Harry Potter and the Brethren of Ares

By: Merusa

Rating: PG-13, this chapter sticking out for non-graphic but existing violence and romance.

Chapter 23: Prediction

When we last left our hero:

Harry didn't even think to move, because he knew that if he did, the spell would hit someone else. He watched as the green light moved closer and closer, hearing the shouts of his teachers.

"Harry, tell Penny I'm sorry!"

Harry's head whipped around, and he watched as Percy threw himself into the green light.

***

"It's a boy!"

"Your last little boy is here, Penny!" Molly danced around the room.

"Percy," Penny murmured, "Percy."

***

Harry ran forward and slammed onto his knees next to Percy's limp form. Somewhere behind him, he heard a steady mumble coming from the direction of his teachers, but he barely heard it. His hands shook helplessly as they moved in the air over Percy's chest, as if hoping to revive him. His eyes searched desperately for any sign of life- a moving stomach, a twitching leg, anything.

He saw nothing.

Mere seconds after his hands began to move, they dropped uselessly to his sides. Then, he slowly reached up, and closed Percy's soft blue eyes.

Voldemort lifted his wand. "No reason to keep this filth here. Incendio!"

Harry fell back and felt himself shout as the Dark Lord set Percy's body on fire. He heard Remus's frenzied cursing and the constant mumble of the unfamiliar words.

He knew that he should look away. He knew that he should be watching Voldemort. But he couldn't tear his eyes away.  The flickering flames and acrid smell of burning flesh drew his mind towards the Weasley boy who had always been in the middle. He knew that it was an image that would stay in his mind for the rest of his life.

"So."

And now, he had to face a death...and he had to decide if it was going to be his own or not.

He slowly stood up and faced his enemy. His fingers twitched on his wand. He was ready.

"I think, Tom, that this is quite enough. Edico Effectus Effugio!"

Dumbledore stepped out of the barrier he had confined in. Remus and Adrienne fell out of their own bindings.

Harry realized that the mumbling he had heard had been the sounds of Dumbledore chanting.

Voldemort started forward, his Death Eaters rallying behind him.

Dumbledore lifted his arms and slammed them down on his sides. "Egredior!"

Harry felt his world spin, and, a moment later, he was on his knees just outside of the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. Remus and Adrienne had landed on the ground beside him, and Dumbledore had landed on his feet.

Hermione scrambled to attention, wiping at her eyes. Ron stepped into the hallway, out of the Hospital Wing.

Before anyone could say anything, Harry scrambled to his feet. Wincing, he grabbed his shoulder.

"Harry..." Remus began carefully.

He ignored him. His eyes were trained on the Headmaster's own. "Why the hell didn't you get us out of there sooner?"

Dumbledore didn't even blink. "It was a difficult spell, Harry. I was trying to break it from the moment we arrived."

Harry ignored the sorrow in the old man's eyes. His vision was starting to blur. He was incredibly angry, but he didn't know who he was angry at. "Well, you should have tried harder! Because of you, one more person are dead!"

"I know."

Harry was struck dumb.

 "Don't think I don't know that, Harry. Because of my old age, I was too slow to save him. Tonight, more blood has been added to my hands."

Harry felt himself beginning to sway. He lifted his hand from the bandage on his shoulder. Blood, he realized, my blood.

The room began to spin. The last thing he saw was Remus's concerned face before his world went black.

***

There was that damned smell again. He sensed it before it even entered his nostrils. He didn't need to slide slowly back into the conscious world that day. Images dancing in his mind had kept him from slipping blissfully into the world of unconsciousness.

He had killed someone.

He pushed that slight guilt away before it even had a chance to establish itself. Light from the world outside was beginning to permeate his eyelids. Right now, he had to deal with the aftershocks of Percy's death.

When his eyes finally were opened, he felt the cool metal of his glasses slowly being slid onto his face. He squinted for a moment as his eyes adjusted before they focused on Hermione. Her eyes were bloodshot and sported dark bags underneath them, as if she hadn't slept in weeks. He sat up straight against his pillows. He noticed the absence of any bandages.

"Madam Pomfrey healed it." She must have been watching him

He nodded. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours. Dumbledore has the Weasleys in his office now. He- he told me, and sent me out, so- so I wouldn't interfere."

Harry nodded. He studied her for a moment, before opening his arms slightly. She looked at him for a moment, before sitting on the bed and accepting the hug. Harry rested his chin on her hair and secured his arms tightly around her. Hugging Hermione was always a unique experience. It was comfortable and familiar although strangely new, but far from unpleasant. She smelled like dusty old books and apples. Harry closed his eyes.

"I really got along well with him."

Harry stayed silent.

"I mean, we were really alike. The oddballs out in the gang. He and I were always talking about books and the Ministry...I even had a bit of a crush on him in our first year." She gave a stifled laugh. "I thought he was so handsome. I always did. But then, I got smarter- or is it stupider?"

Hermione slid slowly away from his arms. "I'm babbling. Sorry."

Harry let her go. "It's alright," he said softly.

Hermione smoothed her clothing out with a sniff. "No, it's not. I need to be strong for Ron and Ginny."

Harry nodded. "We'll be there for them." He hesitated. "Are you and Ron alright?"

Hermione didn't answer. She looked down at the ground.

Harry shoved a hand through his hair. "Sorry, that was stupid."

Hermione shook her head. "No, it's a smart question. I just don't know the answer to it. Look, get some rest. I'm going to go check on Remus and Adrienne. They're at Hagrid's, they weren't hurt." She brushed her lips across his cheek. "I'm glad you're alright."

He watched as she hurried out of the room. Shaking his head, Harry sat up straight. He pulled the nightshirt over his head, and looked at his shoulder.

A jagged scar now marred the skin there.

Harry shook his head. It was ironic, really.

He flexed his muscles and searched himself for any other injuries, but, aside of a few bumps and bruises, he seemed alright. He stood, shaking slightly, to double-check that his legs were okay. He nodded, satisfied.

"Harry."

He turned at the soft voice. It was Padma. The skin around her eyes was swollen, and her glasses were latched precariously onto the collar of her shirt. Her robes were crumpled, and they were hanging off of one shoulder. She shook her head. "Harry."

He smiled softly at her, and she practically ran over to him. She tugged the curtain around his bed shut, and looked up at him.

Harry blushed slightly when he remembered that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

She wasn't blushing, though. Her eyes had found the fresh scar on his shoulder. "Oh, Harry..."

"It's alright, really. It's nothing."

She shook her head. "No, it's not."

Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. "It's not nothing, Harry, it's not." She wrapped her arms around his neck.

He quickly drew her to him as she began to cry. He sat down on the bed and she curled up in his lap.

He wasn't sure why she was crying, but he let her.

***

"You worry me, do you know that?"

Harry lifted his head from Padma's shoulder. They hadn't moved much since she stopped crying, and they hadn't spoken at all.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're always in so much danger. It's hard for me, because when you disappear, I don't know if I'm going to see you again."

No one had ever really been blunt with Harry about that, so it took him by surprise.

"I don't-"

An owl swooped in through the window and perched next to the couple. Harry fell silent. Padma picked up the letter. "It's for me."

She slit the seal and read it quickly. She sighed.

"It's from Dumbledore. He wants to see me about Prefect duties tonight."

Harry groaned and pulled her closer. He rolled his eyes at her, the tension of the moment lost.

She giggled, and hit him lightly on the shoulder, before giving him a quick kiss. She pulled away from him and stood up.

"As a good-bye present, I'll let you watch my back."

Harry wondered what she meant for a moment, but then she turned and began to saunter slowly away.

Ahh. Good present. He tilted his head. Yes, ruddy good present

***

"Snap, crackle, pop."

Padma watched silently as the gargoyle ran across the wall, revealing the revolving staircase. She hopped onto the bottom step and rode it up, carefully keeping her mind blank. When the staircase stopped, she knocked at the Headmaster's door.

"Come in."

She turned the doorknob and stepped into the room, unable to repress a small smile when she did. She loved the headmaster's office; the strange trinkets in there fascinated her to no end.

"Hello, Padma. Please take a seat."

It was then that Padma noticed Parvati sitting in a chair in from of Dumbledore's desk. She raised her eyebrows at her sister as she took her seat. Why are you here?

Parvati shrugged. I don't know. I just got a letter saying to come up here.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I'm sure that you are both confused right now. However, I'm afraid that I can't offer much of an explanation. As you know, Padma, it is your night to patrol the hallways. I ask that you meet your sister in front of Gryffindor Tower, and that the two of you patrol together. Also, if you see any of the Weasley family walking around, do not disturb them. I ask that neither of you question this, I have no answer except that it is my- Parvati, are you alright?"

Padma turned and cried out. "Parvati!" She grabbed her sister's hand and knelt next to her.

Parvati had gone white as a sheet. She appeared to be having a seizure of some sort. Her body was convulsing and her eyes had rolled back into her head. Dumbledore moved swiftly around his desk and knelt at Parvati's other side. "I was afraid of this."

Padma did nothing but gasp as Parvati went stiff as a board. The Gryffindor's eyes returned to the front, but her pupils were gone. The two others in the room stayed silent as she spoke. Her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord is here.

That power lies in the demise of a girl.

She will face her death with little or no fear,

At the time when the snow may fall,

In a darkened place where the evil would unfurl,

And people go when they are called.

And though there will be one who will try,

The one who loves the Boy-Who-Lived must die."

Padma kept her sister's hand in her grasp as Parvati sunk into her chair, apparently asleep. Dumbledore stood and began to write on a piece of parchment on his desk. The headmaster laid down his quill, walked back Parvati, and hoisted the girl into his arms, before laying her gently onto his couch. Padma didn't move from the position she was in. Her mind swirled around and around.

She was going to die.

There was no one else that it could be. She loved Harry, she was sure of it at that point. She felt a gentle hand at her elbow and let Dumbledore help her into her seat. She felt something being pushed into her hands, and she looked down at it. It was the parchment he had written on, and on it were the words her sister had spoken. She read it. "Parvati is a Seer, then."

Dumbledore took the seat her sister had been in. "No, she's not," he said quietly. His eyes were concerned. "What you just heard was indeed a prophecy, but it does not mean that your sister is a seer. In fact, if she was one, the prophecy would have been delivered in a different fashion, and she would be awake right now. What you saw was a prophecy from a Qua Brevis Deprecator. Parvati is a messenger of the gods of magic, whomever they may be. They chose to send a message that you and I needed to hear through her."

Padma nodded. "Is it definitely me, sir?"

Dumbledore put the tips of his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. He looked at Padma over the top of his spectacles. "No, Padma, there is no guarantee of it being you. All that we can really get from this is that a girl who loves Harry will die, and that girl must mean enough to him to push him to eventually kill Voldemort. It may not even mean love in a romantic sense; it could be any sort of love."

"But in the context of the prophecy, romantic love is the most likely."

He nodded. "Yes."

Padma stood and walked over to her sister's sleeping form. She brushed the bangs away from Parvati's eyes. "I don't want anyone to know," she said firmly, "except for one person."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you, but let's just say that I have a plan. What does the prophecy say about timing, sir?"

Dumbledore picked up the paper. "'At the time when the snow may fall.' That's the winter of next year, I suppose."

Padma nodded. "After Parvati wakes up, I have to go speak with someone."

***

Padma slipped stealthy in the library. She stuck to the outer edges, where he always was...there. He was sitting, concentrating on some schoolwork, probably. She walked over. When he saw her, he grinned. "Hey, pretty lady."

She slid into a seat, deciding to dive right in. "I need your help with something, and you're not going to like it. Luckily, we have a little while before we have to do what I'm going to ask you to do."

He closed the book. "Whatever it is, Padma, I'll help."

She motioned him closer. He slid his chair over.

"I'm going to die sometime next year."

***

"James, it's time to tell him."

"Lily, I don't know. Are you sure about this?"

"Dumbledore got the prophecy. We're going to need Sirius's magic. Percy Weasley will be here soon as well, he'll be willing to help."

"No one has ever done anything like we're going to do."

"I know. But we've got the magics, we know what's going to happen, why can't we? We have to start preparing now."

"I guess you're right."

***

Dumbledore quietly closed the door behind him. He walked over to his desk, and sat down. He paused to admire the detailed woodwork on the arms of his chair, and the patterns on the soft felt cushions. Shaking his head, he reached for a book bound in black leather sitting in the corner of his desk. He opened it and slowly turned the pages until coming to a blank one. He reached for his favorite eagle quill, unscrewed a fresh bottle of emerald ink, and began to write.

"May 28, 1997.

            A horrible day indeed. After the torturous events of last night, which are recorded on the previous page, I am sad to say that the Weasleys are not even close to alright. I must not go into detail here, for fear of invading their grief. Alas, that was not all. I called the Patil twins, Parvati and Padma, into my office to instigate the Prefect/Non-Prefect patrol system, and have made the discovery that Parvati is, as I feared, a Qua Brevis Deprecator, one through whom messages can come from the other dimensions from the higher powers. This message came in a prophecy, which I shall record here:

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord is here.

The power lies in the demise of a girl.

She will face her death with little or no fear,

At the time when the snow may fall,

In a darkened place where the evil would unfurl,

And people go when they are called.

And though there will be one who will try,

The one who loves the Boy-Who-Lived must die.

            The verses are very rough, implying that the message was sent quickly. Padma Patil took it to mean that she will die in order to fuel the flames of Harry's anger against Tom, and she may very well be right. However, there is another girl it could be, but for secrecy's sake, I will not say who that is. However, Padma's determination and her declaration of a plan makes me wonder. I suppose that I have stumbled upon the reason that Divination survives. We as humans make it real. It is not the prophecies that decide what happens, it is us, as we believe in them and push them to come true...."

***

Author's Note: A huge thank you and congratulations to PhoenixPadfoot89, a longtime reviewer who submitted review number 200!

Review Responses:

PhoenixPadfoot89: *hug* Thank you! ^^ You're review number 200! Yes, yes, I know, I'm a bit overexcited ^^;

Twilight Moon: I did it- I updated on time!

Butler: Thanks. Damn fun to right, too.

Intercedo Circu: Unfortunately, yes....I've rather fallen in love with Percy, but it was necessary. If I keep telling myself that, maybe I won't feel so guilty anymore ;

Narishma: I agree with you, this story has turned out very jumpy and not very clear. I did intend for the last chapter to jump from scene to scene like that, though. As for DA meetings, they've pretty much been straightforward meetings with training...expect a lot more of them in the sequel. As for classes, I didn't put them in much because the majority of the action in this story takes place in the mornings or at night. I'm glad you like my Harry, I was kind of worried that he is OOC. Thanks for the great review, I hope you stick with this story!

HPBeatles: Thank you ^_^

People that were nice enough to review but I consistently forgot to respond to (sorry, I hope I've answered some of your questions!): David305, PENNYPACKER, EbonyFirePhoenix, Gaul1, Greek Mione, Iniysa, HG/HrRFan4ever, and many more wonderful people.

I UPDATED ON TIME! Do you think I can do it again?

Wishing you Singing Rebellious Harry and Animal Magnetism!Ron,

Merusa