The
Son of the Stag and the Snake
Disclaimer: Guess what.
" And in 605, a witch by the name of Morgan saw the fall of Arthur. In 789.." James leaned back in his chair and tried to keep his eyes open. History of Magic was bearable, only because the room was freezing and Professor Binns didn't notice if they worked on the map for the entire class. Providing they did well on the tests, he didn't care what they did. But a history lecture in divination was torcher. It would be on the final exam, but the soft chairs and the incense made it very difficult not to fall asleep. Sirius was snoring softly in the chair beside James. Nicole's head was resting on Sirius shoulder, they had been arguing when they had both dropped off, lulled by the monotone of Professor Quic and the heavy incense. Peter had been asleep long before that. James looked around and saw that he and a girl by the name of Sibyll Trelawney were the only two awake. Trelawney was no surprise. She worshiped Quic who had taken her on as a kind of protégé. She was scribbling everything that Quic said down, and was watching the professor with her huge eyes. James sighed. He should have had the brains to follow Lily and Remus' example and take something more difficult. He shifted in the chair and something in his pocket rustled. He pulled a crumpled piece of paper out. The letter he had gotten today from his mother. He had stuffed it into his pocket because Sirius had tried out another stink smell on Fenus. James opened the letter, keeping on eye on Quic, who was blabbering on.
Dear James,
It wouldn't kill you write us a letter once in a while. Your father and I would like to hear more about what you're doing than just the letters we get from McGonagall telling us you got detention again! Five in just two months. What have you been doing? Blowing up the classrooms? On the other hand, maybe I don't want to know. It is better than the third year. Have you meet Nicole's little sister yet? She stayed here with her mother of a few days and she's a very nice girl. Don't corrupt her too much. Your father and I have been given another assignment. The Blacks, Emily McLoren, and Aneas Lupin are also with us. We were afraid you would have to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, but Mrs. Lupin has offered to host all of you. I can't imagine having you, Sirius, Remus and Lily and the McLoren girls around and having your father gone, but she thinks it's best for Lily to have her friends around. Sirius and the McLoren girls will be receiving letters soon, their parents are working with us and haven't told them the news yet. Please don't mention it yet. An owl flood would not be a good thing right now. I can't tell you what we are doing. I will not lie to you, there is a good deal of danger involved and there is a possibility that we might not survive. You know that, as we always have, we love you. This cause is worth anything to keep from coming into being and I hope that you will understand this. If we cut of the snake's head, the body will die. If something does happen, Dumbledore will explain everything. I must go, but remember that we will always love you, my son.
Love,
Mum
James crumpled the letter. Why now? Why not in another year? Then he could help. A possibility they might not survive? He leaned back in his chair. There was only on thing they could be doing. Voldemort. The most feared dark wizard in a millennia was rumored to have grown tired of less powerful toys and had decide to try his hand at concoring a major nation.
" And the Dark Lord shall rise and his power will be limitless. But he shall fall, only by hand of the Stag's son." Said Quic from the front of the room. James sat straight up and stared at her. The Professor continued, seemingly oblivious to the slumbering students. " Many visions speak of this great evil, and none can decipher when this shall happen. Even Ravenclaw, a very great seer and an extraordinary witch, could make sense of them. Ravenclaw had eight major visions herself, a number that is very unusual. Most seers only have one or two, but Ravenclaw had eight, and all but one have come true. The last unfulfilled one was the one I just quoted. It speaks of an eyes of treasure and a snake, who will battle a several times." James raised his hand.
" Yes, my dear?" Quic asked, blinking at him.
" Could you read the full prophesy, Professor? I don't think I've heard it before." Quic picked up her book and flipped thought the pages.
" You wouldn't have, dear. It was said at Hogwarts and only the four founders were present. Hufflepuff put it down in her journal or else we wouldn't know about it at all. Ah, here it is." Quic drew a wand out from somewhere in her robes and tapped the book. " Hufflepuff recorded the Prophesy of the Treasure Eyes, as it's called." A harsh voice filled the room a few moments later.
" The plans you make will come true. Thousands of years the school shall stand. But out from it shall come, the greatest evil and the greatest good. The Snake and the Eyes of Treasure. Their feud decided, their battle long. They shall stand face to face, time and time again. After the first, his powers fled, only after the servant returns shall it begin again. And the Dark Lord shall rise once more and his power will be limitless. But he shall fall, only by hand of the Stag's son." Quic closed the book and started to set it on the desk, but a harsh voice, not unlike the one that had just spoken, sound in the room.
" The Founder spoke true." Trelawney was standing. She was staring with unseeing eyes right at James.
" The Stag is here." She pointed at James. " The boy will live. The curse will come true. Son of the phoenix and the stag, by his hand alone shall He-Not-To-Be-Named fall. Death will haunt him, courage he will have. The servant is close and he shall always be. A betrayer let free, an innocent imprisoned. Mercy will seem foolish but good it will do. Bonds at their deepest alone shall save. And the one who lives, the gem like eyes, he shall defeat the greatest riddle."
