Prophecy/"Either"

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 110407

>>Kate Harding wrote:
>>
>>Personally I think that in some way there is only 
>>enough life between them for one person....
>>It also makes sense to me in terms of the prophecy. 
>>It said 'Either must die at the hands of the other, 
>>for neither can live while the other survives'....
>>I think the use of 'Either' is very significant - why 
>>not say 'one must die at the hands of the other'?
>
>Becki responded:
>
>I agree that "either" is extremely significant.  If it 
>was worded "one must die at the had of the other", to me 
>that would imply that "the one" in the prophecy is the 
>one to die.  If "either" is used, then it could apply to 
>either person in the prophecy.

Or, as I and others have pointed out, the term "either" could apply to
each of them, as in the phrase "the trees along either side of the
road."  On that reading, the prophecy would mean that Harry and
Voldemort must *each* die at the hand of the other.  

That reading also suggests, although it does not require, a more
metaphorical reading of the term "die."  It could refer to the
elimination or resolution of some sort of duality between Harry and
Voldemort (e.g. love vs. hate) rather than physical death.  Possibly
Voldemort has to cease being Voldemort and Harry has to cease being
Harry, in some sense.  

While I'm not exactly an advocate of the "conjunctive" reading of last
part of the prophecy, I do think it provides an interesting
jumping-off point for many threads of this discussion.

-- Matt