At first glance you would think it just a shadow of the night. Blink and
you would miss them silhouetted by a thin, weak light emitted from the moon as the dark clouds passed it by. The cloaked figures walked swiftly and surely, as though they had made this journey many times before. Their
steps were made evenly and confidently and they made no noise as the
walked along the muddy bank of the river.
The covered the ground very quickly and after another kilometer they
stopped and looked out over the water. As if it were synchronized to their movement, the water level started to decrease, almost like the tide
going out at the beach, but instead of the water moving it was merely
evaporating to the point where you could easily walk over the river bed
to the cliffs situated on the other side. Which is exactly what the
cloaked men did.
When they reached the rocky wall, the tallest figure drew his wand from
within the folds of his cloak and tapped out a pattern in the rock and said one word. "Watermelon Soothers". With a loud rumbling the cliff face parted so that there was a sloping tunnel disappearing into the rocks. As
suddenly as the tunnel appeared, so did a red-haired man, slightly
panting from the long walk through the sloping passage way.
"Oh good, it's only you lot. We were all starting to worry."
"Whatever for Weasley? Really, who else would it be?" came the biting
reply from the same man who issued the password.
Weasley ducked his head, embarrassed and replied "Well yes, of course it
was you Snape. err. all I meant was that you're rather late. We were
supposed to call the meeting an hour ago."
"Yes we are aware Arthur and I'm sure Severus didn't mean anything by
it." Every one looked at the gentleman talking as though he'd just
sprouted two heads, but he just kept on talking. "It wasn't as easy as
we would have hoped. getting here I mean, it's awfully dark and ."
"Ahhh Remus! So glad you made it!" said a voice from the tunnel. An old
man emerged a few seconds later, his purple robes with bright yellow
stars seemed to light up the dark. He looked around and saw the others standing the entrance of the cave and smiled cheerfully. "Severus! Tonks!
Kingsley! Mundungus! Do come inside, it's rather chilly out here. Not that it's any better inside I must say, but at least we have tea! Follow
me my dear friends! Come on Arthur"
Quickly the all followed Albus as he turned and wandered back into the
shadows of the passage, humming to himself until one lone figure was standing at the entrance. Severus Snape was staring daggers at the crazy
old mans retreating back.
"I will be forever cursed with the presence of these insane people" he
muttered darkly to himself, walking into the tunnel. He could still he heard faintly as the rocks returned to their original state and the water
came crashing back to fill the river once more.
************
"Are you sure he was telling the truth Snape?" Emmeline Vance asked him
skeptically.
Snape glared at her. "Of course I'm sure woman. I was there so would you
please stop questioning every bloo. . ."
"Alright that's quite enough Severus." Albus said cutting him off in mid-
rant. "I think the best thing to do at this stage is to believe that Voldemort knows how to get Harry at the Dursleys. I also think we should
be prepared. Look where rushing into things got us last time..."
Snape muttered something that sounded distinctly like "Bloody Potter."
"In any case Albus," Arthur countered "Don't you think it would be best
to get Harry out of there as soon as possible. Just incase Voldemort
attacks ahead of schedule?"
Albus Dumbledore sighed, his eyes loosing their seemingly ever present twinkle as he nodded his head. "Tomorrow. Remus, Tonks. I'd like you two to go and fetch Harry and bring him back to Hogwarts. I'll inform Hagrid
as well."
He received two nods from the pair.
"Is that all for tonight Albus? I really should be going, the Ministry is starting to keep tabs on the "people of importance" and I appear to fall into that category. I don't want them to start following me so I best not
disappear for too long."
"Please, don't hurry off just yet Kingsley, there is still one more item
on our agenda." Albus surveyed the people in the room and noted the
mixture of curious and wary expressions. He sighed and continued speaking. "A contact of mine has turned up another prophesy and all those
who have seen it believe that it is related to our cause."
This news was met by groans. "Not another bloody prophesy Dumbledore." Mundungus complained. "I'm sick of 'em. We're gettin' a new one every six
months!"
Dumbledore smiled grimly. "I know, but this one has come from a very reliable Elven seer and I think it would be rather foolish if we were to
go on as we are and not even acknowledge it existence."
