Why not kill Lily?

[va32h]

No: HPFGUIDX 142843

"ginny343" <ginny343 at y...> wrote:
>
> I'm wondering about the statement Voldemort made to Harry 
about, "Your 
> mother needn't have died".  That seems out-of-character for 
Voldemort -
>  seeing as one of his big things is pure bloodedness (even though he 
> is not).  He has obviously killed a large number of people, why on 
> earth would he decide to kill James, little Harry, and spare muggle-
> born Lily?  Some time ago I read various theories about this, but I 
> can't imagine any reason why Voldemort would intentionally consider 
> not killing Lily.  Any ideas?


Well, I think Voldemort is a pragmatic killer, not a wanton one. With 
the exception of his father and grandparents - which were indeed 
sadistic, vengeance murders, Voldemort seems to have limited his 
personal murders to those whom he really does need to kill in order to 
further his plans. Bertha Jorkins, Cedric, Frank Bryce, Hepzibah 
Smith. 

Certainly, Voldemort is cold and heartless when he performs these 
murders - but that is not quite the same as someone like Bellatrix, or 
Fenrir, who clearly take pleasure in torturing and killing others. 

Voldemort wanted to kill Harry - he had to kill James because James 
got in his way. If Lily got out of the way, she'd be spared. (I also 
wondered, briefly, if Voldemort just wanted to make sure he killed one 
of Harry's parents, so they couldn't have another baby "born as the 
7th month dies, to parents who have thrice defied him".)

Notice that once Lily is in fact, in the way, Voldemort dispatches her 
at once. 

va32h