Lily, Dumbledore, and AK

[mad_maxime]

No: HPFGUIDX 134498

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Nanagose at a... wrote:

> Christina wrote:
> However, in the MuggleNet/LC interview of JKR, the following 
> question was asked (they're talking about Lily's standing in front 
> of Harry):
> 
> MA: Did she know anything about the possible effect of standing in 
> front of Harry?
> JKR: No - because as I've tried to make clear in the series, it 
> never happened before. No one ever survived before. And no one, 
> therefore, knew that could happen.
> 
> This, in my mind, beats down anything that says that Lily was trying
> to save Harry's life in any magical way.  She stood in front of him
> because she was a desperate mother, not because she had performed a
> charm to protect him.  I personally think this is sort of fishy.  We
> *know* that Harry is the only person to have *ever* survived AK, but
> if the protection really is due to his mother's offering to die to 
> spare him, wouldn't you think that a similar scenario would have 
> occurred already at some other point in time?  Is it really 
> reasonable for us to believe that Lily is the first mother to ever 
> have looked at a killer and said, "Please...take me instead"?
> 
> Christina

Max responds:

This has been a "pet peeve" of mine for a number of years. If the
ancient magic is automatic, then how can Harry be the only one? Lily
can't possibly be the first person to willingly give their life for a
loved one in the history of the wizarding world.

Melissa, in fact, tries to clarify by asking:

"MA: So no one - Voldemort or anyone using Avada Kedavra - ever gave
someone a choice and then they took that option [to die] -

JKR: They may have been given a choice, but not in that particular way."

I'm confused about what she means by "in that particular way". The
situation, as far as we know, seems fairly straight forward. Voldemort
tells Lily she doesn't need to die. Lily refuses to step away from
Harry. Voldemort kills her. How is this situation different from all
the other similar cases where the ancient magic was not activated?

There must be something unique about the night at Godric's Hollow. If
it's not a charm placed on Harry by Lily, then what might it be? What
does JKR mean by "that particular way"?

Max