Voldemort's life debt to Lily (Theory)

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 42446

"Richelle Votaw" wrote:
 
> Okay, please explain what else you can interpret from this:
> 
> Lily: "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"
> Voldemort: "Stand aside, you silly girl . . . stand aside, 
now . . . ."
> Lily: "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead--Not Harry!  
Please .
> . . have mercy . . . have mercy. . . ."
> 
> Lily: "Not Harry! Not Harry!  Please--I'll do anything--"
> Voldemort: "Stand aside.  Stand aside, girl!"
> 
> Which brings up an interesting thought.  Lily's plea of "have 
mercy."  I
> suppose she could've just been stalling for time if she was 
completing a
> complex spell, though I can't understand how you can work on a 
spell and beg
> for mercy at the same time.  Or she could have been a desperate 
mother
> crying out for mercy of her child.  Or . . . something else.

Well - she *was* a desperate mother. "Take me instead". Mother's love 
is definately one thing that gives this thing power.

  Unless Lily
> had a past history of some sort or another with Voldemort, the idea 
of her
> asking him to have mercy is about like asking a wall to make tea.  
This is
> the dark lord who thinks nothing of killing.  Who has already 
killed many
> witches and wizards, and has plans for many more.  Who has every 
intention
> of killing a 15 month old baby who is completely defenseless.   Yet 
he stops
> for a moment before Lily.  Who begs him to "have mercy."

What comes to Voldemort's reluctance - yes, that is the one thing 
that sets Lily's sacrifice apart from all other mothers. Only she was 
given the choice. Life-debt would explain it - considering how 
Dumbledore spoke of it. Lily the child may have saved Tom Riddle from 
some danger.

It was her dying wish that Harry be saved. Her last words. This fact 
does, I believe, carry magical weight. Perhaps that's how the bond 
works: Death Wish is a binding duty to any who is indebted to the one 
who died...

What did James say: "Take Harry to safety - I'll hold him back". 
Perhaps Snape feels the duty to fight Voldemort because of that, as 
well as keeping Harry out of danger to get killed. Voldemort knows 
that, I think... Left him forever. Also, Dumbledore knows it - so he 
can trust that Snape is against Voldemort.

-- Finwitch