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{{conjecture}}
  
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{{Pottermoreold}}
  
 
{{Spell infobox
  
{{Spell infobox
 
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{{Quote|Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is [[love]]. He didn't realise that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.|[[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]] regarding the power of love|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}
  
{{Quote|Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is [[love]]. He didn't realise that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.|[[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]] regarding the power of love|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}
   
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'''Sacrificial protection''' is an ancient, powerful, and long-lasting [[counter-charm]].<ref>{{COS}}</ref> This charm unlike others has no incantation and is endowed when one person (whom we will call "the victim" for purposes of this article) ultimately sacrifices his or her own life willingly and out of deep and pure [[love]] to save the life of one or more people (to whom this article will refer as "beneficiaries").<ref name="poa17">{{PS|B|17}}</ref><ref name="gof33">{{GOF|B|33}}</ref><ref name="ootp37">{{OOTP|B|37}}</ref><ref name="dh36">{{DH|B|36}}</ref>
 +
'''Sacrificial protection''' is an ancient, powerful, and long-lasting [[counter-charm]].<ref>{{COS}}</ref> It is endowed when one person (whom we will call "the victim" for purposes of this article) ultimately sacrifices their own life willingly and out of deep, pure [[love]] to save the life of one or more people (to whom this article will refer as "beneficiaries").<ref name="poa17">{{PS|B|17}}</ref><ref name="gof33">{{GOF|B|33}}</ref><ref name="ootp37">{{OOTP|B|37}}</ref><ref name="dh36">{{DH|B|36}}</ref>
−  
−
When the person to make the sacrifice dies, the counter-charm is so powerful that the murderer can not physically touch the intended victim, as the protection lives on in their veins. Also, any spells cast on the beneficiaries wear off quickly.<ref>{{DH}}</ref>
  
   
 
==Requirements==
  
==Requirements==
  +
In order for the protection to form, the victim must be given the option to live, but consciously choose death.
⚫
In order for the protection to form, the victim must be given the option to live, but consciously choose death.<ref name="leaky">[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-1.htm 2005 Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview]</ref> This is why [[James Potter I|James Potter's]] death did not confer magical protection on [[Lily J. Potter|Lily]] and [[Harry Potter|Harry]] in [[1981]]; [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] was set upon killing James and thus never gave him an opportunity to choose to save himself.<ref name="leaky" /> Lily, on the other hand, was offered the chance to step aside because Voldemort had promised [[Severus Snape]] that he would not kill her unless she got in his way.<ref name="dh33">{{DH|B|33}}</ref> Her conscious refusal to comply with Voldemort's demand is why unusually strong magical protection was conferred upon her only son.<ref name="leaky" />
  
  +
  ⚫
This is why [[James Potter I|James Potter's]] death didn't confer magical protection on [[Lily J. Potter|Lily]] and [[Harry Potter|Harry]] in [[1981]]; as [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] was set upon killing James and thus never gave him an opportunity to choose to save himself.<ref name="leaky">[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-1.htm 2005 Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview]</ref> On the other hand, Lily was offered the chance to step aside because Voldemort had promised [[Severus Snape]] that he wouldn't kill her unless she got in his way.<ref name="dh33">{{DH|B|33}}</ref> Her conscious refusal to comply with Voldemort's demand is why unusually strong magical protection was conferred upon her son.<ref name="leaky" />
  +
  +
It would seem that the protection can take effect even if the opportunity for self-preservation is presented only by circumstance.
  +
  ⚫
In 1998, during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], Voldemort gave Harry one hour to surrender himself, vowing to hunt him down if he did not show up in that time. Although Voldemort was determined to kill Harry, his sacrificial protection worked to save his friends, presumably because he willingly gave himself up despite having enough time to try to run away, whereas James was only given a minute's notice of Voldemort's arrival. He even arrived to face Voldemort just after the required hour and by that time Voldemort thought he wasn't coming.<ref name="dh33" />
   
