Mechanics of the Pesieve/Lost Prophecy

[gelite67]

No: HPFGUIDX 128162


I know there have been threads discussing whether the prophecy that 
was revealed in OOP is "complete."  Without opening that specific can 
of worms, the issue nonetheless raised a question in my mind 
regarding how DD could have presented an incomplete prophecy to Harry 
using the Pensieve.

Since DD retrieved the prophecy from his memory in the Pensieve, it 
seems to me the only way the prophecy could be incomplete is if:

1) The prophecy was incomplete when uttered by Sybill;
2) DD's memory is faulty (as if!) but the Pensieve truly reflects 
what he remembers; or
3) DD somehow "edited" the memory before retrieving it from the 
Pensieve.

I think the first method is unlikely.  Sybill is a bit loopy, no 
doubt, but when the Inner Eye strikes her, it seems to strike 
completely and involuntarily. 

Nor do I think the second alternative is likely simply because this 
was too important to DD for him to forget part of it.  I'd bet a 
thousand Galleons he went straight to the Pensieve the first chance 
he got so he could "review" the prophecy ad nauseum.

But the third . . . DD seems to follow the same routine as he 
followed before when retrieving memories -- he uses his wand to prod 
the silvery substance.  However, immediately before doing that, he 
also appeared to be siphoning thoughts/memories and placing them in 
the Pensieve.  Could that be a method of editing the memory?

And now that I think about it, thoughts and memories are two very 
different things, but the pensieve apparently holds both? 

Angie (who wishes she had Pensieve just for HP info!)