Harry Potter and the Deathday Curse
Chapter 24 The Prophecy
By the next week, Harry, Ron and Hermione were exhausted. They had searched through what felt like every book in the library, looking for something about the Deathday Curse. There didn't seem to be anything. They were about to give up. Harry didn't have a lot of time anyway. He had Quidditch Practice five times a week, and loads of homework. They were studying for their N.E.W.T.'s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) and didn't have time for much else.
In the middle of April, when the Gryffindor seventh years were supposed to be in Defense Against the Dark Arts, they found a note on the classroom door. Professor Perry had written: Please Meet me down near the lake. Leave your books in your dorm, bring only your wand and yourself.
After everyone had dropped their books away in their dorm rooms they walked down the moist lawn and over to Professor Perry.
She beamed around at all of them and, when she saw that everyone was there, said, "Today you will begin your Apparation Lessons!" Gleeful smiles appeared on everyone's face except for Neville's.
"I am supposed to take you to Hogsmeade so you may begin. Your teacher is Professor Andrade. When you are done, he will escort you up to the school. Now follow me!"
Professor Perry turned around and led them all to the gates. Standing there, was a tall wizard, with brownish blonde hair and a large nose. He coughed and started to speak.
"Today you will begin to learn the art of Apparation and Disapparation," He said in a soft voice. "I am Professor Andrade, and for the next few weeks I will be teaching you how to Apparate and Disapparate. It can be extremely difficult, but once it is mastered it is the fastest form of transportation. If you choose not to learn how to Apparate, leave now." No one moved. Professor Andrade looked around with his cold blue eyes and said. "Good. Now we will begin."
First he taught them an incantation that was taught to all beginners. Later on, they would not need the spell and would be able to Apparate at will. The spell was Gomnastin. He told them to look at spot close by and to picture it clearly in their mind. Harry chose a tree that was only a few feet away. He closed his eyes and thought about it.
"All right," said Professor Andrade. "Now say Gomnastin." Everyone repeated the spell, and instantly, everyone had disappeared and reappeared in a different location. All except Neville, who had managed to get himself splinched.
After Neville was put back together, they tried it again, and again, and again. They were getting quite worn out when Professor Perry returned.
"I trust that you all had a fun time," she said cheerfully, eyeing everyone. "It's time for lunch now!" They all followed her back up to the castle.
"That was cool," Ron said, as he sat down at the table and started to load beef stroganoff onto his plate. "I can't wait till I don't have to use a wand."
"That takes weeks Ron," Hermione said, sitting down next to him. "Besides, we wasted a perfectly good Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson."
"Well I-" Ron started to say, but he was distracted by a commotion coming from the Slytherin table.
"Oh yeah!?" A girl with a shrill voice exclaimed. "Well, I didn't want to go out with you either!"
"Fine!" Yelled the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. "I don't care! Who would want to go out with a cow like you!"
"Don't you dare call me a cow you b-"
"Wow Pansy," Draco yelled sarcastically, "I didn't know you had such a big vocabulary."
"Draco Malfoy, you a-are the m-most uncivilized j-jerk that I have ever laid my eyes on!" Pansy Parkinson screamed, her voice shaking with anger.
"And you are the biggest whore that I have ever seen!" That was it. Pansy Parkinson burst into tears and ran wailing from the room.
"Ha ha!" Ron said gleefully, "This is the highlight of my day. Draco Malfoy getting dumped. I could sing!"
"Please, Ron," Hermione said. "Don't."
Ron scowled at Hermione and then rubbed his hand on her bushy hair and gave her a noogie.
"Ron, stop it!" Hermione said, shoving Ron's arm away playfully. She punched him in the arm and started laughing. Ron grinned and went back to eating his lunch.
"We'd better get to Divination," Harry said, looking at his watch. "It takes forever to get up there."
"Yeah, bye Herm," Ron said, throwing his bag over his shoulder and kissing her lightly on the forehead. She turned slightly pink.
