A James Rant - Who was This Guy?

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 181348

> Alla:

> If James put up courageous fight, that is not what happened in book 
> 7. Could she not reread book 1 to stick to the continuity in the 
> scene like that?
<snip>
> By the way, before you ask me, yes it is possible that Voldemort 
> lied about James putting up courageous fight. The only question is 
> why would he lied? It is not like it is in his interests to praise 
> James just because he feels like it IMO. Any other motivations?
> 

Pippin:
IMO, Voldemort lied here  for the same reason he'll have to duel Harry 
in the graveyard, where he'll  claim that James died "straight-backed 
and  proud" -- not exactly a lie but hardly the whole truth. Killing 
an unarmed foe  caught at unwares by treachery is not exactly a
glorious feat for someone who wants to be known as "the greatest 
sorcerer in the world." 

The advance article about Rita Skeeter's Dumbledore book also 
introduces the idea of a great duel that never happened. 

> 
> Alla:
> 
> Oh sure, but Lily still seems to me to be on the same pedestal as 
> she always was. IMO of course, because I do not think she was shown 
> to do anything wrong when she did not accept Snape's apology for 
> example.

Pippin:

Lily's pedestal is a little different because Harry never really puts
her there. He accepts her as a protector but doesn't see her as a
role model until almost the end. He's less critical of his
protectors than  his role models -- he doesn't get upset
at Molly for being wrong about Hermione or tough on Sirius. Since
he never idealizes her, there doesn't have to be a moment where 
he realizes he might have overdone it. The reader who thinks Lily
was as pure as her name might reconsider though.

When Harry does take her as a model, he doesn't follow her
example, he betters it. But doesn't that mean Lily herself could
have done more?

I don't think Lily was wrong to refuse Snape's apology. But just as 
with her death to protect Harry, canon shows it might  not  be the 
most effective thing that could have been done.

It's interesting that like the so-noble Sirius with his  brother, Lily 
did nothing  but turn her back,  while the wayward Aberforth 
confronted Albus and brought him to his senses, albeit at a terrible 
cost. Suppose Lily had been willing to do what Aberforth did, and
confront Snape and his "precious little Death Eater friends" 
directly?

Pippin