Why NOT Lily? (was: Lily, Harry, and Voldemort's demise)

[rowena_forest]

No: HPFGUIDX 42031

I wrote: 
> >>Why WASN'T Lily a target? 

Richelle continued:
> >Anyway, I do think, though, that JKR has a very
> >important reason as to why Lily wasn't an intended victim. 

To which Catherine Coleman replied:

> I don't buy this importance of Lily thing here  [snipped]
> If this is the case, I think it's a bit clumsy, because from what 
> we've heard of Voldemort he is totally ruthless and kills for 
> pleasure, so why should he tell Lily to "stand aside"?
> 
> I'm not discounting anything at this point because JKR has a great 
> ability to surprise, but I think she's giving us little clues here 
> and there that it was the Potters, not Harry, who Voldemort was 
> interested in.

My response:

I agree, everything we've been told or have seen of Voldemort 
indicates that he kills for pleasure and without mercy.  This is why 
I find it important that he tells Lily to "stand aside" instead of 
just blasting right through her.

He had no remorse over killing his father.  Inflicting pain is one of 
his favorite punishments.  Ginny was used and tossed aside by his 
sixteen year old self.  Digory never stood a chance.  All he heard 
was "Kill the spare." and then he was dead.

Voldemort's line ("stand aside") is repeated in more than one re-
telling of that night through Harry's flashbacks in PoA.  I don't 
think JKR would have kept it in multiple times if it wasn't 
intentional.

Now, it may be that it was the Potter line and not Harry specifically 
that Voldemort was after.  No arguments there.  But Lily was an 
obstacle to what Voldemort wanted and he hesitated in removing her.  
I think that means something.

~ Rowena Forest ~