26 | PROPHECIZED
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- HEADQUARTERS
"Do you know why we're here?" Carina whispered as they walked towards headquarters.
"No idea, angel," Gideon shrugged. "You know Dumbledore loves his cloak of mystery."
"A little too much, I'd say," Carina grumbled.
"It can't be anything too urgent," Gideon assured her. "Moody hasn't said anything."
"Where's Fabian?"
"With Moody. Doing stuff for the Ministry. I'm supposed to fill them in later."
As the two stepped into headquarters, they were surprised to see the otherwise unlikely group gathered before them. Dumbledore stood near the fireplace with a solemn expression, the usual twinkle completely absent from his eyes. Sirius waited anxiously, tapping his foot with his arms crossed across his chest. Alice sat on the other couch while Frank stood beside her. But the most bizarre of the crop was James and Lily sitting on the couch looking at each other worriedly.
"What's going on?" Carina asked cautiously, a cold sensation of dread slithering down her back.
Seeing Sirius, Frank, and Alice at debriefs was normal enough, given they were aurors. But James and Lily were rarely called in specifically. They were civilians, and Lily hadn't even completed her healer training yet!
"Come in, Miss Lennox," Dumbledore invited, though he seemed deeply tired.
Carina hesitated near the threshold, feeling the whisperings of anxiety creeping up on her consciousness. Her hands started trembling ever so slightly, and for the life of her, Carina could not make her body obey. Glancing down, her companion noticed her sudden nervousness. Gently pressing his hand against her back, Gideon guided her towards the others.
"There's been an unforeseen development," Dumbledore began wearily. "One that I'm afraid affects you all."
"All of us?" Sirius blurted out.
"Well, most directly the Potters and Longbottoms. But it has the potential to be a devastating turn."
"What is it, professor?" Lily asked anxiously, hands clenched in her lap.
"I've just witnessed a new prophecy. One that might have grave implications for both your families."
Everyone stared in dead silence as Dumbledore unfurled a small piece of parchment from his robes, clearing his throat.
"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... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."
Carina didn't realize she stopped breathing until Gideon tugged her fingers in concern. She turned to him, her face emoting fear and anxiety. His curious gaze softened, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Seventh month..." Alice mumbled aloud, horror creeping into her features. "Our baby is due in July!"
"So is ours," Lily whispered helplessly.
"It's one of them?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"There have to be numerous magical babies born in July!" Gideon argued.
"There likely are," Dumbledore agreed. "The condemning part is the baby will be born to parents who have thrice defied Voldemort. And I've already recruited anyone who would defy him."
"So it's one of our children," James stated gravely.
"But which one?" Frank asked.
"My family was asked to fund the Death Eaters," Alice admitted quietly. "We refused them."
"My family was asked to enlist," Frank added in concern. "Obviously, that didn't happen."
"And you both joined the Order to work against Voldemort," Sirius added. "That's three."
"They reached out to my family too," James spoke up. "Before mum and dad died. Dad said no Potter would ever do such a thing."
"I haven't had any interactions with them," Lily shrugged. "I'm muggleborne- they wouldn't want anything to do with me."
"But you both joined the Order," Sirius pointed out.
"Does that make it three or two?" Gideon asked in confusion.
"It doesn't matter," Carina spoke up hoarsely. "They'll both need to be protected."
When Carina looked to their leader for any sort of direction, there was a startling expression of sorrow and pity on his face. Dumbledore, despite all his faults, always had good intentions. Like his family's symbol, he embodied the phoenix that always persisted in hope and light. Nothing could be hopeless because something new could always be reborn from the ashes.
"I'm afraid that's not the worst of it," Dumbledore added regretfully.
"What else?" Gideon asked cautiously.
"Voldemort already has heard part of the prophecy. I became aware last night that he's convinced the baby in the prophecy belongs to the Potters."
Lily couldn't help the sharp gasp that escaped her. James turned to stone in his seat, fists clenched on top of his legs.
"Why?" Sirius asked angrily. "How could he possibly be sure?"
"They'll be a half-blood," Carina spoke up dimly. "And You-Know-Who has marked him as his equal."
"Now I have ideas," Dumbledore hasted to assure them. "Obviously, the Longbottoms are at lesser risk, but it won't hurt to be extra precautious. But the Potters will need to be hidden away entirely. He won't stop until he's overturned every stone to find you."
"So we can't stay in our flat," Lily murmured.
"Or the Potter Estate," James pointed out. "It's the first place he'd look."
