Chapter 8: A Letter from Dumbledore

The next couple of days flew by in a blur as Melissa met new friends and teachers. Suddenly, it was Friday and Melissa and her friends (excluding Hermione) had their second lesson of the day starting at 1:00,in 15 minutes- Divination. Hermione had Arithmancy. The four Gryffindors were sitting at their table when Hedwig, Harry's snowy white owl, landed in front of them. Harry took the letter and, after a quick dip of her beak into Harry's goblet, Hedwig flew off to the Owlery for a long sleep with a soft rustle of her wings.

"It's from Lupin!" Harry cried, surprised. Ron, Hermione, and Melissa as, quietly, he read aloud the ex-professor's letter.

Dear Harry, Melissa, Ron, and Hermione, How are you? I'm writing to let you know that I'm going to visit Dumbledore in a few days. This visit has a double reason. I need to speak with him about the Order and I also need to speak with you four. I won't tell you where I am now in case this letter gets intercepted; I'll see you in a few days' time. I'm sorry this letter is so short; I'm sort of pressed for time. Stay out of trouble. I'll see you all soon. Remus

"Well, maybe he can give us some answers," Harry said softly, looking around at the other three.

"Uh, you guys, not to try and get rid of you or anything, but if you have Divination next, you might want to leave now. It's kind of a hike up to the North Tower," Hermione said suddenly, glancing at her watch. Harry and Ron agreed, said good-bye to Hermione, and, with Melissa, fled from the Great Hall. They ran up the many staircases until, gasping for breath, they came to a small cluster of students crowding around the foot of a ladder. None of them wanted to touch it or climb it, or so it seemed.

"Please, come up, class," came the mystical voice from the room above. Melissa turned to Harry.

"She doesn't sound too bad." Harry nodded towards the stairs.

"Just wait and see, he replied. Melissa shrugged and began to climb up the ladder. She emerged into a smoky room with squishy poufs and armchairs.

"Come, class. Come see into the future; predict great and horrible things, all in the clairvoyant classroom of Divination," the voice said again.

"Ho—ly crap," Melissa breathed. \/Okay, I've seen, time to go\/, she added, directing the thought towards Harry.

/\Nuh-uh, this...this is nothing. I've had to go through much worse crap. You're staying/\, she heard Harry's voice order sternly in her head. Ugh, fine, Melissa retorted. She and the rest of the class flopped into the poufs and armchairs. After everyone was seated, they saw a large glittering movement in the corner.

"Class, welcome. It's a joy to see you again," Professor Trelawney said Melissa's eyes widened in unbelief. \/Hey, Harry, guess what?\/ Melissa silently asked her twin. /\What?/\ came the answer. /\I get what you, Ron, and Hermione were talking about the other day/\, Melissa replied. \/Told you\/, Harry responded, laughing in his head.

"Today, we'll be crystal-gazing," Trelawney stated. Harry's voice echoed \/Here we go\/ in Melissa's head. She was about to reply when Professor Trelawney turned to her.

"My dear, what is your name?"

"My-my name?" Melissa stammered while the professor nodded. "Well, my name is Melissa P—McKinnon."

"My dear, have you ever gazed before?" Trelawney asked kindly. Melissa nodded her head 'yes'.

"Then, remember, look in the cloudy depths and images of things to happen will come to you."

"Okay, sure," Melissa responded uncertainly.

She stepped up to one of the decorated tables and looked into the pearly clouds. After a few moments of groggy gazing, shapes began to form. She saw what looked like hers and Harry's shadow and...someone else. Someone tall and radiating evil.

"Well? What do you see?" Professor Trelawney persisted.

"Um, well, I see...three shadows," Melissa replied. "One looks like me and another looks like...Harry." She looked up guiltily at her twin. \/Sorry\/, she thought.

"And the other shadow?" Professor Trelawney pressed.

"It—it feels as though it's radiating evil," Melissa replied. /\Mel?/\ she heard Harry inquire. \/Harry, it—it looks—and feels—like it's…um, Voldemort\/, the redhead answered. Melissa saw Harry's face drain of color.

"All right, never mind that, then. What are the shadows doing?" Trelawney asked gently.

"Um, well, it looks like...one-the evil one—is...I can't really make out what they're doing. Hold on," Melissa responded. She squinted into the loads of pearly fog to try and see more; this is the only time she had ever seen something in her Divination classes, whether at Hogwarts or Sullivan's. She wanted to do a good one.

"Well?" Professor Trelawney prompted after a few minutes.

"It looks like...the evil one is raising something and twirling it at the other two," Melissa answered. "Then he's pointing it at them and it looks like he said something and then...oh. Uh-oh. Oh, no."

"What?" Trelawney pressed. "What do you see?"

"Uh, he, um, he said something and—and...flowers burst out of what looks like his wand and he gave them to the other two and they were allergic," Melissa finished lamely. She didn't want to reveal the ending to her little story; she would tell Harry later.

"Hmmm, all right. Bit disappointing. Now, I will read into your future, to show you how it is done," the glittering teacher said mystically. Melissa uneasily propped herself on a nearby armchair and leaned on the table she had just been at.

"Now, my dear, you must be careful. I see...no, maybe I shouldn't tell you," Trelawney said, gazing into the ball.

"Tell me, I'm sure I can stomach it," Melissa persisted.

"Well, all right. My dear, I see...death in your near future for you and your brother over there," Professor Trelawney stated. Melissa froze when she pointed to Harry.

After a few uncomfortable minutes, Melissa stiffly stood up and walked back to her seat next to Harry and Ron. From what she could see, Harry was just as motionless as she was. \/Harry?\/ Melissa timidly asked.

/\Y-y-yeah?/\ was the reply. \/Um, well, what I really saw was Voldemort killing...us\/, Melissa told him. Harry didn't get a chance to answer because Trelawney began speaking.

"Yes, well, I believe that's...enough for today," she stated. "Class is dismissed. You may go."

As everyone packed up their books, there was uneasy muttering around Harry and Melissa, and the twins were given a wide berth. Harry, Melissa, and Ron headed down the steps, silent for a few minutes.

"Hermione is meeting us on the staircase to the sixth floor," Ron said finally. Sure enough, a few tense, long minutes later, the pretty brunette was spotted standing on a landing to the sixth floor. Melissa noticed that when Hermione was in sight, Ron blushed a deep red. I'll have to look into that, she told herself.

"Ready?" Hermione said brightly when they were level with her. "What's wrong?" she added worriedly when she saw their grim faces.

"Trelawney blabbed it to the class that me and Mel are twins," Harry explained. Hermione's jaw dropped open, then her mouth fell open in a perfect "O".

Suddenly, one of the school's large, brown barn owls landed on the banister in front of the group. Harry looked at it before untying the string and pulling off the letter. He quickly scanned it before looking up with confusion in his eyes.

"Well? Who's it from?" Ron urged after a couple seconds of shocked silence had passed.

"It—it's from...Dumbledore," Harry replied unbelievingly, holding out the letter. And, sure enough, Dumbledore's loopy signature was scrawled at the bottom.

A/N: Why does Dumbledore want to see them???? Find out next chapter, same author, same story. Lata, folks!!! Oh, BTW, special thanks to my friends for helping me and inspiring me!!!! LOL! And Chelsey—ya couldn't stop over in Scotland for 2 little seconds, just to see him, could ya? jk g2g, pplz, c ya l8r