JKR ITN interview , July 16 2005. Some excerpts and questions.

[esmith222002]

No: HPFGUIDX 144832


> Alla:

> 
> "Scott Ballard for the Bookseller - will the Lord Voldemort ever 
> found out what the Prophecy fully said?
> 
> JK Rowling : That is one of those very good questions that I don't 
> think I can answer. I am sorry, that is always very frustrating, 
but 
> the most penetrating questions generally I cannot answer because 
> they could give a lot away, so I would I am not going to answer 
> that. Sorry."
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Now THAT is confusing to me. Why Voldemort finding out about whole 
> prophecy would be significant? What obvious thing am I missing? I 
> mean, besides finding out that either he or Harry has to die?
> 
> I see him finding out during the final confrontation and being very 
> surprised or something like that, but why else it could be 
> significant?
> 

Brothergib writes;
Some time ago, I posted a theory entitled 'Incomplete Prophecy'. 
Basically, it compared the prophecy we had heard first hand between 
Harry and Trelawney, and the prophecy DD had relayed to Harry. The 
first was a completely constructed sentence. If the second prophecy, 
as we heard it, is complete then (1) it has a very different 
structure from the first and (2) it contains truly atrocious English. 
Considering JKR's previous job as a teacher, I find the second point 
unlikely. 

IMO, this suggests that DD only let Harry hear certain snippets of 
the whole prophecy, and that actually the full prophecy provides a 
huge clue as to how everything will work out. As you said Alla, if it 
is a complete prophecy, then Voldemort gains no extra advantage from 
hearing the prophecy in full!!

Brothergib