‘Harry Potter‘s status as “the Boy Who Lived” makes it sound like he simply survived Voldemort’s Killing Curse as a baby. But that isn’t quite what happened.
The fascinating part of Harry’s story is that the two times Voldemort tried to kill him were completely different magical situations. The first attack and the final battle are the reason that Harry survived when nearly everyone else didn’t.
Harry Potter Was Never Protected by Luck
Voldemort’s curse never took effect on Harry in the ordinary way at Godric’s Hollow. Lily’s sacrifice for her son gave rise to a magical barrier that Voldemort could not penetrate. She had been given the opportunity to live, but chose Harry instead.
That sacrifice was placed as a barrier between Voldemort and the child. The curse came back when Voldemort struck. His body was destroyed, and Harry got his scar. The important detail is that Harry wasn’t secretly powerful enough to resist Avada Kedavra. Lily had altered the rules of the encounter before Voldemort could cast his spell. That’s important later.
Voldemort Finally Hits Harry And Still Loses
In the Forbidden Forest, it is quite different. It’s actually the Killing Curse that is thrown at Harry by Voldemort, and Harry falls. At this stage, however, Voldemort has unwittingly made a miraculous loophole. Since the attack at Godric’s Hollow, Harry has been carrying a part of Voldemort’s soul with him.
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Years later, when Voldemort casts his curse on him, that unwanted part of him is obliterated. Harry’s soul lives on. It’s made even more interesting by the books, as Voldemort had used Harry’s blood to restore his body before. That meant that Lily’s protection remained linked to Harry via Voldemort himself.
Harry didn’t survive because of one miracle when he was a baby. It was the merger of two entirely different magics, years apart. Voldemort’s quest for knowledge of death lasted throughout the series, but his biggest mistake was that he misjudged the magic he believed he knew.
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