Who killed James & Lily?

[shanerichmond at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 28581

Hi all,

I was reading the Lexicon at 
http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/timeline_potters.html and was 
surprised by the contention that someone other than Voldemort killed 
James and Lily Potter. It argues that, since the spell that rebounded 
from Harry to Voldemort is not seen during Priori Incantatem, then it 
must have come before the spells attacking Lily and James and 
therefore Voldemort (who was, by then, incapacitated, did not kill 
them).

This seems to ignore a lot of evidence:

Voldemort: "Better save your own life and join me... Or you'll meet 
the same end as your parents... They died begging me for mercy." PS 
Ch.17

You might of course argue that, though they were begging Voldemort 
for mercy, they were in fact killed by someone else. However:

Voldemort: "Yes, boy, your parents were brave... I killed your father 
first but he put up a courageous fight... but your mother needn't 
have died... she was trying to protect you..." ibid.

So is Voldemort lying when he says he killed James? Or perhaps he was 
mistaken, and killed someone disguised as James? And why would Lily 
have been trying to protect Harry if the spell had already backfired 
on Voldemort? Surely it would have been clear to her that she HAD 
protected him? And then:

Harry: "No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me... 
I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my 
mother died to save me." CoS Ch.17

Now if Voldemort couldn't kill Harry because his mother died to save 
him, then this would suggest that Lily died BEFORE Harry was 
attacked, wouldn't it? And it would also serve to negate the theory 
that Voldemort killed imposters posing as Harry's parents, since only 
a dying mother could have created such powerful protection over Harry.

That last excerpt seems to prove that Lily died before Harry was 
attacked, and Voldemort, quoted above, says that he killed her - 
something that Harry also hears in PoA:

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, I'll do anything-" "Stand aside girl-" 
PoA Ch.12

Further evidence:

Voldemort: "His mother died in an attempt to save him - and 
unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen 
[...] His mother left upon him the traces of her sacrifice [...] My 
curse was deflected by the woman's sacrifice." GoF Ch.33

Which again suggests that Lily died before Harry was attacked. It 
seems that the Lexicon takes one fact, that the attack on Harry is 
not represented by the spells seen in Priori Incantatem, and uses it 
to draw a wild conclusion. In doing so, it ignores a central thread 
of canon evidence.

I have two possible explanations:

1. We already know of an error within Priori Incantatem, perhaps 
there is another, which led to the omission of the spell which 
backfired from Harry to Voldermort.
2. Perhaps only spells which can be represented in some way (ie. by 
the body of the person who died, their screams of pain, or their 
missing hand) were visible from the wand. Harry did not die, or lose 
a limb and, since he was a baby and unaware of his circumstances he 
may not even have screamed. Perhaps the spell did come out of the 
wand but we simply didn't see it?

Either way, who is prepared to join with me in laying this 
preposterous Lexicon theory to bed?