A/N: Wow. *ducks all flying objects.* I am SO bad! I'm sooooo sorry. I really tried to get this chapter out a lot sooner. But it got really complicated and I wanted to give ya'll a long chapter for once. And I spent a lot of time on it, trying to make it better. I really wanted to answer your questions in this chapter, at least a lot of them. But, beware, yes this chapter contains....mild swearing....well, it isn't like you haven't heard the words anyways.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. nada. Except maybe the plot.
~~~
"None of us knows what the next change is going to be, what unexpected opportunity is just around the corner, waiting a few months or a few years to change all the tenor of our lives."
-Kathleen Norris, Hands Full of Living
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
-William Jennings Bryan
"It is to be remarked that a good many people are born curiously unfitted for the fate waiting them on this earth."
-Joseph Conrad, Chance
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
-William Shakespeare
~~~~~~~
The office was strangely subdued, the normal atmosphere vanished as a unique quietness filled the air.
Albus Dumbledore watched the small glass-like figure on his desk closely. It was a shimmering glass plate, the middle filled with a blue smoke that rose above the plate gently. The smoke shone over the headmasters face a very erie mask covering him. He watched the plate for a few minutes before opening his parched lips.
"Harry Potter," he whispered. The old wizard watched with sad blue eyes as an image of a boy of 15 swarmed in front of him. Weary green eyes shone out from a head of raven black hair. The boy had grown over the summer despite the horrible treatment bestowed upon him by his uncle.
It was something that never should have happened. And despite all the precautions that Albus had taken over the years, he had overlooked the safety inside the boy's own home. How he wish he had know.
But none of the mistreatment was visible as the boy sat with his back against a tree. His eyes were half-closed. For a moment, the boy seemed almost peaceful. But his eyes refused to shut, refuse to let down their guard. They darted open at the sudden movement of wind beside him. Dumbledore watched as he calmed himself back down and sighed deeply. An old weary expression crossed the raven-haired boy's features and Albus had to remind himself he was only 15.
A knock rung throughout the old office. Albus waved a hand over the object and it disappeared. He gazed at the door for a minute before opening his lips.
"Come in," he said. The door opened and the office began filling up. Ron, Hermoine, Ginny, Fred, and George followed Remus and Sirius. Molly and Arthur Weasly were next to enter. Minerva McGonagall entered as well as Severus Snape lastly. Albus allowed a weak smile at those entering, one that did not quite meet his eyes. It was an odd group, he knew this much. But he did not question the presence of even those that were less expected at this kind of a meeting.
Remus studied his old professors features carefully. They were tight and worn. The twinkle that used to reside in those blue eyes were now lost. Remus than remembered why they were there and he glanced sideways at his best friend, who was fidgeting in the large chair beside him. Remus resisted raising his eyes to the sky in frustration. The lack of patience in that man would never seize to annoy him.
He noticed Albus looking at him expectantly and he inwardly cursed as he noticed nobody else would speak. He ran a rough hand through his light brown hair in exasperation. He hated being the spokesmen for such a large group when he wasn't even sure himself what they were trying to say. He licked his dry lips in an attempt to stall even longer. But to no prevail did anyone take his position in explaining.
"We have a lot of questions, Albus," he glanced around the room briefly, swallowing deeply, "and I'm not even sure where to start." Albus watched his former student shift uneasily in his seat and he had to fight down a smile.
"Start with the question that bothers you most," Albus said simply. Remus nodded, but his head pounded with uneasiness. In truth, he had so many questions that all seemed equally important. But he searched his mind and connected his hazel eyes with Albus. His eyebrows furrowed in desperate confusion as the question formed in his mind.
"Albus, this summer, when we saved Harry from those people, you told me that Harry never should have survived," Dumbledore nodded slowly, his blue eyes concentrating on his former student.
"How could he ever survive? And why wouldn't he tell us about it?" Dumbledore rested his chin on his fingers, his blue eyes gazed at the desk in front of him.
"Sometimes, Remus, there is a time when people, no matter their strength are pushed to believe lies. Yes," he glanced at Snape and McGonagall than at Mr. and Mrs. Weasly. "Even heroes."
"Harry, a boy who never knew love, shunned and pushed around for his whole life, managed to grow up kind. Can you even imagine the miracle in that? And when he came to Hogwarts he finally began to understand love through friends," at this, Dumbledore gestured to the four teenagers in the corner.
"Love, something he finally began to understand and long for. And he managed each summer away, with the hope of going back to the place he felt needed. He survived because he finally had a reason to. But I'm afraid that the answer goes deeper than that, something I cannot explain. For what Harry is-," Albus raised his head to meet Remus's eyes briefly, stopping in mid-sentence.
"Harry's different, Remus. You know what I mean because you yourself have taught the boy. I've noticed it myself. He exceeds in things that he should not even know. The Patronous for example," Remus nodded at this part.
