Lily, LV and Harry at GH.

[Lora]

No: HPFGUIDX 113416

Howdy.  I'm Lora and I'm new.  *hides from scary rules*

Hannah: 
> This theory is based on the idea that LV wanted not to kill Harry 
> immediately, but to use him somehow.

Me (Lora, lora at lilting.org)
I can see the logic of that, and it even fits LV's personality, but I
think there's a canon contradiction - when LV had Harry in the
graveyard, why didn't he just run off with him to wherever his hideout
is nowadays?  He had Harry there, under his control, and still he
doesn't think of kidnapping, he goes straight for the kill (after the
whole reincarnation bit).  One could say of course that he considers
Teen!Harry more of a threat and therefore less safe to take chances
with that Baby!Harry, which is a valid point...

Hannah:
> she does the only thing she 
> can think of to save her son from torture and a slow death/ being 
> brought up as an LV 'mini-me' - she AK's him.  At the same time, LV 
> hits her with the same spell. 

Lora:
Interesting...when does the 'high cold laugh' come in, though?  When
LV kills James?  Or when he first casts it on Lily before hers hits
him?  In Harry's dementor flashbacks we definitely know Lily tried to
persuade LV to take her instead, and we hear him ordering her to stand
aside.  Which is as far into the scene as Harry has heard so far.  I
could possibly see Lily doing that, as a very last resort...

Hannah:
> But AK is a spell that depends a lot on the intention of the one 
> casting it.  When Lily's AK hits Harry, it doesn't kill him, because 
> Lily's intention was to *save* Harry...

Lora:
Is there anything in canon for the intention idea?  I know when Harry
was trying to Crucio someone...Bellatrix, I think, she just mocked him
and told him...*consults book* "You need to MEAN them, Potter!  You
need to really want to cause pain--to enjoy it..." So perhaps if you
don't "really want" to cause DEATH with an AK, something else would 
happen?  

I like this theory a lot, it's definitely not one of those totally
out-there ones...I think it has a chance.  Of course, knowing JKR and
her geniusness...  I do think that day/night at Godric's Hollow will
come into play later, simply because it's such a grey area, a blank. 
JR rarely leaves blanks unfilled.

--Lora