A/N: I'm glad some people have actually begun to read this, and so.. I dedicate this chapter to my readers here, because I truly appreciate your presence! Other than that, I do apologize for it taking so long for my chapters to be posted here, but I am working hard at it... Oh yes, one last thing.. does anyone know how to use italics and whatnot on this site? I tried, but they don't seem to be showing, sigh. Although I'm an old member, I just started using this site recently, and thus, don't know how to work many things on it. Help would be appreciated! =0)
So, Harry worked his way through the crowds of students and through the corridors to Dumbledore's office in a great effort to find out where Hermione had been the last few days. Just when he got up to the statues that guarded Dumbledore's Office, he realized he didn't have the password, and figuring that Dumbledore would continue his typical pattern of using candy names for passwords, Harry began to yell out candy names at the stone gargoyles.
"Chocolate Frog! Fizzing Whisbees! Ice Mice! Sugar Quill!"
Finally, at Harry's last command, the stone gargoyles moved aside, giving him just enough room to enter.
"Hmm... Sugar Quill, that was it?" said Harry, perplexed, "Really? You would think a Professor wouldn't make a password out of something students use to..." he trailed off, remembering what he was supposed to be talking with Dumbledore instead of mumbling to himself.
Harry walked up the stairs leading to Dumbledore's Office, and upon entry, he had stumbled across a Dumbledore who was pacing the room, and being watched by the numerous portraits lining his wall.
"Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, trying to get his attention, "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Yes, I know," Dumbledore said with a small smile, "I've been waiting for you to approach me," he paused, "and to reprimand me for making the same mistake I've made in the past that seems to only repeat with age..."
"Mistake? What are you talking about?" Obviously, they were on two completely different trains of thought, and as much as Harry was concerned about Hermione right now, he was just as interested in what Dumbledore was talking about.
"Oh Harry, I fear there is something else you don't know about the future that lies ahead of you," said Dumbledore whilst sitting down behind his desk, "that I have held back from you, like I have other things - for reasons that seemed to make sense at the time, but their validity honestly seems to fade with age, and so I think now is the time to finally tell you."
"Tell me what exactly?" Harry asked, genuinely intrigued.
Dumbledore got up and started pacing his office again, clearly burdened heavily with the information he was about to release. He sighed, and when coming into eye contact with Harry again, Harry noticed that his eyes had lost their typical sparkle and that his smile had faded away; Dumbledore's age was beginning to become more clear to Harry now.
"To tell you that in your 5th year, I had only told one of the prophecies that told of your life in part, in worry that telling you the whole thing would be too much of a burden, too much knowledge for you to carry all at one time - so I gave you the one, the one that was mainly concerned with your life, in hopes that would satisfy your lack of knowledge as well as my need to bring you into the reality you were burdened with to face."
"I have another prophecy?" asked Harry, quite flustered, "Well what is it...? I want to know then." He said, his confusion from his recent life experiences now all mounding on him.
"It is not your prophecy in whole in actuality - that is the reason in part why I held it back from you. I had decided you had already shouldered so many burdens, that I did not be the one to place another upon your shoulders - especially when it is only of half your concern," he paused, looking to see if Harry was still interested.
Only when he noticed the great interest in Harry's eyes did he continue: "Well, it is a long story to tell, but if you are so obliged to hear it, then you shall hear it, and if I remember correctly.. it happened something like this:
I had finally decided to take a short break from Hogwarts, leaving the very capable Professor McGonagall in charge of running things at my beloved school, as I headed off into Hogsmeade on that upsettingly gloomy day, and joined the students there in one of our trips. I had Apparated to The Three Broomsticks once I had gone through the gate that leads to Hogsmeade in order to avoid the sea of Hogwarts students. I had gone there merely in hopes of a drink that might tickle my fancy, much to the surprise of my students and staff. When I had arrived there I met one of my Professors, Sybil Trelawney, occupying a table by herself and sipping a frothy butterbeer. I joined her company, and engrossed myself in a conversation with her.
Then, her voice became wavering and raspy, and the prophecy began...
'There will be another who will hold the fate of the world in their hands unknowingly, and they will be tempted to fight for both sides of the argument that has started since the birth of magic, eventually betraying one for the other. This person will require a sacrifice unwillingly taken in order for a decision to be made, one awaited upon by those dead, yet still lingering on in spirit. Once the time has elapsed for a side to be chosen, it will prevail only after losing many of its number, but the assistance of the one in question will help them become everlasting, and their rule shall be the guide for centuries. Their true immense power will only be released at the downfall of another great wizard though... and the boy-who-lived will be the only one to affect the decision of this person of power to come... He will be the only one...'