"I never expected him to get it-especially with the circumstances of what happens when he gets near a dementor," Remus confessed. Sirius looked at his friend curiously but Remus didn't acknowledge it.
"When Harry was still a child, before Hogwarts, he managed to apparate to the top of his school's roof," the room was deathly silent.
"But-Albus- that's impossible!" Dumbledore sighed but shook his head at Arthur Weasly.
"Not for Harry," he shook his head in disbelief but said nothing further.
"After 4th year, Harry was devastated. We all know that," Albus glanced at the teenagers who were looking at their hands. Hermoine was sitting on the far end of them, her chair pulled away from the others into the corner. He looked away, a curious expression lining his face.
"And things happened. Harry always felt a need to protect people, no matter who they are. When he learned he could not save Cedric, he thought he had to punish himself," Sirius sat up straight and gripped the desk. Dumbledore didn't look at him, not wanting to see the devastation that he knew lined the young face.
"His punishment was to let the abuse come to him," Dumbledore watched out the corner of his eye as Hermoine lowered her head into her hands. Albus knew this had to be hard. But why did he have a feeling something wasn't right?
"As for why Harry survived?" Albus glanced curiously at Sirius who was listening with rapt attention. His face was a mask, covering any emotion he might be feeling otherwise.
"Harry is not who you think he is. In fact, he isn't who I believed he was 13 years ago. But I realize now, that he is much more than any of us can bear to take advantage of. He is to be the warrior, the one we have been waiting for," Snape and McGonagall gasped at this, the others in the room looking at them in curiosity.
"Albus-you cannot- are you sure?" McGonagall's normal thin liped expression was gone now, her mouth was open slightly in shock, her eyes wide and her whole strict composure gone in an instant. Snape was also trying to fight down the shocked expression that crept onto his face. His usually pale face had gone even whiter if possible, the coal black eyes unblinking.
The old man nodded, a small smile threatening to creep onto his lips. He watched the other occupants in the room with little surprise. They all seemed confused, except for three others besides himself. Minerva and Severus he had expected to look shocked, as they had been told the prophecy many years ago. But another in the room was the one that caught his attention. Hermoine Granger was staring at him with a passive look on her face, caught between saying something and on the edge of her seat and trying to sink into the background of the room. He watched her with little understanding for a few more moments before Severus interrupted his thoughts.
"But the prophecy said that he would restore order to the world," Albus watched his former student with slight amusement. Severus had never wanted to believe that his enemy's son would save him or the world.
"And so it does," he said quietly. Sirius stared at him for a little before finally talking, Albus noticing a strange glint in the younger man's eyes.
"What prophecy?" Albus nodded and pulled a piece of paper out of the air. The occupants of the room watched him carefully.
"I should have informed everyone awhile ago. But I wanted Harry to know first. But I suppose with the circumstances," Albus glanced at his colleges who nodded quietly at him, "Perhaps now I should tell you." He glanced over the paper quickly, sighing. He leaned forward in his chair and cleared his throat.
" For one it becomes his way of life
seeking the ruin of souls
He roams the earth in search for the one.
One ultimate betrayal from a friend
rips away a past from beneath them.
The child is known to rid the world of evil
but he is taken away, to become
the child of darkness.
A past that chills him deep inside
it calls to him to leave the world and his kind.
And if he does not choose the right side,
the war will be fought with no hope to spare.
The warrior child, he will be called.
He fights what he wills
He fights what he hates
he fights for a world that does not wait.
He trusts not a soul
He is broken by his past
But in the final battle he will not stop.
Fire in his soul and power in his mind
He alone is the victory for mankind.
"You believe this prophecy?" Albus nodded silently. He expected questions to come, but they never did. Instead, the all familiar silence filled the room. Sirius caught his Albus's eye and watched him carefully.
"Albus, whenever Harry seemed to be having nightmares or in trouble, you seemed to be there," Sirius stared at his professor who looked older than ever at that moment although he seemed strangely different.
"How did you do it?" Dumbledore smiled slightly, the mysteriousness of the old headmaster returning to full height.
"After the Dursley's, we need to be extra careful," Albus carefully glanced at the cupboard where he had vanished the glass plate earlier. Remus saw this and let his eyes follow the headmasters. He shook his head, somethings were just better left unknown. But still, he listened with intent curiousity.
"I am afraid that I cannot tell you at this time," Remus could almost see him glance at the teenagers, but it was so quick it might have been a trick of the light.
"The hallucinations," Ron said suddenly. Remus stared at his former student. How had they all forgotten so easily?
"You mean the temporary memory blank and the reformation of Cedric?" Ron watched his headmaster with uncertainly. Obviously reformation wasn't quite what he had been thinking.
"Reformation of Cedric?" Dumbledore sighed and no smile formed on his lips.
