A New Way of Looking at the Prophecy

[entropymail]

No: HPFGUIDX 99593


 "
 and either must die at the hand of the other
for neither can live while the other survives..."


Of course, as many have noticed, these last few lines of the prophecy
make little to no sense whatsoever (grrrr!).  How many hours have we
stared at it with no satisfactory answer? Okay, here's the thought
that I've been knocking about a bit (apologies, as always, if this has
already been thrown out there):

Perhaps the line isn't referring to Harry and Voldemort at all...not
directly, anyway, and not in the way we've been thinking of.  It seems
to me that the prophecy may be referring to the two "factions" that
have been warring inside Harry's mind and spirit for years.  As we
know, there's the true Harry -- the Harry he was born as and meant to
be.  But ever since that fateful night at Godric's Hollow, there's
also been this dark, Voldemort-inspired side of Harry. The
parsel-tongued, searing-scar Harry that yearns to sink his fangs into
Dumbledore's throat.  Though Harry thinks of it as foreign, as
feelings "sent" to him from Voldemort,  it is a side that has been
with him since he was a year old, and has grown in strength and power
as Voldemort has regained his own strength and power. Like it or not,
it is very much a part of him and is battling him daily.

So, perhaps the prophecy is referring to these two sides battling for
control over Harry's mind and spirit...vying over who will, in the
end, control his very life.  Neither of these entities can truly
control Harry while the other remains; till now, they have been two
wills battling for control over one spirit.  But, as we've seen,
neither has been able to fully gain control over Harry...yet.
Ultimately, only one will be able to survive, and the one which
survives can only remove the other by a strength of will (a will
which, I might add, we may have seen a glimpse of when Harry was
beneath the sorting hat, begging not to be put into Slytherin).

And so, back to the prophecy:

...and either (good-Harry-spirit or bad-Voldemort-spirit) must die at
the hand of the other...for neither can live while the other survives.

:: Entropy ::  who like this theory because it means Harry doesn't
have to die *or* murder Voldemort.  Yay!