VA/H=Mx13+RP? Snape's Culpability?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 147315

Steve: 
> We know the one is approaching. We know his or her parents have
> defied Voldemort three times. We know he/she was born in July. 
> Approaching could mean taveling. Defied doesn't mean defeat or
> elude; it simply means to oppose. Yes, born as the seventh month
> dies, but in what year? Does it mean 'will be born' or does it 
> mean 'was born'?

Potioncat:
> I agree with Steve, as stated somewhere upthread: from the first
> part of the prophecy, there is no way to tell it's about a baby.
> The one approaches may mean that an adult wizard is getting closer
> to his attack on LV. It could have meant a grown man with a July
> birthday whose parents had defied LV. LV had been around long
> enough for that.

Jen: We have canon straight from Dumbledore's mouth that Snape knew 
the prophecy referred specifically to a child: "But he did not know--
had no possible way of knowing--which boy Voldemort would hunt from 
then onwards." (Seer Overheard, p. 512, Blooms.)

Maybe Dumbledore is viewing the situation in retrospect, forgetting 
what it was like to hear the prophecy for the first time? <g>

I think the fact that both DD and LV interpreted the prophecy 
independently to refer to an infant was because of the 
identifier "born to those who thrice defied them." 
While "appraoches" is definitely ambiguous, including parents as an 
identifier is meant to narrow the field.  The other prophecy was 
that way too--general to specific, a narrowing down of the meaning. 
Yes, it *could* refer to an adult but why would that particular 
phrase be used? An adult would be known by other things besides his 
parents hopefully, or it's doubtful he's much of a threat!

Steve:
> In the few minute, or at best couple of distracted hours, before
> Snape reached Voldemort, I really don't think he could have worked
> out the interpretation that Voldemort eventually arrived at. The
> truth is, we don't even know if Voldemort got it right. He simply
> decided what it meant, then acted as if his analysis was true
> thereby making it true.

Jen: No he didn't work it out. He didn't know which "child" it would 
be nor did he work out "the parents he [LV] would destroy in his 
murderous quest were people that Professor Snape knew, that they 
were your mother and father--" (ibid) According to Dumbledore, Snape 
worked out the general but not the specific. 

Unless Snape lied to Dumbledore or Dumbledore is attributing more 
knowledge to Snape than he possessed at the time, the meaning is 
pretty clear to me. 

Jen R.