[HPforGrownups] "Neither can Live"

[Marugg]

No: HPFGUIDX 73400

Dan wrote:

<What came to mind was the "neither can live while the <other survives" bit... Ermmm... aren't they both <living while the other survives? If it was "neither <can die," then okey-dokey, I'd get that. It'd be <saying that they'd both have to die for the world to <be rid of Voldemort... but... it doesn't. So what is <this phrase saying?

Now me ( Mariana):

Well, I was thinking the same thing. As I understand the prophecy, none of them can be alive while the other is; but right now, they are both alive, aren't they??.
At first, I thought my problems understanding the prophecy were a consequence of me not being a native English speaker, I got really confused with that " neither" "either" part. But now I see some of us are having the same problems.

There are 3 things that have been bothering me:
1)-  They are both alive NOW, how is it possible?? Quoting:  " Neither can live while the other survives".  And anyway, didn't it say somewhere in GoF ( in the Graveyard chapter) that Voldemort has protected himself against death?? Maybe it has something to do with Dumbledore's famous glimpse ( which I must say I was dying to know what was that all about, perhaps in the next book?)

2) Does the prophecy have an exact date?? I mean, will these "neither, either" affair happen at a certain time? Because, Harry has defeated Voldemort 4 times now, and it looks to me that each of those times should have been the one when the "killing each other" was bound to happen. In those occasions, they both survived, which doesn't look much possible according to the prophecy.

3) I have something to confess, the prophecy sounded quite predictable to me. I was expecting something much darker and improbable. You know, I thought I would feel the same way I did when in PoA we discovered who Sirius really was ( by the way, it took me 2 weeks to put the courage together to reread OoP, I was just so sad and angry about Sirius death).
I am still hoping there is something more hidden in the prophecy because it sounded quite empty. Especially, and I'm paraphrasing here, when Dumbledore said to Harry that this "revelation" was going to be the biggest burden of all; IMO, it didn't sound that tragic. After all, Harry was willing to sacrifice his own life back in the Ministry Hall, why wouldn't he do it all over again.?

Well, that's it, just my very very confused thoughts, I know.

Cheers, Mariana.







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