Why Does Harry Have a Scar When Avada Kedavra Leaves No Trace?

Question

Why does Harry have a scar when Avada Kedavra leaves no trace?

‘The Muggle authorities were perplexed. As far as I am aware, they do not know to this day how the Riddles died, for the Avada Kedavra Curse does not usually leave any sign of damage ... the exception sits before me,’ Dumbledore added, with a nod to Harry’s scar.

_{Half-Blood Prince - page 343 - Bloomsbury - chapter 17, A Sluggish Memory}

What caused Harry to retain a scar from Avada Kedavra, when no one else in know history showed any signs of cause of death when Avada Kedavra was used?

What caused Harry's scar?

I'd love an answer based in canon, such as the books, interviews with J.K. Rowling, or Pottermore.

Answer 1

Harry's scar was not just a remnant of the curse that failed to kill him. Remember when Voldemort casted Avada Kedavra on baby Harry, it never worked. Harry wasn't affected by it in any way. It rebounded because of Lily's protection, killing Voldemort. A piece of Voldemort's soul, unwilling to die, bonded itself to the infant Harry. That's what left the scar.

From Chamber of Secrets, "Dobby's Reward"

‘You can speak Parseltongue, Harry,’ said Dumbledore calmly, ‘because Lord Voldemort – who is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin – can speak Parseltongue. Unless I’m much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar.

In Order of the Phoenix, "The Lost Prophecy"

‘I guessed, fifteen years ago,’ said Dumbledore, ‘when I saw the scar on your forehead, what it might mean. I guessed that it might be the sign of a connection forged between you and Voldemort.’

In Deathly Hallows, "King's Cross Station"

‘But ...’ Harry raised his hand instinctively towards the lightning scar. It did not seem to be there. ‘But I should have died – I didn’t defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!’

I believe his scar was absent in King's Cross Station because the Harry in King's Cross Station represented Harry's soul. Voldemort was finally separated from Harry's soul at that point. As Xantec pointed out however, his bodily scar remained. However, as we are told in the Epilogue:

The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.

When viewing the full history of his scar, it becomes obvious that it was more than just the result of a curse. Avada Kedavra never scarred Harry. To the casual observer, it would appear to be the cause. Dumbledore knew better. He knew that that scar was caused by the "unintentional Horcrux" Voldemort left behind. Dumbledore also would have known that making this common knowledge would be very dangerous to the effort to undo Voldemort's remaining soul, so he covered it up deliberately, saying the scar was an exception to Avada Kedavra's undetectable powers.

ETA by Slytherincess: A little blurb regarding Harry's scar being the point of entry of Voldemort's soul, and the fact that when Harry's scar hurts it's because that remnant of Voldemort's soul is trying to rejoin its master by leaving Harry by the means of original entry.

Q: Why does Harry feel pain in his scar?

J.K. Rowling: Well, of course the pain he feels [in his scar] whenever Voldemort's particularly active is this piece of soul seeking to rejoin the master soul. When his scar is hurting him so much, that's not scar tissue hurting him. That's this piece of soul really wanting to get back out the way it entered. It really wants to- it entered this boy's body through a wound, and it wants to rejoin the master. So when Voldemort's near him, when he's particularly active, this connection, (JN: Oh, my gosh!) it was always there. That's what I always imagined this pain was. Yes, so there you go.

_{J.K. Rowling - THE LEAKY CAULDRON - POTTERCAST'S INTERVIEW WITH J.K. ROWLING- 12.23.2007}

Answer 2

Harry is the exception (2.something excepted; an instance or case not conforming to the general rule.)

"...does not usually leave any sign of damage ... the exception [is Harry]."

Avada Kedavra usually leaves no trace. In Harry's case it backfired and did not work as it usually does. He is the exception to the rule, the only exception. Until someone else survives there really isn't enough evidence to say whether the scar was also an exceptional occurrence or just something that happens when someone survives the killing curse.

The short answer however, is that Avada Kedavra leaves no trace when the person is killed, it is not so when they are not killed.

Answer 3

The scar is there because Avada Kedavra rebounded off Harry, the result of his mother's protection. In Sorcerer's Stone, Hagrid says, "That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh." Essentially, when the curse bounced off Harry, it gave him his scar, as no curse that powerful could bounce off without a trace.

Answer 4

I think the scar was a part of you-know-who given to Harry not on purpose.Remember even Dumbledore says"I think he transformed some powers into you the night he gave you that scar" in Chamber Of Secrets when Harry started speaking parceltoungue