 
===Effects===
  
===Effects===
 
{{Quote|But I knew too where Voldemort was weak. And so I made my decision. You would be protected by an ancient magic of which he knows, which he despises, and which he has always, therefore, underestimated — to his cost. I am speaking, of course, of the fact that your mother died to save you. She gave you a lingering protection he never expected, a protection that flows in your veins to this day.|The effects of sacrificial protection|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}[[File:Tumblr_lth8u7IhCZ1qa9jn1o7_r1_250.gif|240x240px|left|frame|[[Harry Potter]] allows Voldemort to hit him with the Killing Curse in order to protect the defenders of Hogwarts]]
  
{{Quote|But I knew too where Voldemort was weak. And so I made my decision. You would be protected by an ancient magic of which he knows, which he despises, and which he has always, therefore, underestimated — to his cost. I am speaking, of course, of the fact that your mother died to save you. She gave you a lingering protection he never expected, a protection that flows in your veins to this day.|The effects of sacrificial protection|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}[[File:Tumblr_lth8u7IhCZ1qa9jn1o7_r1_250.gif|240x240px|left|frame|[[Harry Potter]] allows Voldemort to hit him with the Killing Curse in order to protect the defenders of Hogwarts]]
   
  +
Sacrificial protection can be conferred on a single beneficiary or on a group of them. After the sacrifice, the protection will live on in the beneficiary's veins.<ref name="dh36" />
⚫
Sacrificial protection can be conferred on a single beneficiary or on a group of them.<ref name="dh36" /> In cases involving a single person, the protection prevents whoever murdered the person who sacrificed their life from physically touching the person saved without experiencing excruciating pain,<ref name="poa17" /><ref name="gof33" /> and will cause a [[Killing Curse]] cast at the saved person by the murderer to rebound.<ref name="gof33" /> In cases involving multiple beneficiaries, the extent of the protection is not known, but it seems that it is less than in single-beneficiary cases, so that spells cast by the murderer at those beneficiaries will simply wear off more quickly rather than be reflected back (although it is unknown how that would apply to the Killing Curse). However, the difference in the level of protection could also be attributed to whether or not the victim actually dies since, in the only known case in which sacrificial protection was conferred to a group of people, the intended victim survived.<ref name="dh36" />
  
   
  +
In cases involving a single person, the protection prevents whoever murdered the sacrifice from physically touching the intended victim without experiencing excruciating pain,<ref name="poa17" /><ref name="gof33" /> and will cause a [[Killing Curse]] cast at the saved person by the murderer to rebound.<ref name="gof33" />
⚫
Another defensive effect of sacrificial protection binds the beneficiary to life when his or her blood is transferred to another person (perhaps this only works when the beneficiary's blood is transferred to the murderer) as long as that person lives. If the blood is transferred to the murderer, then the murderer will be able to overcome some aspects of the protection. Evidence of this can be seen in the way that [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] was able to touch Harry Potter and harm him after [[Return of Lord Voldemort|his rebirth and resurrection]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120112021221/https://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=122 F.A.Q. question] on J.K. Rowling's Official Site</ref>
  
  +
  ⚫
In cases involving multiple beneficiaries, the extent of the protection isn't known, but it seems that it is less than in single-beneficiary cases. The spells cast by the murderer at those beneficiaries will simply wear off more quickly rather than be reflected back, although it is unknown how that would apply to the Killing Curse. However, the difference in the level of protection could also be attributed to whether or not the victim actually dies since, in the only known case in which sacrificial protection was conferred to a group of people, the intended victim survived (See Blood Connection below).<ref name="dh36" />
  +
  +
==Blood Connection==
  ⚫
Another defensive effect of sacrificial protection binds the beneficiary to life when his or her blood is transferred to another person as long as that person lives. This was seen when Harry casted the counter-charm and suffered a Killing Curse again, but survived.<ref name="dh36" /> However, if the blood is transferred to the murderer, then the murderer will be able to overcome some aspects of the protection. Evidence of this can be seen in the way that [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] was able to touch Harry Potter and harm him after [[Return of Lord Voldemort|his rebirth and resurrection]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120112021221/https://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=122 F.A.Q. question] on J.K. Rowling's Official Site</ref>
   