Remus nodded in agreement. "It could help us out. What sort of hidden
message does the prophesy contain?"
Albus looked around the room and then, recited from memory;
"One from each of the four houses,
with abilities beyond their reckoning
shall conquer only when they are able to unite.
Only under the guidance of that which is not known
will they be capable of coming into themselves
And only when they come into themselves
will the be able to come into each other."
Silence.
"Four houses?"
"That which is not known?"
"When they come into themselves they come into each other?"
"Sorry Albus but that's the screwiest one so far."
"Care to tell us what it means?" Tonks asked.
Albus looked at her gratefully. "I believe that the Four houses referred
to are..."
"Let me guess," Mundungus interrupted. "Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff
and Ravenclaw?"
"Well done Fletcher, care to fill in the rest of the gaps?" Severus
sneered sarcastically.
"Oi!"
"Please children, if you would allow me to finish the rest." Nods all
around. "Good, good, what it is saying, to the best of my knowledge, is that no one alone can 'conquer the enemy' but if united, these four will
be able too. I believe that "The guidance of that which is not known"
refers to themselves. They're not know. They don't know themselves
because of these 'hidden capabilities'. Do you all understand?"
"Umm...yeah. I guess," Mundungus said with tones of skepticism tinting
his voice. "Excellent. Now we can all go home. I can't speak for anybody else but I
could really use a cup of mint tea and some lemon drops."
"And I really should be going as well," Kinsley said standing up. "Good
bye."
One by one, the men and women left until it was just Remus and Tonks. "Is it just me," Tonks asked, seeming a little confused" Or did Albus seem as
in the dark with that prophesy as the rest of us?"
Remus patted her arm lightly. "It will all work out" he said heading out
the door, and a moment later, Tonks followed.
****************
The gray fog was thick and Sirius Black was more unnerved by the fact that
he couldn't see through it to what was underneath him, then by the fact that he was falling. He didn't know if it would end, or if he would just continue to fall for the rest of eternity. As the matter around him thinned
out he fell faster, tumbling on into the fog.
***************
Like it? Hate it? Want to hit me over the head with your monitor?
you would miss them silhouetted by a thin, weak light emitted from the moon as the dark clouds passed it by. The cloaked figures walked swiftly and surely, as though they had made this journey many times before. Their
steps were made evenly and confidently and they made no noise as the
walked along the muddy bank of the river.
The covered the ground very quickly and after another kilometer they
stopped and looked out over the water. As if it were synchronized to their movement, the water level started to decrease, almost like the tide
going out at the beach, but instead of the water moving it was merely
evaporating to the point where you could easily walk over the river bed
to the cliffs situated on the other side. Which is exactly what the
cloaked men did.
When they reached the rocky wall, the tallest figure drew his wand from
within the folds of his cloak and tapped out a pattern in the rock and said one word. "Watermelon Soothers". With a loud rumbling the cliff face parted so that there was a sloping tunnel disappearing into the rocks. As
suddenly as the tunnel appeared, so did a red-haired man, slightly
panting from the long walk through the sloping passage way.
"Oh good, it's only you lot. We were all starting to worry."
"Whatever for Weasley? Really, who else would it be?" came the biting
reply from the same man who issued the password.
Weasley ducked his head, embarrassed and replied "Well yes, of course it
was you Snape. err. all I meant was that you're rather late. We were
supposed to call the meeting an hour ago."
"Yes we are aware Arthur and I'm sure Severus didn't mean anything by
it." Every one looked at the gentleman talking as though he'd just
sprouted two heads, but he just kept on talking. "It wasn't as easy as
we would have hoped. getting here I mean, it's awfully dark and ."
"Ahhh Remus! So glad you made it!" said a voice from the tunnel. An old
man emerged a few seconds later, his purple robes with bright yellow
stars seemed to light up the dark. He looked around and saw the others standing the entrance of the cave and smiled cheerfully. "Severus! Tonks!
Kingsley! Mundungus! Do come inside, it's rather chilly out here. Not that it's any better inside I must say, but at least we have tea! Follow
me my dear friends! Come on Arthur"
Quickly the all followed Albus as he turned and wandered back into the
shadows of the passage, humming to himself until one lone figure was standing at the entrance. Severus Snape was staring daggers at the crazy
old mans retreating back.
