The effects of Avada Kedavra

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 32751

Some time ago, several threads sprung up about the effects of AK, but 
it is still way into the shadows. I, loving the cretion of theories, 
have one of my own on this topic (as well as many others). However, 
being a computer fan, my theories sooner or later reach beta status and 
I need other people to look it over and point at the holes. So, let me 
explain first what we know, and then what I suspect.
 
We know, from GoF that AK shots a green ray that, when it touches a 
living being, kills instantly. However, it doesn't damage the body at 
all, while it seems to kill from fear. However, since death from fear 
is normally a heart-attack, and the Riddles were in perfect health 
(apart from the fact that they were dead), we should discount that 
posibility. Also, we know that you've got to be very powerful to use it 
(why Wormtail was able to cast it leads to interesting conclusions 
about his powers, which were suposed to be minimal... but that should 
go in another thread).
 
Now, my theory. In my opinion, the AK doesn't actually kill. It's 
effects are much worse: it wrenches the soul from the body. This 
explains the horror of the Riddles, who can feal what's happening to 
them when LV comes to call, and explains how is it that the spider 
doesn't actually suffer (in Woody's lesson): the spider cannot 
understand what's happening.

Now for the tricky part: why is Voldie's body destroyed when the AK 
rebounds on Harry and hits him? I'm not actually positive about it (if 
you've got proof against it, please refer it), but it's posible that, 
in fact, Voldie's body simply droped "dead" at the feet of Harry. The 
spell AK was supposed to wrench his soul from his body, which it did 
(leaving the body in perfect condition), except for the soul part. I'm 
a firm believer that V didn't actually HAVE a soul by then, just a 
malevolous spirit (a sort of very degenerated soul). Thus, the essence 
of evil was able to continue un-living without it's body, but reduced 
to a shadow. From then on, Voldemort is an un-dead, similar to a ghost, 
but with a limited time: it's his evil that allows him to survive 
without a body, but it's his power that allows him to exist as a 
shodow, and this power slowly depletes as he grows more and more tired 
(which is why he needs unicorns blood, the philosopher's stone, etc.)

Why didn't he go back to his own body? I think that, once you're out, 
there's no way to get back in (magic cannot raise the dead in HP 
world). Also, Voldie was supposed to have any number of defense 
enchantments on himself, so he couldn't even dominate it's own body (as 
he would do later own with different animals to keep alive), since the 
encantments prevented almost any form of magic (except, obviously, for 
the unforgivable curses for which there is no defence).
 
Comments? Sugestions? Other theories? Previous threads on the same 
topic?

Hope that helps,
 
Grey Wolf