Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince point of discussion (Spoilers)

[Mistwell]

In Half Blood Prince Dumbledore states pretty clearly that the Prophecy is about Harry because of the actions of Voldemort. It has been chosen. Had things been done a different way, yes, Neville would have been the chosen one, but he wasn't. The prophesy addresses such issues as a link between them, and Harry is the one bearing the link.

buzzard

Yes, Dumbledore thinks it's Harry as well. That doesn't make him right. Neville also has a link to Voldemort. Just...a different kind.

 

[Bloosquig]

Good catch Mistwell about Neville finding the prophecy and not Harry. Just because its not marked correctly doesn't mean the prophecy itself is confused.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Wonder if Dumbledore had anything to do with having the prophecy filed under Harry's name....

 

[kingpaul]

But the prophecy will be found only by someone who is the subject of this prophecy. And who finds it? Neville. He notices it has Harry's name on the label below it.

I thought only those who a prophecy was about could take the prophecy off the stand?

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

I thought only those who a prophecy was about could take the prophecy off the stand?

Exactly, which is why the prophecy is about Harry. Voldemart marked Harry as his equal, thus making him the child spoken of. Dumbledore has even said that it's Harry and Harry alone that has the tools for the job. And if it wasn't about Harry, then whatever defensive measures made it so only the people directly involved in the prophecy could touch it would have zapped him.

I wonder if in retrospect those people that thought Neville was actually the prophecy boy are going to lumped in the same "delusional" category that the folks that thought Ron and Hermione would never hook up were placed.

 

[buzzard]

Yes, Dumbledore thinks it's Harry as well. That doesn't make him right. Neville also has a link to Voldemort. Just...a different kind.

No, sorry. Your definition of link is so ambiguous as to be applicable to anyone. There is a direct and powerful link between Harry and Voldemort and that is what the prophecy was talking about. There is nothing even close for Neville. He's one of many who suffered from the depredations of Voldemort. That isn't a link, but a grievance. There's quite a collection of people who had grievances with Voldemort. There's only one with a link.

Here's the prohpecy:
`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 . and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not . and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives . the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies .'

It clearly says mark him as his equal. Where's Neville's mark? The prophecy is pretty clear about how the adversary of Voldemort would be chosen by Voldemort, and Harry was obviously chosen.

buzzard

 

[Ambrus]

I do think that Dumbledore we knew did expire, and yet I still hold out hope that he is in a sense alive.

 

[Tiberius]

But the prophecy will be found only by someone who is the subject of this prophecy. And who finds it? Neville. He notices it has Harry's name on the label below it.

Not quite. Anyone can find the prophecy, but only the principals involved can remove it from the stand without insanity setting in. As Harry was able to remove it freely, then he is clearly the subject.

 

[mrtauntaun]

Not quite. Anyone can find the prophecy, but only the principals involved can remove it from the stand without insanity setting in. As Harry was able to remove it freely, then he is clearly the subject.

But didn't Neville take it off the stand and give it to Harry? At the very least, that is what happened in the movie.

 

[Hijinks]

We've already established that the filmmakers are taking liberties with the subtle nuances of the book that may become important later.