Prophesies Re: Who calls Voldemort "Lord"

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 149742

Darqali:
> Well, how about it, folks?  What is the nature of Prophecy?  Does it 
> come *from* some person, or just *through* the person?  Does the 
> choice of words {such as "The Dark Lord"} have significance?  Has JKR 
> been *consistant* in her  use of the concept of Prophecy in the HP 
> series?  After all, she tells us Prophecies don't have to come true; 
> that often, when they do, it is because people *believed* what they 
> said, and acted to *make* them true ... yet, we see Sibyll's second 
> Prophecy about LV come true at once .....

Ceridwen:

The last thing I want to do here is sound like a mystic.  I am not out 
for Trelawney's job!  But there's really no other way to talk about 
it.  Here goes!

The way I see the prophecies working in HP, a person who is sensitive 
to vibrations in the... not air, but about as pervasive... picks up on 
these vibrations when they've been set off by outside events.  The 
inner part of the seer then takes over to deliver the prophecy.  Maybe 
the difference between Sybil and Cassandra (wasn't that gggmthr's 
name?) could be that Cassandra allowed her waking mind to actually be 
more aware of these inner workings and so was able to control the 
setting and the audience for her predictions, while Sybil may not feel 
truly gifted and so forces a false personna (the change between her 
misty-voiced false personna and the harsh voice of prophecy) that masks 
the goings-on of her 'inner seer', even, or especially, to herself.

So, when Sybil made the prophecy to Dumbledore, events were beginning 
to dovetail down toward the fulfillment of the prophecy.  If this was 
anywhere from October to January, Lily and Alice would have just become 
pregnant or just have learned or suspected as much; meanwhile, 
Voldemort is, as always, Pinky, 'trying to take over the world'.  The 
two knife-edges slice at angles toward the same point: the end of the 
Dark Lord.  (Think of it as a slice of pie)

Sybil's inner seer must have some control over who it reveals its 
gleaned knowledge.  So, Dumbledore, as one who is powerful and opposed 
to LV, is seen as worthy of hearing that prophecy.  Harry, as the 
prophecy boy and as someone with a vested interest in what is going on, 
is worthy to hear the other.  So, the way I see it, everything depends 
on the sympaties of the seer as to who gets the propecies.

These prophecies do not have to come true.  Choice determines which of 
several threads will come together.  These are just red-flagged threads 
which, if they do intertwine, will be significant.  LV could have 
chosen to scoff at the idea of seers; Peter could have been captured if 
it hadn't been for DADACurse!Lupin forgetting his potion.  As these 
threads did come together, then the propecies came true.

As for calling LV the 'Dark Lord', he *is* a Dark Lord.  At the time, 
he is the only Dark Lord in operation.  It's more of a formal 
designation despite who uses it.  It isn't his name, any more 
than 'God' is the true name of God.  And, there are plenty of Gods, as 
there can be plenty of Dark Lords.  Apologies to sensitive believers, 
btw.

Cassandra was a seer in Greek mythology.  Apollo gave her the gift of 
prophecy.  When she spurned him, he cursed her so that no one would 
believe her predictions.  A Sybil was the priestess/prophet of Apollo 
at the temple at Delphi, and was a designation that has become a name.

The first prophecy was acted on, and so it became true.  That is always 
one possiblity when events are floating out there 'in the ether'.  For 
the second prophecy, the curse was a factor that was floating around, 
as well as Pettigrew's increasing nervousness and anticipation(?).  
These threads did not have to come together, or other threads could 
have gotten into the jumble to warp or prevent the pure course from 
taking place.  But the curse (LV acting on the prophecy again, though 
from distance in time and space this time) was strong enough to prevent 
other threads from tangling things up.  This is a magical world, so we 
have to take magic into account.

Ceridwen.