My Salvation

AUTHORS NOTE: Yay! Two chapters up within a month! I'm on a roll, lol. *!~

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling, I will not claim that I own Harry Potter, I will not attempt to kidnap J.K. Rowling to make her sign over the rights of Harry Potter. (Repeat)

Severus Snape was not a happy man! Especially not when it was summer vacation and he was being dragged from his research and into the potions classroom because his wards had sounded...

"I swear if its that bloody poltergeist again I will not rest until I manage to find, brew, and use a potion that will expunge that miserable Peeves from existence!" He snarled as he quickly made his way towards his potions classroom, cloak billowing behind him with every step he took.

When he finally reached his classroom door he was slightly shocked to see the door slightly ajar.

Quickly making his way forward and into the classroom he looked around for who or what ever dared to breach his sanctuary without his consent. However the scene that met his eyes was far worse than any that had run through his mind of Peeves mixing up labels or writing crude words onto his chalkboard. No the scene that met his eyes left the spy completely speechless save for one word...

"Petunia..."

CHAPTER 10: My Destiny

The door to the infirmary banged open yet again only this time there was a tall, black clad, potions master looming just outside of it, his expression irate as he supported the weight of one Petunia Dursley who was currently unconscious.

Severus Snape had been jarred from his research by his wards sounding only to find that Petunia had not only found a way to get into Hogwarts but also into his classroom, disrupted his wards, and was currently laying unconscious on the cold dungeon floors.

Now some may say that he was a cold unfeeling bastard, and though that may be true, he wasn't about to leave someone to die on his classroom floor. Potter and his idiotic friends were already against him despite Dumbledores reassurances just imagine what they would do if Potters aunt were to be found dead in his classroom... Wait!

What in Merlin's name was Potters aunt doing in his classroom!? Merlin help him if Albus had moved that brat into the castle! Didn't he get tortured enough throughout the school year!?

Oh well, those were questions for another time. For now he should probably get Petunia up to Poppy before he tracked Albus down and, depending on his answer, possibly get rid of one of the dark lords greatest obstacles...

And that is how he found himself here, in the doorway to the infirmary with an unconscious Petunia in his arms and fourteen different pairs of eyes on him.

Upon a quick analysis of the room Severus very nearly dropped Petunia in shock! There off to the side was Potter looking as if the Hogwarts Express had hit him full on, Dumbledore with almost all of the Weasley clan as well as Granger, Remus Lupin looking better than he had been as of late, but it was the identity of the other three in the room which not only shocked him but also made him believe that he was hallucinating.

There on the same couch as the wolf were Sirius Black, James Potter, and Lily... His Lily... No! Lily was dead! They were all dead! There was no way he was seeing them unless...

"Am I dead?" He somehow managed to choke out, his eyes wide and glued onto Lily's motionless form...

"No no no, not at all my dear boy!" Dumbledore was quick to assure him that infernal twinkle in his eyes.

"Then explain to me why..." He trailed off as an idea suddenly began form in his mind. He looked up at Dumbledore his eyes blazing fiercely, "Dumbledore! If you mean to tell me that this is some form of a test," He gestured to the people gathered around him, "If this is the reason that that boy," He pointed fiercely towards Harry, "Is in that condition then I assure you that I will do everything in my power to end this! That boy has been through far too much already without you adding this on!" He very nearly shouted.

"Wow professor, it's nice to know that you care," Came a small and tired voice off to the side of the room...

"Come Harry Potter, all will be explained soon..." The phoenix said as it turned in the air so that its back faced him.

Harry moved slowly, unsure of himself yet knowing that this what what he was meant to do as he carefully climbed onto the back of the majestic creature.

The second that he was firmly situated between the phoenix's shoulder blades, either he had grown a lot smaller or the phoenix had just gotten a whole lot bigger, the phoenix took flight. The wings that were now three times as long as Harry was tall flapping gracefully as he enjoyed the wind as it ruffled his hair.

After a few moments of comfortable silence the phoenix began to speak again, its ethereal voice harmonising effortlessly with the gentle strains of phoenix song.

"You my child are a very special young man... You have faced so much evil and darkness in this world and yet you have managed to survive unscathed..." Harry was just about to interrupt, indignation burning within him, when the phoenix continued. "Calm yourself young one. I do not mean physically... I meant your soul... For someone so young to have faced so much evil... And yet your soul remains strong.

"We have decided that it is time for your destiny to be revealed to you... You have already been told of one such destiny... Sybill Trelawney I believe is the one who has given this 'prophecy' am I correct?" The voice now had a hint of scorn to it's voice... Why was that? Harry wondered before realising that he had been asked a question and that the phoenix was waiting for him to answer.

"Y-yes. That's correct," Harry couldn't help but stammer. Was this phoenix male or female? He didn't know and quite honestly was afraid to ask, he wasn't about to check!

As if knowing what Harry was thinking the phoenix laughed, "It is alright to ask questions young one. No doubt this is all very confusing to you! My name is Meskhenet. It means Destiny..."

"It... Sounds Egyptian?" Harry asked nervously. He wanted to know more about this Meskhenet.

Meskhenet's laughter filled the air again as they kept flying before she replied again.

"Yes Harry, my name is indeed Egyptian, and to answer your confusion I am a female of my kind."

"Oh," Was all that Harry could get himself to say as he felt his cheeks heat up with a ferocious blush, Meskhenet's laughter still filling the air.