−
==Bond of blood==
  
 
{{Quote|She may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon you. Your mother's sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give you.|Explanation of the bond of blood|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
  
{{Quote|She may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon you. Your mother's sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give you.|Explanation of the bond of blood|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
−
[[File:BabyHarryLeftAtPrivetDrive.png|250x250px|thumb|[[Albus Dumbledore]] leaves infant Harry Potter with a note on the doorstep of [[4 Privet Drive]] so that the bond of blood he placed on Harry can be sealed]]
 +
[[File:BabyHarryLeftAtPrivetDrive.png|250x250px|thumb|[[Albus Dumbledore]] leaves infant Harry Potter with a note on the doorstep of [[4 Privet Drive]], his aunt [[Petunia Dursley]]'s home, so that the bond of blood he placed on Harry can be sealed]]
   
−
If the victim was related to the beneficiary, then a powerful charm known as the [[bond of blood charm|bond of blood]] can be cast upon the beneficiary to give them additional protection (although it is unknown how closely the two must be related for this charm to work). This charm prevents any harm from coming to the beneficiary from the murderer while they are in a blood-related relative's home.<ref name="OOTP">{{OOTP|B|37}}</ref>
 +
If the victim was related to the beneficiary, then a powerful charm known as the [[bond of blood charm]] can be cast upon the beneficiary to give them additional protection, although it is unknown how closely the two must be related for this charm to work. This charm prevents any harm from coming to the beneficiary from the murderer while they are in a blood-related relative's home.<ref name="OOTP">{{OOTP|B|37}}</ref>
   
−
However, in order for this charm's power to take effect, the living blood-relative must first take the saved person into their home willingly.<ref name="ootp37" /> Once activated, this bond of blood will prevent harm from coming to the beneficiary when they are in their relative's home<ref name="ootp37" /> but it will break automatically when the saved person moves out permanently or turns seventeen (the {{wplink|age of majority}} in the British wizarding world), whichever happens first.<ref name="dh4">{{DH|B|4}}</ref><ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-edinburgh-ITVcubreporters.htm#blood 2005 Edinburgh 'cub reporter' press conference]</ref>
 +
In order for this charm's power to take effect, the living blood-relative must first take the saved person into their home willingly.<ref name="ootp37" />. However, the additional protection will break automatically when the saved person moves out permanently or turns seventeen (the {{wplink|age of majority}} in the British wizarding world), whichever happens first.<ref name="dh4">{{DH|B|4}}</ref><ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-edinburgh-ITVcubreporters.htm#blood 2005 Edinburgh 'cub reporter' press conference]</ref>
   
 
==Known occurrences==
  
==Known occurrences==
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|[[Harry Potter]]
  
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
|[[31 October]], [[1981]]
  
|[[31 October]], [[1981]]
−
|Lily Potter sacrificed her life in order to protect her infant son, Harry from [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]. This placed Harry under magical protection, so that when Voldemort cast the [[Killing Curse]] at Harry in turn, the spell backfired, leaving Harry unharmed (save for a [[Harry Potter's scars|lightning-shaped scar]] on his forehead) and Voldemort bodiless. Harry became the only known person to survive the Killing Curse because of the power of his mother's loving sacrifice. However, foreseeing Voldemort's inevitable return, [[Albus Dumbledore]] furthered Harry's protection by casting the above-mentioned charm on him and leaving him in the care of his only living relative, [[Petunia Dursley]] (Lily's older sister).<ref name="ootp37" />
 +
|Lily Potter sacrificed her life in order to protect her infant son, Harry from [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]. This placed Harry under magical protection, so that when Voldemort cast the [[Killing Curse]] at Harry in turn, the spell backfired, leaving him unharmed (save for a [[Harry Potter's scars|lightning-shaped scar]] on his forehead) and Voldemort bodiless. Harry became the only known person to survive the Killing Curse because of the power of his mother's loving sacrifice.<ref name="ootp37" />
 
|-
  
|-
 
|Harry Potter
  
|Harry Potter
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==Behind the scenes==
  
