counter-curse" since it is not possible to revive the dead. However there are some exceptions. Sacrificial Protection The most effective method of surviving the Killing Curse is through Sacrificial Protection . The sacrifice of one's life for another, a manifestation of the powerful magic of love , is the most potent defense against the " unblockable " Killing Curse. Harry Potter , was saved by his mother, Lily Evans , lovingly sacrificed herself when she shielded her son with her body [11] , making him the first known survivor of this Curse. Harry Potter was the only person known to have survived Avada Kedavra with no ill effects, aside from attaining a scar . Horcruxes Another defense employed against the Killing Curse is the creation of a Horcrux or Horcruxes. The creation of Horcruxes is a preventive measure, created by a wizard long before he faces an actual Killing Curse attack. However, this is less effective than Sacrificial Protection, since it only allows a little more than the soul of the target to live, while the target's body still dies. If one has Horcruxes, they will not be dead, but they will barely be alive and will be reduced, as Voldemort was when the Killing Curse backfired with his attempt to kill Harry in 1981 : to living off another , drinking Unicorn Blood , using the Philosopher's Stone (before it was destroyed), and creating a rudimentary body from Unicorn Blood and Nagini 's venom. Voldemort's Horcruxes tethered his soul