Voldemort's role in the Prophecy (was: Prophecy wording prophecy wording...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 128061


>>Geoff:
<snip>
>"But he might have chosen wrong!" said Harry. "He might have marked 
the wrong person."
>"He chose the boy he thought /most likely/ to be a danger to him," 
said Dumbledore'
>(OOTP "The Lost Prophecy" p.742 UK edition)
 
>Bearing in mind that Voldemort had not heard the prophecy 
completely (ibid. p.743) it just does cast the shadow of a thought 
that Voldemort did attack and mark the wrong infant which would make 
for fun and games in the future....<

Betsy:
I've always thought, from the wording of the prophecy, that when 
Voldemort made his choice, whomever he chose *became* the One.

"And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal..." (OotP Scholastic, 
hardback p.841)

So there are three requirements to being the One: born to parents 
that had clashed with Voldemort three times; born at the end of the 
seventh month (July, one would presume); and finally, marked by 
Voldemort, himself.  In other words, it's only when Voldemort 
attacked Harry that Harry became the One of the prophecy.  Up until 
that moment, it was an equal toss up between Harry and Neville.

So Voldemort carefully followed rule #130 of the Evil Overlord's 
Handbook:  "I will not order my trusted liuetenant to kill the 
infant who is destined to overthrow me -- I'll do it myself." 
(see http://www.sterlingtwilight.net/evil/handbook.html#realm )

However, it would have been wise for him to wait until he'd heard 
the entire prophecy.  Because if he'd taken no action at all, there 
would have been no prophecy child at all.  (Or he'd have ignored 
rule # 130 and sent in the trusted liuetenant.)

Which of course raises the question: Did Voldemort *realize* that 
he'd only heard part of the the prophecy?  (Voldemort realized 
*later on* that he'd only heard part of it, but did he know he was 
acting on partial intelligence when he first acted?) I can see 
Dumbledore playing like the spy had heard everything.  Dumbledore's 
canny like that.  

Betsy