Not much had happened in the following weeks. Jade kept hanging out with Ron and Harry or ocassionally Blaise Zabini. She still was not talking to Draco despite his several attempts.
"Dumbledore wants to see me this Saturday," Jade told Harry and Ron as they worked on a Transfiguration essay in the library.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know," Jade said shrugging. "He didn't say. But I just thought you should know."
A couple of days had passed since Jade had received a letter from Dumbledore. At first she freaked out, thinking she had broken some important rule and was in trouble or that something had happened to her family but the letter didn't really specify. But Jade was trying to tell and convince herself it wasn't bad or serious otherwise he would have asked to see her way sooner.
"It seems like he forgot about our lessons, he hadn't even said anything to me after the first one," Harry said, frustrated. "And now he wants to see you?
"You are still his favourite, don't worry!" Jade said with a chuckle. "Maybe it's got something to do with my gift... I haven't practiced with Snape at all since school started again. Maybe he wants to ask me about it... it's the only thing I can think of."
"Maybe," Ron said. "Makes sense."
That Saturday, after Quidditch training and avoiding Draco, who was out of the girls changing room waiting to try to talk to her as he always did now that they weren't talking, Jade made her way to Dumbledore's office. She couldn't deny she was nervous.
But she knew it wasn't serious. If something had happened to her family she would have known immediately, like Hannah Abbot did when her mother was found dead.
After saying the password and the Gargoyle let her pass, Jade knocked on the door and walked in. She bit her lip as she sat down in front of the Headmaster. He looked serene and like if nothing was wrong, Jade couldn't help but look at his injured hand, which was completely black. She knew that coudn't be good.
"Miss Lias, thanks for coming. Now... I've been under the impression you've been wanting to ask me something."
"Uh..."
It was then when Jade remembered the Prophecy... hers. She wanted to ask him but with all the things happening it slipped her mind.
"How do you know?"
"Just a feeling."
"Well, there was a prophecy back at the Ministry... it had my name. And I know you know what it is about because it had your initials... like Harry's prophecy did. I just don't know who T.A.F is supposed to be. And to be honest I decided not to ask you at the end of the year because I don't want to know if I will die or something like that."
"Tamara Alexandra Fedotova. That's T.A.F. She was a very known witch in Russia. She made a lot of predictions. Maybe if you had known her you wouldn't have dropped Divination. She used to charge muggles for predictions, but everything became true so she gained popularity back in the 1920's. Then she moved to Greece where she married a man and continued with her business there. She made five prophecies in her lifetime. The first when she was five years old and the last in 1986."
"The one that concerns me?" Jade asked.
"Yes, the last one was about you. May I ask Miss Lias... are you dating Mr. Potter?"
"What?" Jade said in shock, her cheeks blushing. "No... why?"
"It's important that you tell me the truth, Miss Lias. You'll understand once I tell you everything."
"Harry is my friend and so is Ron.. We are not dating. I made up that we were because I didn't want to get expelled last year. I couldn't come up with another excuse to why I was with Harry that night. And I'm sure you know how Pure-blood families are... about the arranged marriages."
"Yes, I know about that. How's Mr. Perseus, by the way?"
"How do you...?" Dumbledore just gave her a look. "Uh... he is okay. I think. He is good, isn't he? I mean, he could have chosen to go the same path as my brother but he didn't. Right?"
"For now he hasn't, that's correct."
Jade found it a bit weird to be discussing her sort of love life with her headmaster. But in a way she wanted to know if Cass was a good person. She wasn't going to marry a Death Eater. She would rather die.
"There was a prophecy made a few years after Voldemort was believed to be dead. You know the story of what happened to Voldemort. Anyway, in the prophecy it's mentioned that this particular girl could be used as a weapon against 'the chosen one'. If Voldemort gets his hands on this girl, it could mean winning the war for him and many, many years of darkness will be upon us."
"I'm not following, sir."
"If Draco Malfoy was taken by Voldemort, would you sacrificed yourself for him? So he could be safe."
"Of course," Jade said without thinking.
"Love is the strongest force in the universe, Miss Lias. Voldemort knows about it but doesn't understand it. Lily Potter died to save her son, that's why Harry survived. So in order for Voldemort to not fall for it twice, he would capture the people Harry loves to get what he really is after. Potter. His revenge."
"People he loves? Do you mean, Ron? Granger? Maybe ... I don't know, Sirius? That's why they killed him?"
"Sirius' death was a tragic accident. And no, I'm not talking about Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. I'm talking about real family."
"But..."
"In the prophecy it's mentioned that girl will be used as bait because she is important to Potter. And he will go to save her but fail. Voldemort could easily kill Potter as he would offer his life to save the girl's. But Voldemort would kill the girl and then Potter, to not make the same mistake twice. And he wouldn't touch the baby just in case, knowing that it could be dangerous. So instead, he would raise him as his heir."
"Baby... Potter's kid?" Dumbledore nodded.
"Who's the girl?"
"You."
