A/N Thank you to all those that have commented. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

His hearing at the Ministry of Magic had come and gone. Umbridge, a vile woman, had nearly seen him expelled from Hogwarts. If it had not been for the weight of Dumbledore's testimony, he would have been. At least it was over and he could return to school to continue his struggle against Voldemort. Strangely, his scar had been very quiet the last few months since Voldemort's return. He could not be certain what that meant, but anything out of the ordinary with Voldemort meant something was brewing.

Outside the courtroom, Dumbledore swooped down upon Harry. His blue cloak billowed and his face looked stern. Harry almost flinched at the sight. He had never seen the man act so strange before. When Dumbledore tried to put on a show he did it in style, but this was pushing it even for him.

"Harry, there is something that I need to show you." His bright blue eyes did not sparkle as they usually did and his voice was solemn and blunt. To Harry it sounded like this was the last thing that the Headmaster wanted to do.

Placing his hand protectively around Harry's shoulder, he began leading him through the maze of corridors within the Ministry of Magic. "Harry, what I am about to show you today is something that you cannot share with anyone." Harry tried to interrupt but he was abruptly silenced by the man. Chastised, he stared down at his feet.

Dumbledore's long grey beard trailed over his shoulder due to the brisk pace at which he walked. "This is not a joke and concerns grave matters. At this very moment I alone know what I am about to reveal to you. Your parents knew and to my eternal sorrow it formed part of their sacrifice. I ask that what I will show you not to be revealed to anyone."

The shudder that ran up and down Harry's body had little to do with the cold corridor they were walking down. When it passed his head jerked up and something akin to hate began to boil inside him with the knowledge that the headmaster had something to do with the death of his parents. The sombre tone of Dumbledore's voice coupled with the turmoil in Harry would have been enough to make any man feel ill. What he said just made the sickening feeling worse. "I will not reveal it to the others at headquarters," Harry replied quietly without really knowing why he said anything. There was little use in fighting. Dumbledore nodded.

Passing through a single small door they emerged into a large expanse. The ceiling was far away and shelves towered up to into the sky and seemed to almost disappear before reaching the limits of the room. Each shelf was stacked full of glowing orbs. Each one was small and its radiance dull. The only illumination came from magical candles fixed to the wall at set intervals.

They continued to walk with the same sense of urgency. Dumbledore had a destination in mind and nothing was going to interrupt him. "Ah, ninety-seven," Dumbledore said, finally turning down another smaller corridor of shelves. Eventually, he stopped and Harry's gaze turned towards an object that held Dumbledore's attention.

Harry's eyes almost bulged. On the shelf stood a small orb with his name on it – not only his name but the Dark Lord's as well.

"Take it," Dumbledore said with a firm commanding voice.

A ripple of frustration caused Harry to frown, but he complied, reaching out, knowing that arguments would be futile. Once Harry held the orb, Dumbledore gripped his arm and a now familiar feeling of being pulled through a tube passed over him. With a lurch he opened his eyes to find himself on top of the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts.

"How?" Harry whispered once he managed to orientate himself to his new surroundings.

"As Headmaster I have a certain number of perks when it comes to the rules of the school. One of them being the ability to Apparate in and out of the school," he answered hurriedly. The topic was not what he wanted to discuss.

The sky was clear and the typical cool Scottish breeze blew through the openings in the tower. Harry shivered, this time from the actual cold. "Harry, may I please have the orb," Dumbledore asked in an emotionless voice that sounded resigned. Harry wanted to object, seeing that everyone was ordering him around, but he passed it to the Headmaster. Harry's shoulders slumped. With all the budding rage and anger in him towards the Headmaster, he was still sure that Dumbledore knew what was best. If not, then what was left for him to believe in?

"Listen carefully to what you are about to hear. I am sure you have a lot of questions that you want answered about your life. This will provide you with the one answer that shaped all the others."

Harry's head tilted to the side wondering what Dumbledore could possibly mean. His hand brushed through his hair and his face filled with anticipation as Dumbledore dropped the orb onto the stone floor with a sharp crash releasing a pale haze. A voice began to speak from within the growing mist

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... Once marked by lightning, he lay in waiting. Twice marked the dragon, his powers shall arise. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

The voice died away and a visibly shaken Harry fell back against the railings. That barrier that slammed into his back was all that stood between him and a hundred foot drop. His face paled while his body refused to move.

