Disclaimer:I do not own anything related to Harry Potter, nor do I make money out of this fanfiction: everything belongs to J. K. Rowling. I own nothing but my copies of the books and DVDs. And my fanattitude. Boy am I hooked on this goddamn story. POTTER FEVER!
Pairing:Dramione. (Draco/Hermione, for those who wouldn't know... really, where have you been for the last ten years? Living under a rock? ;) )
Rating:M
Context: Ok, so, I started writing this a long time ago, right after I read the fifth book (a long time ago, as I said, since I purchased it and read it as soon as it was released). It's in their sixth year, however, it does not take into account the sixth book, as (obviously) it wasn't released when I started writing this, and it actually kinda screw me over, lol. However I was pretty young when I started it, so I'm kinda revamping the whole thing for you, keeping my original idea of course. So, it's an AU. Voldemort's power is rising, Death Eaters are on the loose, people are getting afraid and paranoid... it seems that only a miracle could end this war and bring peace yet again on the wizarding world.
Note: Ironically, I find the track "Snape and the Unbreakable Vow" to be extremely fitting for this chapter. Or maybe it's just me loving this track to death.
Full Moon
Chapter 1: An ordinary dinner
It was Chritmas' Eve. Despite the fact that the atmosphere in the school was heavier than it normally was, due to the recent events, Dumbledore had insisted that they should organize a special dinner, like they usually did. When some teachers had tried to argue against it, saying it wasn't normal to do so in such situation, he had responded that Voldemort (everyone but McGonagall had shuddered at the sound of his name) would only grow more powerful if his presence stopped ordinary people from doing ordinary things, such as a Christmas banquet.
Most of them had seemed to think that Dumbledore was officially off his rocker, but he didn't mind at all and went on with organizing Christmas Eve for his students.
Little did he know, every single student had been called back home for the holidays, which was most unusual. Generally, at least some of them would stay.
"Strange," McGonagall commented, looking at the empty tables of the Great Hall. "You would expect people to try and keep their children in the safest place, namely Hogwarts."
Dumbledore smiled kindly, not bothered at all that his well prepared banquet lacked the most important element - guests.
"You would also expect parents to try and have their children near them. They think it's safer."
"Delusional," Snape simply and coldly stated.
"Perhaps, but parents being what they are... also, some of them have no faith whatsoever in my abilities to protect their sons and daughters. Well, why don't we celebrate ourselves?"
He took a glass of pumpkin juice on the Ravenclaw table, and showed it to his teachers.
"Merry Christmas, my friends."
He then took a sip from his glass, earning him a couple of odd glares, especially from Snape.
"It's Christmas for us too, isn't it? Let's enjoy this dinner the elves prepared for our absent students, shall we?"
And so the headmaster sat there, at the Ravenclaw table, quickly followed by Hagrid and professor Sprout. With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore turned the pumpkin juice into wine, a more appropriate beverage for them. One after the other, the teachers sat at the Ravenclaw table, with Snape only sitting the last, when he felt obliged by all of his co-workers having done the same. He, however, made a point in sitting as far from the others as he could, arms crossed on his chest and a scowl over his face. It was pretty obvious that this didn't feel right for him, and that he wished nothing but to go back to his office deep into the school's dungeons, and brew some complicated potion.
Slowly but surely, all of them joined Dumbledore in his dinner, and the conversations started. Even the most severe of them were human beings, after all - including Snape.
Though it took Severus Snape several more glasses of wine to become enjoyable than most other people, after a couple of hours, everybody was having a good time, and even the master of potions had been seen laughing at some jokes.
"And then," Hagrid loudly said, "Longbottom - dear Merlin, this boy is going to kill me - decided to hang the-"
But the rest of the teachers would never come to know what Neville Longbottom had done that was so hilarious, because all of a sudden, Trelawney gasped, clenching her fingers around her glass so firmly that it broke, but she didn't mind the red wine on her fingers, nor did she mind the broken pieces of glass that fell in her food. Gasping again, she seized the closest arm - which happened to be Minerva's - and started speaking:
"When the moon is full, the wise becomes a fool..."
Minerva sighed heavily. Everyone knew she disliked Divination. Understatement. She loathed it.
"For the love of Gryffindor, let us enjoy this dinner withou this stupid-"
"Opposites shall attract, enemies shall become lovers... amber will meet iron under the silver light... the Chosen One will merely be a decoy for the true saviour... alabaster skin and purity together, new witch and old wizard, both will lead to the downfall of the Lord... if allowed to love even once... a mere child will be His demise yet again, in the castle of knowledge... this is the miracle we are waiting for."
There was a long silence. While McGonagall looked pretty upset, everyone else was simply looking at each others, clearly wondering what they were supposed to say or do. Pretend it didn't happen? Ask her for more informations? And what was it, exactly? Trelawney blinked, her face showing nothing but confusion, and she looked at Minerva.
