The Prohecy / Dumbledore, Hermione

[mryburge]

No: HPFGUIDX 126048


> mhbobbin writes:
> DD's story is that he was willing to meet Sybil out of respect 
> for her grandmother Cassandra Trelawney, who was a famous seer. 
> He indicates he had low expectations for the mtg. I'm willing to 
> accept that there was no more to his rationale for meeting her 
> than he has told us (although he so often holds something back) 
> <snip>. DD's willingness to meet with this seer immediately gives
> the seer some credibility, whether or not deserved. The surprise
> prophecy would be of interest to Voldemort simply because it was 
> made to DD. That it was made in a trance probably enhanced its 
> credibility.
> 
> I'm not so sure that Trelawney is a fraud. She seems to be more 
> right than not in what she sees, although not in divining the 
> meaning. <snip>


I am not sure that the prophecy meant that much to Dumbledore until 
Voldemort acted in such as way so as to make the prophecy "true" as 
to Harry.  (E.g., although D. warned James and Lily into hiding, it 
doesn't seem like the prophecy was the reason - because he didn't 
warn the Longbottoms either, when the prophecy could just as easily, 
AT THE TIME, have been about Neville.) Although once it came to 
pass, he became a "believer."  

Contrast Dumbledore with Hermione, however.  She adamantly refuses 
to consider Trelawney as anything other than a fraud.  And she may 
be right - consider that the prophecy was nothing more than a 
guess/prediction until it was acted upon.  It was only LV's 
voluntary act that made the prophecy "true" as to Harry, 
and "untrue" as to Neville.  I think level-headed, Muggle-born 
Hermione knows that no prophecy is written in stone, and that 
choice, action, free will, etc. all work to affect outcome.  She, 
who loves "magic" more than anyone in the series, refuses to 
acknowledge divination as magical at all, and remains the one who 
refuses to be blinded/impressed/overwhelmed by the prophecy.  In 
other words, she seems to be the only one at this point who believes 
that the outcome can be changed.  And if the outcome of the prophecy 
can be changed, then what is its real value?  Hence, perhaps, 
Hermione's disdain?  

MaryB