Did LV try to spare Lily? Motivations are the Key

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 90339

This thread has gotten a little to long to try and quote and address
issues point by point, so I will try and get my position across in a
summary.

James-

Was James sacrifice for nothing? If Lily could have been spared, why
was James killed?

The difference between Lily and James is that James step FORWARD to
fight with Voldemort, to give Lily time to take Harry and run. So
James is in a direct confrontational duel with Voldemort, and that is
was got him killed. Lily on the other hand stepped BACK to
specifically protect Harry.

That doesn't in any way diminish his death. He fought bravely in an
effort to save his home and family, but it was a general effort.
Lily's efforts were very specific both in location and intent.


Lily-

I thought I made it clear that Lily did not have to die, even if I
didn't make it clear, I did say it. We argue not so much on IF as we
do on WHY.

Why she didn't have to die, I do not see as any grand gesture, mercy,
benevolence, or integral part of a grand scheme on Voldemort's part.
She was simply inconsequential. He had what he wanted, which was
Harry, and that was all that matter. In blocking his way, Lily became
an inconvenience and Voldemort casually killed her. 

Another point I tried to make is that Voldemort's motivations don't
effect Lily's motivations. Lily could have cowered in a corner
paralyzed with fear, and sat by helplessly while Voldemort killed her
son. In a case like that, Voldemort may have just walked out after
killing Harry, and left Lily alive. I even suspect that part of
Voldemort's modus operandi is to indeed always leave someone alive
after a raid. The fact that someone is alive to tell the chilling tale
of how murderous Voldemort and the DE's are would only serve to
increase the level of terror in the wizarding world. 

So YES, Lily could have been spare. But Voldemort doesn't understand
DEEPER human motivations. As someone else pointed out from the
simplest mammal all the way up the food chain to Humans, all mothers
will fiercely protect their young. So, Lily steps forward determined
to protect Harry. The fact that Voldemort saw this as an annoyance, in
no way undermines what Lily did, nor does it diminish her sacrifice in
any way. Regardless of Voldemort's motivations, Lily was motivated by
protecting her son at all cost, Lily is motivated by her courage and
willingness to sacrifice herself.

It is Voldemort own lack of awareness of these very motivations of
Lily's that lead to his downfall. Certainly, Voldemort can understand
the human motivations of fear, power, lust, and greed, but he falls
very far short in his understanding of love, compassion, true
heartfelt loyalty, and selfless sacrifice.


Voldemort-

Whether Voldemort would have spared Lily out of indifference, or due
to some grand intricate and mostly fanciful plot twist is irrelevant.
If Lily had stepped aside there is a chance she would have been
spared. When she didn't step aside, he killed her, not as part of some
grand plan, but because she interfered with his objective, and to him,
human life is cheap.

Keep in mind, if Volemort was really intent on sparing Lily, he could
have stunned her. The fact that he killed her only re-enforces my
belief that her life or death was inconsequential. Keep in mind, it's
inconsequential in Voldemort's mind, but of great consequence to Harry
and the story, and of course, unknown to him at that instant, of great
consequence to Voldemort too.

So, to Voldemort, life is cheap, take it or leave it, it hardly
matters. It is his objectives that are important. Lily interfered with
his objective; Lily died as a result. 

Lily and Voldemort's motivations do not have to be in sync for this
too work. Lily can be inconsequential to Voldemort with out his
attitude diminishing her sacrifice in any way. It is, in fact,
Voldemort's lack of understanding of Lily's motivations that is his
downfall.

Lily didn't have to die, on that we seem to agree. Now the question is
whether she didn't need to die because of Voldemort's indifference or
because of some grand fanciful scheme. You know my position.

I will close by saying that there is substantially more to the story
of Voldemort's defeat at Godric's Hollow than we now know, and each of
the characters, I'm sure, has underlying secrets that will eventually
be revealed. 

In summary, it not Voldemort's attitude toward Lily, but Lily's
attitude toward Voldemort and Harry that give value to her sacrifice.

Then again, it's just a thought.

bboy_mn