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Harry nodded his head in agreement.
"Firstly, Harry, I would like to apologise. I am an old man, and I have made several mistakes which have lead to a great deal of needless suffering on your part. So, I am truly sorry."
Harry looked up at his headmaster. His blue eyes glistened with emotion. "Everyone makes mistakes. That's what makes us human. It's how we respond and learn from those mistakes which define us."
Dumbledore looked taken aback, as did James and Lily. Lily eventually smiled at her son while James continued to look bewildered.
"I've had a lot of time to think about all of this. And recently I've been filled with so much happiness, even despite of everything that's happened, that I can't bring myself to be mad. I... I don't know whether I forgive you or not, to be honest. But, I do understand." Harry continued, ignoring his dad's expression.
Dumbledore's face softened. "Thank you, Harry... that means... more than you could ever know."
Harry nodded, slightly embarrassed, and looked at his hands.
Dumbledore swallowed, steadied his voice and continued.
"So, Harry, I feel that you deserve to know something. When you were in your first year, you asked me why Voldemort was after you, well, I think it's time you're finally told. Around 15 years ago, a prophecy was made about the person who would finally be able to defeat Voldemort. One of Voldemort's spies heard half of it, and recounted it to him. Voldemort then figured out who it was referring to."
"So... it was me?" Harry asked.
"That's the thing, it could have referred to you, or another boy. But, Voldemort convinced himself that it was you, therefore making you the one."
Harry frowned, "okay, I don't mean to be rude, but how on Earth am I going to defeat Voldemort?! You have got to be joking! I'm fifteen and I possess no extraordinary talent! How am I meant to defeat one of the most powerful dark wizards ever?!"
"With the one thing Voldemort doesn't have. The one thing he underestimates. Love. Love, Harry. That, is your greatest strength."
Noticing Harry's confused expression, Dumbledore elaborated. "Voldemort has always underestimated the power of love. Love is the reason that he lost his powers the first time. And love is the only thing that we have against him. In short, how we will all protect each other with our lives and how we are all so closely connected is how we will defeat him. It's something that Tom has always underestimated."
"What exactly did the prophecy say?" Harry inquired.
"That brings me onto the second thing we must discuss. Harry, I have reason to believe that there is some sort of connection between your own and Voldemort's mind." - Lily and James paled - "I am not certain, but if there is, then Voldemort will realise eventually. I hate to have to do this, but I cannot tell you the exact contents of the prophecy in case Voldemort looks into your mind and finds out."
Harry stood up quickly, "then what am I doing here?! If he looks into my mind he'll find out everything! He'll find out who's working for the order, he'll get the general location of headquarters and he'll find out about my parents!"
"Harry, calm down. I can imagine he will already have a general idea regarding who works for us and where we are. And he will find out about your parents eventually. It is simply a matter of when. Believe me, Harry, it's not a matter of trust, we just need to be careful."
Harry slumped back into the sofa and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"So how will we know if they do share a connection?" Lily asked.
"I'm not completely sure, but when Voldemort finds out, I believe Harry will too." Dumbledore continued, watching Harry cautiously.
There was a moments silence.
"Who was the spy who told Voldemort about the prophecy?" James asked curiously.
Dumbledore hesitated. "I... I'm afraid I can't tell you."
James looked outraged, but Dumbledore cut across him.
"We cannot risk compromising the position of the person in question. That is all I will say. It's not personal, James. No one except from myself and the person are aware, yet they do work for us. Of that I am certain." Dumbledore continued with an air of finality.
"Is there a way to break this connection?" Harry asked.
"If it does exist, then there are ways. But, what we will do is teach you occlumency. If the time comes when it is needed, then we will." Dumbledore shifted his gaze back to the nervous teen.
"Is it not best to be safe and learn it anyway?" Harry asked.
"It probably is, and I think that when we return to Hogwarts then it may be more necessary. We will have to simply play it by ear"
"What do you mean?" Lily frowned.
"Well, Harry, have you been struggling to keep your emotions in check ever since Voldemort's return?" Dumbledore asked gently.
"Yeah... particularly at the Dursley's. It's got easier since I came here but I do still always feel the anger just below the surface."
Dumbledore nodded, "well, I believe the reason for that, is love"
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Ever since you've arrived here and been around those you love, you have found it easier to control your emotions which have been heightened ever since Voldemort returned. Particularly anger, am I correct?"
Harry nodded.