==Behind the scenes==
  +
* According to Rowling this kind of magic is very un-scientific and that there was no Elder Wand + Lily’s Blood = Assured Survival” formula. it was ultimately the choices that Harry and Voldemort made.<ref name=":0" />
⚫
*It would seem that the protection can take effect even if the opportunity for self-preservation is presented only by circumstance. In 1998, during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], Voldemort gave Harry one hour to surrender himself, vowing to hunt him down if he did not show up in that time.<ref name="dh33" /> Nonetheless, although Voldemort was determined to kill Harry, Harry's sacrificial protection worked to save his friends, presumably because he willingly gave himself up despite having enough time to try to run away, whereas James Potter was only given a minute's notice of Voldemort's arrival. Also, he arrived to face Voldemort just after the required hour and by that time Voldemort thought he wasn't coming. <Edit: In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Voldemort gave Harry the option to live in the face of death andHarry refused, hereby fufilling the requirements to activate the enchantment.>
  
  +
−
*It is unknown if anyone employed by the murderer can harm a beneficiary. This is seemingly evidenced during the Battle of Hogwarts, where it is believed that Harry protected his friends from Voldemort, after which, not even any [[Death Eaters]], much less Voldemort himself, were able to do any damage to the Hogwarts army.
  
  +
*It is evidenced that people under sacrificial protection could be protected or protect themselves from the Killing Curse using Shield Charms, as Harry used them to protect his friends and allies from Voldemort's curses during the second part of the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].
−
*Because of Harry's sacrificial protection, the spells that Voldemort and his [[Death Eaters]] cast did not work properly. Voldemort's [[Silencing Charm]] did not keep the Hogwarts residents quiet for long, and [[Neville Longbottom]] was able to break the [[Full Body-Bind Curse]] Voldemort cast on him. Yet also in the final film, Voldemort casts the [[Stunning Spell]] on Neville out of anger after seeing Harry alive. This spell did not hold, either, as Neville woke up soon after. Furthermore, neither Voldemort or the Death Eaters were able to do any damage to the Hogwarts students, [[Professor]]s, [[Hogsmeade]] villagers, [[Order of the Phoenix]] or other participants. Interestingly, Harry is also seen in the films as being able to deflect Killing-Curses with a [[Shield Charm|Shield-Charm]], although this may be to do with the allegiance of the [[Elder Wand]] rather than the sacrificial protection. This is the sole place in the final film where the blocking of a Killing-Curse can be considered to be theoretically possible, as other blocks (such as by Bellatrix) exist to elongate duels and increase drama.
  
  +
*It's unknown if anyone employed by or affiliated with the murderer can harm a beneficiary. [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]] is said to have missed death by a inch when [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] sends a [[Killing Curse]] at her, implying that Ginny would have been killed if the Curse had made contact.
−
*It is seen during the Battle of Hogwarts that the spell only protects living people, as the [[Dark Wizard]]s were still able to destroy areas of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]].
  
  +
** In the film, Nagini is depicted as posing a mortal threat to Ron and Hermione. While Quirinus Quirrell was unable to touch Harry without being burned, this was because Voldemort himself inhabited Quirrell's body at the time.
⚫
*Lord Voldemort's inability to understand the power of love made him severely underestimate and misunderstand the power of this protection. He believed that by taking Harry's blood for his regeneration, he would be able to bypass the shielding, and thought being able to touch Harry, was evidence of such; contrarily, this strengthened the protection by preventing Voldemort from killing Harry.
  
