Prophecies
The predictions that shaped the wizarding world and Harry Potter's destiny
The Prophecy About Harry and Voldemort
The Original Prophecy
Made by: Professor Sybill Trelawney
Witnessed by: Albus Dumbledore
Date: 1980 (before Harry's birth)
Location: The Hog's Head Inn
"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..."
This prophecy set in motion the events that led to Harry becoming "the Boy Who Lived." It was partially overheard by Severus Snape, who reported it to Voldemort, leading to the attack on the Potter family.
2
Possible Candidates
1980
Year Made
July 31
Harry's Birth Date
1981
Voldemort's Choice
Understanding the Prophecy
| Prophecy Element | Interpretation | Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|
| "Born as the seventh month dies" | Born in late July | Harry Potter (July 31) and Neville Longbottom (July 30) both qualified |
| "Born to those who have thrice defied him" | Parents defied Voldemort three times | Both the Potters and Longbottoms had defied Voldemort three times |
| "The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal" | Voldemort chooses his equal | Voldemort chose Harry, marking him with the lightning scar and transferring some of his powers |
| "Power the Dark Lord knows not" | A power Voldemort cannot understand | Love - Harry's ability to love, which Voldemort cannot comprehend |
| "Neither can live while the other survives" | One must kill the other | Fulfilled when Harry destroyed the Horcrux within himself and then defeated Voldemort |
The Choice That Mattered
Dumbledore emphasized that the prophecy's power came not from predestination but from Voldemort's choice to act upon it. Both Harry and Neville could have been "the one," but Voldemort chose to attack Harry, thus marking him as his equal and creating the circumstances the prophecy described.
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore
How Prophecies Work
True Seers
Extremely Rare
Genuine prophetic ability is exceptionally rare in the wizarding world. Most who claim to be Seers are charlatans or simply skilled at cold reading and making vague predictions.
Known True Seers:
- Professor Sybill Trelawney (made at least two real prophecies)
- Cassandra Trelawney (Sybill's great-great-grandmother, famous Seer)
Prophetic Trance
Unconscious State
When a true prophecy is made, the Seer enters a trance-like state and typically has no memory of what they said afterward. Their voice changes, becoming deeper and harsher than normal.
Professor Trelawney made two known prophecies and remembered neither of them without being told what she had said.
Self-Fulfilling Nature
Actions Create Outcomes
Prophecies often become true because people act on them. Voldemort's attempt to prevent the prophecy from coming true is precisely what set it in motion. If he had ignored it, Harry would have been an ordinary wizard.
The prophecy gained power through being believed and acted upon.
The Department of Mysteries
The Hall of Prophecy
Location: Level 9, Ministry of Magic
Purpose: Storage of all recorded prophecies
The Hall of Prophecy is a vast room filled with rows upon rows of dusty glass spheres, each containing a recorded prophecy. The room is kept dimly lit and has an eerie, echoing quality.
Key Features:
- Glass Spheres: Each prophecy is stored in a glass orb filled with swirling, pearly-white mist
- Labeled Records: Each sphere has a small label with a reference number and the names of the Seer and subject(s)
- Retrieval Restriction: Only those about whom a prophecy is made can retrieve it from the shelves
- Destruction: When anyone else tries to take a prophecy, it will shatter and the record is lost forever
Harry's Prophecy Label:
S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.
Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter
(Sybill Patricia Trelawney to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
1995-1996 - The Battle of the Department of Mysteries
Voldemort lured Harry to the Department of Mysteries to retrieve the prophecy, as he wanted to hear it in full. Harry and members of Dumbledore's Army fought Death Eaters in the Hall of Prophecy. During the battle, the prophecy sphere was destroyed, but Dumbledore had witnessed the original prophecy and could tell Harry its contents.
Result of the Battle
Thousands of prophecy records were destroyed during the battle. Sirius Black was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. The Ministry finally acknowledged Voldemort's return. The physical record of Harry's prophecy was lost, but its contents lived on in Dumbledore's memory.
Other Rooms in the Department of Mysteries
| Room | Study Focus | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|
| The Time Chamber | Time and Time-Turners | Contains a giant bell jar with a hummingbird egg that ages and un-ages endlessly; all Time-Turners were destroyed in the battle |
| The Death Chamber | Death and the veil between life and death | Contains a stone archway with a tattered veil; voices of the dead can be heard; Sirius fell through it |
| The Love Chamber | Love and its magical properties | Always kept locked; contains the most powerful force in existence; studied by Unspeakables |
| The Brain Room | Thought and consciousness | Contains a tank of brains swimming in green liquid; Ron was attacked by thought-tentacles from a brain |
| The Space Chamber | Space and planets | Glittering, dark room with models of planets and celestial bodies |
Trelawney's Second Prophecy
The Return of the Dark Lord's Servant
Made: 1994, end of Harry's third year
Witnessed by: Harry Potter
"It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will set out... to rejoin... his master..."
This prophecy referred to Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail) escaping and returning to Voldemort. Unlike the first prophecy, this one came true exactly as stated, with Pettigrew rejoining Voldemort and helping him return to power in the next year.
The Significance of Prophecies
Thousands
Prophecies Stored
Many
Never Retrieved
Choice
Determines Fulfillment
Rare
True Seers
Dumbledore's Wisdom
Dumbledore taught Harry that prophecies have power only if people give them power. Many prophecies are never retrieved or acted upon and thus never come true. The prophecy about Harry became significant only because Voldemort chose to believe it and act on it.
Harry had the choice to walk away from his destiny. The prophecy did not force him to confront Voldemort - it was Harry's own courage, love, and choices that led him to fulfill it.