His mind raced to understand the meaning of what he had just heard. He could not be the only one to have the power to defeat Voldemort. What was this power that he would have? Harry shivered in horror. The prophecy did not indicate who would end victorious. It merely stated that he would have a power that Voldemort knows not and that either would die at the hand of the other. It was too much to take in. His mind whirred and went into overdrive. Power, death, power, death, his mind kept repeating. The meaning of the words were hidden deep within the lines and the answers would probably only come when it was all over.

While his mind clawed desperately for meaning, Harry's hand tenderly reached up to his forehead and felt the familiar ridge that was the lightning bolt scar. Just touching it made him want to retch. The thing was vile and filled with evil, at least it felt that way. The other word seemed significant, dragon, what did it mean twice marked?

Dumbledore eased an arm around Harry and supported him. Calm returned slowly once Harry felt the comforting arm behind him. His mind returned to his surroundings and he began to hear the words coming from Dumbledore's mouth. "… a lot to take in, but I will take you home now so that you can think the words over before I speak to you again."

Harry wanted to shout at the man, but he nodded dumbly instead. How could he let him listen to that and then leave him alone with no one to share it with? Incoherent words that were ignored came from his lips. The day had simply been too much. Darkness enveloped him just as it began to feel like he was being pushed through yet another tube.

His eyes fluttered open a few hours later. The familiar feel of his bed greeted his wakening body. The warmth of the blankets had made him feel comfortable. Surprisingly he faintly felt the presence of someone's hand against his. Rolling his head to the side where he knew a person to be sitting, his gaze fell upon Ginny. She was sitting on the edge of his bed staring at nothing in particular. Her eyes were distant – somewhere in a world of her own. Her thumb was casually brushing the back of his hand.

Why did this have to happen to him? Hate and frustration slipped away and were replaced by despair. Even before today, he knew that he should not be with her. Helplessness dominated his feelings as he studied Ginny.

She waited patiently for Harry to wake. Harry wanted to hide, the supposed day or two of keeping Ron and Hermione to one side had turned into a week and their relationship had still not been healed properly. Harry had known that it was childish to keep them at arm's length but at the time it was all that he could do as he let his emotions dominate his actions. He regretted the decision now more than ever knowing that it had been rash. He needed people around him for support and he did not want to place all his worries on Ginny's shoulders, no matter how willing she was. The friendship he shared with them needed to be mended, but he was too cowardly to talk to them – especially now that he had Ginny as a friend.

"Hi," his voice came out hoarsely. "How long have I been lying here?" These words sounded slightly more normal.

Ginny's face brightened at the sound of his voice and she leaned forward as if to place a kiss on his cheek. She paused with a slight blush. "Hi Harry," she replied and her eyes sparkled regardless, lifting his spirits. Being with her was almost like a roller coaster, endless ups and downs that shifted rapidly. "You have been here about three or four hours. I lost track some time ago." Her voice sounded animated. His skin tingled abruptly before the feeling faded as rapidly as it began, causing him to sigh loudly.

"Dumbledore said that you were exhausted after the trial and that he gave you a sleeping potion of some sort." She frowned faintly at his sudden chuckle, but then continued. "I am so glad that the trial went well and that you weren't expelled. Then again, none of us thought that it would happen. It's just a relief to know that it went as expected," Ginny continued while bouncing slightly on the bed as she held onto his hand with both of hers.

For a moment he wished that he could be as relaxed and carefree as she. Would it be possible for him to simply have a life of his own? His life had been strained enough. Now with the added pressures of a prophecy that clearly stated that he was The Chosen One, he prayed that it would not be too much. He closed his eyes tiredly. "It has been a long day," he added despondently.

Ginny scowled. "Aren't you happy that you are free?" she asked, confusion lacing her voice. Harry bit back a laugh and it came out as a snort. Free? He was now more imprisoned than he had ever contemplated being this morning.

Knowing that he could not tell her what he had heard, he simply stated, "I am, I really am." His fingers caressed her palms and she smiled again when he opened his eyes to look at her. Harry needed some way to vent his pent up frustrations. Why was he being denied his youth? Sitting on the bed with him was the most beautiful girl that he knew and she liked him, probably loved him in some way. Yet, he could barely enjoy her company because worries of a stupid prophecy now hung over his head.

There was perhaps one bright side to this prophecy of doom. Dumbledore might just begin to actually train him in magic. The man would not be able to ignore his development now. Surely Dumbledore would want to step in and take charge of developing him as best he could? Harry frowned and Ginny mistook it for something she had done. "Sorry," Harry told her. "I was just thinking about Dumbledore and all his secrets." It was an honest answer and one that did not reveal anything. If she inquired further he would just ignore it.

