It is a highly popular question surrounding a battle in the Order of the Phoenix where Dumbledore and Voldemort fight at the Atrium in the Ministry of Magic. At one point in their epic battle, Voldemort attempted to use the Avada Kedavra on Harry.
However, something unusual happened – Dumbledore successfully prevented Harry from being hit by the spell. It was intriguing because we first learned about the properties of Avada Kedavra in the Goblet of Fire when Barty Crouch Jr. was teaching the class about unforgivable curses. He clearly stated that there was no way to fend off the Killing Curse, i.e., Avada Kedavra.
It begs the question – how did Dumbledore deflect an undefeatable spell?
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How Did Dumbledore Beat Voldemort’s Avada Kedavra spell to save Harry?
When Voldemort fired the Killing Curse at Harry, Dumbledore simply utilized his magical capabilities to place physical barriers in its path. Dumbledore made the statues in the Ministry come to life to take the hit for him, thereby blocking the curse for Harry.
He did not use any counter-curse or counter-jinx directly on the Avada Kedavra spell as it could not be blocked directly using a counter curse.
Voldemort used the Killing Curse several times in the battle at the Ministry. The first time when Voldemort aimed it at Harry, Dumbledore animated the golden wizard statue, and the spell bounced off its chest as the statue tossed out its arms, protecting Harry.
The other hits also missed Harry, one being intercepted by the one-armed centaur, galloping in front of Dumbledore, taking the blast.
Voldemort’s Killing Curses either missed, hit non-living objects, or were swallowed by Fawkes the Phoenix, who died.
But the headless golden statue of the wizard in the fountain had sprung alive, leaping from its plinth to land with a crash on the floor between Harry and Voldemort. The spell merely glanced off its chest as the statue flung out its arms to protect Harry. “What -?” cried Voldemort, staring around. And then he breathed, “Dumbledore!”-Order of the Phoenix.
Barty Crouch Jr. never said that Avada Kedavra was entirely unblockable. He only meant that it was unblockable by the use of counterspells and there was no way to counter it with magic. But the spell could not pass through large objects, and Dumbledore utilized the lacuna to save Harry.
Why Is Avada Kedavra Considered Unblockable?
In the Harry Potter series, certain magic is more “magical.” It is rare, difficult, powerful, ancient, and mysterious. Some examples included the Philosopher’s Stone, Lily Potter’s protection, prophecies, and the Deathly Hallows. Yet another example is Dark Magic.
Although Dark Magic was never really explained, there were a few patterns throughout the series. Dark Magic was generally offensive, unblockable, irreversible, and difficult or impossible to heal. Dark Magic may also have consequences for the user and not just the target.
The Killing Curse was not only a formidable Dark Magic but also a mighty spell to cast. It was why there existed no ordinary counter curse for the same.
Moreover, there were no conventional Shield Charms effective against such a potent. The effects of the Killing Curse were irreversible. It caused instant death.
However, it was not impossible to counter the Killing Curse. It could be countered through Sacrificial Protection (also called the Trace), a form of incredibly powerful magic, that involved one person sacrificing their life for another out of pure love.
It was how Harry survived the Killing Curse himself – his mother, Lily sacrificed herself to save his life. It could also be intercepted in a way Dumbledore devised – placing a large physical object in its way to block it.
