Harry överlevde som en bebis omedelbart efter att hans mamma dödades, så det kan inte vara på grund av någonting som Dumbledore gjorde senare. Det ska vara en automatisk följd av omständigheterna hans mors död.

I en intervju förklarar Rowling kraven:

JKR: Don't you want to ask me why James's death didn't protect Lily and Harry? There's your answer - you've just answered your own question - because she could have lived - and chose to die. James was going to be killed anyway. Do you see what I mean? I'm not saying James wasn't ready to; he died trying to protect his family, but he was going to be murdered anyway. He had no - he wasn't given a choice, so he rushed into it in a kind of animal way. I think there are distinctions in courage. James was immensely brave. But the caliber of Lily's bravery was, I think in this instance, higher because she could have saved herself. Now any mother, any normal mother would have done what Lily did. So in that sense, her courage too was of an animal quality but she was given time to choose. James wasn't. It's like an intruder entering your house, isn't it? You would instinctively rush them. But if in cold blood you were told, "Get out of the way," you know, what would you do? I mean, I don't think any mother would stand aside from their child. But does that answer it? She did very consciously lay down her life. She had a clear choice.

ES: And James didn't.

JKR: Did he clearly die to try and protect Harry specifically given a clear choice? No. It's a subtle distinction and there's slightly more to it than that but that's most of the answer.

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.

MA: So no one - Voldemort or anyone using Avada Kedavra - ever gave someone a choice and then they took that option [to die] -

JKR: They may have been given a choice, but not in that particular way.

The Leaky Cauldron, 16 July 2005

Boken släpptes den 21 juli 2007, så intervjun förutsätter det.

Enligt detta uttalande är det nödvändigt att offret kunde ha levt och valt att dö. Nu skulle Voldemort aldrig ha givit Harry valet att leva, så klart är kraven på skydd inte uppfyllda här.

Det finns faktiskt inga bevis i boken att någon skulle skyddas av Harrys död, förutom att Harry säger så. Sekvensen är detta:

Voldemort was in the centre of the battle, and he was striking and smiting all within reach. Harry could not get a clear shot, but fought his way nearer, still invisible, and the Great Hall became more and more crowded, as everyone who could walk forced their way inside.

...

Voldemort was now duelling McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley all at once, and there was cold hatred in his face as they wove and ducked around him, unable to finish him –

(Molly kills Bellatrix)

Harry felt as though he turned in slow motion; he saw McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn blasted backwards, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort’s fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley.

‘Protego!' roared Harry, and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last.

The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of ‘Harry!' ‘HE’S ALIVE!' were stifled at once. The crowd was afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other.

(Harry and Voldemort talk)

‘Potter doesn’t mean that,' he said, his red eyes wide. ‘That isn’t how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?'

(more talk)

‘You won’t be killing anyone else tonight,' said Harry as they circled, and stared into each other’s eyes, green into red. ‘You won’t be able to kill any of them, ever again. Don’t you get it? I was ready to die to stop you hurting these people –'

‘But you did not!'

‘– I meant to, and that’s what did it. I’ve done what my mother did. They’re protected from you. Haven’t you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can’t torture them. You can’t touch them.‘

(DH)

Så efter att Voldemort försökte döda Harry var han fortfarande "slående och smittande". Ordet "smiting" betyder bland annat "attack med dödlig eller katastrofal effekt". McGonagall, Kingsley och Slughorn är flailing och writhing genom luften, skulle deras landning åtminstone lämna dem disoriented och lätt att döda för Death Eaters. Harry försöker skydda Molly, men Protego kan inte stoppa den dödande förbannelse Voldemort skulle troligen använda. Istället leder det faktum att Harry lever, Voldemort, han kastar inte mot Molly. Sedan pratar Harry och Voldemort, och Harry hävdar att Voldemort inte kan röra dem, även om hans attack på McGonagall, Kingsley och Slughorn var effektiv.

Precis som Voldemort försöker få Harry att tvivla på sig när han säger "Vem ska du använda som en sköld idag", försöker Harry göra Voldemort tvivla när han säger "Du kan inte röra dem".

Om det bara behöver någon att vara villig att dö för att skydda alla andra, skulle det säkert vara någon villig, och Dark Lords skulle ha en mycket svår tid.

Så det fanns inget skydd, det var bara Harrys bluff.

Redigera

Bara för ett komplement när Voldemort sa "Vem ska du använda som en sköld idag, Potter?" han ville verkligen inte att någon skulle vara en sköld för Harry, för han kommer ihåg hur det slutade förra gången:

"I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman’s foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon me." (GoF)