kedavra came from? It is an ancient spell in Aramaic, and it is the original of abracadabra, which means 'let the thing be destroyed.' Originally, it was used to cure illness and the 'thing' was the illness, but I decided to make it the 'thing' as in the person standing in front of me. I take a lot of liberties with things like that. I twist them round and make them mine."

"Kedavra" also sounds very similar to the English word cadaver, which means "corpse," and derives from the Latin cadere, "to fall."

Behind the scenes

 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lucius Malfoy says "Avada" at Harry Potter after he unwittingly frees Dobby. Dobby knocks Lucius backwards with magic to protect Harry, and he does not finish the incantation. The part of the incantation shown, for plot reasons, was not represented in the subtitles. However, on the DVD if the audio is set to Spanish, Lucius says what it sounds like "Arara" in a more of a shouting way than hissing.
 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Bellatrix Lestrange is shown using the Killing Curse to murder Sirius Black in a scene fundamentally different from that of the novel, in which Sirius was killed by an unknown curse cast by Bellatrix. The effect of the curse is also not shown to be instantaneous in the film.
 * In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin intended to kill Peter Pettigrew for his betrayal of James and Lily Potter. It is unknown how they wanted to do it, possibly by the use of this curse. If it would have been used, Peter would have died the same way as his former friends.
 * Out of the three, the Killing Curse is the only Unforgivable Curse that Harry did not use.
 * After Harry Potter survived a second killing curse, he described it as having left a bruise that felt like an "iron-clad punch."

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts I and II
 * The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Notes and references
Avada Kedavra Sortilège de la Mort Авада Кедавра