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Every major wizarding war in the Harry Potter universe can be traced back to prophecy, words shaping the fate of the entire magical world. But few predictions have been as debated or interpreted as the one delivered by Sybill Trelawney to Albus Dumbledore at the Hog’s Head Inn. That single prophecy drove Voldemort’s actions, set Harry’s life on a path of chaos, and ultimately forged the story we know. Yet, the prophecy’s wording left a glaring ambiguity that fans have obsessed over for years: was it truly about Harry Potter… or was Neville Longbottom the real Chosen One?
The prophecy didn’t name anyone. It spoke of a boy born at the end of July, to parents who defied Voldemort thrice, and destined to have “power the Dark Lord knows not.” Both Harry and Neville matched those terms. And if Voldemort had interpreted it differently, the entire series and the fate of the wizarding world might have looked very different.
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In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the prophecy reveals itself not as a fixed destiny but as a conditional puzzle. It’s not fate that seals Harry’s importance; it’s Voldemort’s reaction. The prophecy stated that “the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches,” but it also mentioned that “the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal.” This part is crucial. The prophecy didn’t name Harry. It left the door open for either boy, Harry Potter or Neville Longbottom, both born in late July to members of the original Order of the Phoenix who had “thrice defied” Voldemort.
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Neville could have been the Chosen One. Voldemort simply made a choice. Fearing a threat, he saw more of himself in Harry, who was a half-blood like him. The Dark Lord then attempted to kill him, inadvertently “marking him” with the lightning scar. That action set the prophecy into motion.
Ironically, Neville grew into a Chosen One in his own right, leading Dumbledore’s Army, destroying the final Horcrux, and slaying Nagini. His arc mirrored Harry’s without the prophecy’s burden. Had Voldemort chosen differently that night in Godric’s Hollow, Neville might’ve grown up with the scar, the fame, and the curse of surviving. Or in a darker tone, maybe the whole Longbottom family failed to survive that night.
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In the end, both boys were heroes. It was Voldemort’s hand that forced his fate. Not prophecy. Not Dumbledore. Not magic.
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