"I will be forever cursed with the presence of these insane people" he
muttered darkly to himself, walking into the tunnel. He could still he heard faintly as the rocks returned to their original state and the water
came crashing back to fill the river once more.
************
"Are you sure he was telling the truth Snape?" Emmeline Vance asked him
skeptically.
Snape glared at her. "Of course I'm sure woman. I was there so would you
please stop questioning every bloo. . ."
"Alright that's quite enough Severus." Albus said cutting him off in mid-
rant. "I think the best thing to do at this stage is to believe that Voldemort knows how to get Harry at the Dursleys. I also think we should
be prepared. Look where rushing into things got us last time..."
Snape muttered something that sounded distinctly like "Bloody Potter."
"In any case Albus," Arthur countered "Don't you think it would be best
to get Harry out of there as soon as possible. Just incase Voldemort
attacks ahead of schedule?"
Albus Dumbledore sighed, his eyes loosing their seemingly ever present twinkle as he nodded his head. "Tomorrow. Remus, Tonks. I'd like you two to go and fetch Harry and bring him back to Hogwarts. I'll inform Hagrid
as well."
He received two nods from the pair.
"Is that all for tonight Albus? I really should be going, the Ministry is starting to keep tabs on the "people of importance" and I appear to fall into that category. I don't want them to start following me so I best not
disappear for too long."
"Please, don't hurry off just yet Kingsley, there is still one more item
on our agenda." Albus surveyed the people in the room and noted the
mixture of curious and wary expressions. He sighed and continued speaking. "A contact of mine has turned up another prophesy and all those
who have seen it believe that it is related to our cause."
This news was met by groans. "Not another bloody prophesy Dumbledore." Mundungus complained. "I'm sick of 'em. We're gettin' a new one every six
months!"
Dumbledore smiled grimly. "I know, but this one has come from a very reliable Elven seer and I think it would be rather foolish if we were to
go on as we are and not even acknowledge it existence."
Remus nodded in agreement. "It could help us out. What sort of hidden
message does the prophesy contain?"
Albus looked around the room and then, recited from memory;
"One from each of the four houses,
with abilities beyond their reckoning
shall conquer only when they are able to unite.
Only under the guidance of that which is not known
will they be capable of coming into themselves
And only when they come into themselves
will the be able to come into each other."
Silence.
"Four houses?"
"That which is not known?"
"When they come into themselves they come into each other?"
"Sorry Albus but that's the screwiest one so far."
"Care to tell us what it means?" Tonks asked.
Albus looked at her gratefully. "I believe that the Four houses referred
to are..."
"Let me guess," Mundungus interrupted. "Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff
and Ravenclaw?"
"Well done Fletcher, care to fill in the rest of the gaps?" Severus
sneered sarcastically.
"Oi!"
"Please children, if you would allow me to finish the rest." Nods all
around. "Good, good, what it is saying, to the best of my knowledge, is that no one alone can 'conquer the enemy' but if united, these four will
be able too. I believe that "The guidance of that which is not known"
refers to themselves. They're not know. They don't know themselves
because of these 'hidden capabilities'. Do you all understand?"
"Umm...yeah. I guess," Mundungus said with tones of skepticism tinting
his voice. "Excellent. Now we can all go home. I can't speak for anybody else but I
could really use a cup of mint tea and some lemon drops."
"And I really should be going as well," Kinsley said standing up. "Good
bye."
One by one, the men and women left until it was just Remus and Tonks. "Is it just me," Tonks asked, seeming a little confused" Or did Albus seem as
in the dark with that prophesy as the rest of us?"
Remus patted her arm lightly. "It will all work out" he said heading out
the door, and a moment later, Tonks followed.
****************
The gray fog was thick and Sirius Black was more unnerved by the fact that
he couldn't see through it to what was underneath him, then by the fact that he was falling. He didn't know if it would end, or if he would just continue to fall for the rest of eternity. As the matter around him thinned
out he fell faster, tumbling on into the fog.
***************
Like it? Hate it? Want to hit me over the head with your monitor?
