Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, they all belong to JKRowling, the plot is just mine.
A/N: Contains Spoilers
Chapter 1 – The Beginning
Snap! The camera shutter clicked shut, expelling a cloud of purple fog, consuming the people waiting in front. Lily and James grinned at each other, over Peters head, laughing through the haze. The August leaves falling behind them, they stood up and made their way through the ensuing chaos of fighting to get back inside first, and shelter from the biting wind.
James grabbed the wrists of his best friends Sirius and Remus, and pulled them through the chattering crowd. Sirius was pulled away from Dorcas Meadows, his current interest. She batted her eyelids at him as he blew kisses from his free hand. Remus Lupin rolled his eyes from above heavy bags, shadowing his distinctive features, brown hair, peppered with premature strands of grey, framed his face.
Still chuckling, Lily snatched up Alice and her husband Frank from their conversation with Emmeline Vance. They skipped inside Potter Manor grinning, cares of the dark days forgotten. Peter followed them. They jolted still as one when the stepped inside, and remembered Martha, the first member of the Order of the Phoenix to be killed, just last week. Her bags lay before them.
"How can we be allowed to laugh? When people are dying all around?" Lily asked, her face sheet white as she released Frank and clutched her husbands shoulder.
"How can there be love in a world like this?" Alice asked Frank as she buried her face in his shoulder.
The newly solemn, youngest members of the Order went up the ornate staircase and sat on the landing, gazing up at the forefathers of James Potter.
"Whose on duty tonight?" asked Remus, "All I know is that it's not me, James, Sirius or Peter"
"'Course not, it's the full moon. I'd forgotten" commented James
"Edgar Marlene, Dedalus, Moody and Caradoc" recited Peter tonelessly. He then gasped a little squeak and put his long nailed hand over his mouth.
"How did you know that?" exclaimed Remus.
Peter went flushed from white to scarlet, "erm…er…" he stuttered "Dumbledore told me, yes that's right, Dumbledore told me"
"Right…" said Sirius, shaking his head, "so anyway, what do you lot think about Dorcas' new perfume? Sweet or what?"
The moment passed away, the group groaned.
§
It was getting dark; Dumbledore stood up from the elaborately carved, mahogany chair and stretched. He cast a long opaque shadow on the stone walls, which flickered from the light of the fire.
"Right Minerva, I'm off to go interview this new Divination teacher. The Gods know that I don't want to, but there we are. Hogwarts' Heads must do their duty" he sighed.
"Albus, why?" Professor McGonagall asked "How are we any closer to winning this war, with or without burbling, nonsense-spewing hags?"
"We have to keep the school running as close to normal as possible. Hagrid still does the game keeping when he can, doesn't he? You still teach our students how to turn a lemur into a zebra don't you? I still come in as often as we can, don't I. If this woman turns out to be a burbling, nonsense-spewing hag then I'll give up. Deal?"
"Alright Albus, but just so you know, I'm not happy. Where is this woman anyway?" she inquired
"Hogs Head, delightful isn't it? These are new robes as well" Dumbledore shook his head. "Well we can't all be prosperous at the beginning of our lives. We all know that I wasn't"
Minerva McGonagall lifted herself from the cushioned seat and sighed "Stay safe Albus" she put a wrinkled hand on his shoulder and swept out of the room, robes whispering
"I try to, my love, I try to" Dumbledore murmured after her.
§
Dumbledore's robes cast a trail in the dirt on the floor of the Hogs Head bar. The filth of decades was wiped away and clung to the silk lining. A good cleaning charm probably wouldn't be enough. Groaning inwardly, he approached a frizzy haired woman, downing almost a whole bottle of sherry. The pungent aroma nearly over-powered the Professor as he steeled himself to approach the grimy table.
He offered a hand for her to shake "Good evening, I am Albus Dumbledore, Head of Hogwarts School"
"Sure you are, pull the other one" she slurred, her eyes slightly bulging. "I'm the dark wizard Grindelwald"
"No, he's very dead madam. Would I be right in assuming that you are Miss Trelawney?" Dumbledore asked "You applied for a post at my school?"
"Shit, you are the old… Professor" she cursed
"Yes, I'm afraid that I am getting on a bit" he smiled good naturedly "Perhaps we could go up to your rooms? And get… acquainted"
The burbling nonsense-spewing hag got up and shook herself. Her back came up straight and she looked proud. "May I start again?" without waiting for an answer she continued "I am Sybill Patricia Trelawney, the great, great-granddaughter of Cassandra Trelawney. Good evening"
"Good Evening" they shook hands at last.
"My room is this way"
Dumbledore smiled at the bartender, and received a shadow of a wink back. Dumbledore's brother kept up appearances.
They climbed a creaking stair case, where a broken ankle was threatened at every step. The dust lay thick on the banister, which splintered and fell away at a touch. Dumbledore shook his head, it may be cheap but there was no excuse for neglect. This was filth in its most accentuated state. It was disgusting. The landing had already been damaged by an overly heavy witch or wizard, searching for bargain prices. The bargain had failed.
As they entered the first room on the left, Dumbledore cast a quick Warn-Me spell, a habit picked up from these dark days. They forced open the rusting handle. It creaked open venomously. "I apologise for the state of this place" Sybill said. She swept her around the clothes strewn around the floor and occult symbols hang from the ceiling.
"That's quite alright; I have seen my students' rooms and they are in a much worse state than this" Dumbledore lied through his teeth.
Trelawney laughed at that.
"I was wondering if you could 'see' something for me" Dumbledore asked courteously
"The gift does not work like that" replied Sybill angrily, promptly.
"Oh, sorry" apologised Professor Dumbledore "I am afraid that I have gotten used to the prestigious skills of our former Divination teacher."
Sybill gasped at the jibe "Sir, I am offended"
"I apologise, I assure that no offence was meant"
"That's is alright, if I may perform my skills to you I would be deeply honoured" she said
The night passed by with a display of palm reading, dream interpretation and tea leaf reading. After two hours of this, with no real skill portrayed, Dumbledore bade the goodbye and began to leave, when a harsh voice broke through the air. At that moment, the Warn-Me spell gave Dumbledore a harsh twinge. There was someone at the door.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…"
Dumbledore looked around wildly, instinct taking over without any thought. He took control and took his wand in his hand.
"Born to those who have thrice defied him…"
Trying to both take this in and cast a spell, Dumbledore felt very distracted and struggled momentarily. His wand to his temple, he called his brother from the bar below. The professor could not leave at that moment.
"Born as the seventh month dies…"
At that moment, Aberforth burst through the door, Severus Snape held in front of him, struggling to hide his face with his black curtain of hair.
"Get him out of here, quickly Aberforth" yelled Dumbledore
The door closed with a shuddering slam
"And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…"
Dumbledore devoted his entire mind to the prophesising woman, taking in every word.
"And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…"
The words imprinted themselves on Dumbledore's memory, and he shuddered as he thought of what this could mean.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies"
Sybill Trelawney gave a huge shudder and opened her huge pale eyes to the reality around her.
"I apologise sir, I don't know what happened right there"
"That's quite alright madam, I have heard enough. You're hired