Anti Neville being "The One"

[amoryblaine1980]

No: HPFGUIDX 73175

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ellejir" <eberte at v...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Hickengruendler" wrote:
> > 
> > I must admit, I would be more convinced that Harry is "the one", if 
> > the second part of the prophecy didn't exist. If there were the 
> > obvious choice between Harry and Neville I would guess that Harry 
> is 
> > the "Prophecy boy", and that Neville was just mentioned as a red 
> > herring. But now Neville was mentioned and then ruled out only 
> > moments later. That makes me a bit suspicious. Why mention him at 
> > all, if it isn't somehow important?
> > 
> Me:
> Another bit of evidence that Harry is indeed "the One" referred to in 
> the prophesy is the fact that Harry is able to pick up the prophesy 
> without going mad (as Bode did).  That said, I do agree that it was 
> fishy bringing up Neville and dismissing him like that.  I'd be 
> surprised if there is not some future twist relating to this issue.
> 
> Elle (looking around to be sure that the vehement *anti-Neville-as-
> The-One-Brigade* are not waiting to attack her with a board to the 
> back of her head)

A major theme that JKR threads throughout the series is the importance
of choice and the consequences of our choices. JKR is a very
philosophically savvy. In the guise of children literature she weaves
many postermodern ideas. How arbitrary is the choice of Harry?
Voldemort choose his enemy based on himself. I believe it was Kurt
Vonnegut who said (paraphrased), I am the result of a series of
accident as are we all. Harry could have easily been in Slytherin, but
he chose not to be.  Voldemort could have easily chosen Neville but he
chose Harry. And does that add even more absurdity and angst, when you
know that your entire life could have been different, happier, had it
been one choice different? The bumbling Neville could have easily been
cast in the lime-light, and would he then have done as well as Harry?
Was the greatness in Harry a result of Voldemort's selection or is it
something in Harry? Are we who were are because of our individual
choices or because of our circumstances?

amoryblaine1980