[HPforGrownups] Re: OOP: Neville & The Prophecy...

[Carol Bainbridge]

No: HPFGUIDX 62980

At 04:34 PM 6/24/2003 +0000, you wrote:
>--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "moon_diddy" <jofr18 at y...>
>wrote:
> > I just finished reading the book last night and correct me if I'm
> > wrong but...  Wasn't it said that the only people that can touch
>the
> > prophecy are the people who it is about, and if so, why was
>Neville
> > able to touch it?
>
>sueeeyqbong:
>Not sure about this, but I read it as the only people who could take
>it off the shelf were the subjects of the prophecy - once it was off
>the shelf, it could be touched by anyone. Doesn't make much sense to
>me, but I think that's how it was to be understood. Bit of a clumsy
>device to fit in with the plot, if you ask me.  :-)

I think it did relate in a way to Neville.  Dumbledore said that the 
prophecy could have applied to either Harry or Neville.  At the time the 
prophecy was made, Voldie hadn't yet marked Harry and it was the mark that 
made Harry the subject of the prophecy.  That means that at the time the 
prophecy was made, it could have applied to either Harry or 
Neville.  Rather than a clumsy plot device I see it as raising some rather 
interesting questions about prophecies -- and also some interesting 
questions about Neville's true potential.


Carol Bainbridge
(kaityf at jorsm.com)

http://www.lcag.org