We know that Harry survived Voldemort's killing curse because Lily loved him so much that she sacrificed herself in an attempt to protect him. This resulted in a very powerful charm that pretty much rendered Harry immune to Voldemort (until Voldemort figured out the work-around).
Then there's this passage describing that night:
[Voldemort] was over the threshold as James came sprinting down the hall. It was easy, too easy, he had not even picked up his wand ...
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off -"
Hold him off, without a wand in his hand! ... He laughed before casting the curse ...
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Chapter 17: Bathilda's Secret
So James Potter, fully aware that he was sacrificing himself (he said "I'll hold him off," not "I'll get rid of him") ran to face Voldemort because of his love for Lily and Harry. This seems to be very similar to how Lily tried to protect Harry from Voldemort even though she knew she would die. It seems to me that the same charm should have been cast upon Lily when James died, but just moments later Voldemort killed her too. Apparently James' sacrifice did not result in a charm that protected Lily, even though he did it from love for her and Harry.
Why is this? Was something different in the circumstances?
Answer
Actually, I'll make my comment an answer.
According to J.K. Rowling, the difference between James' death and Lily's is that Voldemort always intended to kill James; he gave Lily multiple chances to step aside and let Voldemort kill Harry, and she refused and died protecting Harry. That is what created the protective enchantment between Lily and Harry. Lily chose to die for Harry; James wasn't given a choice.
ES: This is one of my burning questions since the third book - why did Voldemort offer Lily so many chances to live? Would he actually have let her live?
JKR: Mhm.
ES: Why?
JKR: [silence] Can't tell you. But he did offer; you're absolutely right. 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.
INTERVIEW WITH J.K. ROWLING - 07.16.08 - MUGGLENET
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