DISCLAIMER: All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing her plot.

A/N: THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED!

Chapter One: Some Kind Of Prophecy

"Do you wanna come with me? 'Cause if you do then I should warn you, you're gonna see all sorts of things."

-The 9th Doctor, Doctor Who

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When the year of the Dark Lord comes,

And evil threatens to swallow the light- -

The first daughter of the first daughter

Will be the only hope...

If SHE cannot save the Betrayed Dog

From going Beyond - -

Then the Chosen One will fall

And the Dark Lord will be forever...

Fire must cast away shadows,

And make the dog-star bright once again...

Powers will merge once Fate has been

Denied - -

Only then can the light prevail

And end the reign of the Dark Lord...

"WHAT THE BLOODY hell was that?"

Sirius Black stood in the far corner of Dumbledore's office, slightly removed from his two best friends. He was nearest to the east wall, which was covered floor to ceiling with portraits of Hogwarts's previous headmaster. As the ghostlike voice had boomed out of the crystal orb and through the large room, Sirius had scanned across the various painted faces. Finally, he located the familiar face of his estranged grandfather glaring down at him. Sirius returned the man's look with one of his own. He spoke in general to the room, but his question was directed at the ancient wizard sitting behind the oak desk in the center of the room. Breaking the glare that he held on his grandfather, Phineas Nigellus Black, in the portrait above him, Sirius turned his back to the dead man and looked at the Headmaster with raised eyebrows. The wizened old man sighed, and ran a hand along his chest-length white beard.

"That, my dear boy, was a prophecy." Sirius's dark brows knit together.

"A prophecy?" He repeated, in a skeptical tone.

"Correct." James Potter, who was seated in one of the leather wing-back chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk, spoke next.

"Sir, aren't prophecies extremely rare?" Both his voice and face clearly expressed his confusion.

"Rare, indeed. This is the first prophecy that I am aware of existing in nearly two hundred years."

"Sir, I thought that all prophecies had to be reported to the ministry." This came from the always logically thinking, Remus Lupin, who sat in the chair next to James. As Sirius looked towards him, he saw that his friend wore the same expression on his face that he often got when figuring out the answer to an especially hard essay question.

"That is the usual protocol in this type of situation, I think. Yes." The Headmaster's eyes were dark as he said this. Sirius was surprised by the grim look on the old man's usually cheerful face.

"Headmaster, sir, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get this...this prophecy thing? If they're so extremely rare, I mean." Curiosity laced his voice, as James looked at their headmaster through his eyeglasses. Sirius and Remus's gazes also turned to the old wizard, who sighed under the weight of their united scrutiny.

"Yesterday, a young witch - who I personally promised, would remain nameless - came into my office and sat in that," he gestured at the chair that James was currently occupying, "exact chair. I was surprised by her unannounced visit...she just isn't the type that usually comes in here...anyhow, she began speaking to me about strange dreams that she had been having recently. Dreams that seemed, for all intents and purpose, to tell of the future. I was surprised at this information...I just never would have imagined...no, better not to say. The things that this young witch told me were quite surprising. Nothing surprised me more, though, than when the she fell into a state of trance." As he spoke, Dumbledore had a faraway look in his eyes, and his jaw was set tight. It seemed as though the things that he was remembering were less than pleasant. Sirius wondered briefly what the mysterious young witch could have said to the wizard to have affected him so strongly.

"But sir, what does this all mean? And why did you call the three of us in here?" Remus's face was troubled as he said this. He glanced next to him at James, and then behind him to Sirius. Their faces all conveyed their agreement that none of them understood where they fit into the prophecy. Dumbledore's hands clasped together atop the sleek desk's face, before he threw his arms wide, gesturing to the three boys in a single gesture.

"This prophecy affects all of you in ways. However, it affects one of you very directly." His eyes landed with intended obviousness on Sirius. His eyes widened as his two best friends turned in their seats to stare at him. Sirius's mouth opened into a small 'O' of understanding, as the prophecy replayed itself over in his mind.

If SHE cannot save the Betrayed Dog...

...make the dog-star bright once again...

"Merlin's balls, are you telling me that you called us in here because you think that this prophecy is about me?"

Dumbledore didn't seem to notice the handsome young man's language. If he did, he at least didn't care. His eyes locked with the boy's across the room from him. Remus and James seemed to be frozen. They both had expressions of complete shock painted across their faces; Remus had a hand thrown up to his mouth, and James looked a bit green. Sirius met Dumbledore's gaze unwaveringly. He was beginning to understand.

All of the unexplained disappearances...the 'random' deaths...the mysterious revolt within the Ministry that they had heard Slughorn talking to Madam Prince about...

