Avada Kedavra--Is it a cowardly curse? Is it a humane way to kill someone? Is it a curse for those who actually fear death? Do you think there are other curses that can cause death? Why is this one Unforgiveable yet why did Crouch Sr. override that fact for auror use in the first war?


End~6/30

Awsome topic. Well, if there is a humane way to go I suppose Avada Kedavra wouldn't be so bad, better then crucieo'ed into madness like the Longbottoms. I think that the permission to use the killing curse was gave to the aurors as means of self defense. I mean like pyscological warfare, if the Deatheaters knew they could be Avada Kedavra'ed into oblivion then maeby there would less chance of a fight. Like the death penalty in the muggle(our) world. Sure it really isn't going to stop most Deatheaters, but mabey some.
Also, on the defense note, it gave auroers the chance to defend themselves by Avada Kedavraing their enemies instead of having to try to subdue them for a traile.
Is it a cowards cures. I guess so in the way that you would have to not to die in order to cast the spell. Its a unreversable spell, once its done the other person isn't going to come back to life any time soon. So in a way, yes, kill your enemy before they can do you in. But, if used to protect your self and others that you love, then mabey not. If you knew your enemy would not stop until you are dead then as a forcable means of protection, mabey it wouldn't be a cowardly act. It's really more of a morel than ethical issue that each person would have to answer for them selves.

Personally, I think it's cowardly. I mean, if you're in a fight and you want to end it ... what a wimpy way! Thay can't even defend themselves. Now, if the person were already dying ... that's a completely different story.

Crouch made an exception to the law because the DE's were using it, too. I guess, by that time, they were just trying to save everyone's necks.

I see your point the.time.is.now about Avada Kedavra being cowardly. I think Crouch gave the go-ahead because as you said the Deatheaters were using it anyway. And I would think that there is not an unlimited supply of Aurors. So I would suppose that the adage that "the best defense is a good offense" applied here is the eyes of the Ministry.

I think the main reason Avada Kedavra is an unforgivable curse is simply because of the fact that once it's done it's done, you can't go back and reverse the effects. I'm sure there could be a circumstance where someone could say those words hastily and then regret what they had done, and PLENTY of cases where the words should never have been said in the first place. However, it would be very effective in a war, almost necessary, just provided that it wasn't used indiscretely, which no one could ever guarantee. As far as it being a cowardly curse, yeah, it could be. I think it's a lot more humane than crucio, though, like Tom said.

I guess you could argue that it's cowardly considering that the person just dies, there's no means of defense against it but it would take somethign to say it, wouldn't it? You wouldn't be able to be a coward and actually say it and have it work effectively, would you? You actually have to really, truely mean the curse for it to work and I think you wouldn't be able to be a coward at the moment you use it.

I would say defiantely a humane way to kill someone. They just drop dead. There's no pain, no mutilation of the flesh, nothing. Your heart just stops beating. You really can't ask for a less painful way to die other than going in your sleep. Unless there's an aspect of the spell that we don't know about in which it does cause pain before it kills. But really, is anything ever painless? The people that know the answer to the question 'is death painful?' can't rightly answer. ANd even in the HP world the ghosts can't answer that question because they can't remember.

I think Crouch's approval of Avada Kedavra by the aurors went beyond defending themselves. They were aurors, fully capable of defending themselves. Crouch just wanted to catch as many Death Eaters as he could and the more that he didn't want to bother with with paperwork, the better. Many were captured and killed without the chance for trial, all at Crouch's behest. It was a means of fighting fire with fire. He sank to their level by allowing his minions to act just like Voldemort's.

I think everyone has a fear of death and when it comes down to your life or your enemy's, you're going to be more willing to take your enemy's life than sacrifice your own. Even Voldemort fears death yet has no problem using the Avada Kedavra curse. I guess since it's not happening to you, it can be dealt with.

I'm sure there are plenty of other curses that can cause death. Crucio, for instance, and rightly cause someone to die. You can go insane from extremely pain and such pain can cause your heart to stop as well. The pictures in Snape's room when he was DADA teacher shows gruesome depictions of people from Dark spells. I have no doubt that there are other spells that can kill you as well.

A swordfight is way cooler.

Avada Kedavra is a quick way to get rid of your opponent and it's got nothing to do with skill. It's more about being lucky and fast.

Excellent post Sissa! Yes Crouch would want to catch as many Deatheaters as possible, after Voldemort pretty much having a free reign going around killing wizards and muggles, I imagine he would want to get the First Wizarding war over as quickly as possible. I do think the approval of the use of Avada Kedavra is a morel one. It is a killing curse after all, but then on the other hand letting aurers use it is like having our young troops in Iraq being able to shoot people (don't mean the political reference,).

I dont think Avada Kedavra was a cowardly curse, I think it was used as a quick job spell like Voldermort abused it as. I do think there are other curses, but they are long effect ones.

The way I see it, it's the difference between shooting someone and stabbing someone. To shoot is immediate, requires little thought and you are fully capable of pulling back on the trigger, not to mention it doesn't require hand to hand combat of any kind.

To stab someone though, you need to get up close and personal with that. You need to be on top of that person, deliver the blow itself. You are the vessel of death as opposed to the gun itself.

AK, to me, is like shooting someone. Impersonal, easy and, to some, cowardly. It's something that can be done in an instant, without little thought, little contact and you can get up and go. But to kill someone using, say to Cruciatus Curse, is more like stabbing. You need to be there to drive the point home, so to speak.

I think that these curses are Unforgivable because they require something from the caster other than saying the words. Its like those curses feed off the savage desire of the caster to cause pain. Its almost if those curses could take on lives of their owns if feed enough emotions from the caster. Thats a dangerous thing you know. Its not like any other spells in the magical world you know.

I don't think AK is a cowardly spell, for the simple fact that you have to mean for that person to die to use it. Otherwise both the caster and the victim will just get bloody noses like Barty Jr. said in class. I think pulling a gun on someone is cowardly. I mean the gun can go off accidentally. The bullet can kill a innocent bystander. True there aren't any defensive spells against the AK but you can dodge it, hide behind something. So its not like once its out there it HAS to kill the intended.

I think that Barty authorized the use of that spell because they were losing trying to be noble and capture the DEs alive and it wasn't "cost effective" They were losing too many to be noble about it. And sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

I know some people tell you not to stoop to their level, but when someone is fighting like they have nothing to lose and you are fighting like you are about to lose everything sometimes that equation doesn't balance out in the good guys favor. You have to get down int eh trenches to win sometimes.