Lily and unicorns

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 109400

Jen wrote:
> > <<<<<I'll repeat myself here (don't we all) that JKR uses Unicorn 
> imagery around Lily--pure, innocent, strong--and we know from Book 1 
> what slaying a Unicorn does! Dumbledore said in OOTP that Voldemort 
> *shed Lily's blood* ...at Godric's Hollow in hopes of finally 
> drinking from the cup of immortality, and it cursed him. 
>
> Yb's responded:
> I think what Jen is implying is that perhaps a unicorn (or it's 
> blood) was used in a charm on Lily and Harry so that if someone
tried to kill them both, killing the second would backfire horrendously.
> 
> Since Unicorn blood is hard to come by without getting cursed, I 
> would say this is a bit farfetched, using the blood of something 
> innocent for pretty much any purposes at all, even if the unicorn 
> would sacrifice it willingly. I personally am much more inclined to 
> go with the same theory but using Dragon's blood instead.

Carol:
Setting aside the unicorn blood question (I can't imagine her using it
since it requires the death of an innocent creature; also charms,
unlike potions, are done with a wand and a spell or an incantation,
and except in cases of Dark Magic like the incantation used to restore
Voldemort, probably don't require a potion as part of the process), it
wasn't a matter of saving Harry *or* Lily, with whoever died first
saving the second. Why would *she* want to live at the expense of her
child's life? No loving mother would. In any case, *his* was the life
that needed to be protected in order for Voldemort to be defeated and
the Prophecy fulfilled. "Not Harry! Please! Not Harry! Kill me
instead!" (Quoting from memory.) She knew she had to be sacrificed for
Harry to be saved--and for the ancient magic, whatever it was, to take
effect. The other way around was clearly not in her thoughts.

Carol