Overview

The Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) was a tool of the Dark Arts as well as one of the three Unforgivable Curses. When cast successfully on a living person or creature the curse would cause instant and painless death. This would be done without causing any harm to the body and without leaving any trace of violence behind. A quick, clean, painless, and instant death. The Curse was accompanied by a blinding flash or jet of Green light and a distinctive rushing sound when it was cast. The only known counter-spell to the curse was a sacrificial protection which used the power of love. The killing curse was unblockable making it so that shield charms would not even protect against the curse. One could potentially use legilimens to then be able to use Priori Incantatem or Disapparate to quickly get away before the curse would hit them. The only living thing to survive a direct hit is a phoenix as they are born from their ashes upon death. It was stated that the killing curse actually required a high degree of not only skill but power as well to be cast correctly; this also included having a strong focused intent. Alastor Moody who at the time was Bartemius Crouch Junior Disguised as the Auror using polyjuice potion would say on September 4th 1994, that he believed that the would likely be completely unaffected if all of the students before him were to all draw their wands and cast the curse upon him at the same time. This was because of the belief that they all lacked the necessary desire and power needed to actually cast the curse. Severus Snape had also stated on 30 June 1997, that to cast the Unforgivable Curses one needed both ability and nerve to do so.

The curse did have the ability to be cast non verbally seen by Bellatrix as well as Voldemort. The deep desire to commit murder would serve as a correct way to cast the curse effectively.

Effects

The killing Curse when cast successfully, meeting its target would cause instant death without injury or pain. Despite the method the curse kills the victim being unknown; Voldemort described the experience as having his soul ripped from his body. Other times the curse may carry a force of impact like what was seen when Snape cast the curse on Dumbledore causing him to blast off the Astronomy Tower. Harry Potter during the Battle of Hogwarts described the impact of the curse as an “iron-clad punch”.

When the curse would hit non living, organic matter and instead hitting an inanimate target, the effect would at times vary. It could produce fires, large green explosions as well as intense enough explosions that would cause something the size of a cabin to explode into pieces. However, certain objects such as the headless golden wizard statues of the Fountain of Magical Brethren managed to block the curse with no visual damage left on it. It was also possible to intercept the cure with other spells but this method of action was extremely difficult as it required energy jets of the two spells to collide. The killing curse also did not work on undead creatures such as inferi.

History

• Middle Ages - The killing Curse is invented, even Salazar Slytherin was known for having practiced it alongside the other unforgivable curse, the Imperius Curse.
• 1717 - With the Wizard’s Council reformed into the Ministry of Magic, tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain magic. The killing Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be a form of Dark Magic along with Cruciatus and Imperius Curses. The three were declared “Unforgivable” throughout Great Britain. The penalty for using this curse was a life sentence in Azkaban.
• 1890-1891 - Victor Rookwood, a leader of a criminal gang known as the Ashwinders and Theophilus Harlow, his second-in-command, were capable of casting the spell. Rookwood himself often uses the Curse, even against a student. Harlow also attempted to use the Curse on a student named Natsai Onai.
• 1890-1891 - Sebastian Sallow, a Slytherin student would also use it against his uncle Solomon Sallow during a duel, killing him instantly.
• 1927 - The Magical Congress of the United States of America was also using the curse on magical beasts considered dangerous.
• 1927 - During the Global Wizarding War both Aurors and supporters of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald would use the curse as well.
• 1970-1981 - During the First Wizarding War while Barty Crouch Snr was in charge of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement he put forward a law that ensured Aurors were able to fight violence with violence by legalising all Unforgivable Curses for Aurors during that time to use against the Death Eaters in order to win the war. This was turned over after the war was one and the law reinstated once again.
• October 31 1981 - Voldemort at the Potter cottage in Godric’s Hollow murdered James and Lily Potter after being told of the location by Peter Pettigrew. They perished in an attempt to protect their infant son Harry.
• 1994-1995 - Bartemius Crouch Junior disguised as Alastor Moody would demonstrate the three Unforgivable curses on a spider for the fourth-year Defence Against the Dark Arts class.
• 24 June 1995 - Peter Pettigrew would kill Cedric Diggory as an order from his master.
• 1994- 1998 - Voldemort would go on to use the Killing curse successfully many, many times.
• Summer of 1994 - Used on Bertha Jorkins for being useless after he broke the Memory Charm on her.
• August 1994 - Frank Bryce- For being a Muggle as well as overhearing his plan to kill Harry Potter.
• 18 June 1996 - Intended for Albus Dumbledore but Fawkes took the curse instead bursting to flames before reincarnating from his ashes.
• July 1997 - Charity Burdage for being the Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts as well as supporting Muggle rights.
• 27 July 1997 - Alastor Moody- For being the leader of the Order of the Phoenix after Dumbledore’s death as well as for trying to transport Harry Potter to safety.
• 1 September 1997 - Killing a German woman and her two children for not knowing where Gregorovitch was hiding at the time.
• 2 September 1997 - Mykew Gregorovitch for not being clear on who the thief was that had stolen the Elder Wand.
• March 1998- Gellert Grindelwald for hiding the Elder Wand’s location.
• 1 May 1998- Used in a fit of rage after hearing about the robbery of Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup he kills Goblins, Griphook, Multiple Death Eaters and Gringotts guards.
• 2 May 1998- Unnamed Death Eater in the Battle of Hogwarts and then himself as the spell backfired onto him.
• 27 July 1997- Hedwig would perish to the Curse in an attempt to protect Harry during the Battle of Seven Potters.

Credits/References

Written by Aleric Selwyn
Base code by Andrew Sutherland, edited by Iselin Merilä and Desmond Gray.