"This is what has been happening...isn't it Dumbledore? All of the wonky things that have been happening this past year...It's all been this Dark Lord bloke, hasn't it?"

Remus and James's shocked expressions had quickly turned to understanding. Their eyes also turned to their Headmaster.

"Yes, Sirius. You are entirely correct."

Sirius nodded rapidly, as his two friends made small sounds.

"And this prophecy...this first daughter business...it's about me, then? I'm the 'Betrayed Dog', aren't it?"

It was now the Headmaster's turn to nod, his eyes were heavy with some emotion...sympathy or pity, Sirius wasn't sure which.

"You've known all along, then."

Sirius had moved across the room, to sink down into a large fluffy chair set to the right of the Headmaster's desk. He could now see the faces of his friends. James obviously had no clue what he was referring to, but Remus's eyes were so wide that it seemed like they should pop right out of his skull. He knew. Remus knew that Dumbledore knew. Sirius turned his eyes back to the headmaster. This whole encounter was beginning to make him feel like he was witnessing a Quidditch match. There was so much back and forth in this conversation, but it felt more like he was actually the quaffle. As his eyes scanned across the ancient wizard's face, he nodded once, slowly.

"How long have you known, then?"

The Headmaster smiled. For a moment, his face lit up, before turning grim once more.

"My dear boy, I pride myself in knowing what is going on at Hogwarts at all times. You three...four, really...have managed to keep this extremely dangerous secret to yourselves for nearly three years. Now that we're all in on the secret, officially, I have to confess: I've always been terribly impressed by you three."

"You're impressed by us?" Remus's voice was thick with emotion. Sirius's eyes flew to his best friend's face. It was clear to him that James was terrified that they were about to be reported.

"Mate, if he had called us here to report us, he wouldn't have bothered telling us about this prophecy business. Right, Dumbledore?" James had apparently been thinking along identical lines as Sirius. It was quite strange how the friends had always shared an almost psychic connection. He caught his best mate's eyes, and smiled. James grinned his trademark grin in return.

"Quite right my boys. Animagi transformations are very dangerous. But you've all already done it. Therefore, in my mind there is no reason for harsh words on the subject. However," his eyes scanned the faces of the three students in for of him. The silence was loaded, and became nearly unbearable to Sirius. He hated silence; he got quite enough of it at home. "However, although I have not called you in here to report, belittle, or otherwise punish you...I do need to ask a very large favor of you boys. The future is in quite a lot of danger, and time is becoming precious."

The boys shared a look as their Headmaster finished speaking. They decided without words. This was Dumbledore asking for their help. Moreover, Sirius was in danger, or something. He was apparently going to be betrayed by someone, at the very least.

"What is it, sir?" Remus's face was dead serious, no hesitation in his voice.

"Yeah Dumbledore, we're ready. Anything to help you, and help our best mate here." James's eyes slid over to Sirius, who would have teared up at the worried look on his friend's face...if he were a lesser man, that is. Sirius never cried, because men didn't cry. Or at least, Black's didn't. He would be chopped up, and fed to dragons if his father ever caught even mist in his eldest son's eyes.

"Wait, sir. Did you just say the future?" Sirius's eyebrows shot to his hairline. He couldn't have heard the man right. Dumbledore smiled at his expression.

"Indeed. I have called the three of you here, because you are the only ones that I trust with this mission. In my desk drawer, I have an unregistered time-turner. Sixteen turns, should take you to the year, 1999. This is when the young seer told me you will be needed."

They processed that information for a moment, as Dumbledore leveled them all with an appraising look.

"What are we supposed to accomplish there, sir?" Remus's face was set in a determined expression.

"You're goal is to find the first daughter, of the first daughter. She should be at Hogwarts somewhere, although I have no idea whether you will find her as student, or as staff member. Once you have found her, you need to do whatever you can to help her in saving you, Sirius."

"Can we tell anyone who we are?" James's face had taken on an excited expression, making Sirius smile a bit. Adventure was what James Potter lived for. Dumbledore seemed to contemplate the question for a moment before answering.

"Before you leave, I plan on changing your appearances, as well as your names. I would prefer that you tell no one who you are, where you are from, or what your intentions are. But really, when have any of you followed the rules before?" Dumbledore laughed as he said this, making Remus blush, James smile sheepishly, and Sirius join in with his own bark-like laughter. "So I will no forbid you from speaking your secrets to anyone. Just please, use the utmost caution when deciphering who can be trusted. Oh, also, I have a letter here for, well - myself. How strange, the ocean of time truly is."

Less than a half-hour later, the three best friends were spinning the small golden hourglass sixteen times. In a flash of shimmering light, the three boys vanished.

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A/N: Review, please!