the Prophecy Harry and James as Voldemort's targets

[acoteucla]

No: HPFGUIDX 75231

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "kateydidnt2002" 
<kateydidnt2002 at y...> wrote:
> I have always thought that this meant that Voldemort went there 
that 
> night specifically intending on killing both James and Harry, and 
> Lily didn't really matter. Yet the prophecy only indicates Harry as 
> the threat, so, logically, Harry should be the only target.

My favored theory to explain this assumes that Lupin is Ever So Evil.

Lupin is in love with Lily, and hates James because of that.  He 
decides to strike a deal with Voldemort: Lupin will betray the 
Potters', if Voldemort agrees not to kill Lily.  If all goes 
according to plan, Lupin will offer a shoulder to cry on for the 
grieving widow, and before you know it, Lily falls in love with ESE!
Lupin.  This is a very good deal for Voldemort, because it nets him a 
top spy in the Order, and pulls down James, a top member in the 
Order.  So Voldemort agrees to this bargain.

At the end of PoA, everyone assumes that Peter is the one who has 
been passing information to Voldemort for over a year before he 
finally catches up with the Potters.  But what if instead it was 
LUPIN who was passing that information?  Lupin betrays the Potters 
three times, leading to their three narrow escapes from Voldemort.  
Finally, the Potters decide to get a secret-keeper.  Don't forget 
that Sirius convinces James to switch to Peter as secret-keeper at 
the last second BECAUSE HE SUSPECTS LUPIN!  What reasons did they 
have for suspecting Lupin?  Maybe they were good reasons!

Upon being entrusted as the Potters' secret-keeper, Peter decides to 
use this opportunity to switch to the "winning side".  It will 
immediately gain him an important position amongst the death-eaters.  
Peter betrays the Potters (James makes some really questionable 
friendships!), and Voldemort finally catches up with the Potters.  He 
kills James, of course, but offers to let Lily live, in honor of the 
original agreement with Lupin.  Voldemort's Slytherin-training comes 
to forefront, however, when Lily is "too stupid" to save her own 
skin.  He kills her in disgust before turning on Harry.