Prophecy

A Prophecy is a prediction made by a Seer. It can be stored in a spun-glass object, usually referred to as a Prophecy, which is used to record it.

Making a Prophecy

The Seer starts reciting a Prophecy involuntarily. When the Seer is telling a Prophecy, he or she goes into a trance-like state and speaks in a strange voice. The Seer apparently does not remember making Prophecies. The only thing they appear to remember is that they suddenly became very tired. After the Prophecy is made, Seer has the feeling he/she dozed off for a little while.

Known Prophecies by Sybill Trelawney

"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…"

— Sybill Trelawney first prophecy

Lord Voldemort

The first prophecy was told to Albus Dumbledore in 1980, foretelling the birth of a boy who would be capable (though not assured) of defeating Lord Voldemort, that the Dark Lord himself will "mark him as his equal", and that either the boy or Voldemort will ultimately kill the other. This boy was Harry Potter. Harry was completely unaware of the Prophecy until Dumbledore told him about it after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

This prophecy had the following requirements for the boy of prophecy:

• He was male.
• He is born in the closing days of July of 1980, the year that the prophecy was made.
• His parents had defied the Voldemort three times and lived to tell about it.
• He would have a power that Voldemort was unable or unwilling to comprehend.
• If more than one person was born that met the requirements, Voldemort himself would choose to whom it would ultimately refer.

There were two boys born that met these requirements. Aside from Harry Potter, the other was Neville Longbottom, who was born on on July 30th, 1980, to a pair of Aurors who, like James and Lily Potter, had directly defied Voldemort on three separate occasions. However, Voldemort chose Harry as his target, who was, like himself, a half-blood, rather than the pure-blooded Neville.

The second prophecy was made to Harry Potter in 1994, foretelling Peter Pettigrew's escape to his master.

"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 he was. Tonight … before midnight … the servant … will set out … to rejoin … his master…"

— Sybill Trelawney telling Harry Potter her second prophecy

Ministry of Magic's records

Prophecy Record

The Battle of the Department of Mysteries

Harry Potter with his prophecy.

Harry had a vision planted in his mind of Voldemort torturing Sirius Black in order to find the prophecy. This drove Harry, joined by Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna to the Ministry of Magic in order to save Sirius. They used Harry's dream to guide them to the Hall of Prophecies, which is where Ron found the Prophecy with Harry's name on it. It read:

S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D

Dark Lord

and (?)Harry Potter

S.P.T are the initials of Sybill Patricia Trelawney, and A.P.W.B.D are the initials of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. A question mark (?) was placed on the prophecy because at that time, the identity of the boy who would defy Lord Voldemort was still not entirely certain.

As Harry was the only person able to retrieve the Prophecy, the Death Eaters lay in wait until he had done so and then gave chase through the Department of Mysteries, attempting to take the Prophecy from him. It was eventually smashed when it fell from Neville's pocket.

Behind the scenes

• In the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, an echo of the prophecy, told by Sybill Trelawney, is heard while Harry is holding it. In the book, though, he hears it from Professor Dumbledore .
• Also in the film; instead of the Prophecy breaking while Neville is holding it, it is broken when Lucius Malfoy is struck by Sirius Black in front of the Veil. Lucius attempts to catch the falling orb but fails, and it smashes on the rocks.
• Also in the film, the prophecy concerning Harry and Lord Voldemort is shortened from that made in the book.
• In the video game version of Order of the Phoenix, the prophecy is destroyed when Harry gives it to Sirius, who deliberately drops it.