"That might be for the best," Dumbledore interjected. "I can only really think of one thing that would completely erase your tracks, and the ancestral Potter Estate might be too big for such a solution."
"So what can they do?" Sirius asked urgently.
Dumbledore smiled reassuringly, a small twinkle igniting in his austere blue eyes. "I have a lovely little town in mind if you're open to it. Perfect for a growing family. We would get you a new house, completely unlinked to the Potters or any Order members. I can protect it with the Fidelius Charm."
"You can cast the Fidelius Charm, professor?" Lily asked in awe. "I mean, of course you can. If anyone could, it'd be you."
The Fidelius Charm was one the most notoriously finicky pieces of magic to master. Though once cast properly, it was nearly indestructible.
"I suppose that makes sense," James admitted.
"And you two would have to go into hiding," Dumbledore added. "Which, unfortunately, means putting your professional lives on hold for the time being."
James and Lily's jaws dropped in surprise. Give up their jobs? What else were they supposed to do to fill their time?
"Professor-"
"There must be another way-"
"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore spoke over the Potters sternly. "You have to be completely out of the public eye, or there's too much of a risk of them ambushing you. Especially you, Lily."
There was a long moment of silence as the Potters processed the full depth of what going into hiding truly meant.
"He's right," Sirius finally spoke up. "We can't take any risks with this."
James and Lily studied each other before eventually giving terse nods of acceptance. Dumbledore sighed in relief, knowing the hard part was out of the way.
"I will go about procuring a property that cannot be traced back to you. In the meantime, you should think about who you want to make your secret keeper."
James opened his mouth immediately, but Dumbledore held up a hand in warning.
"No- think about. Really take the time to think about it. I would be happy to be your secret keeper, and I might be one of your most secure options. But the next most secure options would be either of you two since you'll have minimal exposure once you go into hiding."
"Yes, sir," Lily whispered wearily. "We'll think on it."
As their brief but dooming meeting came to a close, everyone seemed partially stunned and dazed as they went on their separate ways. Frank and Alice decided to linger and discuss extra precautions with Dumbledore. Sirius ushered a stunned Lily and James through the floo.
Gideon expected Carina to follow after her friends, but she was glued to her spot when he glanced down. She'd fallen silent at a certain point as the implications of everything finally rained down on her. Gideon spotted her trembling hands and dilated pupils.
"Should I escort you home?" He asked quietly.
When Carina didn't give any indication of having heard him, he took hold of her hand and apparated them back to her flat. She almost fell over when they landed, despite the smoothness of the landing. Gideon caught her by the forearms, studying her in concern.
Carina's eyes finally met his, fear and panic reflected in her own.
"Carina...?"
"They're going to die," she gasped. "They're all going to die."
"Angel, they're not going to die. We won't let them."
"They're going to die," she murmured, absolutely distraught. "They're going to die, they're going to die, they're all going to die."
Carina began to sway, making herself lightheaded as her mind raced a million paces a second while her lungs struggled to catch up. Gideon immediately directed her to the couch in time for her to fall back on the cushions, kneeling in front of her with a look of concern etched on his face. He could only watch with uncertainty for another few seconds before engulfing the distraught witch with an all-encompassing hug. Carina finally fell silent, exhaling shakily as she buried her face in his chest. He couldn't feel any tears, but she made his entire body shake from the trembles wracking through her own slight form.
"They're okay," Gideon reminded her. "Right now, they're safe. And Dumbledore will keep them safe. No one's dying, angel. Not on our watch."
His voice seemed to help calm Carina, and so he murmured soft reassurances, stroking her hair until her breathing finally steadied. When she finally withdrew, her eyes were bloodshot despite the lack of tears.
"We've seen how obsessed You-Know-Who is with immortality," Carina spoke up hoarsely. "We destroyed half his soul, for god's sake. And that was merely his contingency! Do you think he'll ever rest until he finds them and kills them? Both the Potters and Longbottoms! Do you think he'll risk anything that threatens his immortality? Dumbledore's already one opponent too many."
"No," Gideon admitted honestly. "I think Voldemort will do absolutely everything in his power to ensure he remains undefeatable. But the odds are in our favor."
"But-"
"Do the numbers, angel," he reminded her logically. "We already know the threat, so we can prepare for it. If they choose the Fidelius Charm, they'll be nye untrackable. The Longbottoms are aurors. And the Order might be fewer in numbers, but we have more connections and allies within the ministry than Voldemort could ever hope for."
Carina's eyes flitted between his. She wanted so badly to believe him.
