Why Trelawney

[Tanuki]

I Finally made someone agree with me...BOOYA!

[Phaerie]

well done Tanuki.

Harry saw visions of the department of mysteries at the mininstry originally because thats what Voldemort was fixating on. But he also knows that theoretically 2 other people know the wording of the prophecy. Trelawny- who appears not to remember the words of her prophecies if PoA is anything to go by. The second being Dumbledore- who is not going to impart the informtion to him. (He knows this because he had a spie who heard the first part). Hence the record in the DoM is his best bet.

Until Christmas Voldemort was unaware of Harry sharing his thoughts. But after that began a carefully orchastrated plan, to get Harry to get the prophecy for him, but without Harry finding out what the prophecy is. My theory is that if Voldemorts plan was to get the prophecy and then use the info to kill Harry straight away at the DoM using the information it contained- I guess he probably thought it would be more informative than it is on how to kill Harry.

hence if he tried to get Harry to fixate on talking to Trelawny or Dumbledore about the prophecy- all that happens is that Harry finds out the prophecy- which arguably he may be able to pick up on via the mind link-( which i doubt otherwise harry still probably wouldn't know it- Dumbledore wouldn't have told him.) But assuming he could pick up the info via the mind link, harry is still in a very safe place under Dumbledores protection. Voldemort cannot destroy him straight away- it is not so easy and convenient, and if Dumbledore works out that Voldemort has picked up on the prophecy, he will never leave Harry in any position where Voldemort could get to him.

Which is possibly why Voldemort sent the dreams about the DoM as opposed to Dumbledore/ Trelawny. he didn't want Harry aware of the prophecies existence and he wanted to be in a position to kill him as sooon as he had the information as to how.

[Un'Anima Persa]

I Finally made someone agree with me...BOOYA!

i agree with a lot of things you post here...

[Tanuki]

well done Tanuki.

But he also knows that theoretically 2 other people know the wording of the prophecy. Trelawny- who appears not to remember the words of her prophecies if PoA is anything to go by. The second being Dumbledore- who is not going to impart the informtion to him. (He knows this because he had a spie who heard the first part).

However, if the person who was spying did not know who Trelawny is, how would Voldermort, and you are assuming the person would know who she is. She is not a famous person, only her relative is. Dumbledore, the spy would know, but with Dumbledore's abilities, how would he know who Dumbledore was meeting. All the spy would have to go on, would be seeing Dumbledore and folowing him.

As for your other theory of the plot to kill Harry, that is likely. Yet, how could he have gotten a spy into the higher ups into the ministry of Magic. The only person Umbridge takes orders from is Fudge, who we KNOW is not a supporter of Voldermort, just a fool who doesn't want to believe Voldy is back and is making it easy for him to consolidate power. J.K.R. was very consise about that

[Phaerie]

If the spy was close enough to hear part of the prophecy, then presumably s/he was close enough to hear everything that Trelawny and Dumbledore were saying (i could be wrong this is only a presumption) Hence it is reasonably likely that the spy heard dumbledore mention Trelawny's name at least once.

Whilst a name on its own means very little, some background research could soon turn up information on Trelawny- who she is, and that she became employed at Hogwarts.

Also Voldemort being sufficiently skilled at Legimency may have lifted an image of Trelawny from the spies mind. Even if Voldemort did not know who she was he might arguably fixate on her- hence HArry percieving it to. But if Voldemort did not know her, projectin images of her to Harry would be rather pointless, sort of just on the off chance that he knew her. And nothing appears tto really occur by chance in the potterverse.

[Eol]

Let's face it, Trelawney is a crummy teacher. But to date she's had two real prophecies. This, however infrequent, is a powerful tool. So Dumbledore takes her in under the pretence of teaching in order to protect her from the Death Eaters. Voldemort wouldn't have been too interested in her as he doesn't know about the second prophecy and he was only concerned with the one in the Department of mysteries. Now that prophecy is gone so he may want to go after Trelawney again in the hope of extracting it from her. It may feature in book 6.

Umbridge on the other hand displayed nothing but the utmost devotion to the MoM aka Fudge. My impression was that she truly dispised shoddy and fraudulent teaching and so went after Trelawney on that basis, to improve the image of the Ministry. Being the only Wizarding school in Britain (or so it seems ) parents would care a great deal about the standard of the school. Dumbledore stepped in and saved Trelawney from leaving, because he knew her real value and the dangers of her being captured. It also displayed that he wasn't yet under the control of the Ministry.

Umbridge's vendetta against Hagrid is very different she has a known prejudice against non-humans and half breeds. Also Hagrid was a well known supporter of Dumbledore and she knew about his mission to the giants. She could have got rid of him sooner, but then he wouldn't be under her watchful gaze.

As for open war, I wonder if we're going to see a full scale assault on Hogwarts . Harry's death will still be the number one objective for Voldemort. He can't gain a true victory without it. Will there be guards in and around Hogwarts again as was in PoA? Wizard patrols perhaps. It will be exciting to see a fully mobilised Ministry in action. The real world equivalent of this situation is a military seperatist group taking on the government.

[darkcloak]

On a slight tangent to the topic title:

Harry's death will still be the number one objective for Voldemort. He can't gain a true victory without it.

Does Voldermort know this though? He still does not have the full prophecy and therefore doesn't know the tragic relationship between him and Harry.

He may even hypothesise that he cannot kill Harry?

[Eol]

This is a good point but VOldy's an intelligent person and must realise it by now

[darkcloak]

This is a good point but VOldy's an intelligent person and must realise it by now

Realise what though? Harry has foiled Voldermort 4 times now (if you include the memory of Tom). How can he know what the rest of the prophecy says? It could have been anything. Perhaps it's a way to kill Harry, perhaps it's that Harry can't be killed, perhaps it's that Harry's death will result in his own.

He went so far and was so desparate to get the prophesy (revealing himself to the ministry) that I still don't think he has any idea what the second piece says and that makes him afraid. Harry has this rather small advantage over him.