When Ginny looked up quickly at the sound of footsteps passing the door, his eyes darkened for a fraction of a second. Hate surged through him like a tidal wave, then was gone.

Ginny happily obliged his concerns, being curious. "What do you mean by his secrets?" Harry bit his lip to stop his anger from spilling out into a rude comment. The action resulted in another snort and in return he received a hard jab against his shoulder. "Stop laughing at me," she pouted, his anger dissipated and the sight of her caused Harry to laugh. Seeking revenge, she changed tactics from pouting to something more devious. Her agile fingers began to attack his sides and Harry nearly screamed at being tickled. Tears began to stream down his face from the effort not to shout. Gathering all his strength he managed to get his hands around her waist. He tossed her onto her back on the bed where he began to give her some of her own medicine in return.

"Stop! Mercy please, mercy!" she panted, her voice was high and squeaky from the strain of not laughing. Making her suffer for a few more moments Harry began to feel a slight tingle again, which caused him to finally let go. For a moment her eyes blazed as if she planned to retaliate, but her arms clutched around her own stomach caused her to pause. "Truce?" she asked. He agreed with a apprehensive smile. The fire in those brown eyes of hers had been replaced by something much more manipulative. His days were numbered and he knew it.

Forcing a crooked smile, he lay down next to her. There was little use in running away. "Thanks for waiting for me to wake." His voice was far away, his eyelids began to feel heavy.

Somewhere in the distance he heard a voice reply, "I will always wait for you." His face stretched into a smile before exhaustion overtook him again.

Waking a few hours later with the comforting warmth of Ginny against his side, he sighed contentedly. It felt strange in a good way to wake up next to her. Each of his movements caused her body to shift. In their sleep one of his arms had slid beneath her body, allowing her head to rest comfortably on his shoulder and as a result her red hair was spread across his chest. The flowery scent of her hair was becoming all too familiar to him.

She began to stir a bit more and her eyes fluttered open as she woke. Realizing where she was her face turned towards his in a rapid movement. Those large brown eyes went wide, but they were sparkling intensely. He could drown in those wide eyes, he determined at that moment. Within the depths of the various shades of soft brown were hidden a few small specks of green, slightly more green in her left eye. The numerous freckles on her face that had once been a mass became distinct individual markings, each one cute and perfect in their own right.

His own green eyes were wide and mere inches away from hers. The struggle inside him intensified and he felt the creature inside him roar. He felt like launching himself into the air with her in his arms. The idea of flying away seemed the most natural thing in the world.

Slowly, ever so slowly, his hand moved away from her side and up to her face, cupping her cheek in his palm. Her lips parted a fraction. He could not help notice how small and fragile she seemed. The normally strong, fiery girl looked as if she were about to fall apart. Moving closer to her, his skin began to tingle. Goosebumps formed on his arms. The world around him dimmed, inconsequential in comparison to her. He could hear her faint breathing echo in his ears as he drew ever closer.

His lips met hers and everything ceased to exist. All that he could think about was the feel of her wet lips against his. Driven by a raging furnace inside he poured more of himself into the kiss. A void that he did not know existed began to fill. He pushed away from her and gasped. His head was spinning and he wanted to laugh. He felt euphoric, a sudden feeling of being able to accomplish anything passed over him. His face was flushed and his emerald green eyes burned with more than just desire.

Ginny had it no better, she was giggling and her expression matched his. Panting for breath they closed the distance between them again and their lips met in another passionate battle for dominance.

The goosebumps began to fade and Ginny settled into his arms again, still trying to breathe normally. She laughed softly to herself and whispered breathlessly, "And I thought one day I would have to settle for someone else." With her arms around Harry she pulled him into a tighter embrace. The warmth of her hold and the look in her eyes had removed all thought of the prophecy from his mind.

Time however passed and with her asleep in his arms and with his emotions under control the words that he heard earlier echoed vividly in his mind. The one with the power… The hand of the other… Twice marked… Over and over the entire prophecy replayed itself.

Each word, each sentence held something disturbing. His own survival was in question, the fate of the world hung on his shoulders. The weight pressed down on him and it was not light. "I… I need to think," Harry said gently before pushing Ginny away from him. She barely mumbled a reply. Getting to his feet he crossed the room to stand in front of the only window.

With his hands behind his back he studied the world outside. Better to analyze the weather than his own fate. The weather did not help his mood. It was gray and dark outside, a thin mist of rain blanketed the street below. The single tree outside swayed in the wind, the only sign of movement.