She faded out as the prophecy ended, and once she was done revealing the prophecy within the walls of the noisy Three Broomsticks, she had acted as if she had revealed nothing; she remembered not a word that had just come out of her mouth. She had no idea that what she had just said was so crucial to the survival of our world, or that she had just summarized the fate of our very lives..."
After revealing another one of the prophecies Dumbledore had accumulated - out of pure coincidence, in his lifetime, he paused shortly to show that his story involving the extent of the prophecy and the history behind it had finished, and then continued on.
"This was after your birth mind you, so I knew of whom she was speaking. I have to admit though, I was quite skeptical - considering this was also not long after your life had become a legend... but I had to believe what she said was completely valid because her face at the time - it was unmistakable of a trance."
Once Dumbledore had completed his story, there was a uncomfortable silence between the two that ensued briefly, soon to be breached by Harry.
"But sir, I thought you said she had only made two correct prophecies," said Harry, who was attempting to subdue his confusion in an attempt to comprehend what was being told to him this night.
"Yes, and I did not lie - she had only made two correct prophecies at the time, this prophecy I had just told you at that time was nothing more than words, there was no truth to it - for it hadn't yet come to pass."
This had created another brief pause, and left Harry quite speechless, mainly due to the fact that now he carried even more confusion than what he had even entered that office with. To say the least, Harry was not expecting to be told anything of this sort anytime soon.
"But, I am afraid to say that soon this prophecy will come to pass us, very soon..." Dumbledore said, interrupting Harry's thoughts.
Harry left Dumbledore's office in a staggering motion, for he was thinking hard - about everything, about nothing. He was so focused on what Dumbledore had just said, yet he had no clue on what he just said, he had no idea where to start thinking about the whole idea, it was all so confusing for him. He knew that if Hermione had been around she would've suggested some book in the library involving notable witches and wizards, but he knew it wouldn't be in any book like that - it was a gut feeling that was telling him all of this. It was also this same gut feeling that was telling him that this had to do with the key, it had to do with Hermione, and he needed to figure out this puzzle ASAP - or else... Well, he didn't know what would happen, but everything felt like it was riding on his shoulders and depending upon one another to be solved. If only he knew what this all meant.
Within the next few days, Harry and Ron had discussed the prophecy thoroughly, hoping to find something in those words that were soon to play out in some part of his future that might give him a clue. Every spare moment of their time was serious thinking (which would have even Hermione a run for her money), planning, and working, just working for something they didn't know yet - but would soon find out. Although Harry and Ron had been working day in and day out on the prophecy, Harry knew they wouldn't get anywhere - but he hoped somehow by miracle they would. So, he continued on with Ron studying everything about the new prophecy - the words, the phrasing, etc. It all got so exhausting checking out these books they had hoped would help - but what they really needed, was Hermione. In fact, one could even say, Hermione was the key.
So, Harry worked his way through the crowds of students and through the corridors to Dumbledore's office in a great effort to find out where Hermione had been the last few days. Just when he got up to the statues that guarded Dumbledore's Office, he realized he didn't have the password, and figuring that Dumbledore would continue his typical pattern of using candy names for passwords, Harry began to yell out candy names at the stone gargoyles.
"Chocolate Frog! Fizzing Whisbees! Ice Mice! Sugar Quill!"
Finally, at Harry's last command, the stone gargoyles moved aside, giving him just enough room to enter.
"Hmm... Sugar Quill, that was it?" said Harry, perplexed, "Really? You would think a Professor wouldn't make a password out of something students use to..." he trailed off, remembering what he was supposed to be talking with Dumbledore instead of mumbling to himself.
Harry walked up the stairs leading to Dumbledore's Office, and upon entry, he had stumbled across a Dumbledore who was pacing the room, and being watched by the numerous portraits lining his wall.
"Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, trying to get his attention, "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Yes, I know," Dumbledore said with a small smile, "I've been waiting for you to approach me," he paused, "and to reprimand me for making the same mistake I've made in the past that seems to only repeat with age..."
"Mistake? What are you talking about?" Obviously, they were on two completely different trains of thought, and as much as Harry was concerned about Hermione right now, he was just as interested in what Dumbledore was talking about.
