The Prophecy, the End, & The Trinity

[linlou43]

No: HPFGUIDX 69632



> bboy_mn:
> Excellent analysis, and very convincing.
> The one part of the prophecy that has eaten away at me since I 
first
> read it, is this line-
> 
> " ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can 
> live while the other survives... "
> 
> Specifically, the use of the word 'either'. Why would an 
accomplished
> write like JKR use such awkward phrasing unless she was 
intentionally
>  hiding something in that phrasing.
> 
> Why not -
> 
> 'And ONE must die at the hand of the other for neither can live 
while
> the other survives..."
> 
> or -
> 
> 'And ONE WILL die at the hand of the other...'
> 
> 
> I think the 'niether' can very easily fit with LinLou's 
speculation.
> 'Neither' could just as easily refer to Voldemort's dual 
personality;
> Riddle and Voldemort, as it could to Harry and Voldemort. 
> 
> But no matter how I try to restructure it or how I shift my
> perspective, I can make no sense of the use of the word 'either'. 
> 
> The whole key to understanding the prophecy is in that one 
awkwardly
> worded line. Note it begins with the word 'AND'. That implies to me
> that a new statement is being made. The first few lines foretell 
the
> birth of Harry (and/or Neville). ThT one line that begins 
with "...And
> either must die..." is the true prophecy, then the last line is 
merely
> a repeat of the birth of Harry/Neville. 
> 
> LinLou has made some sense of the last half of that statement, but 
I'm
> still stumped by the first half. It's pretty rare that I can't
> fanasize some explanation for any plot dilemma I encounter, but 
this
> one has me completely block. Whatever it is, it's the key to
> understanding it all.
> 
> Perhaps the 'either' ties to back LinLou's statement. In a sense, 
we
> have a connected trinity; Harry->Voldemort->Riddle and from Riddle
> back to Harry again, and it is not 'one of the two must die, but 
one
> of the three must die'. Some branch of that trinity must parish, or
> all three will be tormented for the extremely long length of their
> earthly lives. In a sense, as long as three exist, they have a
> deadlock, there can be no resolution until the triangle is broken. 
> 
> Another thought, in this triangle, each person plays a role-
> Harry = good
> Voldemort = evil
> Riddle = torn between good and evil
> 
> I believe that, I'm just not sure I understand it.
> 
> I've never been so haunted by a single word.


 First of all Thank you.

 Your comments gave me a possibility out of this dilema. What if the 
*either* refers to Voldemort/Tom Riddle? What if the final battle is 
not between Harry and the Dark Lord but between the two natures of 
V/R? Would this bring the rest of the prophecy into focus? I think 
this could work! 
   
    -linlou, who is getting WAY too excited about figuring this out