Could he do this to Ginny? What if he did not succeed?

He wanted to scream and curse fate and all of its bloody prophecies. Instead he kept it all bottled inside. A pair of warm arms encircled his waist and Ginny's warm body pressed against his back. The battle was lost he knew it. Ginny was with him now. Leaving her would only hurt her, and he could not purposefully cause her pain.

Leaning forward he pressed his forehead against the window. The cold attacked his scar, which was warmer than usual.

"Time for dinner!" Mrs Weasley's voice called from below. They jerked away from each other. Two pairs of eyes shot towards the door thinking that someone had come in before they laughed nervously.

"Time for us to go then," Harry whispered, with his body facing her. Now his hand gently stroked her face before he gave her a light peck on the lips. Those pink lips tantalizing him even as he drew away. With his hand in hers, they left the room heading for the kitchen. They did not speak. Harry could not help but worry about Ginny if he failed.

A few paces from the kitchen, he released his grip on her hand and entered the kitchen a stride before her. In doing so he missed the look of hurt that crossed her face. Sitting down at an open chair he noticed the slight irritation on her face. He gave her a look of apology and her mood brightened a little. He hoped that she would understand, he needed time before he made their new relationship known. In fact they had not even discussed what their relationship had become. Were they dating now, or was what happened upstairs just another mistake in the life of Harry James Potter?

Dinner passed quickly enough. Another Order meeting had been scheduled for the evening and the kitchen would be converted into the meeting room. Throughout the evening meal Hermione had been watching Harry carefully, making him feel uncomfortable. Shifting nervously in his seat he spoke for the first time. "May I be excused?" he asked Mrs Weasley.

She seemed slightly taken aback by his sudden question. "Of course, dear," she replied rapidly after she gathered herself. When he stood to leave every eye in the room followed his movements. He left with his eyes downcast, his shoulders slumped, trying to ignore the looks that he was receiving.

Outside the door he immediately heard the gossiping beginning. Running his hands angrily through his hair he ran up the stairs before locking himself in his room. Ron shared the room with him, but he doubted that he would let his roommate in tonight. Another person in the room would mean questions that would need to be answered or ignored. Lack of answers to simple questions would only result in even more – especially after Ron informed Hermione. No, it was better to remain alone. Even Ginny would create turmoil at this moment. Perhaps she would even be the hardest to deal with.

Lying on top of his bed he stared up at the ceiling. There was little else for him to do. Rolling onto his side he picked up the small album that was lying on his bedside table. Reverently he brushed his fingers over the cover before he flipped it open.

Tears began well up in his eyes at the sight of the first picture. His parents stood holding each other, laughing together. They seemed so carefree, so happy and in love. The small bulge around her middle indicated that he was well on his way to being born.

Snapping the cover shut he lifted the album above his head. The desire to throw it across the room was almost overwhelming, but he couldn't find the nerve to follow through. He could not throw away his only link to his parents. Wet streaks streamed down his cheeks. His mother and father sacrificed themselves for him. They tried to stop Voldemort from killing him and now he learned that it was all his fault. He had thought Voldemort had just randomly chosen their house for anther raid.

He dug his face under his pillow and screamed. He had killed his parents, being born was enough to seal their fate. It would have been better if he had never been born. The same anger that he had been feeling all day filled him again. He was angry at Dumbledore for lying to him, he was angry at Voldemort for taking everything that he had ever wanted from him. Anger welled up in him at his parents for not running. They should have saved themselves and left him to die as predicated by the prophecy.

He loathed himself, he was the cause of it all. Without him none of this would have happened. He was the cause of all the suffering in the world. Hating himself even more than those around him, he drifted to sleep. His dreams were intense and confusing, but nothing more horrible than he was used to. A few more elements were added: two dragons flying around in the sky. With a cry he leapt from his bed just before Ginny could be harmed by an unknown assailant.

His body was coated in sweat while his hair was damp and messier than usual. Getting to his feet he found a small comfort in staring out the window. The dream had felt so real – unnaturally so. The pale half moon hung in the air. The rain and clouds of earlier were gone, leaving the pale moon to illuminate his face, highlighting the weariness etched into his skin.

The last few hours of the night passed while he stood by the window. The sun began to rise and the morning light tried to warm him. His legs were aching from standing so long, but he ignored it. The pain at least made him feel alive and the aches told him that he was real.