"See you Ron, Harry."
Harry and Ron went off to the Divination classroom.
"Hello my dears," said Professor Trelawney when they arrived ten minutes later. Even though they had left early they were the last people to arrive.
"It is evident in the way that Pluto is positioned that there is great, great danger in your future," Professor Trelawney said, looking pointedly at Harry. "Be wary of your surroundings and do not stray far from your path."
"Right," Harry said, not really paying attention and sitting down in the back of the room, next to Ron.
"I wonder what you will die of today," Ron said. "Perhaps you will be attacked by giant frogs."
"Yeah, whatever." Harry said. His mind was elsewhere. "What are we doing today?"
"Dunno…"
Professor Trelawny proclaimed that they would be going over things that they had already learned, and they were going to be looking into the crystal ball again. She pulled out her wand and flicked it. Instantly several glowing, crystal balls appeared on the tables.
"Remember what we have learned," Professor Trelawny said in her misty whisper. "Keep a clear mind and you will be led to what you seek…" She trailed off and glided over to her seat. Harry looked down into the milky orb. He remembered the last time he had looked into a crystal ball. He had lied and said that he saw a hippogriff flying away, the hippogriff had been Buckbeak, and then later that night Harry and Hermione had helped Sirius escape on the back of Buckbeak.
Harry sighed, remembering that night.
"Does anyone see anything that they would like to share?" Professor Trelawney called out a few minutes later.
"Has anyone ever seen anything in these stupid balls?" Ron muttered.
"I doubt it." Harry said, rubbing his eyes. Suddenly, a form started to appear through the mist that clouded the crystal ball. Harry's eyes widened in shock and then he rubbed them again, just to make sure that they were working properly.
"Ron," he hissed. "Ron! I see something."
"Yeah right, Harry," Ron said, resting his head on the table.
"No, I'm serious, there's something there." Ron lifted up his head and looked over Harry's shoulder into the crystal ball. The form was getting clearer, it was in the shape of a rectangle, but Harry couldn't tell what it was.
"Harry, I don't know what you're talking about," Ron said. "There's nothing in there."
"I swear! I see something. It's getting clearer…"
Harry continued to stare at the form. It started to revolve in circles, gradually getting closer and closer. Harry squinted, and suddenly realized what it was.
"It's a book!" He gasped.
"A what?" Ron said, looking back over at Harry. "Are you sure."
"I'm positive," Harry said quietly, making sure that no one else but Ron could hear him. "I can see the pages, and the spine, and the cover, but I can't read the title."
"Harry, are you sure?" Ron asked uncertainly. "I mean, neither you or I have ever seen anything in these stupid crystal balls. Are you sure you aren't just imagining it?"
"I'm positive." Harry repeated. "Wait, I can see some words."
Some sort of light revealed a dark, black cover, that was dirty and splattered with some sort of liquid. The pages were red, and across the cover was the words The Deathday Book.
"Oh my god," Harry gasped. "Ron, this is it!"
"What is it?" Ron asked, looking a little irritated. "What do you see?"
"I see the Deathday book!" Harry said. Harry started to describe the book, and by the end Ron's mouth was hanging open and he gasped, "What's happening now?"
"It's… opening." Harry said slowly, watching as the books cover slowly flipped over. Suddenly, blood spilled from the pages and the whole crystal ball seemed to fill with blood. The crystal ball turned red, and before the book swam out of view, Harry saw three more words, The Deathday Prophecy. Then, it was all over. The blood slowly faded and the strange white mist filled the orb again. It was as if nothing had happened.
"It's gone," Harry muttered.
"It can't be gone," Ron said. "How can it be gone?"
"I don't know… It just disappeared. The orb looks normal to me now."
Suddenly, the bell sounded and in the rush to get out of the stifling classroom, Ron didn't have time to reply.
"Harry, are you sure?" Hermione said later that night, when Harry and Ron had told her what Harry saw in the crystal ball.