"I'm sorry, my dear, you were saying?"
The Animagus scowled and she opened her mouth, clearly about to reply something harsh, but she closed it when her eyes met with Dumbledore's. Don't say anything, the crystal blue eyes said to her. Slowly breathing in, she regained her calm.
"I was simply asking if you could pass me the mash potatoes."
Merlin, did she hate DIvination.
"Gladly."
Trelawney then handed a plate to Minerva - the carrots, to be more accurate. Taking the plate, Minerva shook her head slightly. How could someone who was supposed to be able to predict the future be so dimwitted?
"Severus."
Dumbledore got on his feet. Apparently, he didn't feel like celebrating Christmas anymore.
"I would like to see you in my office. Now."
Snape nodded very slightly, and followed the headmaster without a word. Still confused, the seer looked at her coworkers.
"Is it something I said?" she asked, completely oblivious to the situation.
"Close the door, Severus."
The head of Slytherin obeyed in silence, quietly following Dumbledore with his dark eyes. The older wizard went straight to his Pensieve, drawing his wand.
"Let's..."
He put the wand to his head, slowly pulling out what seemed to be a stray of silver hair.
"Listen to what she has to say one more time..."
He then dropped the filament in the bowl. What seemed to be pure water suddenly went blurr, and a gray, ghost-like version of Trelawney appeared. The memory slowly turned, stuck in the Pensieve.
"When the moon is full, the wise becomes a fool... Opposites shall attract, enemies shall become lovers... amber will meet iron under the silver light... the Chosen One will merely be a decoy for the true saviour... alabaster skin and purity together, new witch and old wizard, both will lead to the downfall of the Lord... if allowed to love even once... a mere child will be His demise yet again, in the castle of knowledge... this is the miracle we are waiting for."
She had repeated it in the exact same way, with the exact same tone and words.
"How do we even know we can trust this?" Snape carefully asked.
He sneered.
"She is known for rambling all day long, after all."
"While most of her predictions are false, she has seen the truth before. Only once before have I seen her like this - and it let to the tragic events we both know."
Severus did not speak and he crossed his arms, his face closed. Of course he knew. Trelawney's last and only prophecy had led to the death of James and Lily Potter, and it had given birth to the myth of Harry Potter. Had it not been for this stupid woman, Potter would be nothing but an ordinary student right now, rather than a famous so-called hero that walked around with an ego even bigger than his father's.
"Again, please."
Dumbledore moved his wand in the Pensieve slowly, softly, and the memory of Trelawney's etheral voice spoke the prediction again. Severus listened very carefully, allowing every single word to sink into his mind.
"Well, for the obvious part, there is a child," Snape slowly said. "Conceived under the full moon by two enemies. Old wizard and new witch don't make much sense, though. Unless the father's child is significatively older than the mother, but then why new instead of young?"
"Maybe it's not the age. Maybe it refers to something else. Prophecies..."
Dumbledore smiled very slightly, as though he was having a good time.
"Prophecies are often very, very tricky... and misleading. If not careful, one can interpret them wrongly. We both know who I am talking about."
Snape's expression became even more sour than usual. Of course he knew. If the Dark Lord hadn't rushed in thinking that Potter had to be killed as a baby, or else he would become a threat, all because of the prophecy he had overheard, then... well, many things would not have happened.
"No need to remind me of it, Albus. Speaking of Potter, he is mentioned again."
His lips formed a bitter smirk.
"How surprising."
"This time, he is 'merely a decoy', though," Dumbledore said, lost in his thoughts. "What is that supposed to mean..."
"That Potter wasn't as important as we thought, obviously."
Dumbledore couldn't help but shake his head. Severus Snape was a very neutral person, except when it came to Harry Potter - whenever it was about the Boy Who Lived, Snape became extremely biaised, and the headmaster could hardly blame him. Some wounds took very long to heal, if ever.
"But a decoy can be very important," he argued.
Severus merely nodded, and decided it was better not to carry on with this topic. Speaking of Potter made his skin crawl.
"The castle of knowledge is most likely Hogwarts. The parents of the child mentioned are probably within our walls, which is good. We might be able to spot the mother and protect her, if the need arises."
He sighed very lightly.
"I don't suppose we could simply ask her about her own prophecy? More details about what she saw?"
Dumbledore shook his head.
"Sadly, no. As you probably noticed, she doesn't know she made that prophecy - she can't remember her real predictions. When she gave me the prophecy of the Chosen One, she had no idea it happened."
Snape sneered.
"Convenient," he said rather ironically.
The headmaster gave him a mysterious smile.
"Divination is rarely convenient, Severus..."