"They can't die," Carina choked out.
"They won't die," Gideon said unflinchingly. "Not on our watch."
Carina nodded shakily, her gaze dropping to her lap. She couldn't explain the paralyzing fear she'd felt when Dumbledore had first revealed his damning announcement. Carina had always drawn her strength from the people around her. She was very much like a Hufflepuff in that way. When she lost her parents, she'd felt unmoored. Her friends had slowly but surely anchored her back to shore. Alice with her perceptive honesty, Lily with her beaming warmth, Peter with his unflinching loyalty, Remus with his kindness, Sirius with his penchant for fun, and James with his protectiveness. Without them, she'd be unmoored once again, and she'd rather die alongside them than face that future again.
"They're my family," Carina whispered in explanation. "Ever since my parents-"
Gideon's eyes furrowed in remembrance. He'd just newly been appointed as a Deputy Head Auror when he saw the case of the Lennox's murders pass his desk. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it. He hadn't even known of Carina's existence back then. But he did remember the gore of the case. It was one of the first brutal attacks marking a dark turn in recent wizarding history.
"I know," he assured softly. "I understand."
"I just- I just don't want to be alone again," Carina admitted. "I'm rubbish on my own."
Gideon's heart broke for the little witch. So wise beyond her years, molded by the heinous terrors no one should have to live through, much less someone so young. His hands crept along her neck and into her hair until he cradled her head in his palms. Carina's soulful gaze flickered up to his face, eventually fluttering closed when his thumb brushed against her cheek.
"You will never be alone, Carina," he assured quietly but firmly. "Not while I'm here."
Carina nuzzled her face into his hand, tilting her head forward the few inches between them until her forehead rested against his.
"Promise?"
Gideon stroked her cheek, drawing back a hair width from her until she finally opened her eyes and saw him. And for the first time in their acquaintance, he saw the crack of vulnerability in her usually impenetrable shield. Despite her claims of being rubbish on her own, Carina was notoriously independent and made sure she never needed anybody if she could help it. Yet somehow, everyone always needed her. It humbled him that she would trust him with that vulnerability. That only made his answer all the more honest.
"I swear it."
She searched his eyes, and he felt as if he'd been flayed open until she could see to his very soul, completely at the mercy of her whim. But something in her gaze warmed as she found the reassurance she needed.
His relief was chased away by surprise when two small hands cautiously came up to his neck. Carina closed the distance between them, gracing his lips with a soft, grateful kiss. It took Gideon all of three seconds to process what was happening. And when Carina made to pull back respectfully, his long fingers twisted further into her hair as he tilted her, slanting his own lips over hers. She gasped into the firm press of his mouth, and Godric help him if he didn't swallow her gasp with relish. He coaxed a response from her with both the eagerness of a young boy and the patience and skill of the man he'd become. When Carina's nails scored against the hair at his nape, Gideon broke away with a groan.
"Please," he begged breathlessly. "Please tell me that wasn't just because you were grateful and caught up in the moment."
He couldn't bear having a taste, only to never lay hands on her again.
Carina laughed abruptly, this time stroking his cheeks to comfort him. "Well, I was grateful, and I was caught up in the moment. But no... it wasn't just because of that."
She pressed a quick peck to his parted lips in reassurance, laughing again when he stared at her in a mixture of triumph and disbelief.
Not that she blamed him. For the past few months since his confession, she'd done an admirable job of maintaining their status quo. She smoothly brushed off his flirtatious comments and rolled her eyes in good humor at every pass he made. But as well as she could lie to him and the rest of the world, she couldn't lie to herself. And he's been wearing her down since the day of their disastrous mission to destroy the horcrux.
Carina was anxious to complicate a friendship that had grown so important to her. Every person she'd felt such a strong connection to in the past had left her life in less than pleasant ways. Lucius, a boy she'd once loved, had eventually turned into her tormenter in their ridiculous, star-crossed tale while using the knowledge he'd learned about her as ammunition when it suited him. James, the dear friend who'd burrowed his way into her heart when she wasn't keeping her guard up, had married one of her best friends.
She couldn't bear it if she finally gave in to one of the Prewetts only for something equally as disappointing to happen once again. But then again, her relationship with the Prewetts had always teetered on the border between friendship and something unexplainable from the very beginning. They weren't rivals like she and Lucius had been. They weren't even good friends like she and James had been. But there was definitely something there. It was enough to risk their current friendship to explore what might be. And as aloof as Carina might be in the beginning, when she made a choice to be with someone, it was something she dived into wholeheartedly.
