[HPforGrownups] Lily Evans Potter

[Scarah]

No: HPFGUIDX 161922

Sarah:

It would be nice, wouldn't it?  Unfortunately, there's no lack of
interviews stating pretty emphatically that both Harry's parents are
dead.  In fact, that was part of the first chain of reasoning that
inspired the entire plot.

'JK Rowling: Exactly. From that moment I thought "Why doesn't he know
he's a wizard?" It was as though the story was just there for me to
discover. His parents are dead he needs to find out they're wizards
and on we went from there.'

I know she's tricky sometimes, but she usually gives a hint that she
has to be tricky.  When she states things as given like that, we can
generally go by them.  That's just one, there are lots more discussing
Godric's Hollow, etc.  She's shady about certain details like whether
any other people may have been there, and a few other things, but
never about Lily having died.

If you'd rather not regard the interviews and stick with the story,
how could her shade come out of Voldemort's wand, if she were alive
somewhere?  And why would she ever allow Harry to remain with the
Dursleys?  And how could Dumbledore have such a profoundly messed up
understanding of the protection magic he's always on about?  I know he
says himself that when he messes up it can be bigger than other
people's screw-ups, but that's something that is so basic to all six
of the books.  And there's never been any clue that I'm aware of that
it might not work the way he says it does.

Sarah