Did JKR cheat with the prophecy?

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 124863


> Lupinlore: 
> It seems to me that a strong case can be made that JKR has cheated
> rather badly by introducing the prophecy as worded in OOTP.  I 
> don't mean that she has done something immoral or even something 
> uninteresting from a literary point of view.  However, she has 
> tried to emphasize, time and again, the power of personal choice.  
> Then she introduces a prophecy that, by its very nature, so strongly 
> restricts the scope of personal choice as to make it meaningless, or
> nearly so, in some contexts.

a_svirn:

I disagree. LV CHOSE to strike thereby making prophesy real. 

Also.
Wouldn't it a bit too naïve for us to take DD "prophecy speech" at 
its face value? The very fact that we are being given an "ultimate 
explanation" at the end of the Book 5 instead of the Book 7 is a 
warning enough IMHO. Why should we believe that he finally tells 
everything and leaves nothing out now, when we have seen him giving 
out perfectly plausible explanations for his actions which just 
didn't happen to be the real reasons behind them before? Like 
telling McGonagall in the first chapter of the first book that fame 
can be distractive for any boy's character and Harry therefore would 
be far better off with the Muggles. Valid reason, isn't it? And 
McGonagall is as trustworthy and loyal as one can get. Still, he 
clearly does not choose to burden her with too much knowledge. 

As for the "prophecy speech" each of his arguments makes sense in 
itself but when put together they just don't fall into a clear 
picture, which Harry would have seen had he not been so shocked and 
upset at the moment. DD doesn't explain what he was trying to 
achieve during OotP, he doesn't explain the nature of the connection 
between Harry and LV. This is something he doesn't want Harry to 
ponder, and he skilfully distracts him throwing at him the Prophecy. 
And when Harry interprets it – rather simplistically IMHO – that he 
obviously would end up either as a killer or as a victim, DD just 
agrees and does not choose to elaborate. I think it is safe to 
assume, however, that there is more to the prophecy than just simple 
matter of who kills whom. DD however "will have his reasons" to keep 
his guesses to himself. Obviously he succeeded in taking Harry in 
once again but we ought to be more suspicious by now.