"I promise you young one, to tell you of my story, but first you must be made aware of why you're here. You shall be made aware of many things that will no doubt shock you... However, I am not the one that will bring about your true destiny. I am merely the deliverer... The one who prepares you. Your destiny awaits in the hands of five whose names your people hold dear... Do you understand little one?"

"Um... Yes, I think so. But I'm not sure who those five people are..." Harry responded after a moment to contemplate what Meskhenet had said. She was just taking him where he was meant to go. Telling him what he would need to know before he met these five people... whoever they were.

"That is correct." Meskhenet responded, she sounded... Proud. "The first thing that you must know Harry is that not all of your memories are correct or in place."

"You mean my memories been messed with!?" Harry burst out, his heart racing as he thought of anything he could remember, trying desperately to find the holes.

"Calm yourself little one!" The phoenix said gently as though it knew what Harry were thinking, which Harry was pretty sure it did. "All will be made well again, do not fret. I merely wished for you to know before you meet the five. This is a shock, I know, but trust me young one it will be alright in the end. The five shall restore what has been taken from you, this I swear."

"Alright," Harry knew that Meskhenet wasn't lying... He didn't know why but he trusted that feeling anyway. "You... You said that was only the first thing? What else is there?"

"There is only one more thing that I can prepare you for little one. And I am afraid that this shall upset you greatly... Even more so than the last that I have told you."

"I-I'm ready... I need to know," Harry managed to get out, his Gryffindor courage surging to the surface.

"Very well young one. Have you heard of a self fulfilling prophecy before?" Meskhenet waited, turning its head to look back at Harry and see his confused nod. "Unfortunately the prophecy that has surrounded you since before you were born is one... But also not quite."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, a self fulfilling prophecy but, not as well? What did that even mean!?

Meskhenet seemed to sigh, as though she would rather not have to say this part...

"Sybill Trelawney is an errant fraud. She makes false prophesies that never come to pass except, ironically, in your case. She has only made two which fulfilled themselves. The first, because she wished for safety within the halls of Hogwarts under the protection of Albus Dumbledore, the only reason that it came to pass is because it was overheard and told to the one she claimed it to be about. The second, which she had 'predicted', was actually aimed for Sirius Black not Peter Pettigrew. Do you understand now little one?"

Harry felt as though his whole world had just been ripped out from under his feet. If it hadn't been for her he wouldn't have to put up with all of this! No Boy-Who-Lived, no Dursleys, no nothing! Pettigrew wouldn't have sold out his parents, Sirius wouldn't have gone to Azkaban, his parents wouldn't be dead, none of this would have ever happened!

"I know that you are angry right now little one. You have every right to be... Unfortunately however, you can do nothing about it at the current moment. Do not let your anger consume you."

Harry focused on his breathing as he tried desperately to calm himself. Meskhenet was right, he couldn't do anything about it now. He just needed to calm down... Breathe...

"Very good young one," Meskhenet said softly as he finally began to calm down. "Now, I do believe that I promised to tell you about myself correct?" She waited yet again on Harry's nod before she continued...

"I was born a very long time ago... Back when the earth was still only beginning. Back then, the world was full of magic." Meskhenet's voice was so soothing that it seemed to paint the picture right in front of him as they continued to fly...

"Back then, those that had magic and those that did not, lived together in harmony all across the globe. I was born with many brothers and sisters, it is rare now that we live outside of our homeland, but you have met one of my brothers already I believe. Back in the days of old we were free to explore without the risk of cruel capture that stands now. On occasion we would bond with a human who could wield magic or we would come to love a place as a second home.

"I came to love the land of Egypt... It was very beautiful and still is, though after a while a darkness began to take over the land... A pharaohs cruel reign had begun, this pharaoh had decided to enslave those who had the gift of magic. He forced them to do his bidding and the land wept..."

Meskhenet's tale continued. She told of how this was one of many dark wizards, how Moses- a untrained wizard- had faced him and somehow managed to seal the pharaohs power. She told of all the magical creatures she had befriended only for them to go extinct from being hunted by muggles who were afraid. Of her brother who was the first to defeat a basilisk but had died in the process. She told him of the phoenix's homeland which had never been seen by any mere mortal and of how the phoenix's that lived there never faced a burning day.

Apparently burning days were how phoenix's purged themselves of any and all dark magic that had surrounded them, it was their way of re-purifying themselves.

Harry hadn't noticed how truly enthralled he had been by Meskhenet's tale until he felt them landing. Looking up in shock Harry saw five cloaked figures standing not even twenty feet away as he slowly slid down from Meskhenet's back.

"This is where I leave you little one, but remember, this shall not be the last time that I see you. Farewell and good luck!"

With that Meskhenet turned and flew into the distance, fading a little more with each flap of her wings.

Taking a deep breathe Harry turned around to face the five cloaked figures. He was ready... It was time that he faced his destiny, once and for all...

~*!END OF CHAPTER 10*~

AUTHORS NOTE: I had hoped to have Harry's destiny revealed in this chapter but unfortunately I was forced to split it and have the meeting with the five and his 'true destiny' in the next chapter. I'm sorry guys, it's been a really long week and I'm exhausted. I'm just happy I managed to get this done for you all! :D So thats a plus!

Bonus Point Totals:

Lilykees: 5 points

akiradreham: 3 points

Cosmyk Angel: 6 points

Alex Lily Potter: 3 points

POTTERPHILE: 3 points

Bonus Point Question: Who do you think these mysterious five are? What do you think will happen? (Total of 8 points available for this one folks! 1 for each name and 3 for what happens!)