Who killed James & Lily?

[shanerichmond at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 28587

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., hp_lexicon at y... wrote:
 
> Oh for pete's sake...read the whole page. Particularly that 
> introductory paragraph:
> 
>      NOTE: According to JKR (Diane Rehm show, 
>      10/20/99), "Voldemort killed James and Lily, 
>      then tried to kill Harry." This is clearly what 
>      she intends. It is not, however, what it actually 
>      says in the books. This page discusses what the 
>      actual text states and what that would mean. 
>      Clearly, JKR doesn't intend this to be the way 
>      the story goes. But this IS the way it's written. 
>      Also, yes, I am well aware of the fact that JKR 
>      has confirmed many months ago in an email that 
>      "Lily came out first." I, like many fans, don't 
>      like the messy way this mistake was "fixed," but 
>      that mystery is clearly solved. Many questions 
>      remain, however... 
> 
> There IS no "theory" to lay to rest. 
> 
> Steve

Hi Steve,

I hope that tone of my previous message was not too aggressive. I 
like the site very much and the other mysteries presented in 
http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/puzzles.html are fascinating and 
perceptive. These are mysteries that we can expect to be addressed by 
JKR in future books.

My problem is this: you seem to be presenting the James & Lily 
question as if it is a mystery of the same nature ie. one that JKR 
will address in future. It seems clear from canon that this is not 
the case.

I know, I know:

>"Voldemort killed James and Lily, 
>      then tried to kill Harry." This is clearly what 
>      she intends. It is not, however, what it actually 
>      says in the books. This page discusses what the 
>      actual text states and what that would mean.

But I'm not sure that disclaimer is correct. Voldemort killed James 
and Lily IS what JKR says in the books - in every single case except 
one - Priori Incantatem. Since we know that there was an error with 
the wand order it's safe to assume that this is an ERROR (or, as I 
said in my post, that there is some reason - in HP's world - for the 
spell not to appear). In which case, what is the point in speculating 
on its meaning: it has no meaning, IT'S AN ERROR!

Just a suggestion for the site - it would be cool if you could 
separate out those mysteries in canon that we can reasonably expect 
to have solved and those that are simply errors/flints on the part of 
JKR or her publishers. Because speculation over the meaning of a 
flint seems pointless...