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

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 187007

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:

> 
> Of course, if Snape had had his way and Voldemort had merely Stunned Lily, Harry would have died because there would have been no Love magic. We'd have just had an angry, unhappy Lily and no story. 

Pippin:
I'm not sure this holds up. What matters is Lily's willingness to die if she didn't stand aside, not whether Voldemort actually killed her. Harry makes this clear.

"I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people--"
"But you did not!"
"--I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did."
--DH ch 36

Lily didn't just instinctively throw herself in the way, as any mother might have done. She consciously cast her life between them, and though she couldn't know for certain it would have a magical effect, I think part of the magic came from her intention that it would. She chose not only to die, but to trust  love alone to defend her son.

There would have been no love magic if Lily had not believed she could save herself by stepping aside, and Snape is responsible for seeing that she had that choice. But if Voldemort had honored his promise and simply stunned her when she refused to step aside, I think the magic would have worked just the same. 

Pippin