"Then what exactly was the reason?!"
Barty Crouch Jr. instinctively pressed for an answer.
"Ancient magic," Hermione said. "A system of power far older than the magic you know today. Within ancient magic, there exists a power that can directly counter the Killing Curse."
She paused, turning her gaze toward Harry in the crowd.
"Lily Evans, Harry's mother, was herself an exceptionally gifted user of ancient magic, though she might never have fully realized it. When Harry faced death, her motherly instincts awakened her full potential. Unconsciously, she sacrificed her own life to cast powerful ancient magic, and that was what blocked Voldemort's Killing Curse."
Hermione looked around at the expressions of dawning understanding and disbelief on everyone's faces, then continued:
"So don't confuse cause and effect. Love may have been the key that unlocked her potential and made her willing to sacrifice herself, but the shield that actually stopped the Killing Curse was ancient magic itself. Without a foundation in ancient magic, even the deepest love cannot conjure a miracle out of thin air."
Her gaze returned to Barty Crouch Jr. "As for me, my mastery of ancient magic far exceeds Lily's back then. To me, the Avada Kedavra Curse poses less of a threat than a Disarming Charm. Even if I stood here and let him keep casting it at me, he couldn't hurt me in the slightest."
Those words completely overturned a belief long held throughout the wizarding world.
So that was it!
Everyone finally understood the true reason Harry Potter had survived, resolving the mystery that had lingered for years.
No wonder Voldemort had killed so many people, only to fail against Harry. It wasn't because Harry was special, but because Lily was!
Harry froze at her words, his face paling and his mind going blank.