Yet another prophecy question

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 130850

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Karen Barker" 
<karenabarker at y...> wrote:
> This has been puzzling me for some time.  As I understand it, the 
> whole point of everything DD did in OotP was to keep LV from
> learning the remainder of the prophecy.  

Jen: As an aside, the prophecy was also bait to lure the DE's and/or 
preferably Voldemort to the MOM and thus out in the open. Standing 
guard by the prophecy room allowed Order members to alert 
authorities the minute DE's or Voldemort entered the area. (Credit 
to MAGIC DISHWASHER theorists here, I believe).

That doesn't answer the question of which Order member was supposed 
to be on guard the night Harry & Co. went to the MOM. I suppose that 
Order member was attacked and removed by the DE's prior to Harry's 
arrival. But we don't find out who it was in OOTP. Hmmm.


Karen:
> After the battle in the MoM, LV knows that the prophecy has 
> smashed and the contents are lost.  DD knows that Harry has not
> got far with Occlumancy and that LV is aware of the connection so
> can access Harry's mind.  Why then does DD immediately tell Harry
> the contents of the prophecy?  Now LV can get it from Harry's 
> mind.  If it was so important that LV didn't find out then why not
> continue the "Oh dear the prophecy is smashed" line.  

Jen: I read this part to mean Dumbledore feels Harry is safe from 
Voldemort's intrusions now. Perhaps he supects LV will no longer try 
to invade Harry's mind again after discovering Harry is 'full of the 
force he detests'. DD did say that in the end 'it mattered not that 
you could not close your mind' which could very well spell the end 
of Occlumency. (all quotes US, chap. 37, p. 844)

OTOH, Harry could be safe only for awhile. Dumbledore may suspect LV 
won't try to invade Harry again immediately because he paid a high 
price for it and weakened himself, at least temporarily. If that's 
the case, DD takes the opportunity to tell Harry 'everything' 
feeling the benefit outweighs the risk. Dumbledore certainly learned 
keeping Harry in the dark was *not* a good idea.

Karen:
> If it's suddenly not really that important that LV could access it
> from Harry, why did DD have to stay away from Harry all year,
> leave him stewing in ignorance all summer and allow a situation to
> develop that ended up in the loss of one of the most important
> people in Harry's world?

Jen: It wasn't only the prophecy Dumbeldore was trying to protect 
from Voldemort. He was also trying to protect members of the Order, 
Hogwarts teachers, Order secrets, etc. Anything Harry had access to 
could be retrieved by Voldemort. I suspect in Dumbledore's mind, it 
was only a matter of time before Voldemort heard the contents of the 
prophecy. They stalled as long as they could, but it probably wasn't 
the most *significant* Order secret Dumbledore was hiding from 
Voldemort.