Jade feared he was going to say that. It was her prophecy after all but it still surprised her when she heard the girl was her. Jade shook her head in denial.
"I knew it had something to do with my death! That's why I didn't want to know!" Jade exclaimed hysterically as she stood up and paced the room. "When is this supposed to happen? Can we know?"
"It is said that the girl is still underage when she gives birth to the child. So any time between now and January 1998. As of your death... can't be sure but wouldn't give it more than five years after the baby is born."
"But... I'm not dating Harry. I don't even like him. And I'm not pregnant, am I? Last time I checked I was still a virgin!" Jade rambled. "And I'm not planning to get pregnant before getting married. I don't even want to have kids, you know? How could I be so reckless to get pregnant while still in school? Like that's so not me."
"Calm down, Miss Lias."
"Calm down? You are telling me I'll have a kid with Harry and that Harry and I will both die in a few years and our kid will be kidnapped and raised by the darkest Wizard of all! And worst of all, I'll be guilty for Harry's death... Professor, how can you tell me to calm down? And how do you even know it's me? And not someone else?"
"You come from an ancient bloodline of purebloods, right?" Jade nodded. "Part of your family is Greek." Jade nodded again. "You would do a huge sacrifice by choosing Harry over your family and breaking off your arranged marriage."
"Is that mentioned too?" Jade said horrified.
"Yes. Are you a year younger than your classmates?"
"Yes but..."
"You were only ten years old when you got into Hogwarts after your father and Lucius Malfoy convinced everyone to let you in a year earlier. In the prophecy that's another characteristic of the girl. That's why I knew it was you. You are the only person in centuries to come to Hogwarts being ten years old."
"Since when do you know it's me?"
"A year before you got to Hogwarts, when the decision was made to let you come a year earlier. I watched you closely, I must admit. And I saw you hated Potter as much as any other Slytherin. You were even cruel to him but the crueller the better as the least I wanted was you and him together. And then I saw how you got closer to Ron and eventually to Harry. And I truly worried when you told Umbridge and Fudge that you were dating... you see, that meant that the prophecy was starting to come true."
"But it was a lie!"
"That's why I asked you about it. Now you understand how important that question was," Dumbledore told her as Jade finally sat down again. "I must admit something to you, Jade. I did something I shouldn't have."
"What?" Jade asked, concerned.
"There's this very rare object like a time turner but this one you can get it to take you to any time. I saw the events happening. I saw your death. Pansy Parkinson killed you right when Voldemort pretended to let you free."
"What? Pansy kills me? Well, that's pathetic."
"Harry is obviously killed by Voldemort and he then goes to what used to be Sirius' house and takes your so... baby."
"Son? You were going to say son... I had a son?"
"Yes, I also saw the time when you informed the school about it. You claimed the father was a random guy, trying to keep Harry out of it, but since I had heard the prophecy I knew the truth."
"Wait... So, if you saw all that you know in what year the baby is born and when we are killed."
"I don't think it's a good idea to tell you..."
"Please," Jade begged fighting back tears. "I need to know."
"Your son was born in August 1997 and you were killed in November, 2000."
"August 1997... that can still happen. We are exactly ten months away from that date and if the baby is premature then it means I could get pregnant between the following weeks and i don't know...maybe January? What else did you see?"
"This is what I shouldn't have done but I did. In a normal reality, in 1991 you would have been sorted into Gryffindor." Jade gasped. "You would have befriended Ron from the first day but sort of disliked Harry until the second year. You would have started dating in your fourth year, at the age of twelve you would have run away from your house and move in with Sirius. He didn't die..." Dumbledore told her. "I told the Sorting Hat to sort you into Slytherin. I thought that if you were among them it would be less likely for you to like Harry and it worked for four years."
"Wait... am I truly a Gryffindor?"
"Yes... I think you recall the Sorting Hat taking five minutes to finally make his decision. He was internally fighting knowing you belonged in Gryffindor but he knew why I told him to do that change."
"So... you decided to alter my life? You rather have me become a Death Eater than have a very nice life and being a good person? Because two years ago, I could have taken the same choices my brother took."
"I know, I risked your life for the good of thousands, even millions of people. But you see, who you truly are always comes out. You were always good, kind-hearted. It just took you longer to accept it and develop it."
"That doesn't really make me feel better. I could have had a happier life, real friends. Knowing what love really is."
"Yes, and I apologize. I thought that was the best way to save so many people. To save our future. I know it sounds selfish."
"It does," Jade admitted. "It makes me feel like I don't know matter at all, like if I'm just a piece in a game."
"But see it this way, many people you love would be dead if I hadn't done that little change. Lexion, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, every single Malfoy. Cassius. Neville, Harry and you," Dumbledore told her. "And what is more important... that reality can still happen. Nobody knows if a prophecy can be changed, prevented. So you must be careful."
"Careful?"
"You know... I know you can't stop how you feel about someone but you can stop acting on those feelings... and even if you don't feel anything for Harry... just too much of firewhiskey is enough to..."
