very basic confusion

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 163740

---  "Inge" <Elvishooked at ...> wrote:
>
> ---  "Steve" <bboyminn@> wrote:
> <<<.....
>  
> Regardless of what the /correct/ interpretation of the
> Prophecy was,  Voldemort gathered the information and 
> made his choices, and those choices /created/ a correct 
> interpretation of the Prophecy. In a sense, Voldemort's 
> own actions made it a self-fulfilling Prophecy... >>>
> _____________________
> 
> NOW:
> Inge,
> agreeing to everything Steve explained - but one answer
> still remains -
> "why did it take so long, more than a year after Harry's
> birth, before the Potters set up their protection?"
>

bboyminn:

Well, in a situation like this, there is only one thing
to do - make it up. First we start with the assumption
that the apparent situation is indeed correct, then
we make up reason why it is correct.

Voldemort got the information from Snape. It was a few
months until July, so it was nothing to worry about.
Once August rolled around, Voldemort checked out the 
available babies and found two. Still, they were infants,
how could the possible threaten him when all this did was
eat, cry, and poop. Not much of a threat. 

He was also faced with making a risk assessment. Which 
kid was most likely to become a threat - Harry or Neville?
I'm sure he had to think about it. Evaluate the parents
and decide which was more dangerous assuming that the
child would follow the parents. 

Then later when he decided to kill them both, he started
looking and discovered that neither one was going to be 
easy to find. Eventually, information came in that lead
him straight to Harry. Now he has to decide if he should
wait until he has the same information on Neville, or
if he should act right away.

The point is there is a lot of thought and analysis that
has to go into the problem. He needs to consider the
risk. What risk are two infant boys? Virtually none.
But on the other hand, better to deal with them when
they are helpless rather than wait for them to grow 
strong. 

But on the other other hand, if you wait a while, you 
might get a clear picture of which one really was the 
greater threat. Beside, but the time these kids grown up,
Voldemort will have already taken over the Wizard World,
and there will be very little these kids can do. 
Voldemort will be too heavily protected himself.

So, knowing the problems is easy. But coming up with 
the right plan for dealing with the problem is something
else. Plans take time, and I'm sure Voldemort is aware
that he has plenty of time before either kid is even
remotely a threat. Still, better no threat now than a
potential threat in the future. Eventually, Voldemort
made a decision and started working it, but he could
bring his plan into action until he had the information
he needed. Delays, delays, delays...

I think it is when the Potters got information that
Voldemort had a clear and direct plan of attack that
they got worried and went into hiding. Initially, it
was /assumed/ intent on Voldemorts part, when that
assumption became very real, it was time to hide.


Steve/bboyminn