Gideon finally settled on a satisfied grin, hauling her into his arms in excitement. Her feet left the ground as he stood, capturing her against his chest as he snogged her with the restrained longing that had been growing for months now. Carina moaned into his mouth as he sunk his teeth into her lower lip, his tongue chasing away the sting. When Gideon finally set her on her feet, he pulled away very reluctantly.
"I should go check in with Moody and Fabian," he admitted.
Carina nodded breathlessly. "Yes, you should. I need to go check in with my friends too."
"Dinner? Tonight?"
Something in his gaze was still hesitant, as though he still wondered whether she'd brush him off.
"That'd be lovely," she smiled reassuringly.
But until then, they both had work to do.
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- POTTERS' FLAT
"Why does this all suddenly feel a lot more real?" Remus asked tiredly.
"It does," James agreed. "Godric, I never thought it would come to this. I'm not even an auror! Lily's a healer!"
Sirius assessed his friends grimly, embodying his namesake more than ever. "Lily's the very embodiment of everything they hate. She'd have a target on her back with or without this prophecy."
"So we're all agreed with the plan?" Lily implored them all.
Within an hour, their close circle of friends had gathered at the Potters' humble flat. After escorting them both home, Sirius had sent word to Remus and Peter, asking them to come immediately. Alice and Frank had followed after them once they finished their discussion with Dumbledore. Carina got there a little after Remus and Peter, grateful she didn't have to listen to them retelling the dooming prophecy.
"I don't like it," Peter said anxiously.
"Why?" James asked in confusion.
It seemed simple enough. Alice and Frank would move into the ancestral Longbottom home for the time being, where Frank's mother resided. With the old wards on that place, enough to rival the Potters' estate, they'd be safe enough. But given that they weren't the main target, they weren't the priority. James and Lily had talked it through numerous times and eventually settled on the secret keeper. While Sirius had been surprised to be chosen over the great Albus Dumbledore, he was equally humbled. Carina felt a little uneasy, wishing they'd chose one of themselves instead. Not that she didn't trust Sirius or Dumbledore, but the safest way to keep a secret was to keep it to yourself.
"Wouldn't Dumbledore be a safer option?" He asked uncertainly, fidgeting under their piercing stares. "He's almost always within Hogwarts, and we all know how secure that is."
"We trust Sirius," Lily assured confidently.
"He's right," Carina spoke up reluctantly. "It's not about trust. It's about risk. Sirius is an auror, and he regularly puts himself in harm's way for his duty. Dumbledore has a lot less exposure, not to mention he's likely a highly trained occlumens."
Sirius grimaced. "They're right," he shrugged. "It's not like I'll be going into hiding too."
James stepped up to the wizard he considered a brother, grasping his shoulder urgently. "I know you're just as skilled at occlumency. And risk or not, we trust you to never compromise us. I would've asked dad, but... well, you're the last of my family now, mate."
"If you want me, I'll take your secret to the grave. You know that." Sirius accepted with renewed determination.
Every one of them could feel the crushing reality of the rapidly darkening war. Alice was taken off of auror duty for the sake of her unborn child, serving only as a consultant and charms strategist before ops. Frank had offered to sit aside or take leave for her sake, but that would leave Sirius without a partner. Alice had agreed that it was best if Frank stayed with the aurors full time if only to watch Sirius's back. Peter told them about the increasing reports of missing muggles and mugglebornes. While it wasn't his department, the rumors in the ministry were infamous.
"I'm going to take Dumbledore's mission," Remus told them in a quiet but resolute tone.
"Remus," Lily called discouragingly.
"No! I feel useless!" The usually calm wizard finally broke, his sheer frustration finally visible to all his friends. "This war is escalating so fast, and you're all doing your part to help fight. I'm doing nothing!"
"Mate, they haven't let you do much," James reminded him reassuringly. It was hardly Remus's fault.
"But there's something I can do," Remus stressed. "Something perhaps only I can do."
"Moony, you can't!" Sirius said incredulously. "It's a suicide mission! The packs are not recruitable. Dumbledore should know that!"
"Packs?" Alice whispered, paling in realization.
Carina shook her head, mouthing 'later' to her confused friend.
"We don't know that for sure," Remus pointed out defeatedly. "And I'm the one least likely to die trying to find out."
"But Moony..." Peter began worriedly.
Remus clapped Peter on the back with a regretful grimace. "We all have our part to do. This war was never going to be glorious or honorable. I suppose we all had to realize that at some point."
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