"Cedric was not alive, Mr. Weasly, as the kind of reformation you might be thinking. But rather inside Harry's mind," the old headmaster looked as weary as ever. Remus than realized that he must not have gotten a lot of sleep lately with Voldemort and now Harry's case must have taken a huge toll on him.
"Harry can't distinguish between reality and his nightmares anymore. So much so, it's becoming dangerous. His mind doesn't know what to believe. The nightmares that plague his mind, or the days he lives. He is going through something I cannot begin to imagine," Dumbledore than turned his blue eyes away and stared at the desk in front of him, something Remus had never seen before. Albus always kept eye contact.
"Vernon Dursely has told Harry countless times over the summer that he was a murderer. He even nicknamed Harry that at one time," Albus stopped talking this time and the room grew steadily quiet, no one knowing what to say.
"Why would he do that to Harry?" Fred asked. George nodded at his side showing the headmaster he would like to know as well. Every eye was on Albus, waiting for his answer.
"It was a game," his face showed complete disgust, and Albus raised his eyes to reach Fred's which showed how much the teenager truly did not understand.
"A game of the mind. If Vernon could convince Harry he was a murderer, he could break Harry completely. You must understand, Mr. Weasly, that Vernon knew he could break every bone in Harry's body. But the one thing he had hardly any control over was his mind. This very fact drove Vernon mad. He did not have complete control when Harry would not let him. He could not force his way into Harry's mind. He had to casually break him over time, have Harry's emotions consume him fully," Fred looked frightened as the headmaster held contact with the boy. He was growing pale, his freckles standing out unnaturally on his face.
"And he won?" Albus sighed and leaned back, placing his chin on his fingers.
"We are lucky that Harry is so strong," Albus's forehead wrinkled in confusion and anger glinted in those clear blue eyes.
"But nobody is strong enough to withhold the pain he has felt his entire life. Orphaned, alone, brought up in a cupboard, starved, and completely unloved until we brought him back to the wizarding world. Harry, I believe, may be close to withdrawing completely from everything he has ever felt and ever can.
"The memory blanks will not end. But they are erratic. After nightmares, or severe confusion they may come back. I believe it may be a way Harry's learned to deal with the pain. But the reformations of Cedric are more dangerous right now. If he doesn't stop believing his nightmares, I'm afraid of what could happen to him," he sighed heavily.
"Perhaps that it is my fault for sending a letter to his relatives. I explained all the events to them, hoping they would understand and treat him with more respect. I had no idea this would happen..."
And being taken off guard again, Remus noted that his old headmaster was at a loss of words.
"None of use could have known," Minerva said quietly. Her voice was soft and kind, as she stared at him. She had the most respect for this man, the only one that she ever had felt could trust, even in times of Voldemort.
An uncomfortable silence engulfed the room for a few more moments before-
"Hermoine knew," Ron growled. Sirius's wild brown eyes shot over at Hermoine who shrunk further into the chair. She made no sound of protest, however.
A new look Ron had never seen crossed Sirius's features and it scared him. He seemed insane yet almost controlled at the same time, and it made no sense.
"What did you say?" Sirius asked venom dripping from each word. Ron looked at him uneasily, that glint in his eyes was becoming stronger.
"She told us she knew what was happening during the summer." Ron whispered. Something on that pale face, and the look in his eyes that had never left since Azkaban, made Ron truly scared of Sirius.
Sirius stood up so quickly and strode over to Hermoine that Albus stood up as well, hand on wand. But Sirius, however, made no move towards his own wand. Instead, he rolled his fingers into a fist.
"Did you betray Harry?" Hermoine bit her lip. She turned away but Sirius didn't move. His breath became more ragged and the intense strange glint magnified.
"What was it Hermoine? Did it make you feel more powerful? To know that the fucking boy-who-lived was getting beat up by his goddamn family?" Albus's eyes flashed dangerously. He pushed his way in between Sirius and Hermoine.
"That is enough Sirius!" Sirius glared at Dumbledore, but said nothing and sat back down. He turned to Hermoine who was fighting back tears. He watched her momentarily as though wondering what to say. He walked over to her and placed an ancient hand on her shoulder.
"Please, Ms. Granger. Tell us what happened." Hermoine shifted slightly in her seat as though trying to disappear entirely. But she sighed eventually and opened her mouth to speak.
"After the 3rd task, I started to wonder about Harry. He seemed so withdrawn, so different," her voice was hoarse and hardly above a quiet whisper, yet her voice carried throughout the silent room.
"But it was strange," her forehead wrinkled in desperate confusion. "I started to feel differently. Almost as though I could feel what he was going through," she stopped and looked at the headmaster in confusion who nodded at her to continue.
"Of course, I'm not sure if those were really what he was feeling, but I felt pain all the time. Not physically, but emotionally degraded and hurt. Always, I felt the same. As though I had been put in a hole I couldn't get out of. But I didn't understand what was happening. I thought maybe it was because of what Harry had gone through, but it was deeper than that. it was as though I had lived through it," Dumbledore nodded.