  +
*Presumably, it is also possible to place sacrificial protection on one or more people by deliberately shielding the intended victim(s) from ''any ''curse or other Dark spell. If this is indeed the case, then it would be much more likely that the person who sacrificed themself for others, actually still could survive it, as most curses aren't deadly, at least not immediately.
⚫
*Interestingly, the only two occurrences of the counter-charm have been through the Potter family in terms of Lily Potter (nee' Evans) and Harry Potter, mother and son. It is yet to be shown that this charm is demonstrated by someone outside the Potter family.
  
  +
*When Voldemort took Harry's blood to rebuild his body, he unwittingly put a few drops of goodness back inside himself, that gave him one last chance to heal himself if he had repented.<ref name=":0">http://web.archive.org/web/20110623034201/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=122</ref>
  ⚫
*Lord Voldemort's inability to understand the power of love made him severely underestimate and misunderstand the power of this protection. He correctly believed that by taking Harry's blood for his regeneration, he would be able to touch the younger wizard and affect him with spells, but this ironically strengthened the protection by preventing Voldemort from killing Harry while Voldemort himself was still alive.
  ⚫
*Interestingly, the only two occurrences of the counter-charm have been through the [[Potter family]] in terms of Lily Potter (nee' Evans) and Harry Potter, mother and son. It is yet to be shown that this charm is demonstrated by someone outside the Potter family.
  +
*Because of Harry's sacrificial protection, the spells that Voldemort casts during the final phase of the Battle of Hogwarts did not work properly. This is why [[Neville Longbottom]] was able to break the [[Full Body-Bind Curse]] Voldemort cast on him and was seemingly unharmed when Voldemort lit him on fire. Yet also in the final film, Voldemort casts the [[Stunning Spell]] on Neville out of anger after seeing Harry alive. This spell did not hold, either, as Neville woke up soon after.
  +
** Interestingly, Harry is seen in the films as being able to deflect Killing Curses with a [[Shield Charm]], although this may be to do with the allegiance of the [[Elder Wand]] rather than the sacrificial protection. This is the sole place in the final film where the blocking of a Killing Curse can be considered to be theoretically possible.
  +
** The other blocks, such as by Bellatrix while duelling Molly Weasley, exist to elongate duels and increase drama. However, it could be that Bellatrix merely used either a Stunning Spell or the [[Disarming Charm]] to prevent Molly's curses from hitting her.
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
  
==Notes and references==
−
{{Reflist}}
 +
{{Reflist}}[[es:Sacrificio protector]]
−  
 
[[pt-br:Proteção sacrificial]]
  
[[pt-br:Proteção sacrificial]]
 
[[ru:Обряд жертвы]]
  
[[ru:Обряд жертвы]]
 
[[Category:Attack at Godric's Hollow (1981)]]
  
[[Category:Attack at Godric's Hollow (1981)]]
  +
[[Category:Battle of Hogwarts]]
 
[[Category:Death-related magic]]
  
[[Category:Death-related magic]]
  +
[[Category:First Wizarding War]]
 
[[Category:Laws of Magic]]
  
[[Category:Laws of Magic]]
 
[[Category:Love Magic]]
  
[[Category:Love Magic]]
 
[[Category:Protective Spells]]
  
[[Category:Protective Spells]]
  +
[[Category:Second Wizarding War]]

Revision as of 16:14, 31 August 2019

Hermione Granger (HBP promo) 5 "Are you a wizard, or what?"

The title of this article is conjectural. Although it is based on canonical information, the actual name is a conjecture and may be supplanted at any time by additional information released from canonical sources. If this occurs, please move this page to the appropriate title.

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realise that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever."
— Dumbledore regarding the power of love[src]

Sacrificial protection is an ancient, powerful, and long-lasting counter-charm.[2] It is endowed when one person (whom we will call "the victim" for purposes of this article) ultimately sacrifices their own life willingly and out of deep, pure love to save the life of one or more people (to whom this article will refer as "beneficiaries").[3][4][5][6]

Requirements

In order for the protection to form, the victim must be given the option to live, but consciously choose death.

