Predestination (was Re: prophecy/Firenze)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 79223

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "boyd_smythe" 
<boyd.t.smythe at f...> wrote: <some snipping>
> As we've all debated to infinity and beyond, "live" in the prophecy 
> can mean many things. Harry could, for example, allow LV to "live" 
by forsaking his responsibility and simply running away forever--or 
at least until he is found and destroyed. He could give up and die. 
He could choose to walk into the battle already defeated in his own 
heart, and allow LV to finish him off with little fight. These are 
all dangers to which JKR has alluded constantly in books 1-5. Harry 
certainly fought hopelessness for much of book 5, and that looks to 
take center stage in book 6.
> 
Then there is his other option. He could try his best to stop LV from 
> destroying his newfound life, his friends, his classmates, and the 
WW as we know it. Yes, he will know that it may take the supreme 
sacrifice--his life--but he may still choose to do so for the good of 
> everyone who has given him this second life. (Life at the Dursleys 
> being the first.)
> 
> We are all born into the responsibility to try to make a positive 
> contribution in this world; Harry's potential contribution simply 
has 
> larger repercussions than most readers'. IMO that is the belief 
behind JKR's focus on choices.


Jen: It's not that I don't think Harry would choose to defeat LV--he 
is portrayed as a very loyal person who is willing to save others at 
the expense of himself. And LV's destruction also impacts him 
personally, with the deaths of his parents and Sirius. So, Harry does 
have numerous choices and ways that the prophecy could be fulfilled.
 
My question remains, though--why are we so sure the prophecy will be 
fulfilled? In a way, we the readers have been on a journey that 
parallels Harry's life.  We started out with limited information, 
each book adds to our knowledge about Harry and Harry's knowledge 
about his own life.  Now we the readers, and Harry, have the prophecy 
to explain how we and Harry got to this point.  So, the next two 
books could be the fulfillment of the prophecy, with twists and turn 
along the way--no matter, we're sure this is the road we're headed 
down, fulfillment of the prophecy.

I'm just positing that we aren't headed to that conclusion.  I'm not 
saying the prophecy is a red herring, just the series is chock-full 
of examples of falliability, plans going awry, people not acting as 
they should and the like.  

Dumbledore's master plan to assist Harry with fulfilling the prophecy 
has worked so far, but what if ....what if there's a little door over 
to the side, another outcome that could be equally possible.  I'm 
really just saying the prophecy doesn't HAVE to be fulfilled in the 
end. 

Jen