Three Defiances (WAS: Why Voldemort Would Have Spared Lily)

[frugalarugala]

No: HPFGUIDX 112634

> From: "justcarol67" (Carol):
> Thanks for the input. Anyone else have thoughts on the meaning of
> "defied three times"?


`The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. born 
to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month 
dies . and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will 
have power the Dark Lord knows not . and either must die at the hand 
of the other for neither can live while the other survives . the one 
with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh 
month dies .'

Well, first, do you think the "those" we're talking refurs to: A) 
each individual (Lily, James, Frank and Alice) each defing him 3 
times, B) each COUPLE defing him 3 times, C) culmulatively, between 
all four of them, they defied him 3 times, D) the entire family (and 
maybe including those who they'd just consider family), or E) the 
Order of the Phoenix. 

As Aurors and members of the Order, I can imagine the Longbottoms 
racking up any number, but if you want more 'conspiracy theory', 
maybe Neville's gran was in Slytherin: she wear green robes, she's 
ambitious (wanting Neville to live up to the family name, they're a 
family of long-established pure-bloods, and she fits my mental image 
of a "good Slytherin"--and we just need some of those. 

Then there's Great Uncle Algie, AKA the gloved balcony dangler of 
the WW. Nearly drowning Neville, "accidently" dropping him out of 
windows--I smell Death Eater. I mean, twice nearly knocking off the 
kid who might be the one with the power to destroy Voldemort, who 
also appeared to be a squib? Would a DE want a squib in the family? 
And he gave Neville that damn toad...

Maybe the Longbottoms three defiances were becoming Aurors, refusing 
to become DEs and becoming members of the Order instead. 
[Just reading through this before hitting the send button, I thought 
I should specify, I don't think for a moment Neville's Gran is a DE--
only Uncle Algie.]

As to the Potters, I don't think defending baby Harry can count. It 
goes 'born to those WHO HAVE thrice defied him', not born to those 
who WILL thrice defy him. It's past-tense already at the time of the 
prophesy. Otherwise, there are all the same possiblities of actions 
with the Order as the Longbottoms. 

But... there's also four marauders, who were probably close enough 
to consider each other like brothers, and one of them became a Death 
Eater. I think the three defiances may have been the other three 
marauders refusing to join up. (Though, obviously, they thought 
they'd all refused, or Wormtail would never have been trusted.) 

I mean, given what we've seen of the Marauders behavior, I can 
imagine Voldemort considering them prime candidates, and given 
James' hate of the dark arts, that might have been the slap of 
reality that motivated him to change and why Lily was willing to 
give him a chance. 

Of course, you'll notice this theory doesn't have Lily defing him at 
all, but it all turns on how you define "those". 

--Arugala, who really does believe Algie is evil, and Trever proves 
it.