This is why James Potter's death didn't confer magical protection on Lily and Harry in 1981; as Voldemort was set upon killing James and thus never gave him an opportunity to choose to save himself.[7] On the other hand, Lily was offered the chance to step aside because Voldemort had promised Severus Snape that he wouldn't kill her unless she got in his way.[8] Her conscious refusal to comply with Voldemort's demand is why unusually strong magical protection was conferred upon her son.[7]

It would seem that the protection can take effect even if the opportunity for self-preservation is presented only by circumstance.

In 1998, during the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort gave Harry one hour to surrender himself, vowing to hunt him down if he did not show up in that time. Although Voldemort was determined to kill Harry, his sacrificial protection worked to save his friends, presumably because he willingly gave himself up despite having enough time to try to run away, whereas James was only given a minute's notice of Voldemort's arrival. He even arrived to face Voldemort just after the required hour and by that time Voldemort thought he wasn't coming.[8]

Effects

"But I knew too where Voldemort was weak. And so I made my decision. You would be protected by an ancient magic of which he knows, which he despises, and which he has always, therefore, underestimated — to his cost. I am speaking, of course, of the fact that your mother died to save you. She gave you a lingering protection he never expected, a protection that flows in your veins to this day."
— The effects of sacrificial protection[src]
Tumblr lth8u7IhCZ1qa9jn1o7 r1 250

Harry Potter allows Voldemort to hit him with the Killing Curse in order to protect the defenders of Hogwarts

Sacrificial protection can be conferred on a single beneficiary or on a group of them. After the sacrifice, the protection will live on in the beneficiary's veins.[6]

In cases involving a single person, the protection prevents whoever murdered the sacrifice from physically touching the intended victim without experiencing excruciating pain,[3][4] and will cause a Killing Curse cast at the saved person by the murderer to rebound.[4]

In cases involving multiple beneficiaries, the extent of the protection isn't known, but it seems that it is less than in single-beneficiary cases. The spells cast by the murderer at those beneficiaries will simply wear off more quickly rather than be reflected back, although it is unknown how that would apply to the Killing Curse. However, the difference in the level of protection could also be attributed to whether or not the victim actually dies since, in the only known case in which sacrificial protection was conferred to a group of people, the intended victim survived (See Blood Connection below).[6]

Blood Connection

Another defensive effect of sacrificial protection binds the beneficiary to life when his or her blood is transferred to another person as long as that person lives. This was seen when Harry casted the counter-charm and suffered a Killing Curse again, but survived.[6] However, if the blood is transferred to the murderer, then the murderer will be able to overcome some aspects of the protection. Evidence of this can be seen in the way that Lord Voldemort was able to touch Harry Potter and harm him after his rebirth and resurrection.[9]

"She may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon you. Your mother's sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give you."
— Explanation of the bond of blood[src]
BabyHarryLeftAtPrivetDrive

Albus Dumbledore leaves infant Harry Potter with a note on the doorstep of 4 Privet Drive, his aunt Petunia Dursley's home, so that the bond of blood he placed on Harry can be sealed

If the victim was related to the beneficiary, then a powerful charm known as the bond of blood charm can be cast upon the beneficiary to give them additional protection, although it is unknown how closely the two must be related for this charm to work. This charm prevents any harm from coming to the beneficiary from the murderer while they are in a blood-related relative's home.[1]

In order for this charm's power to take effect, the living blood-relative must first take the saved person into their home willingly.[5]. However, the additional protection will break automatically when the saved person moves out permanently or turns seventeen (the age of majority in the British wizarding world), whichever happens first.[10][11]

