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Why Did Voldemort Want The Prophecy?

When Voldemort was busy conquering the wizarding world, he thought he had it all figured out and that no one could possibly threaten his power. But then the pesky prophecy of Sybill Trelawney threw a wrench in his evil plans.

Like a villain craving series-finale spoilers, Voldemort desperately wanted to get his hands on that prophecy. Why was he so desperate for it? You see, he only caught a snippet of it from his eavesdropping minion, Snape (tsk, tsk, nosey Snape). The Dark Lord craved the entire prophecy, believing it held the key to squashing Harry Potter once and for all.

Voldemort’s unrelenting quest for the prophecy led to the explosive Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Despite his efforts, the prophecy was shattered like a snow globe, forever silencing its cryptic words.

But what did this mysterious prophecy say? Little did he know, the prophecy was more of a riddle than an instruction manual for defeating his mortal enemy.

In a nutshell, it warned that a boy born at the end of July would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. Voldemort assumed it was all about him and Harry even though it could have applied to Neville Longbottom, too.

How did Voldemort catch wind of this tantalizing prophecy in the first place? It started when Snape listened in on Trelawney’s job interview with Dumbledore, where Trelawney both got the position and delivered a fate-shattering prophecy. He reported what he heard back to Voldemort, igniting the Dark Lord’s obsession.

And there you have it: the tale of Voldemort’s unquenchable thirst for the prophecy in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

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What Was Voldemort’s Prophecy?

Before we dive into why Voldemort was head over heels for this prophecy, let’s first discuss what it was all about. It was made by none other than Sybill Trelawney, the lovable, eccentric Hogwarts professor who happened to be a true Seer – someone with a knack for seeing the future.

Picture this: Trelawney spills the prophecy beans to Dumbledore during a job interview at the Hog’s Head – a tavern in Hogsmeade not exactly known for its fine dining. The prophecy was all about the connection between our hero, Harry Potter, and “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”, Lord Voldemort. And here’s what she said:

“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…”

So, what does this cryptic mumbo jumbo mean? The Dark Lord had a weak spot after all, and only one person in the world could defeat him. The Chosen One, aka the child Voldemort accidentally made his equal, had the power to end his reign of terror.

But, plot twist! Voldy, too, had the power to squash the Chosen One like a grape. That’s the part of the prophecy that goes: “neither can live while the other survives.” In the end, it turned out to be Harry Potter, but it could’ve easily been Neville “I-could’ve-been-the-hero” Longbottom. Both were born at the end of July 1980 (“as the seventh month dies”), and both had parents who gave Voldy the slip three times.

But Voldemort, in his infinite wisdom, made Harry the Chosen One because he goofed up. And what was that goof-up? Stay tuned and I’ll tell you all about it!

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When Did Voldemort Learn About The Prophecy?

Picture this: Sybill Trelawney and Albus Dumbledore are having a casual chit-chat in the Hog’s Head. Little did they know, a sneaky eavesdropper was lurking nearby: Severus Snape, Death Eater extraordinaire at the time, who overheard the first part of the prophecy: “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…”

Snape spilled what he heard to Voldemort, who decided that Harry was the prophecy’s poster child. So he went after baby Harry, hoping to nip the problem in the bud.

But, oops! Voldemort never heard the rest of the prophecy – specifically, this juicy tidbit: “and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…”

That power? None other than love. The love Lily felt for Harry when she played the ultimate “mom card” and sacrificed herself. The love Harry had for his crew of friends, who he considered family. And the love they all had for him. That was the Chosen One’s secret weapon that Voldemort couldn’t quite grasp. In the end, love saved the day.

By attacking baby Harry, Voldemort unwittingly kick-started the prophecy by stamping him as his equal and the Chosen One with a lightning scar. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy gone wrong!

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Why Did Voldemort Want The Prophecy Later?

You might wonder, if he already knew about the prophecy, why was he so desperate to get his hands on it? Well, dear reader, the answer is quite simple.

Voldy, in his infinite wisdom, only knew part of the prophecy – and his half-baked knowledge nearly got him killed. So he wanted to learn the rest of it, believing it held the secret cheat code to defeating Harry Potter.

Little did he know that the prophecy didn’t hold any magical, game-changing secrets for him. By the time he got close to it, the prophecy was broken. Womp womp.

Fortunately, Harry had heard the prophecy and knew the score: one must kill the other, or neither can live. He also knew about his Horcrux status, so he played the self-sacrifice card, only to come back to life and ultimately finish off Voldemort.

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Why Did Snape Tell Voldemort About The Prophecy?

In Deathly Hallows, it’s revealed that Snape, the brooding anti-hero, was actually on the good side all along. So, if he was secretly Team Dumbledore, why spill the beans about the prophecy to Voldemort?

At the time, Snape was a card-carrying Death Eater. Unfortunately, his loyalty led to a massive blunder. He didn’t realize that Voldemort would target Harry Potter, since Neville Longbottom was also a viable candidate according to the prophecy.

Voldemort’s actions resulted in the death of Lily Potter, Snape’s not-so-secret crush. This tragic event likely flipped the switch for Snape, driving him to betray Voldemort and work as a “double agent” among the Death Eaters to take him down.

And that, my friends, explains Snape’s disdain for Harry and his extra helping of animosity towards poor Neville.

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Lia is a professional writer and editor who is passionate about films and literature.