All For None
I was walking along the seemingly endless hallway, when at last I reached my destination.
Professor Trelawney was sitting in a blood-stained chair, next to her were countless images of famous Seers staring blankly as if nothing were wrong. To her right, the photograph of her famous great-great grandmother was calmly sleeping as if the battle had not taken place. I knew that this information was necessary to the point of life and death, and much worse things. I gulped hard before asking. I know that whatever the answer is, will save lives… ..or, lose lives… ...it was either him or Neville, he was sure of that… …he took one last deep breath and prepared himself for the question. I pulled myself together to ask Professor Trelawney, and I almost didn't get the words out.
"Excuse me, Professor Trelawney!"
For half a second I felt regretful for even mentioning what I said. But when she responded, saying, "What is it, that your Inner Eye must receive?" I knew I had made the right choice. I responded immediately.
"Professor, can you tell me the prophecy? The one about me and Voldemort?"
Professor Trelawney gave a slight shudder. I started to feel remorse for what I said. Surely she could not remember as far back as to when she had been employed, by Professor Dumbledore? Surely she could not remember the prophecy in these conditions. But then other thoughts swam through my mind. It was all necessary that I get this information, as Voldemort was rapidly gaining power over Hogwarts. I was waiting, anxious as ever, for what seemed like hours, before Trelawney answered in the freakish tone I had only heard twice before.
"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…"
Professor Trelawney had fulfilled my wish, but I still had no answer to the loophole in my mind. I had to ask one more question. Professor Trelawney was trembling like mad, but I decided with myself that the answer to the question was possibly more important than anything else right now. With a cold feeling drying up my throat as if it were trying to stop me asking the question, I finally managed to spit what I was struggling to say out.
"Who… Who is he? Who is the Chosen One?"
I waited patiently for the trembling Trelawney to give me my answer, but she seemed to have a sore throat after her ears heard upon the statement. But she knew I needed it really badly, and she was a faithful person, so she answered what I had been wondering about for the past year. The next thing I heard gave me the shock of my life.
"Neville Longbottom."