The Trelawney Prediction

[aja_1991]

No: HPFGUIDX 58182

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "M.Clifford" 
<valkyrievixen at y...> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
> I posted this comment previously this week. In deep obscurity. 
Which 
> I suppose is the reason it has generated no responses.
> THat is of course assuming that the entire list hasn't decided to 
> never reply to my posts again :P 
> 
> I have noticed that something strange is generally accepted in the 
> theories that I have read. Many are satisfied with the concept that 
> Trelawneys *First True Prediction* was the fall of Voldemort. 
> 
> In contrast I would like to question this complacency among fans. 
> JK has duped me too many times to rest my laurels on that 
simplistic 
> and logical conclusion.
> 
> I would like to hear suggestions from the posting list on what 
> Trelawneys "other" premonition was. 
> 
> I haven't got any theories myself. What I would like to contribute 
is 
> some canon to ponder. 
> Professor Trelawney is not exactly noted for *cheerful* visions. 
> Some may disagree but I do believe that the defeat of the ominous 
> Dark Lord is a little too positive a prediction for Trelawney. 
> Doom and perdition are her watermark so what chance that she could 
> depart so fully from her usual and be the bearer of news that would 
> cause revelling in the streets. 
> 
> Any replies?
> Valky

Me (aja_1991):
I'm game for this!

My assumption - right or wrong - is that whatever Trelawney predicted 
first was what started or accelerated V's targetting of at least 
Harry, and possibly one or both of his parents, to begin with.  
Otherwise, I see no reason to belive he wouldn't simply send a squad 
of DEs to deal with the meddlesome fools... for some reason, he felt 
the need to deal with it personally.  And that's why a prediction 
along the lines of "Harry will defeat Voldemort" in some form works.  
If she says Harry specifically, he's there just for him and he takes 
out James and Lily for trying to stop him.  If she said "the son of a 
Potter" then he's after James and Harry, who are both the sons of a 
Potter.  Add to that an interview in which JKR refuses to reveal what 
the first prediction was, and you have to assume it's critical to the 
plot... like as in it led to Harry being the famous orphan with a 
scar.

Now, perhaps it was somewhat differently worded than a defeat.  
Perhaps it was a vanity thing.  Think of the Disney movie "Snow White 
and the Seven Dwarfs."  The evil queen is told one day that she is 
NOT the most beautiful, and sets out to kill the one who is deemed 
more beautiful.  V hears a prediction that somehow says that Harry 
will grow to become the most powerful wizard ever, more powerful than 
V, more powerful than even the dreaded Dumbledore.  Well, can't have 
competition now, can we?  Best take out this upstart before he can 
figure out how to wave a wand.  And best to do it himself, to show 
who the most powerful really is.

Perhaps the prediction was the Harry would be the key to ending the 
effective use of the Unforgivables, which would certainly limit V's 
ability to control and terrorize the WW.  Not fearing an AK, 
Imperius, or Cruciatus means wizards can more adequately prepare for 
an attack and protect themselves.  Also a strong motivation for V to 
take them out.  Perhaps Lily was the one solving this problem, so 
James and Harry were killed to scare her in to stopping her research, 
or perhaps V wanted to keep Lily, not as a "gift" to a DE, but as 
someone who could show him how to make the Unforgiveables even more 
powerful (an Imperius no one can shake off, for example).

And corny as it may sounds, perhaps the prediction was that Harry 
would lead V away from the Dark Side, thus ending his reign of terror 
by turning him to good.  I somehow doubt Voldemort, at the height of 
his power achieved by use of Dark Arts, would find that end appealing.

Hope this gives some ideas to others!

aja_1991