Help me understand the importance of the prophecy, please

[augustinapeach]

No: HPFGUIDX 82089

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tim Regan" <tim_regan82 at h...> 
wrote:

> My main problem is that it (the prophecy) appears really lame. It 
doesn't tell anybody much that they didn't already know.
 
> Here it is again:
 
> 1) The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord 
approaches . . . 
> 2) born to those who have thrice defied him, 
> 3) born as the seventh month dies . . . and 
> 4) the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but 
> 5) he will have power the Dark Lord knows not . . . and 
> 6) either must die at the hand of the other for 
> 7) neither can live while the other survives . . . 
> 8) the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born 
as the seventh month dies . . .
> 
> There are four main stake-holders involved in the prophecy: the 
> readers, Dumbledore, Harry, and Voldemort, so let's approach the 
> prophecy from the perspective of each of these stake-holders in 
turn.

Ap:

I'll follow your lead and address what I see as the impact for each 
of the stakeholders.

Readers -- "I know that Harry is powerful and is destined for great 
things, after all each book is titled "Harry Potter and the". So (1) 
isn't news."
 
You're right; I pretty much had this prophecy figured out before 
this book.  However, that doesn't lessen the thrill for me.

Dumbledore -- ". . .(2) and(3) give him big clues as to where to 
find his newest and greatest ally. . .(7) would have been real news 
to Dumbledore too, and increases the pressure on him to keep Harry 
alive, to teach him very fast, and to develop a huge network of 
competent witches and wizards of all ages who are supporting Harry."

Again, I agree with you.  Dumbledore now has a weapon in what must 
have been a seemingly hopeless battle against Voldemort.  I'm 
guessing there must have been other efforts to vanquish V, all 
unsuccessful.  The prophecy gives D hope that there can be an 
ultimate victory over V, and so he can now develop a plan to bring 
about that victory.

Harry -- "Now, he must have spotted the fact that Voldemort is 
repeatedly trying to kill him, it's happened 4 times before Book 5, 
so (6) and (7) don't tell him much."

I think the prophecy does tell Harry a lot; in fact, I think it 
alters the course of his life.  Up to this point, he's viewed 
himself as a normal person (more or less!), making career plans, 
having a crush on a girl, etc.  However, after hearing the prophecy, 
he realizes he is "a marked man.  It was just that he had never 
really understood what that meant . . . . it was still very hard to 
believe as he sat here that his life must include, or end in, 
murder." (OOP, p. 856, US)

Finally, Voldemort -- "It's probably lucky Voldemort didn't get the 
orb for he'd have to take it back and demanded a refund!"

This is where I differ.  I think the prophecy has huge implications 
for Voldemort.  For one thing, it tells him who he really has to 
fear -- Harry.  But we are told several times throughout the books 
that Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort has ever feared.  Even 
during the scene in the atrium of the MOM, when he and Harry are 
face to face, Bellatrix is trying to warn Voldemort that Dumbledore 
is in the building (p. 812, US).  Voldemort, in his arrogance, again 
sells Harry short, dismissing him by saying, "You have irked me too 
often, for too long." (p. 813) (This attitude also shows in GOF, 
Chap. 33.) I don't think you would say your mortal enemy has "irked" 
you!  Voldemort is going to kill Harry simply for revenge, not 
realizing Harry's power.  Voldemort seems to think that Harry 
survived the original curse only because his mother died to save him 
and that in the encounters since then, Harry has been simply lucky. 
His attention is focused on Dumbledore, and that's how Dumbledore 
wants it.  As long as he can be a decoy, Harry will have time to 
develop and learn and eventually to have the chance to carry out 
his "mission."  That's why so much effort was put into protecting 
the prophecy. (IMO!)