Prophecy musings...Was: Snape's the Rescuer - Really?/Justice to Snape

[colebiancardi]

No: HPFGUIDX 170778

Re: Snape's the Rescuer - Really?/Justice to Snape

Biff wrote:
><snipping>He didn't know who he was
> betraying at the time, but he knew that he was giving information
> about a baby who was foretold to be the downfall of his Master and
> you don't do that without knowing what the results will be. Maybe
> not right away, but some day Voldemort would use that information
> and make sure this threat went away.

colebiancardi:

This also ties in with the other prophecy threads. We seem to take it
for granted, after the fact, that Snape *knew* it was a baby that was
being targeted in the prophecy, not an adult.

If Snape only heard the first part of the prophecy, as DD states,
Snape doesn't know it is someone who is yet to be born:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to
those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..."

I am stopping here, as the rest talks about the Dark Lord marking him,
which DD states that Snape (the eavesdropper) only heard this
portion(pg 843, OotP Am Edition, hardback)

It could be constructed as someone who is already here - approaches is
a dodgy term - could be that this wizard is coming into their powers
and will battle with LV in the near future. Born to those - doesn't
state will be born - that statement could be interpreted as already
born as well. As LV has been around a long time as the Dark Lord, the
parents could have been people from 20 years prior and their child was
born then, not in the 1980's. From reading these two sentences,
which was all that Snape heard, it could just mean that the hero is
coming to battle LV and is born to those parents who defied him 3
times in the past. That the hero was born in the 7th month.

LV interpreted it correctly, as a baby about to be born. But Snape?
Did he really know it was a future hero, one yet to be born? He may
have felt it was a wizard already here, a powerful one in fact. At
that time, Snape doesn't know, at least I think he doesn't, the whole
past of LV and who LV battled with.

Could it be, that once Snape found out that it was a baby and not an
adult wizard who could defend himself/herself, that was Snape's wakeup
call? That he could deal with battling against wizards and witches who
could strike back, but to kill in cold-blood, a defenseless baby?  No
matter who the parents were, but the fact that it stepped over the
line in the Wizarding War?  Hey, people switch sides for lesser
reasons, you know.

just another thought on the prophecy and trying to debunk the Snape is
"a murderin' baby killer" kind of guy.  

colebiancardi
(crow, crow, crow....I have 'em lined up and ready - of course, I hope
to set them all FREE by giving them little crow's slippers on July
21st...)