Why were the sacrifices different? (was: A moral theory of Magic )

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 95317

Siriusly Snapey Susan previously wrote:
>>>STILL, I'm just a wee little annoyed that James' death gets such 
short shrift!  So Lily *thought* [or was instructed, per Kneasy's 
comments] to apply the ancient magic that would save Harry.  That's 
true sacrifice!  STILL, James chose to die saving Lily & Harry, as 
well.  Just because he didn't apply the ancient magic which ended up 
saving Harry, he still sacrificed himself for the hope of saving 
their lives.  Seems he--and all those other wizards who did likewise 
for their families--should get a little more "credit".  

...it reads to me kind of like the stereotypes "Men are used to 
sacrificing themselves in war" and "A mother's love is supreme" are 
being evaluated to say that one is greater than the other.  Y'all 
know I love JKR and these books, but this is how the emphasis on 
these two deaths feels *to me*.<<<

Jen wrote:
>>On a very practical level, Lily's sacrifice 'counted' more than
James' because Harry was delivered to Petunia as the only remaining
blood relative who could seal the charm. James' sacrifice could not
give Harry the same protection.<<

And Neri also stated:  
>The results of these two sacrifices were different in details, but 
very similar in principal:  Lily's sacrifice gave Harry his blood 
protection....<

Thank you both for making this more sensible to me.  You're right to 
point out the way that Lily *only* could have provided that 
particular protection for Harry, as she was the one who still had a 
blood relative alive.  

Neri also said:
> My take on it is that Lily's and James's sacrifices were *not* that 
> different. They were different in the nuances, perhaps just because 
> Lily and James were different persons. James as a man couldn't help 
> but go down fighting, but he knew well that he is not as powerful 
> as Voldemort and he was only buying his family a small chance at 
> the price of his life. Lily as a woman pretended to be helpless 
> while preparing a hidden dagger for a low strike, and she 
> consciously paid for the chance to strike with her life. 
> James's sacrifice gave Harry a very powerful patronus to defend 
> him. It might be argued that Lily's sacrifice was the more 
> powerful, but this is rather splitting hairs IMO. The interesting 
> thing is how *similar* are these two sacrifices in their nature and 
> in their results. This what make me think that they have the same 
> kind of magic underlying them.

Siriusly Snapey Susan:
These last comments actually add a little fuel to my "fire of 
annoyance", Neri, in that you're arguing, as I did, that *both* 
sacrifices were extremely important...and you've gone on to say they 
are even similar in their nature & results.  So I wonder why--and I'm 
thinking of DD's words in particular here--the stress is so much on 
Lily's sacrifice, then?  Again, it *feels* as if James' is just being 
put down to "Well, of course a man would die for his family", as if 
that's not as big a deal.  

Siriusly Snapey Susan