"Are you trying to say I can get drunk and have sex with Harry?" Jade asked in disbelief.
"Well, basically yes."
"But Professor," Jade continued, hiding how ashamed she felt of what he said. "If let's say that nothing happens before March and I don't get pregnant or anything like that... that means we are safe, right?"
"No. You see, in the prophecy it is said you will have the baby before turning seventeen. You are only fifteen right now. The baby can be born the day before your seventeenth birthday and the prophecy would still happen. Let's say the baby is born early at seven months... that would mean getting pregnant in June of the next year."
"So after June we are saved, right?"
"Technically, no."
"What?"
"You can pregnant even in January. There is dark magic that can fast-forward a pregnancy. Could make it last seven or nine days instead of months."
"That's not true, is it?"
"I'm afraid it is. It's horribly painful."
"So, just to check if I understood... There's a prophecy saying that I'd be used as Harry's downfall. Both of us would be killed. We'd have a son and he would be taken by Voldemort and he would then win the war and rule for many years," Jade said quickly. "But to prevent that from happening you travelled to the future and changed something, made me a Slytherin instead of a Gryffindor."
"Correct except that I haven't prevented anything yet. The prophecy can still become true," Dumbledore said. "And let me tell you, don't focus too much on the baby part. Because that's just a tiny part of the prophecy that leads to another prophecy. I'm afraid that if you and Harry develop feelings for each other, even without a baby, all that would still happen. Both of you being killed and Voldemort winning."
"So, you are telling me to stay away from Harry?"
"No. But if you start to feel things for him or if you find out that he likes you, it'd be better to step away for a bit."
"Why did you tell me?" Jade asked.
"Knowledge is power, Miss Lias," Dumbledore told her. "Maybe if you know we can change the future together. I didn't mean to burden you."
"Why me?"
"Destiny is a funny thing. You were meant to be with Harry from the day you were born. Like a soulmate. And it is said that soulmates find each other in different lives, different realities. I don't know if that's true but if it is... it means that eventually you and Harry will find each other and be together."
"If only that meant something cheerful."
"But it could..." Dumbledore said with a small smile.
"Is that woman... Tamara still alive?"
"No, she died the year you came to Hogwarts. She was ninety-seven years old. And it's quite curious... she is your grandmother's mother."
"What?" Jade asked perplexed. "There are no Russians in my family."
"There was one but she adopted Greek citizenship and changed her last name to the Greek version. At the time, she didn't know the prophecy was about someone from her family. I suspect you never met her," Dumbledore said and Jade shook her head. "She wrote to your father when she found out you were coming here at the age of ten. She warned him but ... this is just speculation... he either thought it was nonsense or he put you in this school on purpose, knowing that you could be the key to his master's success."
Even though everything could be possible as Jade had found out the harsh way, she still couldn't believe or accept that her father could have gotten her into school earlier knowing what it meant. He couldn't use her in that way, right?
"When he found out that I was apparently dating Harry he used cru..."
"Yes, I can only imagine the torture you've gone through, Jade. Think it this way... When you've been raised the way you have, when something it's forbidden it becomes more interesting. You are more skillful than your classmates and even so, you joined those meetings last year to practice. I suspect that you were more interested in doing something that was against the rules and drive your parents mad than for practicing as you really didn't need it. See my point? Besides, even after what he did, you didn't stop your friendship with Harry or Ron, did you?"
"No."
"Speaking of them... I'm sure you want to tell them what we spoke here today... I must ask you to not tell them just yet. It's not the right time. But you can eventually tell them but make sure they don't tell anyone else." Jade nodded. "And it would be better if you don't tell Mr. Malfoy."
"We aren't even talking."
"Oh, that's a shame. Hope you can sort things out... both of you need a friend during these hard times," Dumbledore said and Jade just raised an eyebrow but Dumbledore didn't elaborate. "Well, Jade, I think that's it for now. It's rather late. If you want to discuss this even more feel free to come whenever you want."
"Thanks Professor. Good night."
"Yes, Jade?" Dumbledore asked, as Jade had stopped and turned around quickly.
"Uh... can you tell me, sir, the name of... it's weird to say my son when I don't have a son... but can you tell me his name?"
Dumbledore gave her a funny look as if he hadn't expected that question at all. It was probably the first time she had seen him surprised. "Unofficially, Leo Potter. Officially, Leo Lestrange."
"What do you mean, unofficially? And why Lestrange?"
"Believe it or not, your mother still cared despite your betrayal, you changed your name to Lestrange when you were thirteen with her help," Dumbledore explained, Jade never expected her mother to sort of have a soft spot for her, that was as shocking as finding out Harry was her soulmate. "And both, Harry and you didn't want people to know of the baby's existence, so you never used his last name."
"But he found him anyway," Jade said.
"It took him a while, though. Any other question?"
"No. Good night Professor."
I'm honestly so excited and eager to know what you guys think of the prophecy and this chapter. I couldn't wait to post it. I was away all day but I'm posting it now :D
And how do you think this will change things now?
