Voldermort learning the prophecy?

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 165203

Jen:
> So...what's up for the prophecy in DH?
> 
> I was a little surprised when Voldemort gave up on figuring it out 
> in HBP.  Given Voldemort's obsessive nature and utter belief in the 
> prophecy, I'm guessing he will seek it out again in the belief 
> there's something about why Harry thwarts him at every turn.  At 
> least I think that's what JKR is going for, that even though Harry 
> continues to escape Voldemort by love LV underestimates that power 
> and therefore will continue to believe there's more to Harry.

SSSusan:
Right.  That *was* weird that, after all his efforts in OotP, he just 
then gave up on it.  We knew that DD figured Voldy would stop going 
at it the *way* he had in that year, by boring into Harry's thoughts 
via their mind connection, but why didn't he seem to be working on it 
in at all HBP?

The one thing about Voldy, though....  I mean, you're right that he's 
obsessive and seemed hell-bent on figuring out the prophecy because 
he *believes* in it, but... well, Voldy's not always the sharpest 
tool in the shed, is he?  I know he's supposed to be the most 
powerful dark wizard, capable of amazing feats, but yet he's been 
pretty STUPID about some things, by his own admission.  You know, not 
remembering about the "old magic;" insisting on spilling all the 
beans in the graveyard in front of Harry, then failing to finish him 
off; underestimating the kid when he really ought to realize there's 
Something About Harry.  

So for me, that leaves a question:  WILL he return to obsessing about 
the prophecy in DH?  Or was his lack of attention to it during 
Harry's 6th year an indication that he either gave up on that or is 
too stupid (heh) to figure out another way to go about getting at it?


Jen: 
> Since Voldemort knows Trelawney is the Seer in question you'd think 
> he would make an *attempt* to get to her (unless he knows something 
> we don't, i.e., you can't magically get something from a person who 
> channelled information she doesn't remember).  Even if she wasn't 
> kidnapped out of the Vanishing Cabinent the tower night, it makes 
> sense to me LV turned his focus to removing Dumbledore first in 
> order to clear the way to Harry and possibly Trelawney (and who 
> knows, maybe a Horcrux hidden at Hogwarts?).

SSSusan:
Okay, then maybe it wasn't stupidity. :)  Maybe Voldemort *has* had a 
plan to get to the prophecy via Trelawney, but he just wanted to get 
DD out of the way first.  That would be a good plan!

I'm not sure quite WHY I don't think we're going to see a return to 
his quest to get his hands on the prophecy, but I just don't "feel" 
it coming.  (Not that that means much that *I'm* not feeling a 
premonition, heh.)  Maybe it's just the way JKR dropped the whole 
thing for the entire 6th book?  Maybe it's that I can't imagine how 
he wouldn't figure it all out (that it's about Love) if he does hear 
it.  Maybe it's that we have -- JKR has caused us to -- switched our 
focus towards those horcruxes and wondering so much about how that's 
all going to play out.

But it would certainly be interesting if Voldy has been working on a 
long-range plan... getting DD out of his way, getting to Trelawney, 
maybe even retrieving a Horschow hidden at Hogwarts, as you 
mentioned.  

[Total Aside:  That's one thing I wonder.  Do people think that Voldy 
now has an idea that his Hicchops are being hunted down, or is he 
still clueless about that?  It seems like Harry would have no chance 
in hell of finding & destroying them all if Voldy *were* aware (and 
he could just create more if he weren't averse to toying w/ the magic 
number of 7 soul bits), but I wouldn't put it past JKR to have Voldy 
having discovered Harry's quest.]


Jen: 
> Another thought--how would knowing the prophecy change his 
> strategy?  I'm guessing Voldemort would nix love as Harry's power 
> and instead attempt to figure out what magical power Harry could 
> have that Voldemort doesn't know about.  Or, since he says himself 
> in the graveyard that love was his downfall at GH and in the MOM 
> again he must have at least an inkling of what drove him out, would 
> he guess Harry's power is love even if he continues to 
> underestimate it?

SSSusan:
See, that's just it.  I can't figure out how knowing the full 
prophecy WOULD change much.  ???   So he'd know for certain (if he 
interprets it how DD & Harry did) that either he's gotta kill the 
little snot or the little snot's gonna kill him, but since he's 
ALREADY determined to kill the little snot, it wouldn't exactly mark 
a change in his strategy.

So, yes, it's the "power the Dark Lord knows not" which would surely 
intrigue Voldy.  Would he SERIOUSLY think that power would be 
something unrelated to Love, unrelated to what "worked" for Harry at 
GH?  I can't imagine it.

Then again, I did say above that Voldy's been pretty stupid on 
occasion.  

But I don't know....  I guess I'm expecting JKR to bring out in Book 
7 the Voldy we've all really wanted to see -- not the comical Evil 
Overlord who overestimates himself, underestimates his nemesis and 
talks too much, but the REALLY scary, powerful, evil, murderous, 
cruel, dangerous Dark Lord who terrorized the entire WW into being 
afraid to even breathe his name.  

I just can't imagine her presenting him being stupid *again.*  

So how can he hear the prophecy and, NOT being stupid, still not 
figure out it's about Love?  Or could he actually figure that out and 
still be powerless to counter it?

Siriusly Snapey Susan, clearly demonstrating that it's been so long 
since she's posted that she doesn't remember how to organize her 
thoughts