Known occurrences

Harry Potter: "I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people —"
Lord Voldemort: "But you did not!"
Harry Potter: "— I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them aren't binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them."
— Two mortal enemies face each other for the last time[src]
Person(s) sacrificed Person(s) protected Date Notes
Lily Potter Harry Potter 31 October, 1981 Lily Potter sacrificed her life in order to protect her infant son, Harry from Lord Voldemort. This placed Harry under magical protection, so that when Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at Harry in turn, the spell backfired, leaving him unharmed (save for a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead) and Voldemort bodiless. Harry became the only known person to survive the Killing Curse because of the power of his mother's loving sacrifice.[5]
Harry Potter Hogwarts' defenders 2 May,  1998 During the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter willingly allowed himself to be hit with a Killing Curse cast by Lord Voldemort so that the piece of Voldemort's soul residing inside him would be destroyed and the Dark wizard could be defeated once and for all. This conferred a certain amount of protection on Harry's allies, making it so that spells Voldemort tried to place on them, including Silencing Charms and a Full Body-Bind Curse, quickly wore off.[6]

Behind the scenes

  • According to Rowling this kind of magic is very un-scientific and that there was no Elder Wand + Lily’s Blood = Assured Survival” formula. it was ultimately the choices that Harry and Voldemort made.[12]
  • It is evidenced that people under sacrificial protection could be protected or protect themselves from the Killing Curse using Shield Charms, as Harry used them to protect his friends and allies from Voldemort's curses during the second part of the Battle of Hogwarts.
  • It's unknown if anyone employed by or affiliated with the murderer can harm a beneficiary. Ginny Weasley is said to have missed death by a inch when Bellatrix Lestrange sends a Killing Curse at her, implying that Ginny would have been killed if the Curse had made contact.
    • In the film, Nagini is depicted as posing a mortal threat to Ron and Hermione. While Quirinus Quirrell was unable to touch Harry without being burned, this was because Voldemort himself inhabited Quirrell's body at the time.
  • Presumably, it is also possible to place sacrificial protection on one or more people by deliberately shielding the intended victim(s) from any curse or other Dark spell. If this is indeed the case, then it would be much more likely that the person who sacrificed themself for others, actually still could survive it, as most curses aren't deadly, at least not immediately.
  • When Voldemort took Harry's blood to rebuild his body, he unwittingly put a few drops of goodness back inside himself, that gave him one last chance to heal himself if he had repented.[12]
  • Lord Voldemort's inability to understand the power of love made him severely underestimate and misunderstand the power of this protection. He correctly believed that by taking Harry's blood for his regeneration, he would be able to touch the younger wizard and affect him with spells, but this ironically strengthened the protection by preventing Voldemort from killing Harry while Voldemort himself was still alive.
  • Interestingly, the only two occurrences of the counter-charm have been through the Potter family in terms of Lily Potter (nee' Evans) and Harry Potter, mother and son. It is yet to be shown that this charm is demonstrated by someone outside the Potter family.
  • Because of Harry's sacrificial protection, the spells that Voldemort casts during the final phase of the Battle of Hogwarts did not work properly. This is why Neville Longbottom was able to break the Full Body-Bind Curse Voldemort cast on him and was seemingly unharmed when Voldemort lit him on fire. Yet also in the final film, Voldemort casts the Stunning Spell on Neville out of anger after seeing Harry alive. This spell did not hold, either, as Neville woke up soon after.
    • Interestingly, Harry is seen in the films as being able to deflect Killing Curses with a Shield Charm, although this may be to do with the allegiance of the Elder Wand rather than the sacrificial protection. This is the sole place in the final film where the blocking of a Killing Curse can be considered to be theoretically possible.
    • The other blocks, such as by Bellatrix while duelling Molly Weasley, exist to elongate duels and increase drama. However, it could be that Bellatrix merely used either a Stunning Spell or the Disarming Charm to prevent Molly's curses from hitting her.

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 37 (The Lost Prophecy)
  2. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 17 (The Man with Two Faces)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33 (The Death Eaters)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 37 (The Lost Prophecy)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 2005 Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33 (The Prince's Tale)
  9. ↑ F.A.Q. question on J.K. Rowling's Official Site
  10. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 4 (The Seven Potters)
  11. ↑ 2005 Edinburgh 'cub reporter' press conference
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 http://web.archive.org/web/20110623034201/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=122
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