Prophecy and Choice - Ray Bradbury's, THE ILLUSTRATED MAN.

[imamommy at sbcglobal.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 97113

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, danielle dassero <drdara at y...>
wrote:
> If you have ever watch the mini series TAKEN, they use
> the same example, the half alien kid shows the guiy
> how he dies. The guy's oldest kid browbeats him into a
> stroke. AFter the guy watches that he ignore his
> oldest son. And when the son watches his dad dies he
> guessed that's what his dad saw and it came true. Now
> if the dad had been a good loving father to his oldest
> son he probably wouldn't have died that way. But he
> knew the future and in trying to prevent it it came
> true. That's why knowing teh future is never a good
> idea.
> Danielle
>
imamommy:  

But Harry, and Voldemort, and the rest of us, don't know the future. 
It's actually a pretty cryptic prophecy.  Could've been Harry *or*
Neville that Voldy marked as an equal, and it could be Harry or Voldy
that "lives" at the end.  The only thing the prophecy tells us for
sure is that the one that was marked (Harry) is the "one with the
power to vanquish the Dark Lord".  IMO, the knowledge that he has the
ability to do this may be a great source of strength to Harry as he
ponders the prophecy.  

Also,if a prophecy is a statement of what will come to pass because of
the choices that will be made, that includes *all* of the choices that
will bring that thing to come to pass.  In Danielle's example, for
instance, the half-alien kid makes a choice to share that information
with the man, not realizing that divulging it will set in motion a
chain of events that will result in exactly that outcome.  Wherever
the kid gets his information from, that source takes into account
*his* choice as well.  

To take away a person's free agency is a terrible crime, in real life
as well as Potterverse, as shown by the reaction the WW has to the
Imperious Curse.  Forcing someone's will is a bad, bad thing.  I don't
believe the prophecies do that.  I think they are independent of those
choices.  They simply state what will happen because of choices that
will be made.

Another thing to consider that is important to the story is that DD
trusts the prophecy.  Enough to keep that ol' bat Trelawney on the
payroll for the last sixteen years.  Enough to share it with Harry. 
DD seems to think the information is accurate and important.  And if
we can't trust DD, who can we trust?

imamommy