Summary

  • Snape's death by Nagini highlighted his loyalty to Dumbledore and Harry, showing his true allegiance in the end.
  • Voldemort used Nagini to kill Snape instead of Avada Kedavra, possibly signaling a hidden respect or hope for Snape.
  • Snape's death ultimately led to the transfer of the Elder Wand's allegiance, playing a crucial role in Voldemort's downfall.

Voldemort took Snape's life in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 using his Horcrux snake Nagini but many wondered exactly why did Voldemort kill Snape and why he did it in that manner. 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. Snape's tragic death was a peculiar case. Voldemort directly killed his Death Eater, but he chose not to use the Unforgivable Curse, and there might be a good reason.

One of the most misunderstood 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 Harry. Snape grew up bullied, and the one person he cared for was Lily Evans. They even grew apart as she became closer to James Potter and his friends. Eventually, Snape fell in with the same group of students who became Death Eaters, starting as a spy, and leading to Voldemort eventually killing Snape.

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Why Voldemort Killed Snape Using Nagini

Nagini the Snake Before Killing Charity Burbage in Front of the Death Eaters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

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. In The Deathly Hallows Part 2, Voldemort meets Snape at the Boathouse and tells him the Elder Wand doesn't work properly for him. He concludes that, because Snape killed Dumbledore, the Elder Wand belongs to him.

Voldemort knew he couldn't cast Avada Kedavra with the Elder Wand to kill its master.

Voldemort had to kill Snape because he needed 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. Voldemort didn't use Avada Kedavra on Snape because he didn't want to kill one of his most trusted Death Eaters.

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

Snape speaking to Voldemort at a meeting of Death Eaters

Voldemort trusted very few people. He openly despised some of his Death Eaters, even the loyal ones like Lucius 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 figured out he was not on the Dark Lord's side. Even when Bellatrix questioned him, Snape explained he would have gotten Voldemort returned much quicker if he were more trusted.

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One possible reason for this is that Snape is a master of 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

Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3.

Avada Kedavra 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 attack Newt and the Qilin in the forest. They cast the curse on Qilin, which should have killed her instantly. However, it takes two separate uses of Avada Kedavra to kill her, and her death isn't instant.

The second occurs in Fantastic Beasts 3 when Grindelwald attacks Credence 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 pact 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 why it's dangerous.

Fantastic Beasts doesn't explain why these retcons are made to the Avada Kedavra curse but most likely, it was to forward the plot. It's also possible that Qilins possess a rare magic that makes them harder to kill, but that's never stated. 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.

Snape's death in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows ultimately leads to the death of Voldemort.

Disarming Draco meant the Elder Wand's ownership passed to Harry, although he didn'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.

Snape Isn't The Only Character To Die From Something Other Than Avada Kedavra

An image of Bellatrix being killed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

The use of the Killing Curse in the Harry Potter franchise might seem fairly liberal, but that’s not entirely the case. Avada Kedavra is used in moments of battle between wizards, and only the darkest wizards use the Unforgivable Curses. There are other ways throughout the Harry Potter franchise that characters lose their lives. There are a variety of spells, curses, and even weapons at the disposal of the characters.

Dobby, for example, is a house elf who can protect himself against a lot of basic wizard magic once he’s freed from his bond with the Malfoy family. When he apparates from one place to another, however, his magic is focused on that, and he is impaled while traveling with Harry and his friends. Likewise, Sirius Black isn’t killed by Avada Kedavra in the Harry Potter books. Instead, he’s hit with Stupefy, which is simply a way of stunning another wizard and he falls through a veiled gateway to his death.

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Another visible death of a major character in the Harry Potter franchise is that of Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix uses Unforgivable Curses on others throughout her appearances, but she wasn’t killed by one herself. Instead, Molly Weasley catches Bellatrix going after her daughter Ginny at the Battle of Hogwarts. Molly fights Bellatrix and aims an unknown curse at the other woman, landing it right on Bellatrix’s heart, killing her.

The Harry Potter franchise is full of tragic losses and of wizards dying during war. Those deaths don’t all have to occur the same way, and a good number of them don’t. That’s why it’s not entirely surprising that Voldemort doesn’t use Avada Kedavra on Severus Snape.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 Movie Poster
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
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The conclusion to the film franchise based on the popular novel series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 centers on Harry and his allies as they prepare for the final battle against Lord Voldemort. The film follows Harry, Hermoine, and Ron as they continue to track down and destroy the Horcruxes to destroy Voldemort, all while the dark wizard approaches ever closer to Hogwarts with his army of followers.

Director
David Yates
Release Date
July 7, 2011
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures , Heyday Films
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Writers
Steve Kloves , J.K. Rowling
Cast
Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , Emma Watson , Helena Bonham Carter , Robbie Coltrane , Warwick Davis , Ralph Fiennes , Michael Gambon , John Hurt , Jason Isaacs , Gary Oldman , Alan Rickman