Prophecy wording - why not Neville?

[Eustace_Scrubb]

No: HPFGUIDX 128416

Debbie wrote:
> In the quote referred to in #128287, JKR does tell us that 
> Dumbledore "explains" why Voldemort picked Harry.  But my skeptical 
> mind wants to know how Dumbledore knows this before I can treat it 
> as fact.  And a good writer should convey this information in the 
> books themselves.   It's not enough that she tells us elsewhere to 
> believe him.  As it  stands, I think the Book Day statement could
be 
> misdirection; she answered by telling us what a character said in 
> the book. 

Then GEO: 
> > Actually in the words of the writer he is the most omniscient
> > character in the book though I for one would argue that there is a
> > difference in mistakes made by him because of errors in judgement
> > and errors in fact and knowledge. 
> 

Debbie queried:
> Again, can you provide a cite for this?  I don't recall her ever
> saying anything about Dumbledore being omniscient.
> 

And GEO responded:
www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2001/1101-bbcibristoltransc.html

Now Eustace_Scrubb:
Yes but the reply is an aside in a response where JKR is talking about
the frustrations of dealing with journalists, specifically being
labelled as "left wing" and "right wing" on the same day.  She does
refer to Dumbledore as "the most omniscient character" when pointing
to his speech at the end of GOF downplaying "differences of language
and habit" as a sign that she (the author) is not a Euro-sceptic.
She's not directly answering a question about Dumbledore's
omniscience.  

Further, she doesn't say he's omniscient.  She says he's the "most
omniscient" character.  What does that mean?  

It could mean there are multiple omniscient characters in the book and
Dumbledore is the "most omniscient" of them all. (Bit of an oxymoron
there)  But who are the other characters who are omniscient but not
quite as omniscient as Dumbledore?  The centaurs may be candidates,
but frankly they've not shown much evidence of omniscience so far,
just their own belief that they are.  Voldemort?  He has many skills
but omniscience seems not to be one of them.

Or she could mean that he comes closest of all the characters to being
omniscient.  In other words, _nobody_ in the series is omniscient, but
Dumbledore is the "most omniscient."

I don't think this particular quote, when read in context, does much
more for us than the one where she's asked "Does Dumbledore speak for
you?" and she replies "Oh yes, very much so." only to qualify it in
the next sentence:  "Dumbledore often speaks for me."  Not always, but
often.  "When?" is the unanswered followup.

I think it's more likely that Dumbledore often expresses JKR's point
of view on matters than that he always has the same knowledge as the
author.  That's what her invocation of Dumbledore's speech in
connection with Euroscepticism would indicate.

Cheers,

Eustace_Scrubb