What saved Harry?

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 142817

>femmevitale:

>So the parallel then is between Merope and Lily. Merope is a
>mother who chose (in LV's eyes) to be selfish and die instead of
>live for her son. Lily is a woman who chose to be selfless and
>die for her son instead of save her own life. It is the choices
>that their mothers made which make Harry and LV diametric
>opposites.

Orna:
 My understanding of what's going on there is that Voldermort is 
driven by something deeper than he knows. When he says that his 
mother couldn't be magic, I think he says, his mother couldn't have 
loved him. That's where Harry feels pity for him. Now what would he 
do? He can either tell himself, that something was wrong with him, 
not being able to elicit his mother's "magic". Or tell himself, that 
that's the way mothers are – selfish and not loving. When he tells 
Lily to step aside, and save herself, I think it reflects his 
conviction, that mothers are selfish, like his mother was. If Lily 
would have stepped aside, it would strengthen that feeling, and 
lessen his feeling himself unworthy.  But on some deeper level, he 
challenges his belief – because he puts it to a test. He sneers at 
her as a silly girl, and devaluates her act, but still – the scene 
is set. And when Lily acts like a real loving mother would act, I 
think, that's when his power brakes in some way – something is 
shattered inside him. Not surprisingly, although he knows a lot of 
magic, he forgets that this love leaves a magic protection. 
Voldermort being what he is, he plays it down, but the importance of 
it seems to have penetrated him in some way – that's why he tells 
Harry, that she didn't have to die. All MHO.

And welcome aboard.
Orna