There's not much to go on

[mooseming]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Barry Arrowsmith" 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
<snip>
> 
> You know what this reminds me of?
> "Kill the spare."

Ah yes, exactly! He didn't kill Harry because he had a use for him 
(blood of my enemy) and wanted to make an example of him, although 
that wasn't such a good idea in the end!

So what plans for Neville, what use is a knobbled infant Neville? A 
spy in the ranks needs to receive orders and/or convey information, 
is Trevor transmitting? Is that why he keeps getting 'lost'. Neville 
was searching for a 'lost' Trevor when he first encounterd Harry on 
the Hogwarts Express and who should show up shortly thereafter? One 
Malfoy Jnr plus goons. Is Trevor a homing toad?
> 
<snip>


> 
> Despite all the brou-haha about Snape and James, I've sometimes
> wondered why Sevvy reacts so strongly to Harry. Could part of it be
> because as an expert Legilimens he can sense Voldy lurking in the
> depths of that adolescent mind? But why such a down on Neville?
> Can he sense something in his mind too?


Well in that same FAQ reply JKR says: "As you saw in 'Order of the 
Phoenix,' however, Neville is not without his own latent strengths."

All this time we've been thinking Snape is down on Neville because 
he's a numpty but is he actually conscious of the subtle science and 
exact art of the softly simmering cauldron that is Neville's brain? 

It's funny that this JKR's faq response, which made me despairing, 
is throwing out some intriguing possibilities. Which leads me to:

"As for the prophecy itself, it remains ambiguous, not only to 
readers, but to my characters."

Dumbledore is a character so I take we can happily nix his 
interpretation then! Yippeee.

Regards
Jo