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

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 170807

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "colebiancardi" <muellem at ...> wrote:
>
> 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..."
> 

Renee:

As I'm not a native speaker, I could very well be wrong, but wouldn't
the wording have been slightly different if the "one" had already been
born at the time the prophecy was made? I'd have expected it to be
something like: "Born to those who (have) trice defied him, born when
the seventh month died..." The way I read what JKR actually wrote, it
can only refer to a child as yet unborn. 

Renee
(genuinely curious)