"Amour la devotu," Albus said simply. "The binding spell. You saved him Hermoine, just by taking on some of his pain." Albus watched her no quietly.
"How did you know then?" Ginny asked. She was staring at her friend with deep regret.
"Everynight, I had dreams. I would see Harry's uncle beating him up. I could sometimes block the hits by placing myself in front of Harry. His uncle never knew the difference. He was usually so drunk that he never even knew," Hermoine choked back threatening tears that fell down her cheeks. "Sometimes he didn't even know how close he was to killing Harry."
"Anyway, I owled Harry about it. I asked him if his uncle was beating him up. Everytime he refused to reply, although once I did get a response back. It was in his usually handwriting, though a little messier. But I just supposed it was because he was in a hurry," she turned her gaze towards her hands.
"What did the note say, Hermoine?" Remus asked softly. She took a small breath.
"It was short. 'Nothing's wrong. Don't worry. Can't write anymore, ~Harry.' It was something I had been hoping to hear," she closed her eyes.
"I thought that if something had been happening, he would have at least told me the truth. But he didn't and so I believed what I wanted to instead of what I knew was true." Sirius had his face in his hands, muttering softly to himself.
"Eventually, after I got hardly any sleep and when I realized brusies were forming from the hits I would encounter, I knew it was all happening to him," she stopped here, waiting for someone to say something.
"So than why didn't you do anything then?" Hermoine glanced at Ron curiously and her eyes widened.
"We did do something. We rescued Harry," Ron sighed and Ginny got up and hugged her friend, who accepted the hug. They broke apart and Ginny went back to her seat, drying her eyes. Hermoine glanced at Ron who simply shot her a look 'we'll talk later.' Sirius was still avoiding her gaze, but he didn't seem angry any more.
The room subdued once more. Everyone seemed to be digesting all the information, still so many questions that needed answering.
"What about Voldemort, sir?" Ginny Weasly asked. Her body was sitting straight up and her face turned slightly red as she spoke out. Dumbledore regarded her question thoughtfully.
"Voldemort is planning on recruiting Harry still. He has tried and failed, but he will not give up. I am telling you this because you are the ones that Harry has to trust and love. Do not let him fade away. Tell him things, do not push him out. Don't let him push you out. Follow him around, do anything to make him realize you aren't going away. I will not lie to you. These next couple of months will not be easy. He is changed, and changing. You four are changed. Things will not be easy anymore especially because of the war."
"Sir? Is Harry even going to be able to go back to school? I mean, it starts in a week and he isn't back to normal yet," Dumbledore smiled softly at the teenagers.
"I believe Mr. Potter will be able to go back to school," Dumbledore glanced at Snape quickly. "He will safest there anyways, and even if he does not attend all classes, should at least come back to Hogwarts."
"Harry's going to die defeating Voldemort?" The whole room sat in shock for a few moments their eyes falling on different random objects around the room. The prophecy had not been talked about, most wishing not to figure out what it meant.
"If you are asking my interpretation, than yes. Harry must sacrifice himself for the good of the world. But my interpretations most certainly are not considered completely accurate. Divination is a very blurry subject. Especially when the hand dealt to you can change despite what cards you were meant to have," Hermoine cocked her head to the side slightly as though trying to figure something out. She watched her headmaster for a few moments, but didn't say anything.
"What about Voldemort, sir?" Arthur Weasly asked. His body was sitting straight up and his ears turned slightly red as he spoke out.
"Voldemort is planning on recruiting Harry still. He has tried and failed, but he will not give up. I am telling you this because you are the ones that Harry has to trust and love. Do not let him fade away. Tell him things, do not push him out. Don't let him push you out. Follow him around, do anything to make him realize you aren't going away. I will not lie to you. These next couple of months will not be easy. He is changed, and changing. You four are changed. Things will not be easy anymore especially because of the war."
"What are we going to do to Vernon," Sirius's raspy voice voiced aloud the question everyone had been thinking but not wanting to ask.
"There will be a trial," Albus said quietly. "In 4 weeks time, Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursely, and Dudley Dursely will be tried," he shook his head slowly. "None of them will be let go easy, I promise you this, Sirius."
~*~
Foreshadowing (either in next chapter or chapter after that) :
"Sirius, I'm ready to talk now."
"Hermoine, I don't understand anything anymore."
"You think any of us do? Think Ron, we're changed! We grew up this summer and we aren't kids anymore. We can't ever be kids again! But things change and you need to learn to deal with it."
"We're never going to be the same again, are we?"
A/N: Hey!!! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! I know there wasn't any Harry really in this chapter. But I did that on purpose because next chapter will have A LOT of him, trust me. I made this chapter just to answer everyone's questions. I really hope this helped.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!
