The prediction

It was dark, there was no moon that night. The silence was eerie, it seemed like all the animals from the Dark Forest had vanished. The only living thing in that area was a tabby cat, formally known as professor McGonagall.

Earlier that same evening, professor McGonagall, newly appointed headmistress, whiteness something quite unusual, and that was saying something, as she was a very old witch. She was talking with the staff members in the Great Hall when the 'divination' teacher made a 'prediction'. Actually, Sybil Trelawney seemed to have passed out in her chair when a strange voice came out of her unmoving, open, lips and her eyes rolling in their orbs. When she finished her talking, every one was silent, looking strangely at her.

- Why are you all watching me?

- Are you feeling all right Sybil? Asked McGonagall.

- Well, now that you're breeching the subject, I'm quite dizzy. I think I'll go back to my tower to lie down a bit.

The headmistress let her go, she was too stunned to have a proper reaction and so was the rest of the staff. They were looking at each other with the same puzzled expression. Professor Slughorn looked delighted about this new information. Professor Sprout and Flitwick had a worried expression, while professor Hagrid remain as neutral as he could. As the staff meditated this piece of information, the headmistress disappeared from the great hall.

Professor McGonagall rapidly made her way to her office, to confirm something with the old headmaster, well, his portrait, since he died almost two months ago. She always wondered why he engaged this old fraud of Trelawney to teach divination. 'Did she make another prediction? Did it happen before?' She was beginning to understand the missing pieces of the puzzle.

- Albus! Albus Dumbledore! Said professor McGonagall in an angry voice.

- Yes my dear?

- Is it true? Is she really a seer?

- You're talking about Sybil? Said the twinkling eyes portrait in an enigmatic tone.

- Who else would I be talking about Albus? You lied to me?

- No Minerva, I did not lie to you, I merely did not tell you all the truth...

- How could you... you scheming little...

- Now now Minerva...

- What did she tell you to make you believe her?

He paused, took a deep breath, and the old headmaster told the new one the prophecy about Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, the story behind it from the beginning to the 'Snape betrayal' and this time, he told all the story, not just the convenient bits. Professor McGonagall said nothing during the speech of Albus. She was getting angrier as he continued with the story, the betrayal of Pettigrew, resulting the death of the Potter, the imprisonment of Black even if he was an innocent. He also told Minerva all of what he knew about Tom Riddle, known as Lord Voldemort. He was filling the blank spaces she needed to comprehend the complexity of the situation. He told everything, even the events that had lead to his death, the ultimate betrayal of Severus Snape. Well, no one could have foreseen it, even Trelawney.

- So, you're saying that if we found all of the hocruxes, and destroy them, You-know-who will be gone for ever?

- I dare hope so, but in the end, it will be Harry who will have to kill him...

- Hum... Do you think the 'prediction' Sybil made tonight is important?

- Well, if you could tell me, I am not as omniscient as I once was.

- She said : ' He will arrive tonight, he will be powerful, very powerful. He will arrive tonight, the one who comes from way so far, so far it will exceed your imagination. In the darkest part of the darkest forest, he will arrive from the sky. He could be your most powerful ally, or your worst enemy. For once, curiosity won't kill the cat, yet...' Said professor McGonagall in a sarcastic tone.

- It seems like you're a part of that prophecy professor, said Dumbledore his eyes twinkling.

- It seems so, and as usual, she also professed the death of someone...me, said professor McGonagall sarcastically.

Professor McGonagall had enough to worry about, she didn't need this. Half the students would not return this September. She could understand that, 'If I was a parent, she thought, I wouldn't let my child go either' That was also the reason why she received very few school inscriptions, a grand total of 10 first years would be coming this year. She battled very hard with the Ministry of Magic for the right to reopen the school, the Board wasn't keen to the idea, but in the end, she won. However, she refused to let the child's of formally known Death Eater to come back to Hogwarts. It was a smart decision from a very large group of view. Dumbledore was against the idea, but what can a portrait do?

The potion teacher, Slughorn, was also going to be the head of Slytherin house. She hired back Remus Lupin to teach Defence against the Dark Arts and be head of the Gryffindor, the deputy headmaster was going to be professor Flitwick. She also thought of asking Harry to continue teaching D.A. Professor McGonagall was almost ready for the New Year to begin. Almost, because the prophecy from the divination teacher bothered her a lot. What if it was true, what would happen if she wasn't there to great the 'powerful ally'? What if You-know-who got him first? She made a decision, she would wait for him. 'Trelawney said he will arrive tonight, I'll check, to make sure...you never know...' She exits the school grounds and took her animagus form. She would wait for him.