Deciding that he needed a shower, he left his room with a clean set of clothes and entered the bathroom. Once inside he lost himself in the warmth of the shower. The tension in his back began to loosen and the fogginess in his mind began to clear. There was still hope. He had not been marked twice, his power had not been discovered. Time remained for him to learn what he needed in order to survive.

Closing the taps he dried himself before wrapping a towel around his waist. Studying himself in the mirror he was surprised at the boy that greeted him. Harry was growing taller each year, but he was thin and pale. His face looked gaunt, but that could have been due more to yesterday's events than his general condition. He did not fully believe the lie. His shoulders and body were slumped forwards, as if in defeat.

The door of the bathroom flew open and a soft shriek came from the intruder. Harry jumped slightly and the towel around his waist almost came undone. His hands reached down and grabbed it before it could slide further down. Looking up he noticed that Ginny stood by the door in only her Harpies nightshirt. He gulped at the sight of her long pale legs, his eyes involuntarily scanning them up and down. Her eyes went wide, but she did not move. "Um…" she muttered while her eyes roamed over his exposed upper body.

"Morning," Harry finally managed with a grin. "I guess… I think…" He was lost for words and Ginny still refused to move. The pair just stood, the tension between them building rapidly. The air around them almost crackled from the intensity. The world felt more vivid and goosebumps began to form on his forearms.

Ensuring that his towel was tightly wrapped, he moved towards her, intending to close the door in her face quickly. He was a stride away from her when she took one towards him, throwing her arms around his back pulling him against her. "Gin…" He could say no more before her arms moved to his neck, pulling him down to her. The heat and passion between them was almost overwhelming. If it was not for the sound of a door opening and closing somewhere in the house, he was not sure if they would ever have stopped kissing.

Ginny's eyes flew open in horror when Harry pushed her out door. The situation that they were in would have been highly compromising. With a small yelp she darted down the corridor back to her own room.

Taking a large number of calming breaths, Harry urged the creature in him to relax. With considerable effort he managed to get dressed and ready for the day. When he emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later he had a large smile on his face. Harry Potter was ready for what lay ahead. Prophecies be damned, he would live his life! To some degree, that was.

The joy was short lived, as his problems only grew worse later that day when Ron confronted him while Hermione and Ginny were busy talking in the library.

"What do you think you are doing, messing with Ginny?" roared the voice of the tall red-haired boy. Harry, who was on his way towards the library to talk with Ginny, spun around, only to be confronted by Ron's blazing eyes.

"I am not messing with Ginny," Harry tried to reply calmly. Ron however continued to approach.

"Sure, like kissing her and holding her hand is not messing with her," he contradicted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Harry frowned, confused over why Ron would suddenly be taking so much offense with him dating his sister. Surely Ron could understand that Harry liked his sister and that he would never dream of hurting her. Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys were his only family.

"To think that I trusted you," Ron spat, his eyes beginning to blaze dangerously.

"What do you mean? Of course you can trust me," Harry said defensively. "You know that I would never do anything to harm her or your family." He could feel his own anger at the continued insults beginning to grow.

With the words out of his mouth he tried desperately to calm down. Having a fight with his best friend was not going to solve anything. "Look, Ron," Harry tried again, "I like Ginny and she likes me and we are just seeing how things are going to develop." For crying out loud he was still only fifteen. What was Ron suspecting of him? On second thought, considering his reaction to what he had seen this morning and the way he kissed Ginny, Ron should be a bit protective, but even so this was going a bit far.

"Oh sure," Ron said dangerously, not listening to anything Harry was saying. Silence descended on the deserted corridor. Neither boy spoke as they stared unblinking at each other. Harry was almost frightened at the hate that emanated from Ron's eyes. He had never known that Ron could find it in himself to look so wrathful.

"Please, Ron," Harry said, finally breaking the spell. "Just give us a chance." His voice was pleading. The last thing he wanted was to ruin his friendship with Ron over his sister, but given the choice he knew that he would choose Ginny. The admission pained him.

The fire in Ron's eyes flickered, diminished and then he blinked. "Um…" the tall boy said scratching his neck. Then before anything more could be said Ron turned and left. The distant sound of his bedroom door slamming was the only indication that he was still angry.

"That could have gone a bit better," Harry muttered to himself as he exhaled. His messy black hair was sticking up at even stranger angles after he worked his hands through it while trying to decipher the conundrum that was Ron at the moment.

No answers were forthcoming. Harry prayed that the rest of the summer would not continue like this. If it did, then it was going to be one long hard summer locked up in this confined dark space.