Thanks to everyone that reviewed chapter 15!!!!!!!! I'm sorry, I don't have time to thank you all individually, but I promise to answer them all next chapter!!! And I really really really appreciate everyones reviews! They make me want to keep writing!!!!!!!
~Until next time
Corie
Disclaimer: I own nothing. nada. Except maybe the plot.
~~~
"None of us knows what the next change is going to be, what unexpected opportunity is just around the corner, waiting a few months or a few years to change all the tenor of our lives."
-Kathleen Norris, Hands Full of Living
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
-William Jennings Bryan
"It is to be remarked that a good many people are born curiously unfitted for the fate waiting them on this earth."
-Joseph Conrad, Chance
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
-William Shakespeare
~~~~~~~
The office was strangely subdued, the normal atmosphere vanished as a unique quietness filled the air.
Albus Dumbledore watched the small glass-like figure on his desk closely. It was a shimmering glass plate, the middle filled with a blue smoke that rose above the plate gently. The smoke shone over the headmasters face a very erie mask covering him. He watched the plate for a few minutes before opening his parched lips.
"Harry Potter," he whispered. The old wizard watched with sad blue eyes as an image of a boy of 15 swarmed in front of him. Weary green eyes shone out from a head of raven black hair. The boy had grown over the summer despite the horrible treatment bestowed upon him by his uncle.
It was something that never should have happened. And despite all the precautions that Albus had taken over the years, he had overlooked the safety inside the boy's own home. How he wish he had know.
But none of the mistreatment was visible as the boy sat with his back against a tree. His eyes were half-closed. For a moment, the boy seemed almost peaceful. But his eyes refused to shut, refuse to let down their guard. They darted open at the sudden movement of wind beside him. Dumbledore watched as he calmed himself back down and sighed deeply. An old weary expression crossed the raven-haired boy's features and Albus had to remind himself he was only 15.
A knock rung throughout the old office. Albus waved a hand over the object and it disappeared. He gazed at the door for a minute before opening his lips.
"Come in," he said. The door opened and the office began filling up. Ron, Hermoine, Ginny, Fred, and George followed Remus and Sirius. Molly and Arthur Weasly were next to enter. Minerva McGonagall entered as well as Severus Snape lastly. Albus allowed a weak smile at those entering, one that did not quite meet his eyes. It was an odd group, he knew this much. But he did not question the presence of even those that were less expected at this kind of a meeting.
Remus studied his old professors features carefully. They were tight and worn. The twinkle that used to reside in those blue eyes were now lost. Remus than remembered why they were there and he glanced sideways at his best friend, who was fidgeting in the large chair beside him. Remus resisted raising his eyes to the sky in frustration. The lack of patience in that man would never seize to annoy him.
He noticed Albus looking at him expectantly and he inwardly cursed as he noticed nobody else would speak. He ran a rough hand through his light brown hair in exasperation. He hated being the spokesmen for such a large group when he wasn't even sure himself what they were trying to say. He licked his dry lips in an attempt to stall even longer. But to no prevail did anyone take his position in explaining.
"We have a lot of questions, Albus," he glanced around the room briefly, swallowing deeply, "and I'm not even sure where to start." Albus watched his former student shift uneasily in his seat and he had to fight down a smile.
"Start with the question that bothers you most," Albus said simply. Remus nodded, but his head pounded with uneasiness. In truth, he had so many questions that all seemed equally important. But he searched his mind and connected his hazel eyes with Albus. His eyebrows furrowed in desperate confusion as the question formed in his mind.
"Albus, this summer, when we saved Harry from those people, you told me that Harry never should have survived," Dumbledore nodded slowly, his blue eyes concentrating on his former student.
"How could he ever survive? And why wouldn't he tell us about it?" Dumbledore rested his chin on his fingers, his blue eyes gazed at the desk in front of him.
"Sometimes, Remus, there is a time when people, no matter their strength are pushed to believe lies. Yes," he glanced at Snape and McGonagall than at Mr. and Mrs. Weasly. "Even heroes."
"Harry, a boy who never knew love, shunned and pushed around for his whole life, managed to grow up kind. Can you even imagine the miracle in that? And when he came to Hogwarts he finally began to understand love through friends," at this, Dumbledore gestured to the four teenagers in the corner.
"Love, something he finally began to understand and long for. And he managed each summer away, with the hope of going back to the place he felt needed. He survived because he finally had a reason to. But I'm afraid that the answer goes deeper than that, something I cannot explain. For what Harry is-," Albus raised his head to meet Remus's eyes briefly, stopping in mid-sentence.
"Harry's different, Remus. You know what I mean because you yourself have taught the boy. I've noticed it myself. He exceeds in things that he should not even know. The Patronous for example," Remus nodded at this part.
"I never expected him to get it-especially with the circumstances of what happens when he gets near a dementor," Remus confessed. Sirius looked at his friend curiously but Remus didn't acknowledge it.