"I've told you five times," Harry said. "I'm absolutely sure of what I saw. The Deathday Book was there, and when it opened blood flooded out of the pages, just like James described."
"But it doesn't make any sense. That was the first time you've ever seen anything in the crystal globe. Maybe you've been studying too much, or worrying to much about that book. It's gone to your head."
"Look, I don't care what you say," Harry said, getting angry. "I know what I saw!"
"All right," Hermione said, not sounding like she believed him. "Whatever you say." Harry scowled, and leaned back in the chair by the fire.
Harry noticed Ginny walking over. She sat on the arm of Harry's chair and said. "Did you see the fight that Malfoy had with that Pansy girl?"
"Yeah," Ron said. "That was funny."
"It might have been funny, but guess what, Pansy was killed."
"What?!" All three of them exclaimed.
"Yeah, I just passed Professor McGonnagal and Professor Snape." Ginny said. "They were talking about her. Professor Snape said that one of the first year Hufflepuffs found her body. The Hufflepuff ran screaming and went to find a teacher. She was in hysterics when she ran to Professor Snape."
"Oh my god," Hermione gasped. "Do they have any idea who did it?"
"No, not from what I heard." Ginny said.
"Malfoy did it," Ron said instantly. "He was ticked at her for breaking up with him."
"Yeah, but I don't think Malfoy would use murder as a way to get back at his ex."
"Herm, have you forgotten who we're talking about?" Ron said. "Draco Malfoy. His family is as evil as it gets. His parents are Death Eaters for goodness sakes! I mean, he has probably known how to do the Killing Curse since he first held his wand."
"I don't care what you say Ron," Hermione said. "I still think that Draco Malfoy is good, er… deep, deep, down."
Ron shook his head, but didn't pursue the subject. Ginny spent the rest of the evening with them, sharing a seat with Harry. They talked about who could have killed her, if not Malfoy.
"Well, it could have been anyone really," Hermione said. "I mean, anyone who was jealous of her."
"Yeah, but who would be jealous of that dog faced girl?" Ron said.
"Ron, that's cruel." Ginny said. "I mean, don't you have any respect for the dead?"
"I still say it was Malfoy," Ron replied, folding his arms across his chest. Harry had had enough. He kissed Ginny goodnight, said goodbye to Ron and Hermione and went up to his dorm room.
He lay in bed hours later, listening to Neville's snores. He finally got up and went down to the empty common room. He sat down in a chair in front of the fire and stared at the burning embers.
Maybe Hermione's right, maybe I did just imagine it, He thought to himself. I mean, I have been under a lot of stress lately…
Harry stared at the fire for a moment longer, before he went back upstairs to get something. He returned to the common room a moment later and looked at the cover of the book that Ginny had given him for Christmas. He opened the book and tapped the first page with his wand and said, "Show me the Deathday Prophecy."
The page began to spin, a dark spiral appeared on the page. Just as Harry started to feel nauseous from the spinning, the spiral stopped moving and some words appeared on the page.
The Deathday Prophecy. Harry laughed slightly, thinking that he should have known better. He should have been more specific. But before he could shut the book, new word appeared.
The Deathday Curse that has not been performed for 500 years, shall reappear one
night. In search of one person, the light that has never been annihilated will meet the darkness that has never been destroyed.
Harry looked, stunned at the words on the page of the book.
There will be only one survivor, when the darkness and the light do battle
Harry felt his jaw drop.
The stronger of the two shall be proven, and the weakest will die…
Harry stared at the page, as it began to swirl again. The words vanished from sight, and the page in the book returned to normal.
Harry sat there, stunned, and not knowing what to do next. Now that he knew what the Prophecy said, he wasn't so sure that he was happy because of it. He didn't like the sound of the Prophecy.
The stronger of the two shall be proven, and the weakest will die… those final words echoed in his head, over and over again. Harry had an idea of who the two people were. Him, and Voldemort.
