prophecies and choice

[huntergreen_3]

No: HPFGUIDX 108586

Meltay wrote:
>>In order for a prophecy to come true, first someone
must "choose" to believe it, as Voldemort did. Then he "chose" who
would be the "marked" one (this is where I believe it can't possibly
be Neville, it would go against choice). A prophecy is based on
predicting what choices people will make (which is often easy) not
fate.<<

HunterGreen:
That is a matter of opinion. Yes, Voldemort chose to believe it, and 
thus it came true, (in order words, was a self-fulfilling prophecy), 
but what about the other one at the end of PoA. No one hears that 
from Harry, and we know at least half of it has come true (whoever 
the 'servant' was, Wormtail or Barty Jr., they did break free, and it 
had noting to do with them hearing a prophecy about it). If it was 
referring to Wormtail, then there are a lot of cirmcumstances and 
human choices that occured that allowed him to escape.

IMO, there's no point to a prophecy if its not *actually* seeing into 
the future (and the future may be determined by someone reacting to 
the prophecy, but the future is the future). Anyone with a good read 
on people can predict what choices someone might make, that wouldn't 
be 'prediciting' the future, but making an educated guess. 
(I don't want to get into the argument about the 'mark' again so if 
you don't think that Harry's scar is the 'mark' in the prophecy, just 
disregard the rest of my messege) For example, anyone could have made 
a prediction (knowing that both Alice and Lily were pregnant) that 
one of their kids would have the 'power' to defeat Voldemort, and 
thus cause Voldemort to go after one of the kids, but how would they 
know that one of them would end up with a 'mark' on their forehead 
from Voldemort? She knew because she *saw* it, she was seeing into 
the future, and in the future because of her prophecy, Voldemort 
would go after Harry and 'mark' him on the forehead.