Is Avada Kedavra the Neutron Bomb?

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 22579

Keith wrote:

> But a Killing Curse, even an area-effect version (see comments in 
> related thread re: the D&D spell Wail of the Banshee) would leave 
> unmarked bodies, not a massive crater. And no-one would have been 
> injured, just killed.

It all depends on whether AK is the neutron bomb, which supposedly 
leaves buildings standing while destroying living things, or whether 
it has some effect on inanimate objects as well.  The Potters' house 
was wrecked; on the other hand, the Riddles' wasn't.  I'd say the jury 
is out on whether AK can also cause walls to crumble or whether V 
worked some other curses that caused the damage in Godric's Hollow (or 
some of the things James and Lily did to defend themselves destroyed 
the house).

If it causes property damage, that would explain the injuries in the 
Pettigrew/Black incident.  Some people were killed outright by AK, but 
others were killed by the gas explosion, flying bricks, what have you.

I actually tend to think that Peter didn't cast the AK that day, 
because I don't necessarily believe that his intent was to kill 
Sirius.  He wanted to frame him, something done almost as easily with 
Sirius alive as with him dead.  Maybe he meant to do exactly what he 
did:  kill a whole bunch of people and make it look like Sirius must 
have been the culprit while giving himself the pretext to disappear.  
It's also possible that he did want to kill Sirius (after accusing 
him, of course, so that he'd be properly framed before dying), but 
that he still chose the gas-explosion method because it gave him the 
all-important chance to play dead.

Amy Z

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   "Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry
 said furiously.  "Look at the Dursleys!"
   "Excellent point," said Professor Dumbledore.
                          -HP and the Goblet of Fire 
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