OoTP Spoilers - Prophecy musings

[lexiss247]

No: HPFGUIDX 62268

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Kaarlo Moran <padawanmage at m...> 
wrote:
> Spoiler space! Hang on to your buttocks!
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> >Okay ... Just wondering if anyone else read the Prophecy the way I 
did ... 
>   
> > Page 741, OotP Australian adult hardcover edition, excerpt as 
follows: "... and either must die at the hand of the other for 
>neither can live while the other survives ..." 
>   
>  >The way I read that was that in order for Voldemort to die, Harry 
must die also. Has anyone else been as deluded as me >into thinking 
this? Or am I just completely off my rocker? 


You know, I wondered about the prophecy as well, because it seemed
too obvious, too pointless. But JKR often writes in a way that makes 
us *assume* things, which often turn out to be completely wrong. And 
the obvious interpretation of "...and either must die at the hand of 
the other for neither can live while the other survives..." is that
either Harry has to kill Voldemort to survive, or vice versa. But this 
is a "duh" point-- something we've known since the first book.   

I think this point has been discussed before, but is it possible that 
"the other" mentioned in that line of the prophecy doesn't refer to 
either Harry or Voldemort but Neville Longbottom? If it does, a 
possible interpretaion is that "Either must die at the hand of the 
other" refers to Neville and Harry, and one must kill the other so 
that the survivor can vanquish Voldemort. According to the second
half of that line, it would mean that if one did NOT kill the other, 
then they would BOTH die, because "neither can live while the other 
survives"...but since Harry was the one who was "marked", it would 
mean that HE would have to vanquish Voldemort, and so he would have
to kill Neville first. 

Horrible thought, I know, but it would sure be keeping up with the 
tone of OotP, at least. 

And I don't think that Sirius' death is as pointless as it seems 
either. I can't believe that JKR would kill off such a beloved 
character in such a meaningless way. I think Sirius will play a 
crucial part in future books, even though I don't believe we'll see 
him *alive* again (sorry guys)...somehow, his death will be an 
important point in the plot. Otherwise, JKR is just a heartless 
bi--oh, sorry. 

"Lexiss"