Trelawney collapsed. James stared at her crumpled form. The words echoed through his head. Son of the phoenix and the stag, defeat the greatest riddle. James grabbed a piece of parchment and began writing out what he remembered of the vision. Quic had her wand out and slowly lowered it.
" Don't bother, Mr. Potter, I recorded it." She managed and collapsed into her chair. Trelawney sat up.
" What's going on? Why am I down here?" James looked at her.
" You don't remember?" Quic wave a hand limply.
" She wouldn't. Seers never remember their words." She looked at Trelawney.
" You had a vision, my dear." Trelawney's eyes widened.
" I did?" James nodded.
" Yeah, and you said that my son would be the one to defeat He-Not-To-Be-Named. Who ever that is." Quic looked at him.
" Do you have any idea who the phoenix is?" James shrugged.
" No, Professor. But why did she say defeat the greatest riddle? Wouldn't it be solve?" Quic stared at him.
" I have no idea." She rose shakily, and walked to the door.
" We shall go see Dumbledore. Come along, Potter, Trelawney." Sirius had woken up when Quic had said Dumbledore. He grabbed James' arm as his friend rose.
" What's going on?"
" I'll tell you later." James murmured, and followed Quic out of the tower. Quic lead them down the latter and through several passages until they reached a huge gargoyle set against one wall. She paused in front of it.
" Sugar Quill." James said with out thinking. The gargoyle jumped to the side. Quic looked at him. James shrugged. " I was here three days ago." Trelawney smiled.
" Somebody pushed Severus Snape into a pond." She told Quic. The professor nodded and led them through the hall to a round room, where portraits of all of the former headmasters and mistresses of Hogwarts covered the walls. Dumbledore was seated at his desk, Fawkes, his pet phoenix on his lap. He looked up at Quic's knock and raised his eyes to the ceiling when he saw James.
" Hello, Serena." He said to Quic.
" Albus, Miss Trelawney had a vision." Dumbledore shot a look to James and looked at Quic again.
" A vision. Serena, sit down, you look about to collapse." Quic dropped into a chair. She lifted her wand and muttered something. James lifted his own wand, under his robes and muttered. " Recoren."
The harsh voice again spoke. Dumbledore listened carefully. After the voice finished, he nodded to himself. The headmaster's face was as lined as it had ever been, but for some reason, he looked much older. He looked at James and a faint smile touched his lips.
" You are the Stag." He said.
" Sybil was pointing right at him through out the entire time." Quic said. Trelawney was looking shocked. Dumbledore looked at her.
" Serena, I think that you and Miss Trelawney should go down to hospital wing and have a cup of coca." Quic rose shakily.
" I think that is a very good idea, Albus." With Trelawney following her, still in shock, she left the room. Dumbledore looked at James.
" Well, this is interesting." James nodded. " I would like to have your insight on this matter, James. You will have a better grasp of what the
Stag will be doing." James
shrugged.
" The curse is probably the Sea
Eyed Potter curse." Dumbledore's
eyes danced.
" Ah." He looked at Fawkes, who was resting his head on the table. " The phoenix." James nodded.
" And the end bothers me. Defeat doesn't make sense. Solve would be better." Dumbledore nodded.
" It would, if it referred into a riddle." James stared at him.
" What, sir?" Dumbledore smiled sadly.
" Tom Marvlo Riddle. A boy who left here thirty four years ago. He now goes by a different name, Voldemort. Or as he prefers, Lord Voldemort." He was watching James closely. " You have heard of him."
" He is greatly feared by most of the less powerful nations. Father thinks that he is tired of playing and is getting serious. And he didn't mean like Sirius." Dumbledore nodded and gave a faint smile.
" He is becoming called You-Know-Who. And he has already started in England. The Ministry is attempting to cover it up. They don't want a mass panic."
" And my parents are trying to stop him." James said. Dumbledore looked at him for a moment and then nodded.
" Yes." Fawkes jumped onto the desk and walked over to James, who held out a hand. " James, does anything else stick out in your mind?"
" Not at the moment. I'd have to think about it."
" Do. And play that recording for your friends. They might come up with something." James grinned at him.
" Yes, sir."
" I feel I should apologize. When you first walked in, I assumed it was another prank."
" I would have too, sir. With my record." Dumbledore smiled and pulled a piece of parchment towards him.
" Well, I shall not keep you any longer. I believe you are missing your potions class. I shall write you a pass, and one for you also, Mr. Black." A crash came from behind the door. A few moments later, Sirius opened the door and grinned sheepishly at the Headmaster.
" Thanks, sir." Dumbledore shook his head, the smile he had been unable to suppress growing as Sirius took a chair next to James'. He wrote quickly and handed the paper to James.
" I will not keep you any longer." He reached out and Fawkes stepped from James' hand to his arm. " I must contact certain people. James, if you come up with anything new, please tell me." James nodded and he and Sirius left the office. Sirius looked at his best friend.
" What happened?"
Ah, the prophesy. Sorry, but I'm not much of poet. I had fun writing this one. - Aoi