Harry grinned nervously at Ron and Hermione as Snape walked back into the room, a tray of tea and biscuits levitating in front of him. The tray settled down in front of the four Gryffindors. Maria began to nibble a biscuit still studying her parchment. Snape walked over to the fire. He dropped in a pinch of some power or another and said, "Headmaster, it is time."

Harry glanced, confused, at his two friends as Dumbledore's voice rang out throughout the school, "Remaining classes for today are canceled." Lupin, Sirius, James, Lily, and Dumbledore then fell out of the fire in the Potions room. Dumbledore looked around, "Is there anyone else who should here this?" he asked the other adults in the room."

"Ginny," Ron spoke out, and then blushed, "We'll tell her anyway."

Harry, sensing what was about to be revealed, spoke up too, "And Neville. He saw Sirius die and believed us that he was innocent."

Dumbledore nodded at the now silent room. He walked over to the fire and grabbed a new powder, "Ginny Weasly and Neville Longbottom." The two confused students toppled out of the fireplace onto the dungeon floor. As they took seats, looking bewildered, Dumbledore spoke again, "Fitting, isn't it? Six adults, six children, us alone knowing the secret, the secret, which must not leave this room, not even to be discussed amongst yourselves. If any whisper of this gets back to Voldemort (a shudder passed around the room) then we are all doomed. If he learns what we know, there is no hope left, none what so ever. This is worse than the weapon. The Secret and The Weapon are the Order's two powers. Both intertwined, both deadly. Harry, you know most this, I ask you to listen closely to conclude your knowledge. Maria, you know half, listen to the rest. I shall say what I am about to only once. It is not safe to utter it again. Harry, I know you have not told your friends the prophecy, but I am afraid I must. I shall be back in a moment." Dumbledore left the class room.

Neville looked at Harry, "What? Why am I here? I have nothing to do with You-Know-Who."

"You have more to do with Voldemort than you think," Harry looked at the small boy who wiggled uncomfortably, "I asked for you to be here because you have a right to know too. And say Voldemort, fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

"Quite right Harry, I'm glad you listen to me, even if you don't in class." Dumbledore, Pensieve in hand, had returned, "Once I start to talk, I would appreciate it if know one interrupted me for any reason. Questions can be asked at the end. Severus, the wards are complete?" Snape nodded. "Good," Dumbledore continued, "If this conversation gets out, we will be handing Voldemort both the Weapon and the Secret. We must not do that. Now where to start, the beginning I suppose. It is always best to start their, or you may find your audience very confused. The beginning, I suppose was when I heard this." He waved his wand over the Pensieve, Sybill Trelawney appeared. Her voice called out:

"The One With The Power To Vanquish The Dark Lord Approaches

Born To Those Who Have Trice Defied Him, Born As The Seventh Month Dies

And The Dark Lord Will Mark Him As His Equal, But He Will Have The Power The Dark Lord Knows Not

And Either Must Die At The Hand Of The Other Fir 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…"

"That," Dumbledore continued as Trelawney disappeared into the grey surface, "Is the Weapon, the knowledge that Harry is the only person who can destroy Voldemort. We should have taken more precautions, however, we were confused. Two boys were born as July closed. Both to parents in the Order of the Phoenix, both sets had defied Voldemort three times. We did not know wether it was Harry, or Neville. (Hermione gasped) Unfortunately, there is no doubt in our mind who the prophecy referred to. The Dark Lord marked Harry as his equal. And Harry must murder, or be murdered. Now as the seventh month died, Harry was born. The rest is history, so there is no need for me to divulge those details. Now, as to how dead walk among the living, it all starts with Voldemort. He has a greater knowledge of magic than any living wizard. As a spirit, not a ghost, trapped here, he found a spell that could return him to his body. It was a potion. Luckily for us, Harry witnessed this return and another member of the Order was able to get the recipe for that potion. We had no use for it, as it did not work on ghosts. Then, about one month after Sirius died, a different man died. This man, named Gregory, left us a gift. Through his knowledge we found a way to modify communication mirrors. This allowed ghost or spirits to pass through one to its counterpart. By sliding one of the mirrors through the Veil, the gate to the Realm of The Dead, and the other in a cauldron of this potion, we could resurrect the dead. A spirit could enter the mirror in the Realm of the Dead, emerge in the potion, never be a ghost, and return to their body. However, if we just shoved mirrors under the Veil, we wouldn't know who we were bringing back. And thus we enter the gift Gregory left us. Now what can you tell me about the muggle practice of channeling spirits?"

It took the six students a moment to realize they were being addressed. To no one's surprise, Hermione spoke up, "Muggle spirit channeling is a fraud. It is when a person tells another they can contact their dead relatives. They take the money, make up some stuff, and just cheat people."

"Exactly," Dumbledore stopped her, "But like most muggle "magic" its roots are real. Occasionally, a witch or wizard is born with a gift mush rarer than the Inner Sight. The can communicate with the dead. This is foggy, and sometimes the person isn't aware what they here. With thousands of voice talking all at once it is hard to distinguish one from another. However, if the person receives proper training they can call a specific spirit. A person with this gift can tell who is at the Veil and can call the person we wish to resurrect up to the front. Thus we only bring back the people we need. Of course there are countless rules, which I will not bother you with, but that is the basic Secret. Now any questions?  I cannot promise to answer, but I will try."

"So Gregory left a person?" Harry asked, "Who?"

"He did leave a person, no one you know so don't worry about it," Dumbledore answered.

"What does Maria have to do with this?" Ron glared at the girl who didn't seem to be aware she was alive.

"It is not just you and your friends who this concerns, Ron." Dumbledore replied with a semi-harsh glare.

"But, it doesn't matter if V-Voldemort, oh get over it Ron, finds this out, he doesn't know the person does he?" Hermione stated.

Dumbledore regarded her, "Our only problem is that he does."  

~~~

A/N-YAY another great cliffie! Lol I'm so mean. At least I update regularly,  when my internet is working. Please don't hate me, and review! Watch for falling Tumbleweeds!