"When Harry was still a child, before Hogwarts, he managed to apparate to the top of his school's roof," the room was deathly silent.
"But-Albus- that's impossible!" Dumbledore sighed but shook his head at Arthur Weasly.
"Not for Harry," he shook his head in disbelief but said nothing further.
"After 4th year, Harry was devastated. We all know that," Albus glanced at the teenagers who were looking at their hands. Hermoine was sitting on the far end of them, her chair pulled away from the others into the corner. He looked away, a curious expression lining his face.
"And things happened. Harry always felt a need to protect people, no matter who they are. When he learned he could not save Cedric, he thought he had to punish himself," Sirius sat up straight and gripped the desk. Dumbledore didn't look at him, not wanting to see the devastation that he knew lined the young face.
"His punishment was to let the abuse come to him," Dumbledore watched out the corner of his eye as Hermoine lowered her head into her hands. Albus knew this had to be hard. But why did he have a feeling something wasn't right?
"As for why Harry survived?" Albus glanced curiously at Sirius who was listening with rapt attention. His face was a mask, covering any emotion he might be feeling otherwise.
"Harry is not who you think he is. In fact, he isn't who I believed he was 13 years ago. But I realize now, that he is much more than any of us can bear to take advantage of. He is to be the warrior, the one we have been waiting for," Snape and McGonagall gasped at this, the others in the room looking at them in curiosity.
"Albus-you cannot- are you sure?" McGonagall's normal thin liped expression was gone now, her mouth was open slightly in shock, her eyes wide and her whole strict composure gone in an instant. Snape was also trying to fight down the shocked expression that crept onto his face. His usually pale face had gone even whiter if possible, the coal black eyes unblinking.
The old man nodded, a small smile threatening to creep onto his lips. He watched the other occupants in the room with little surprise. They all seemed confused, except for three others besides himself. Minerva and Severus he had expected to look shocked, as they had been told the prophecy many years ago. But another in the room was the one that caught his attention. Hermoine Granger was staring at him with a passive look on her face, caught between saying something and on the edge of her seat and trying to sink into the background of the room. He watched her with little understanding for a few more moments before Severus interrupted his thoughts.
"But the prophecy said that he would restore order to the world," Albus watched his former student with slight amusement. Severus had never wanted to believe that his enemy's son would save him or the world.
"And so it does," he said quietly. Sirius stared at him for a little before finally talking, Albus noticing a strange glint in the younger man's eyes.
"What prophecy?" Albus nodded and pulled a piece of paper out of the air. The occupants of the room watched him carefully.
"I should have informed everyone awhile ago. But I wanted Harry to know first. But I suppose with the circumstances," Albus glanced at his colleges who nodded quietly at him, "Perhaps now I should tell you." He glanced over the paper quickly, sighing. He leaned forward in his chair and cleared his throat.
" For one it becomes his way of life
seeking the ruin of souls
He roams the earth in search for the one.
One ultimate betrayal from a friend
rips away a past from beneath them.
The child is known to rid the world of evil
but he is taken away, to become
the child of darkness.
A past that chills him deep inside
it calls to him to leave the world and his kind.
And if he does not choose the right side,
the war will be fought with no hope to spare.
The warrior child, he will be called.
He fights what he wills
He fights what he hates
he fights for a world that does not wait.
He trusts not a soul
He is broken by his past
But in the final battle he will not stop.
Fire in his soul and power in his mind
He alone is the victory for mankind.
"You believe this prophecy?" Albus nodded silently. He expected questions to come, but they never did. Instead, the all familiar silence filled the room. Sirius caught his Albus's eye and watched him carefully.
"Albus, whenever Harry seemed to be having nightmares or in trouble, you seemed to be there," Sirius stared at his professor who looked older than ever at that moment although he seemed strangely different.
"How did you do it?" Dumbledore smiled slightly, the mysteriousness of the old headmaster returning to full height.
"After the Dursley's, we need to be extra careful," Albus carefully glanced at the cupboard where he had vanished the glass plate earlier. Remus saw this and let his eyes follow the headmasters. He shook his head, somethings were just better left unknown. But still, he listened with intent curiousity.
"I am afraid that I cannot tell you at this time," Remus could almost see him glance at the teenagers, but it was so quick it might have been a trick of the light.
"The hallucinations," Ron said suddenly. Remus stared at his former student. How had they all forgotten so easily?
"You mean the temporary memory blank and the reformation of Cedric?" Ron watched his headmaster with uncertainly. Obviously reformation wasn't quite what he had been thinking.
"Reformation of Cedric?" Dumbledore sighed and no smile formed on his lips.
"Cedric was not alive, Mr. Weasly, as the kind of reformation you might be thinking. But rather inside Harry's mind," the old headmaster looked as weary as ever. Remus than realized that he must not have gotten a lot of sleep lately with Voldemort and now Harry's case must have taken a huge toll on him.