"It is my belief that your love and happiness when you are around those you care for almost.. trumps the anger, and keeps it at bay. I think that this is particularly because of your parents, which, as we know from the night in Godrics Hollow all those years ago, a parents love is the most powerful form of magic. I think that when you are away from them, it will be harder to control." Dumbledore explained.
Harry hesitated, "I still... don't understand what emotions and anger have to do with the connection."
"Have you ever felt a random surge of anger or happiness for no particular reason this last summer?"
Harry's mind flicked back to at the Dursley's where he would suddenly feel fury in his stomach, or random moments of elation. He nodded thoughtfully.
Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "Well I believe that you are experiencing Voldemort's emotions. That is what the connection is. There may be a point where you see into his mind or vice versa, which we obviously want to avoid. If that happens, then you will be taught Occlumency to shield your mind from access or influence."
"So... he could read my mind. Or control me, sort of like the imperious curse but without a spell?"
"That's the general idea. But he could also implant false images in your mind to persuade you to do something reckless. If you see or dream something unusual or that you think is an implantation, tell someone."
"Is there a way to distinguish between the two?" Lily asked, "between appearance and reality?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I'm not sure. This is mostly theory."
The three Potters sighed.
"And, Harry, there is something else."
Harry grimaced. "Uh oh."
Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "It won't be possible for us to maintain a relationship inside of school. The ministry believe that you and I are in alliance in a plot to take over the ministry."
Harry snorted.
"Exactly my opinion." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled. "But we cannot fuel the fire. I have already been taken off the Wizenagmot and they are attempting to destroy my credibility."
"But how will they know... if we are at Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore sighed wearily, "they are sending a ministry worker to take over the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts. This person will be in close contact with Fudge and I highly doubt that they will make the school year run smoothly."
Harry winced. "They're going to have it out for me aren't they?"
Dumbledore smiled sadly.
"Ah well. I'll add them to the list." James joked, attempting to make light of the situation.
Dumbledore chuckled again.
"But, Harry, if you do need to talk to me, don't worry about the DADA teacher, just come. We will deal with any repercussions later."
Harry nodded.
After Dumbledore left, Harry recounted everything to Ron and Hermione.
"Bloody hell." Ron whistled
"Tell me about it."
Hermione was sat on a chair in the corner of the room, very deep in thought.
"Alright Hermione?" Ron asked the bushy haired girl.
She hesitated. "So, there's a prophecy about Harry and Voldemort, Harry is meant to defeat Voldemort, Harry has a connection with Voldemort's mind and the ministry are interfering at Hogwarts and the person is likely going to have it out for Harry." She summarised.
There was a moment of silence as Harry winced.
"You're in for a fun year mate." Ron joked, punching Harry's shoulder.
Harry was walking through a dark corridor with a door at the end. Closer and closer.
Almost there. There was a sign next to the door. What did it say?
He was four meters from the door.
Three meters.
Then the corridor began to stretch, he quickened.
He ran and ran, but it kept getting further away.
Then, Harry woke up.
Hermione was roughly shaking Ron awake.
"Get up!!"
"Hermionewhatsgoingon?" Harry mumbled.
"Our Hogwarts letters have arrived!! Quick!! We need to see if any of us are prefects or not!! And it's 10 am for crying out loud!"
Harry slipped out of bed and put on a dressing gown just as Hermione finally woke Ron up.
Hermione practically pulled them both down the stairs and into the kitchen.
They were greeted by a bright light and choruses of greetings from all the Weasley kids who were sat at the table.
Harry and Ron slumped down into chairs as Hermione eagerly passed them their letters and stared contemplatively at her own.
Harry raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly as she took a deep breath before ripping it open.
Harry and Ron followed suit, though a lot less enthusiastically.
Harry's letter said the usual: the start of term and required books.
He looked up at Ron and Hermione, both of whom were holding shiny badges.
Hermione looked between her own, Ron's and Harry's empty hand with a bewildered expression.
"Ickle Ronniekins is a prefect?!" Fred exclaimed.
"Ugh, moms gonna be revolting." George commented with a disgusted look on his face.
Ron appeared to be in a state of shock, as he didn't retort.
"I can't believe it." Hermione muttered.
"What can't you believe?" Harry chuckled, "you're the brightest and most responsible person in our year!"
"No... I just can't believe that you didn't.. and Ron.." she spluttered.
Before Ron could answer, Mrs Weasley bustled through the door with James, Lily and Sirius in her wake.
"Can't believe that Ron didn't what?" Molly asked as she began putting plates of breakfast in front of everyone.
