prophecy - defy

[sachmet96]

No: HPFGUIDX 83361

If this has been discussed before could someone direct me to the 
right posts, I searched the archives but couldn't find anything. 
Thanks.

I was thinking about the prophecy (again) and suddenly the word defy 
stood out. I assume the prophecy is talking about Lily, James and 
Voldemort. But this leads to some problems imo.

To defy someone doesn't one need to be in contact/know someone 
personally? English is not my first language, but I wouldn't use
the word defy in context with someone I don't know personally (at
least as it is used here `defied him'). If James and Lily
were the
ones who defied Voldemort wouldn't that mean they had to know him
personally and pretty well too? And if so how/where did they get to 
know him and what reason did they have to know him? And to defy him 
three times, wouldn't that mean they had a lot of contact?

My Oxford dictionary defines `defy' as:

1) openly resist or refuse to obey
To not obey someone wouldn't that mean they had reason/were
expected to obey but didn't do it? What reason would they have to 
obey him in the first place? Or how would they get into a position 
where they were expected to obey? 

2) challenge to do or prove something
How would they get into the position to challenge Voldemort, that 
implies to me that they actively though him out. I don't think
this is the meaning of `defy' used in the prophecy.


Also I always understood it that the defying was done with an action 
(like refusing to do something) and not a fight/duel.

Any comment? Did I understand the meaning of the word `defy'
wrong? 

sachmet96