What triggered ancient magic? WAS: Re: James and Intent

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 187002

Carol:
<SNIP of canon, go UPTHREAD and you can read it there>
But, as I read it, it's Lily's choice to die for Harry that makes her sacrifice
unique and enables Harry, alone in the WW, to survive a Killing Curse (twice).
And, were it not for Snape asking Voldemort to spare her, she would not have had
that choice.

Carol, wishing she could find a place where the narrator says straight out that
Snape's request made the difference but thinking that all the pages devoted to
him (in contrast to any other character besides Harry) are indirect testimony to
his importance in Harry's story


Alla:

Right, I think this basically the key point to me. I completely agree that but for Snape's request Lily would not have had a choice. I mean, who knows maybe Voldemort would have suddenly decided he wants her for himself, or something, but this is not our story.

Snape's request made her choice possible. My point is not where is the evidence of the fact why and how this choice was made possible, because this is what the canon you quoted to me seems to point to.

I know that Snape went to ask for Lily's life and Voldemort ordered her to step aside. What I do not see is how the fact that he made this choice possible transforms into him making the ancient magic possible if that makes sense.

What I am trying to say is that let's  speculate that Snape did not go to Voldemort and Voldemort would have no intention to spare Lily, however, something else I don't know, distracted Voldemort for a second or minute, or whatever and Lily still got that time.

I don't know about you, but I still know nothing about what happened, besides the fact that her love triggered the magic.

Not sure if that makes sense. To make a long story short, I know what Snape did, but this does not answer my question how he helped magic to work.

JMO,

Alla