"Harry can't distinguish between reality and his nightmares anymore. So much so, it's becoming dangerous. His mind doesn't know what to believe. The nightmares that plague his mind, or the days he lives. He is going through something I cannot begin to imagine," Dumbledore than turned his blue eyes away and stared at the desk in front of him, something Remus had never seen before. Albus always kept eye contact.
"Vernon Dursely has told Harry countless times over the summer that he was a murderer. He even nicknamed Harry that at one time," Albus stopped talking this time and the room grew steadily quiet, no one knowing what to say.
"Why would he do that to Harry?" Fred asked. George nodded at his side showing the headmaster he would like to know as well. Every eye was on Albus, waiting for his answer.
"It was a game," his face showed complete disgust, and Albus raised his eyes to reach Fred's which showed how much the teenager truly did not understand.
"A game of the mind. If Vernon could convince Harry he was a murderer, he could break Harry completely. You must understand, Mr. Weasly, that Vernon knew he could break every bone in Harry's body. But the one thing he had hardly any control over was his mind. This very fact drove Vernon mad. He did not have complete control when Harry would not let him. He could not force his way into Harry's mind. He had to casually break him over time, have Harry's emotions consume him fully," Fred looked frightened as the headmaster held contact with the boy. He was growing pale, his freckles standing out unnaturally on his face.
"And he won?" Albus sighed and leaned back, placing his chin on his fingers.
"We are lucky that Harry is so strong," Albus's forehead wrinkled in confusion and anger glinted in those clear blue eyes.
"But nobody is strong enough to withhold the pain he has felt his entire life. Orphaned, alone, brought up in a cupboard, starved, and completely unloved until we brought him back to the wizarding world. Harry, I believe, may be close to withdrawing completely from everything he has ever felt and ever can.
"The memory blanks will not end. But they are erratic. After nightmares, or severe confusion they may come back. I believe it may be a way Harry's learned to deal with the pain. But the reformations of Cedric are more dangerous right now. If he doesn't stop believing his nightmares, I'm afraid of what could happen to him," he sighed heavily.
"Perhaps that it is my fault for sending a letter to his relatives. I explained all the events to them, hoping they would understand and treat him with more respect. I had no idea this would happen..."
And being taken off guard again, Remus noted that his old headmaster was at a loss of words.
"None of use could have known," Minerva said quietly. Her voice was soft and kind, as she stared at him. She had the most respect for this man, the only one that she ever had felt could trust, even in times of Voldemort.
An uncomfortable silence engulfed the room for a few more moments before-
"Hermoine knew," Ron growled. Sirius's wild brown eyes shot over at Hermoine who shrunk further into the chair. She made no sound of protest, however.
A new look Ron had never seen crossed Sirius's features and it scared him. He seemed insane yet almost controlled at the same time, and it made no sense.
"What did you say?" Sirius asked venom dripping from each word. Ron looked at him uneasily, that glint in his eyes was becoming stronger.
"She told us she knew what was happening during the summer." Ron whispered. Something on that pale face, and the look in his eyes that had never left since Azkaban, made Ron truly scared of Sirius.
Sirius stood up so quickly and strode over to Hermoine that Albus stood up as well, hand on wand. But Sirius, however, made no move towards his own wand. Instead, he rolled his fingers into a fist.
"Did you betray Harry?" Hermoine bit her lip. She turned away but Sirius didn't move. His breath became more ragged and the intense strange glint magnified.
"What was it Hermoine? Did it make you feel more powerful? To know that the fucking boy-who-lived was getting beat up by his goddamn family?" Albus's eyes flashed dangerously. He pushed his way in between Sirius and Hermoine.
"That is enough Sirius!" Sirius glared at Dumbledore, but said nothing and sat back down. He turned to Hermoine who was fighting back tears. He watched her momentarily as though wondering what to say. He walked over to her and placed an ancient hand on her shoulder.
"Please, Ms. Granger. Tell us what happened." Hermoine shifted slightly in her seat as though trying to disappear entirely. But she sighed eventually and opened her mouth to speak.
"After the 3rd task, I started to wonder about Harry. He seemed so withdrawn, so different," her voice was hoarse and hardly above a quiet whisper, yet her voice carried throughout the silent room.
"But it was strange," her forehead wrinkled in desperate confusion. "I started to feel differently. Almost as though I could feel what he was going through," she stopped and looked at the headmaster in confusion who nodded at her to continue.
"Of course, I'm not sure if those were really what he was feeling, but I felt pain all the time. Not physically, but emotionally degraded and hurt. Always, I felt the same. As though I had been put in a hole I couldn't get out of. But I didn't understand what was happening. I thought maybe it was because of what Harry had gone through, but it was deeper than that. it was as though I had lived through it," Dumbledore nodded.
"Amour la devotu," Albus said simply. "The binding spell. You saved him Hermoine, just by taking on some of his pain." Albus watched her no quietly.
