Perhaps it is the “cannot”, rather than “must not” or “should not”, with its implication of a fundamental incompatibility rather than a moral imperative. “These two things cannot exist in the same world” suggests paradox if they do.
Though of course, Potter and Voldemort exist in the same world for 17 years without breaching physical law in canon, so perhaps it’s not entirely literal.
Indeed. My comment was trying to account for Slackson and faul_sname’s psychological reactions, rather than describe the literal meaning of the prophecy itself.
How so? I get the same sense, but I can’t seem to pin it down.
Perhaps it is the “cannot”, rather than “must not” or “should not”, with its implication of a fundamental incompatibility rather than a moral imperative. “These two things cannot exist in the same world” suggests paradox if they do.
Though of course, Potter and Voldemort exist in the same world for 17 years without breaching physical law in canon, so perhaps it’s not entirely literal.
Indeed. My comment was trying to account for Slackson and faul_sname’s psychological reactions, rather than describe the literal meaning of the prophecy itself.