As she caught sight of the badge in Ron's hand, her mouth formed an 'O' and she rushed over to him.
"Another prefect!! Oh Ron!!! I'm so proud!!" She enveloped him in a bonecrushing hug, and Harry choked on his water at George, Fred and Ginny who were all miming gagging from behind her back.
Sirius thumped him on the back, and took his letter.
"Doesn't say who the DADA teacher is then?" He asked, flipping it over.
"No. They never do." Harry responded.
They all ignored Molly fussing over Ron to save him from extreme embarrassment. Well, everyone apart from George, Fred and Ginny.
When Molly let go of Ron, everyone turned to congratulate him and Hermione.
"I'll go into Diagon Alley and get all of your things today." Mrs Weasley said, dabbing her eyes.
"Can we not go too?" Ginny asked
Molly shook her head. "It'll be easier if I just go and get it done."
The children all nodded dejectedly.
That evening, a celebration was held for Ron and Hermione.
The kitchen walls were lined with streamers and congratulatory banners, and Mrs Weasley had invited a few people over.
By a few people, she meant multiple, so that there was a total of 16 people sat in the kitchen.
Molly, Arthur, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Bill and Charlie (who had both returned from Romania and taken the evening off, respectively), Hermione, Harry, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Kingsley all sat around the large table.
Mrs Weasley brought out a large, multi-tiered cake which she placed in the center of the table to applause and laughter.
Harry was sat in between Hermione and his mom, with Ron directly opposite. His mom was engaged in conversation with Tonks, the two of which had struck up a lovely friendship.
Ron, Harry, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny were discussing the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry had relayed that part of the conversation with Dumbledore to them, and they were avidly discussing the possibilities.
"Well, I think we can safely say that whoever it is won't last longer than a year" Fred concluded, after none of them had got any further in the conversation.
"And they'll most likely attempt to at least seriously maim Harry." George added.
"Y'know the depressing thing is that you're not even joking." Ginny commented dryly.
They all chuckled, even Harry. The threat of injury didn't really faze him anymore, not after the Dursley's, and all his Quidditch injuries, and injuries in general.
The last comment caused Lily and Molly to simultaneously turn and listen in to the conversation.
"Yeah, I mean, statistically speaking there is a high chance that they will try and do him in." Ron joked seriously.
"Let's look at my past shall we?" Harry smirked, though there wasn't anything funny about it. "Quirrel tried to strangle me to death, Lockhart attempted to wipe mine and Ron's memories, Professor Lupin... well that wasn't actually his fault but there was a minor issue involving lycanthropy there."
Remus chuckled wryly as most conversations quietened slightly to listen in. Molly and Lily looked thoroughly disturbed.
Oblivious to the listeners, Harry continued, "and, last year, which was probably the most severe. The imposter put my name in a tournament which is famous for the low mortality rate, which lead to me having to get past a dragon, swim to the bottom of a lake, and get through a massive maze. Not to mention the graveyard, a rebirthing ceremony for a genocidal mass murderer who's hell bent on killing me, and, when said mass murderer failed, the imposter attempted to finish the job off."
Harry kept the description of the graveyard as vague as possible. The only people (besides himself) who knew the exact events were Dumbledore and Sirius. He hadn't even told Ron and Hermione or his parents.
The truth was, that he didn't want to relive it. He did that enough in his dreams, he didn't need to think about it when he was awake too.
The silence became noticibly more pronounced, as Molly, James and Lily all paled.
The children still seemed oblivious to this, and remained fully engrossed in their conversation.
"Ah, memories." George sighed reminiscently.
"But how bad can this teacher be?" Ron asked seriously.
"I can imagine it'll be more about their personality, rather than the methods that will be the problem." Ginny answered, eyebrows furrowed.
Hermione snorted uncharacteristically, causing all of them to stare at her incredulously.
"It will be both." She said simply. "They will hate Harry and therefore anyone associated closely with him, and I can imagine they will be reforming the teaching methods and curriculum too."
"I'm in for a fun year then." Harry grinned sarcastically.
"Now now Harry. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit." George waggled a finger patronisingly at him.
"And clichés are the lowest form of literature." Ginny defended him, causing them all to grin.
"What do you reckon these reforms will entail?" Harry asked, oblivious to the grins.
"Well, I cant imagine that it will be like last year. We can be certain that we won't get demonstrations of the unforgivable curses this year." Hermione mused.
At this point, Lily and Molly both interjected, as all other conversations stopped.
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