Interpretation question

[fhmaneely]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "mooseming" <josturgess at e...> 
wrote:
> 
> 
> OK below is an excerpt from that interview and I'm wondering if 
> others read it as I do? Specifically that Lily did not expect her 
> death to protect Harry, to all intents she died, in her 
expectation, 
> pointlessly?
> 
> Regards
> Jo
> 
Oh I agree wholeheartedly!  Especially on this point of the interview:
MA: Did she know anything about the possible effect of standing in
front of Harry?
JKR: No - because as I've tried to make clear in the series, it
never happened before. No one ever survived before. And no one,
therefore, knew that could happen.

No one knew it could happen! Enough said. IIRC, which is not 
often,<g> there were many posts stating Lily put a protection charm 
on Harry. It was simply her sacrifice, when given a choice of life, 
that set off the protection. I think that was the ancient magic, LV 
and DD have referred to in the other books.

Regards,
Fran