Lily's protection for Harry

[Cassy Ferris]

No: HPFGUIDX 151749

Alla quoted Melissa Anelli & JKR: 
<snip>
   
>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."
<snip>

Cassy:   
I'm sorry if this issue was already discussed, I'm new here, but that is the point I always wondered about: why it never happened before? LV killed so many families, surely some mother would stand in front of her child in effort to protect him/her? We can't assume that Lily's love was of some "higher quality," so it worked better. Or was it that LV gave Lily a choice wether to die or not? But why exactly did he do it, wasted his time trying to convince a defenseless woman to stand aside? 
   
Cassy