Prophecy and Choice - DD's choices

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 97128

Danielle said :
> > 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.

imamommy replied :  
> 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,

Del answers :
We do know the future of that part of the Prophecy, and I was 
arguing that the fact that it happened the way it did *because LV 
believed the Prophecy* doesn't mean it was the only way it could 
happen.

imamommy wrote :
> 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.

Del replies :
I agree. But I'm not sure everyone else does. There are many, both 
on this list and in the WW, who want to force Harry to do certain 
things because of what the Prophecy says. For example, saying that 
Harry *has* to train to become a warrior is denying him his free 
agency to choose as he wants. And for DD to manipulate Harry because 
he was the Prophecy child was also wrong.

imamommy wrote : 
> 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?

Del replies :
I don't trust DD precisely because he believed in the Prophecy, took 
decisions *for others* based on it, but never gave those others a 
chance to make their own decisions. Maybe he told Petunia about it, 
but she's the only one who was lucky then. Nobody else was told 
about it, and still they were bossed around by DD because of it ! 
Harry in particular, was manipulated all those years because he was 
the Prophecy boy, but he was never given a chance to make his own 
decisions. DD took away everyone's free agency concerning the 
Prophecy. But then of course, that very choice of DD was *also* 
taken into account by those Higher Forces who gave the Prophecy to 
Prof. Trelawney in the first place :-)

Del, who's also a mommy btw ;-)