Why were the sacrifices different? (was: A moral theory of Magic )

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 95397

> Carol:
> If it helps any, a Prophecy has to be ambiguous so that it can be
> fulfilled in various ways and still be true, at the same time 
allowing
> for the element of choice or free will. As I see it, Harry was not
> born with any more power than any other wizard child; he was merely
> one of two possible candidates who could fulfill the Prophecy. He 
was
> "destined" to be the one who could defeat Voldemort only *after*
> Voldemort *chose* him (and transferred some of his powers to him,
> thanks to the backfired AK, which also temporarily rendered 
Voldemort
> powerless). 

Jen: Where's Harry's free choice in this matter? Does it really 
matter if he was born with the power or LV chooses him? Either way 
there's certain ring of predestination that Harry has no control 
over. As he grows up and faces the reality of the situation, that's 
when Harry is able to make choices about his role in the Prophecy. 
While I totally agree with you that a Prophecy has an element of 
choice involved, I don't see how LV choosing Harry gives Harry any 
more free will than if he was born with a special power.

Carol:
> Thanks to their choices (rather than any power or ability that he 
was
> born with), Harry is now unquestionably the "one with the power to
> defeat him" (Voldemort).

Jen: "Thanks to their choices...." Again, I don't see any more free-
will inherent in this statement (except for LV & Lily) than if Harry 
possesses a power at birth that he has to choose to use or not use 
in his fight with LV.

Carol: 
> If the Prophecy said straight out, "Harry Potter will destroy
> Voldemort," there would be no mystery, no suspense, and no free 
will,
> only predestination, which I don't think is what JKR intends.
> Otherwise the emphasis that she and Dumbledore place on choice, 
and on
> doing what is right rather than what is easy (think of poor Lily
> here), would be meaningless. 

Jen: But the Prophecy doesn't say that or even hint at that. It 
says, "The One With The Power To Vanquish The Dark Lord 
Approaches.." Even if Harry is born with this power, it is still 
entirely up to him what he chooses to do with the power when he 
reaches the point where he has all the information in hand (as in 
now). 

Harry is *not* predestined to destroy Voldemort. Being born with an 
ability or power does not mean your choices end there. IF a certain 
set of circumstances take place, IF the enviroment sets the stage,IF 
certain people do certain things, the Prophecy will be fulfilled. 
It's like a genetic predisposition, not a genetic certainty.

Carol:
There must be ambiguity in the Prophecy,
> there must be the possibility of failure and misreading, or Harry's
> destiny would be no more than walking through a predetermined role,
> and he (and Voldemort) would be nothing more than chess pieces or
> puppets whose choices were illusions.

Jen: And there is ambiguity, possibility of failure and misreading 
in either of our interpretations. Obviously JKR isn't going the 
route of predestination here; we know Harry has difficult choices to 
make. And I believe Dumbeldore's main goal was to keep him alive 
until he *could* make those choices to the best of his ability, as 
LV and Lily were allowed to make in their time. Harry is making 
tough choices regardless of whether he was born with a power or 
became powerful as a result of LV's & Lily's choices.