Harry Potter: Why Voldemort Didn’t Use Avada Kedavra On Snape

Voldemort killed Snape in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 using his Horcrux snake Nagini instead of his favorite Unforgivable Curse, Avada Kedavra. Throughout the Harry Potter movies, Voldemort used the Killing Curse on several characters, including Alastor Moody, as well as Lily and James Potter. However, he didn’t always use Avada Kedavra on his enemies, also killing characters indirectly (such as Myrtle Warren with the Basilisk, or Cedric Diggory by ordering Wormtail to kill him). Snape’s tragic death was a peculiar case, though. Voldemort directly killed his Death Eater, but he chose not to use the Unforgivable Curse, and there might be a good reason for it.

The world of Harry Potter remains as popular today as it ever was. The success of the recent video game, Hogwarts Legacy, proves that while the Fantastic Beasts movies dropped drastically in popularity, taking the story back to the students of Hogwarts remains extremely popular. This also helps bring up memories of the original series, which brought in over $7.9 million at the box office. One of the most misunderstood, and most popular, characters in the series was Severus Snape, who seemed an antagonist and villain until his true loyalties boiled to the surface, and he sacrificed himself for his students.

Why Voldemort Killed Snape Using Nagini

Snape seems to shift his loyalty between Dumbledore and Voldemort throughout the Harry Potter movies. Only the last film reveals that Snape had always been on the good side. He swore to protect Harry and did Dumbledore’s bidding in his war against Voldemort, including infiltrating the Death Eaters. One of Snape’s most difficult tasks was to kill Dumbledore when Draco Malfoy couldn’t finish the task. Using the Killing Curse on Dumbledore (who was already dying after putting on Marvolo Gaunt’s ring) was meant to cement Voldemort’s trust in Snape. This also made Voldemort think the Elder Wand belonged to Snape after The Half-Blood Prince.

In The Deathly Hallows Part 2, Voldemort meets Snape at the Boathouse and tells him the Elder Wand doesn’t seem to work properly for him. He concludes that, because Snape killed Dumbledore, the Elder Wand belongs to him. So, Voldemort had to kill Snape for the wand’s allegiance to switch. Voldemort knew he couldn’t cast Avada Kedavra with the Elder Wand to kill its master, so he ordered Nagini to be the one who killed Snape. In reality, the Elder Wand belonged to Draco, as he was the one to disarm Dumbledore in the Astronomy Tower. This means Snape’s tragic death was for nothing when Voldemort still believed he was a loyal Death Eater.

Voldemort Might Not Have Wanted Snape To Die

Voldemort’s trust in Snape opens another theory behind Voldemort’s killing method. Until his death, Snape played an impeccable double agent. He was one of Voldemort’s most trusted servants towards the end. Voldemort’s respect for Snape might mean that, by ordering Nagini to be the one who killed Snape, the Dark Wizard was secretly hoping he survived the attack. At the very least, Snape survives long enough to have one last meaningful interaction with Harry, ensuring he understands his loyalty to Lily and Dumbledore. It’s a cathartic moment for both Snape and Harry, and it wouldn’t have been possible if Voldemort had used Avada Kedavra on Snape.

Voldemort Never Figured Out Snape Was A Spy

Voldemort trusted very few people. He openly despised some of his Death Eaters, even the loyal ones like Luscious Malfoy. However, there were a select few that had his trust, and whom he treated with respect. This included Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape. No matter what Snape did as a spy, Voldemort never once figured out that he was not on the Dark Lord’s side all along. Even when Bellatrix questioned him, Snape explained he would have gotten Voldemort returned much quicker if he were more trusted.

One possible reason for this is that Snape is a master Occlumens, meaning he can shield his mind from people with Legilimency. This is likely why Dumbledore trusted Snape to carry out his mission without compromise. There was also the case of Snape trying to stop Quirrell, and explaining that he was ensuring that Voldemort had him inside Hogwarts for his return. While Voldemort was the one who killed Snape, he likely wanted a way out because of this sense of trust and chose the snake to do his dirty work.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Has Retconned Avada Kedavra

Avada Kedavra, the killing curse is used twice in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and the way it’s used breaks two fundamental rules. The first is that the Avada Kedavra curse is supposed to kill instantly on impact. The first time the Unforgivable Curse is used, is when Grindelwald’s followers (Rosier and Carrow) attack Newt and the Qilin in the forest. They cast the curse on the mother Qilin, which should have killed her instantly. However, it takes two separate uses of Avada Kedavra to slay her, and even then, her death isn’t instant. The second occurs in Fantastic Beasts 3, when Grindelwald attacks Credence/Aurelius at the election.

He attempts to kill Credence for his lack of loyalty, but is stopped by Albus and Aberforth’s golden force field. The action breaks the blood pact between the two, and Grindelwald flees. Dumbledore guesses the blood trough was broken because Grindelwald used his spell for harm, whereas Dumbledore used his for protection. The Unforgivable Curse is supposed to be unblockable, which is another reason why it is so dangerous. Fantastic Beasts don’t explain why these specific retcons are made to the Avada Kedavra curse. Most likely, it was to forward the plot, or perhaps Qilins possess a rare magic that makes them harder to kill.

Voldemort’s confusion around the Elder Wand’s allegiance led to Harry winning the duel. When Harry disarms Draco of his regular wand after a skirmish, Harry becomes the owner of the Elder Wand. Disarming Draco meant the Elder Wand’s ownership now passed to Harry, although he doesn’t realize this until his final duel with Voldemort at Hogwarts. With the wand’s allegiance to Harry, Voldemort’s attempt to use Avada Kedavra on Harry backfires and kills him instead. Snape’s death in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows ultimately leads to the death of Voldemort. Fantastic Beasts reduced the weight of Snape’s and Voldemort’s demises by retconning how Avada Kedavra works.