Why didn't Lily have to die?

[greatelderone]

No: HPFGUIDX 93543

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mad_maxime" <mad_maxime at h...> 
wrote:
> Max replies:
> 
> But he *was* stupid enough to see her as no threat. How else can you
> read the situation

That there was a specific reason why he didn't kill her initially and 
that we'll learn more of it in the latter books. 

> If he had *really* seen her as a threat, he
> would have killed her right off the bat as he did with James, or at
> least incapacitated her in some way. 

Which just deepens the mystery. Voldemort doesn't kill her despite 
the many strikes against her including her heritage, her part as one 
of the order and someone who has defied his power and her potential 
part in the prophecy. Despite all this he tells her to stand aside 
when normally he would have killed her. It just doesn't add up.


> I don't disagree that he saw her
> as one of his enemies, but it is clear to me that her viewed her as
> merely a nuisance, not a threat.

If so no doubt he'd still kill her. Judging by what Voldemort has 
done so far he'd be ruthless enough to do it especially if she's a 
mudblood and ootp member. 

How could he not see her as a threat is mystery to me.

> I see no reason why this action would seem "uncharacteristic of
> someone like him". Time and time again, in Voldemort's interactions
> with Harry, we see his tendency to want to 'play' a bit with his
> victim before going for the kill. 

Everythime he spared Harry he had a reason to do so. In COS, he 
wanted to know the details of his fall and in GOF he arranged the 
duel to repair his shattered image. 

> If I were to describe his character,
> two things I'd be fairly certain of, would be his arrogance and his
> fondness for gloating. Who knows, maybe he enjoyed the idea of 
making
> Lily watch as he killed her son.

Why gloat towards a ootp member that he's just going to kill? Kinda 
pointless there.