A fate worse than death

[kibakianakaya]

No: HPFGUIDX 152922

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
<gbannister10 at ...> wrote:

<SNIP> 
> To me, this would seem to be something worse than death,
> 
> On the subject of the prophecy - yet again!
> 
> I do not think that one of the two dying is absolutely 
> necessary because the prophecy - like the Delphic utterances - is 
> vague.
> 
> The phrase over which so much bandwidth has been used in the last 
> couple of years or so says...
> "...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can 
> live while
> the other survives..."
> 
> but...
> 
> What are Voldemort and Harry both doing at the moment and have 
been 
> since Sybill said her piece some fifteen years before?
> 
> Both are alive and surviving.
> 
> So. What will cause the prophecy to become true? At the moment it 
hasn't 
> been fuflilled and its requirements are being shown to be wrong 
day by day. 
> Is it referring to some unspecified future date?
> 
> Something akin to Morgoth's fate overtaking Voldemort would get 
Harry off 
> the hook of becoming a murderer. Short of this, there must be 
fates worse 
> than death which could rise up to frighten Voldemort - a 
Dementor's kiss
> maybe? Or would there be spells a strong as those surrounding 
Morgoth 
> to keep Tom well and truly under wraps for good?
>

Lilygale here:
The word "live" has connotations of living life to its fullest.  For 
example, we say "she is living it up" or "he's really living" to 
imply fun, fulfillment, positive aspects of life that go beyond mere 
existance.  These added meanings make sense in the context of the 
prophecy.  

I think that Jo may have had something like this in mind when she 
wrote the prophecy.  "For neither can - 'find their full potential, 
lead a fulfilling, satisfying, whole existance' while the other 
survives.  

>From Harry's point of view, his entire existance has been shaped 
around the threat from LV.  What are Harry's true desires?  What 
would really make him happy, content, whole?  What would allow him 
to fulfill his great potential as a truly good and pure human 
being?  Whatever the answer to these questions, Harry will not be 
able to find out until LV is vanquished, i.e. out of his life for 
good.  

Lilygale, who finds herself disappointed that the last book may come 
out next year because this speculation is just so much fun.