"How did you know then?" Ginny asked. She was staring at her friend with deep regret.
"Everynight, I had dreams. I would see Harry's uncle beating him up. I could sometimes block the hits by placing myself in front of Harry. His uncle never knew the difference. He was usually so drunk that he never even knew," Hermoine choked back threatening tears that fell down her cheeks. "Sometimes he didn't even know how close he was to killing Harry."
"Anyway, I owled Harry about it. I asked him if his uncle was beating him up. Everytime he refused to reply, although once I did get a response back. It was in his usually handwriting, though a little messier. But I just supposed it was because he was in a hurry," she turned her gaze towards her hands.
"What did the note say, Hermoine?" Remus asked softly. She took a small breath.
"It was short. 'Nothing's wrong. Don't worry. Can't write anymore, ~Harry.' It was something I had been hoping to hear," she closed her eyes.
"I thought that if something had been happening, he would have at least told me the truth. But he didn't and so I believed what I wanted to instead of what I knew was true." Sirius had his face in his hands, muttering softly to himself.
"Eventually, after I got hardly any sleep and when I realized brusies were forming from the hits I would encounter, I knew it was all happening to him," she stopped here, waiting for someone to say something.
"So than why didn't you do anything then?" Hermoine glanced at Ron curiously and her eyes widened.
"We did do something. We rescued Harry," Ron sighed and Ginny got up and hugged her friend, who accepted the hug. They broke apart and Ginny went back to her seat, drying her eyes. Hermoine glanced at Ron who simply shot her a look 'we'll talk later.' Sirius was still avoiding her gaze, but he didn't seem angry any more.
The room subdued once more. Everyone seemed to be digesting all the information, still so many questions that needed answering.
"What about Voldemort, sir?" Ginny Weasly asked. Her body was sitting straight up and her face turned slightly red as she spoke out. Dumbledore regarded her question thoughtfully.
"Voldemort is planning on recruiting Harry still. He has tried and failed, but he will not give up. I am telling you this because you are the ones that Harry has to trust and love. Do not let him fade away. Tell him things, do not push him out. Don't let him push you out. Follow him around, do anything to make him realize you aren't going away. I will not lie to you. These next couple of months will not be easy. He is changed, and changing. You four are changed. Things will not be easy anymore especially because of the war."
"Sir? Is Harry even going to be able to go back to school? I mean, it starts in a week and he isn't back to normal yet," Dumbledore smiled softly at the teenagers.
"I believe Mr. Potter will be able to go back to school," Dumbledore glanced at Snape quickly. "He will safest there anyways, and even if he does not attend all classes, should at least come back to Hogwarts."
"Harry's going to die defeating Voldemort?" The whole room sat in shock for a few moments their eyes falling on different random objects around the room. The prophecy had not been talked about, most wishing not to figure out what it meant.
"If you are asking my interpretation, than yes. Harry must sacrifice himself for the good of the world. But my interpretations most certainly are not considered completely accurate. Divination is a very blurry subject. Especially when the hand dealt to you can change despite what cards you were meant to have," Hermoine cocked her head to the side slightly as though trying to figure something out. She watched her headmaster for a few moments, but didn't say anything.
"What about Voldemort, sir?" Arthur Weasly asked. His body was sitting straight up and his ears turned slightly red as he spoke out.
"Voldemort is planning on recruiting Harry still. He has tried and failed, but he will not give up. I am telling you this because you are the ones that Harry has to trust and love. Do not let him fade away. Tell him things, do not push him out. Don't let him push you out. Follow him around, do anything to make him realize you aren't going away. I will not lie to you. These next couple of months will not be easy. He is changed, and changing. You four are changed. Things will not be easy anymore especially because of the war."
"What are we going to do to Vernon," Sirius's raspy voice voiced aloud the question everyone had been thinking but not wanting to ask.
"There will be a trial," Albus said quietly. "In 4 weeks time, Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursely, and Dudley Dursely will be tried," he shook his head slowly. "None of them will be let go easy, I promise you this, Sirius."
~*~
Foreshadowing (either in next chapter or chapter after that) :
"Sirius, I'm ready to talk now."
"Hermoine, I don't understand anything anymore."
"You think any of us do? Think Ron, we're changed! We grew up this summer and we aren't kids anymore. We can't ever be kids again! But things change and you need to learn to deal with it."
"We're never going to be the same again, are we?"
A/N: Hey!!! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! I know there wasn't any Harry really in this chapter. But I did that on purpose because next chapter will have A LOT of him, trust me. I made this chapter just to answer everyone's questions. I really hope this helped.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!
Thanks to everyone that reviewed chapter 15!!!!!!!! I'm sorry, I don't have time to thank you all individually, but I promise to answer them all next chapter!!! And I really really really appreciate everyones reviews! They make me want to keep writing!!!!!!!
~Until next time
Corie