[HPforGrownups] To the Extreme

[Jeremiah LaFleur]

No: HPFGUIDX 164900

Snow:
s> What if Voldy's Mom gave her powers away so that she could die? What
s> if she gave her powers away to a very young child named Lily?
s> Merope's powers would no longer save her from death and allow her to
s> die. Lil' Lily would acquire Merope's power and become the first
s> witch in the family.

Dave:
d>I think a much simpler and more based-on-Canon explanation is that
d>Merope had simply lost the will to live at that point... Maybe she
d>even committed suicide, one dark night when no one was watching --
d>I assume if a wizard/witch suffers from sufficient self-loathing,
d>turning your wand on yourself and saying "Avada Kedavra" *would*
d>work. And since AK leaves no trace, Mrs. Cole might
d>have come in the next morning and *assumed* she died of childbirth.

d>I think Jo's intention is that Merope's refusal to use magic to save
d>herself, if only for the sake of her son, is meant to sharply contrast
d>Lily's bravery in sacrificing her life to save Harry, and therefore to
d>augment the contrast between Harry and LV themselves.

Dave
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Jeremiah:

Dave, I hate to try and make things even more simplistic for you (but I
think you'll agree) that if Tom M. Riddle was @ Hogwarts 50 years before
CoS, then he was a teen-ager. (Around 15? 16?) so, Harry is 12 during Cos
and LV (Tom M. Riddle) would be... 66? 65? So, the only way Lily Potter
would have been able to take Meropa's "powers" would be if Lily was at least
the exact same age as LV and that would mean Lily had Harry when seh was...
(drumroll...) 53 years old.

Sorry, Snow. I just can't buy it. Also, we know for a fact that Lily went to
Hogwarts at the same time as Sirius, Snape, Lupin and James. I believe that
Lupin is in his 30's?  There is a 30+ year gap to be accounted for.

No, Dave, I totally agree with your reasoning for Meropa's non-use of magic.
JKR said that Dd is usually not far from the mark and so I'll have to go
with DD's "assumptions." They'll be closer that having Lily gain Meropa's
powers.

Also, Snow... we don't know if Lil' Lily is the "first witch in the family."
Maybe it skipped generations? Maybe she is the first... ever.


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