Prophecy # 1: Wait A Second

[spotsgal]

No: HPFGUIDX 136195

> ME (CINDY):
> This really got my attention too!  I could not understand how they 
> could be interrupted mid-prophecy, and then continue on after a 
> commotion like that.  This has me very confused.  If Snape did hear 
> the entire prophecy, and at that time he was working for Voldemort, 
> then Voldemort would know the whole prophecy - which of course he 
> doesn't as was proven in OoP.

Christina:

I was confused too, but there's actually (what I believe to be) a
decent explanation for it.  I posted it back in message #134711, but,
keeping in mind the fact that this list generates a mind-boggling
amount of email, here's the basic jist:

When the door flew open, the barkeep was already engaged in a
conversation with Snape.  The timeline makes sense if you figure Snape
hears the first few lines of the prophecy, and then the barkeep spots
him lurking at the door and says something to the effect of, "Hey,
you!  What do you think you're doing?"  Snape was already starting to
make excuses and the conversation must have become quite heated for
the door to burst open like it did.  Trelawney says there was a
"commotion" in the hallway, and Snape was "waffling" (ie, speaking
evasively) when the door opened, so I would think that Snape and the
barkeep would have had to be talking for a minute or two between the
time Snape was noticed (and therefore would have stopped listening to
Trelawney) and the time the door actually opened.  This would have
given Trelawney enough time to finish out the prophecy.  I always
thought it was strange that the prophecy is given in full and then the
first line is repeated.  This would explain that, by saying that the
prophecy might have repeated itself had the door not burst open, or by
saying that the prophecy wasn't complete to begin with and the door
snapped Trelawney out of her "trance."

I hope that's clear.  I'm pretty sleep-deprived at the moment :)

> Cindy:
> Also, did Trelawney know Snape?  How could she remember it was
Snape 
> who barged in?

Christina:

Good point.  I don't think it's clear as to whether Trelawney knew
Snape and recognized him when he walked in (and knew he was looking
for a job *at that time*), or formally met Snape later (and later
found out that he had been looking for a job) and filled in her
memory.  That's a really interesting question, though.  Perhaps they
knew each other from their Hogwarts days?  I don't think they'd be
more than a few years apart in age.  Come to think of it, we really
don't know very much about Trelawney's past at all, which I suppose
probably isn't too relevant, but would be interesting nonetheless.


Christina