I don’t think the relevant category here is an incorporeal Patronus intercepting an Avada Kedavra spell, so much as it is Harry’s magic coming into contact with Quirrell’s. Which does seem like a possibility plausible enough to be worth considering.
Also, Harry has a history of interacting unusually with Avada Kedavra spells, which might lead one to predict an unusual interaction in this case as well.
That said, I expect a lot of that is hindsight bias.
Which does seem like a possibility plausible enough to be worth considering.
Quirrell put Harry on the steps, out of direct line of fire, so that Harry wouldn’t try any magic to interfere with the duel or be hit by magic accidentally, and at this point he (rightfully) didn’t know the Avada Kedavra could be intercepted or deflected by any magic, so he shouldn’t have expected that Harry would be able to send any magic at all out into the line of fire of the spell.
I think it is mostly hindsight bias: before this particular event, nobody knew you could put magic in the way of an Avada Kedavra. Therefore, Quirrell should not have expected that Harry could put magic in the way of his Avada Kedavra, causing the reaction.
I don’t think the relevant category here is an incorporeal Patronus intercepting an Avada Kedavra spell, so much as it is Harry’s magic coming into contact with Quirrell’s. Which does seem like a possibility plausible enough to be worth considering.
Also, Harry has a history of interacting unusually with Avada Kedavra spells, which might lead one to predict an unusual interaction in this case as well.
That said, I expect a lot of that is hindsight bias.
Quirrell put Harry on the steps, out of direct line of fire, so that Harry wouldn’t try any magic to interfere with the duel or be hit by magic accidentally, and at this point he (rightfully) didn’t know the Avada Kedavra could be intercepted or deflected by any magic, so he shouldn’t have expected that Harry would be able to send any magic at all out into the line of fire of the spell.
I think it is mostly hindsight bias: before this particular event, nobody knew you could put magic in the way of an Avada Kedavra. Therefore, Quirrell should not have expected that Harry could put magic in the way of his Avada Kedavra, causing the reaction.