That damn Prophecy - an alternative take

[B Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 75035

I  think that this interpretation is  new. If anyone has already 
offered it, I  apologise - I can't keep up with all the postings.

Just about everyone else has had a crack at this Prophecy-  usually 
ending up  in syntactical contortions that leave them looking up their 
own fundaments. Now it's my turn to expose myself to the merciless gaze 
of the site sceptics.

OK.  A bit of thought before tackling the Prophecy itself.

1. For successful analysis we must accept that the Prophecy is complete 
and accurate. Otherwise, forget it - we're reduced to guesswork.

2. Any analysis must fit the existing plot-line as we know it. Past as 
well as present and  hints for the future too. No extra bits of wishful 
thinking to force it to fill in any gaps. Strict canon only.

3. It must explain Dumbledores' certainty that Harry is indeed the one 
to  fight Voldemort, without any reservations.

Right. The Prophecy:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to 
those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and 
the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have a  power the 
Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for 
neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to 
vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...

Most can be taken as straight-forward; "born as the seventh month" etc. 
The bit that has caused all the difficulty is "but he will have a power 
the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other 
for neither can live while the other survives.."

Trying to sort out the 'either, neither, other' is the key. Now, the 
assumption has been that this passage refers to Harry and Voldemort 
*only*. Why should it? Two other people have already been referred to 
in the Prophecy, why not again?

"born to those" refers to the Potters or the Longbottoms, according to 
the birthdates of Harry and Neville. Now insert some names, fitting the 
existing canon, into that bit of the Prophecy.

"but he will have a power Voldemort  knows not, and either Harry or 
Voldemort must die at the hand of the other for neither James nor Lily  
can live while Harry survives".

The power we know about, it's been mentioned before, parental love plus 
the power of family that also protects Harry at the Dursleys. DD has 
also told us that Voldemort does not know or understand it.

So, Harry is born at the right time, to the right parents, who die 
passing on to him a power unknown to Voldemort that enables Harry to 
live and he is marked in the process. Strictly canon. Nothing missing, 
nothing extra.

Neville can now be eliminated as Voldemorts nemesis, his parents were 
damaged but survived. Hence Dumbledores' certainty. The intriguing bit 
is that which has not yet happened. There is no  certainty that Harry 
will win.

Comments please!

Kneasy