Replay - Prophecy

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 85201

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "blueangelcvhp" 
> 
> I've never really understood why getting the prophecy was so 
> important to Voldemort. From the beginning he's been trying to kill 
> Harry so why was it so important to get the prophecy?It didn't 
> really tell us anything new or anything that would help Voldemort 
> defeat/kill Harry. It just seems that he spent the whole book trying 
> to get the thing for no real reason. It was a brilliant book and I 
> was thrilled with it the whole way through but I found the prophecy 
> a bit of a let down. Especially without knowing how or why the 
> Potter defied Voldemort or why he chose Harry not Neville.
>
> blueangelcvhp


bboy_mn:

What's the point of opening a Christmas or Birthday present when it
just turns out to be a bad shirt or a bad tie? The point is, you don't
know what's inside until you open it.

The same principle applies to the prophecy, Voldemort wants it BECAUSE
he doesn't know what it says. He is hoping it will reveal some
weakness or some loophole by which he can gain some advantage over Harry. 

And it does contain some valuable, or at least significant,
information, it could be interpreted to imply that Harry and only
Harry can defeat him. It could be interpreted to imply, that Harry and
Voldemort are pretty much invincible to everyone but each other.

Although, for the most part ,none of that matters in OoP, because
Voldemort has no way of know if the prophecy will or will not be
usefull until he finds out what it says. During the last book, he is
trying to stay in hiding while he searches for some way to gain an
advantage. 

Now that his cover is blown, he has no reason to keep a low profile.
Now he can pillage and plunder at will. The more he terrorized the
wizard world, the more ineffective they will become at fighting him.
Only those who remain calm and clear headed will have a chance of
resisting him; Dumbledore=Yes, Ministry=No.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn