Note from Nikki

I'm sorry! I know I said that I would update every week and I totally did not do that. I just get caught up in so many things that I just don't have time anymore! I hope you all understand. I can't do reviewer notes this time but I will do it next time, I promise! Thanks to everyone!

Nikki

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"You're a hundred percent sure that he wasn't furious with you?" Sirius asked for the millionth time.

James, Lily, Dorcas, Sirius, Peter, Alice, Frank, and Remus all sat numbly in the Potters' living room. Voldemort had allowed Dorcas to leave soon after James and Lily had managed to escape. He had warned her that the Potter's would likely turn her in so Dorcas had taken a temporary leave of work to give Voldemort the impression that the Auror's were fully aware of her betrayal.

"Sirius," Dorcas answered impatiently. "Yes, I am sure. He told me to leave almost right after Lily and James escaped."

"I want to know who tipped him off," Remus muttered darkly, glaring at Sirius.

"Maybe it was a little werewolf," Sirius replied innocently.

"Maybe-"

"Enough!" Alice cried, rubbing her temples.

"Three times," Frank muttered.

"What?" James asked.

Frank sat a little straighter and looked directly into everyone's eyes. "All four of us have escaped him three times. Is that even possible?"

"It shouldn't be," Peter nearly squeaked. He look angry, Dorcas noted. And who wouldn't? His best friends were nearly killed tonight.

Dorcas shook her head. "No it shouldn't. In fact, I think you are probably the only people in history to have successfully escaped three times."

"The spy knows us well," Alice said.

Dorcas nodded. "How else would he or she know how to find where you are all the time?"

"But why," James asked, "do it when we are always out of our home?"

"Maybe he doesn't want You Know Who to find this place yet," Peter said, gesturing around. "Maybe he doesn't want to expose something else yet."

"But why?" Dorcas asked, flopping back onto the sofa.

"He's got his reasons," Peter assured her. "He's got his reasons."

"Well," Sirius announced. "I will find who it is and make sure that he is killed!"

Remus snorted. "Shouldn't be hard."

"No it shouldn't be as he's sitting right in front of me," Sirius fired back.

"Would you both SHUT UP!" Lily screeched. Both men fell silent, both having experienced the wrath of Lily before and deciding now would not be a good time to provoke the woman.

Dorcas was about to tell them that they were both being ridiculously childish when a sudden burst of flame erupted in front of her. Dorcas screeched and jumped back, an unwise move that caused her armchair to tip over backwards.

Quickly Dorcas righted herself and stared with awe at the creature before her. It was Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix. The bird was gorgeous and looked as though the sun itself possessed him. A small scrap of paper fell from his beak and floated to Dorcas' lap. She grabbed onto it and read the hastily scrawled message in loopy handwriting: Hold onto his tail. I need you to come immediately, it's urgent!

Dorcas dropped the parchment and, much to everyone's confusion, grabbed a hold of Fawkes tail, looking rather skeptical. Suddenly the bird burst into flame and Dorcas felt the oddest sensation that she had ever experienced in the history of her life.

It was like a portkey but in a much worse, much more terrifying way. Her fingers were glued to the bird, she had discovered this when instinct told her to let go. She was flying through space but instead of it being a hazy blur, it was a terrifying spectrum of bright red, orange, and yellow flames. It made her sick so she closed her eyes but this only seemed to make things worse. She saw a blur of brightness now instead of roaring flames.

Just as soon as it had started, it came to a jolting stop. Dorcas was surprised to see that she landed on her feet and then soon realized that Fawkes had made sure that she hadn't fell. Slowly Dorcas' vision cleared and she found that she was in a hub that looked strangely familiar. And then it hit her. It was the Hog's Head! What on earth was she doing here?

"Dorcas!" Dumbledore called. He beckoned her to come immediately and Dorcas dashed to his side.

"What's going on?" she asked urgently. She looked passed his shoulder and saw a slightly out of focus woman sitting before him. She had enormous glasses on and her hugely amplified eyes were glazed over.

"I can't answer any of your questions. You must hurry up the flight of stairs to your left! You will find a Death Eater who is carrying enormously important information to Voldemort. He must be killed Dorcas!"

Dorcas didn't need telling twice. She nodded, turned, and dashed up the stairs that Dumbledore had hastily indicated. People gawked at her but she paid no heed as she took the stairs two at a time. She knocked someone over and didn't even spare a moment to wonder if he was okay.

She reached the top of a building and slowed down, stifling her footsteps so as not to be detected. There she saw John, a friend of Severus's. One of his only friends, if she remembered right. Dorcas frowned and shifted her position, trying to see what he was doing.

She had to stifle a gasp when she saw him peering into a small barrel filled with water. An image rippled across it, the image of Voldemort. John was speaking in hasty tones, apparently relating the valuable information to him.

". . .Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. . ."

Dorcas didn't get any further. She shot the cauldron with a carefully aimed spell and the water splashed to the ground, breaking the incantation. John whirled around and gasped in surprise as he saw Dorcas hurtling toward him. "Dorcas wha-"

It was too late, Dorcas hastily pushed him off the building and watched him fall to his death. Dorcas quickly spun around and dashed back down the stairs where she found Dumbledore looking abnormally pale.

"Did he relate the message?"

"I don't know how much of it there was. Something about being born to thrice...something. . .as the seventh month dies. I stopped it there."

Dumbledore nodded tensely. "At least he didn't hear the whole thing."

"What's going on?" Dorcas asked impatiently.

"I came here for an interview for the open Divination spot," Dumbledore said, "when this woman went into a sort of trance and related a prophecy to me. Unfortunately a Death Eater spy overheard. I didn't want to leave her in case she gave any more valuable information and so I needed your aide."

"Why me?" Dorcas asked quietly. "Snape is closer."

"Professor Snape was a friend of this particular Death Eater, I believe. It did not seem right."

Dorcas nodded and then asked eagerly, "What did the prophecy say?"

"I cannot and will not relate that information to you," Dumbledore said calmly.

"Does it have anything to do with Lily and James escaping for the third time today?"

"What?" Dumbledore asked. Dorcas wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw a flash of fear in his eyes.

"They escaped for the third time today. Alice and Frank have escaped three times too. . ."

"What's going on?" a misty, soft voice asked.

Dorcas jumped, forgetting all about the woman who had supposedly told this all important prophecy. Didn't the woman remember what she had just said? From the confused, glazed look in her eye, Dorcas took that to be a very strong no.

"I have just hired you as a new Professor at Hogwarts," Dumbledore informed her with a quick glance at Dorcas.

"You have? Oh that's wonderful!" the woman cried, in strangely excited, misty tone.

"If you will please retreat the Castle, you will find one Professor McGonagall. She will help you to your quarters and get settled into a room. Thank you, Professor Trelawney."

"Oh it's my pleasure Professor Dumbledore!" the woman said, bowing and batting her eyelashes. She then trotted away happily as if nothing had happened.

"Dumbledore, I don't unders-"

"We must have an Order meeting," Dumbledore interrupted. "Please return to Headquarters and inform the Order. I must make a quick trip to the Ministry of Magic and I will be there shortly. Do not worry about Severus or Hagrid. I will inform them."

"But-"

"There are some things that are not meant to be understood, Dorcas. I will explain more at the meeting but I will not tell you the Prophecy."

"Why?"

"It is a danger to many people, most of all to yourself."

Dorcas found it pointless to argue so she nodded and Disapparated, wondering if this Prophecy held any importance at all. It was the future, why worry about it now? Dorcas Meadowes would never know how wrong she was.

--

A/n: A person was thrown from a building, halfway through giving the prophecy. If you'd like to read about it, it's on page 843, second paragraph in the American version. Or if you're from somewhere else, it's in the chapter titled The Lost Prophecy.

I'm sorry this chapter sucked! I think my writing abilities (which were not very good to begin with) have gotten quite a bit worse. I apologize! Hopefully I will get better with time. . .