What’s not clear about this is whether it’s intended to be Q’s joke as well as Eliezer’s. (I forget: how much is he supposed to know about the prophecy?) And, if it’s Q’s, whether he means it as a message for Harry (he surely must realise that Harry might know all about the prophecy) or for others like Dumbledore.
[EDITED to add: In Rowling’s version of the story, V. doesn’t know exactly what the prophecy said, at least not at this point in the story. I forget exactly how much he does know about it. His attempts to find out the exact wording are a plot point later on in the series.]
he surely must realise that Harry might know all about the prophecy
He knows that Harry knows about the prophecy.
The Defense Professor didn’t seem to notice, but only spoke on. “Has the Headmaster has told you anything—even a hint—about Professor Trelawney’s prophecy?”
“Huh? ” Harry said automatically, converting his own sudden shock into the best dissembling he could manage. It probably was at the wrong level to fool Professor Quirrell but Harry certainly couldn’t take time to think before replying—wait, but how on Earth would Professor Quirrell know about that—“Professor Trelawney made a prophecy?”
“You were there to hear its beginning,” Professor Quirrell said, frowning. “You called out to the entire school that the prophecy could not be about you, since you were not coming here, you were already here.”
HE IS COMING. THE ONE WHO WILL TEAR APART THE VERY -
And that was as far as Professor Trelawney had gotten before Dumbledore had grabbed her and vanished.
“Oh, that prophecy,” Harry said. “Sorry! It went clear out of my mind.”
Harry thought he’d put too much force into the end statement, and was 80%-expecting Professor Quirrell to say, Aha, now Mr. Potter, what is this mysterious other prophecy you went to such lengths to deny -
He has very good reason to suspect that Harry knows something about the prophecy. He doesn’t know that Harry knows the actual wording. He may not know the actual wording himself, though I’d have thought HPMOR!Quirrell would have found a way to find it out.
He already heard it from Snape, and can reasonably expect that after Voldemort’s supposed return Dumbledore&co. would share it with Harry. It doesn’t sound like Snape was thrown out partway through the prophecy the way he was in canon.
What’s not clear about this is whether it’s intended to be Q’s joke as well as Eliezer’s. (I forget: how much is he supposed to know about the prophecy?) And, if it’s Q’s, whether he means it as a message for Harry (he surely must realise that Harry might know all about the prophecy) or for others like Dumbledore.
[EDITED to add: In Rowling’s version of the story, V. doesn’t know exactly what the prophecy said, at least not at this point in the story. I forget exactly how much he does know about it. His attempts to find out the exact wording are a plot point later on in the series.]
He knows that Harry knows about the prophecy.
He has very good reason to suspect that Harry knows something about the prophecy. He doesn’t know that Harry knows the actual wording. He may not know the actual wording himself, though I’d have thought HPMOR!Quirrell would have found a way to find it out.
He already heard it from Snape, and can reasonably expect that after Voldemort’s supposed return Dumbledore&co. would share it with Harry. It doesn’t sound like Snape was thrown out partway through the prophecy the way he was in canon.
Good point.