What does she mean by "vanquish"?

[paulamore]

No: HPFGUIDX 70166

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Florentine Maier" <florentinemaier at h...> wrote:
> Hi together,
> 
> I've been trying to analyze the prophecy for a few days, and I've 
> already come up with an interpretation (see post #69857), but I'm 
> still not conviced of it 100% myself.
>    Since I'm not a native speaker, I don't have the feel for the 
> language to know if what I'm thinking is actually possible.
> 
> I'm wondering if the verb "vanquish" can be used with a noun clause...
> Like:
> "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches..."
> meaning:
> "The one with the power to vanquish (meaning prevent) THAT the Dark 
> Lord approaches"
> Or:

Not really.  It would have to be a gerundial clause, and then you would need a new main verb.  If ST had said, "I see the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approach*ing*, then you could be right, since approaching could refer either to "one" or "Lord." 

More to the point, the word vanquish means to conquer or destroy, and would not normally be used to denote the conquest of an action, but an object.  It's most often used to speak of vanquishing an army or some kind of force.

So as much as I appreciate the sentiment of the theory, I'm afraid it's kill or be killed after all.

What I'd like to see is HP saying Forget the prophecy and trying to find some way not to have to kill LV.  At the very least, LV can agree to a peace, use some kind of treachery to put HP's life in danger, and HP can kill him in self-defence.