Trelawny's Prophecy was Re: Did James and Lily know about the prophecy?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 86771

> LauraW:
> 
> I don't think even Professor Trelawny knows about the 
> prophecies.  When she made the second prophecy to Harry,
> he tried to ask her about it and she maintained that she
> had just dozed off and wouldn't say such an outlandish
> thing.   She is probably as clueless about them as anyone.

Carol:
I think you're right. The prophecies come to her but she doesn't know
it. She becomes clairvoyant, a receptacle for the prophecy, which is
delivered through her, not by her. It reminds me of Plato's Ion, who
delivered "inspired" orations that he claimed, IIRC, were messages
from the gods. I don't know where Trelawney's predictions come from,
but they're not from her own mind and they're not even in her own
voice. It's as if she's possessed, but by whom or what, I don't know.
(I also don't understand how copies of the prophecy can be captured in
crystal to be kept in the DoM or whether new copies can be made of the
ones that were destroyed.)

> 
> I think Dumbledore keeps her around not because she might
> tell others about the prophecy, but rather because, who
> knows, there might actually be a third one forthcoming.
> And besides, he is kind even to incompetents.

Carol:
I think he believes that she rendered him and Harry, maybe the entire
WW, a very valuable service with her first real prophecy and rewarded
her by giving her the teaching job she was applying for even though
she clearly had no talent. After the second real prophecy, he jokes
about giving her a raise. When Umbridge fires her, he allows her to
remain in Hogwarts, which is her only home, a very kind act that I
hope will be rewarded by a third prophecy.
> 
> Which brings me to another observation:   it is almost
> unkind that Argus Filch is the caretaker of Hogwarts.
> When most wizards can clean up muddy footprints with a
> simple wave of a wand, poor Filch has to spend hours
> scrubbing.   Why is it that Dumbledore has him in this
> job?   Wouldn't he be better off as an accountant?

Carol:
Even though Squibs can occasionally pass as Muggles (the Weasley's
accountant cousin and Mrs. Figg), I can't imagine Filch being part of
that world. He speaks to cats and can see Hogwarts; he's a wizard in
all but the crucial matter of being able to do magic. He makes up for
his frustration by being as mean as possible to the wizard children,
even wishing he could torture them into following his lists of rules.
I personally think he is where he wants to be, doing what he wants to
do. And it's probably a lot safer to have someone like him scrubbing
floors at Hogwarts than running around doing dirty work for the Death
Eaters. I wonder if that's the life Dumbledore rescued him from.

Carol