"Oh Harry, I fear there is something else you don't know about the future that lies ahead of you," said Dumbledore whilst sitting down behind his desk, "that I have held back from you, like I have other things - for reasons that seemed to make sense at the time, but their validity honestly seems to fade with age, and so I think now is the time to finally tell you."
"Tell me what exactly?" Harry asked, genuinely intrigued.
Dumbledore got up and started pacing his office again, clearly burdened heavily with the information he was about to release. He sighed, and when coming into eye contact with Harry again, Harry noticed that his eyes had lost their typical sparkle and that his smile had faded away; Dumbledore's age was beginning to become more clear to Harry now.
"To tell you that in your 5th year, I had only told one of the prophecies that told of your life in part, in worry that telling you the whole thing would be too much of a burden, too much knowledge for you to carry all at one time - so I gave you the one, the one that was mainly concerned with your life, in hopes that would satisfy your lack of knowledge as well as my need to bring you into the reality you were burdened with to face."
"I have another prophecy?" asked Harry, quite flustered, "Well what is it...? I want to know then." He said, his confusion from his recent life experiences now all mounding on him.
"It is not your prophecy in whole in actuality - that is the reason in part why I held it back from you. I had decided you had already shouldered so many burdens, that I did not be the one to place another upon your shoulders - especially when it is only of half your concern," he paused, looking to see if Harry was still interested.
Only when he noticed the great interest in Harry's eyes did he continue: "Well, it is a long story to tell, but if you are so obliged to hear it, then you shall hear it, and if I remember correctly.. it happened something like this:
I had finally decided to take a short break from Hogwarts, leaving the very capable Professor McGonagall in charge of running things at my beloved school, as I headed off into Hogsmeade on that upsettingly gloomy day, and joined the students there in one of our trips. I had Apparated to The Three Broomsticks once I had gone through the gate that leads to Hogsmeade in order to avoid the sea of Hogwarts students. I had gone there merely in hopes of a drink that might tickle my fancy, much to the surprise of my students and staff. When I had arrived there I met one of my Professors, Sybil Trelawney, occupying a table by herself and sipping a frothy butterbeer. I joined her company, and engrossed myself in a conversation with her.
Then, her voice became wavering and raspy, and the prophecy began...
'There will be another who will hold the fate of the world in their hands unknowingly, and they will be tempted to fight for both sides of the argument that has started since the birth of magic, eventually betraying one for the other. This person will require a sacrifice unwillingly taken in order for a decision to be made, one awaited upon by those dead, yet still lingering on in spirit. Once the time has elapsed for a side to be chosen, it will prevail only after losing many of its number, but the assistance of the one in question will help them become everlasting, and their rule shall be the guide for centuries. Their true immense power will only be released at the downfall of another great wizard though... and the boy-who-lived will be the only one to affect the decision of this person of power to come... He will be the only one...'
She faded out as the prophecy ended, and once she was done revealing the prophecy within the walls of the noisy Three Broomsticks, she had acted as if she had revealed nothing; she remembered not a word that had just come out of her mouth. She had no idea that what she had just said was so crucial to the survival of our world, or that she had just summarized the fate of our very lives..."
After revealing another one of the prophecies Dumbledore had accumulated - out of pure coincidence, in his lifetime, he paused shortly to show that his story involving the extent of the prophecy and the history behind it had finished, and then continued on.
"This was after your birth mind you, so I knew of whom she was speaking. I have to admit though, I was quite skeptical - considering this was also not long after your life had become a legend... but I had to believe what she said was completely valid because her face at the time - it was unmistakable of a trance."
Once Dumbledore had completed his story, there was a uncomfortable silence between the two that ensued briefly, soon to be breached by Harry.
"But sir, I thought you said she had only made two correct prophecies," said Harry, who was attempting to subdue his confusion in an attempt to comprehend what was being told to him this night.
"Yes, and I did not lie - she had only made two correct prophecies at the time, this prophecy I had just told you at that time was nothing more than words, there was no truth to it - for it hadn't yet come to pass."
This had created another brief pause, and left Harry quite speechless, mainly due to the fact that now he carried even more confusion than what he had even entered that office with. To say the least, Harry was not expecting to be told anything of this sort anytime soon.
"But, I am afraid to say that soon this prophecy will come to pass us, very soon..." Dumbledore said, interrupting Harry's thoughts.
Harry left Dumbledore's office in a staggering motion, for he was thinking hard - about everything, about nothing. He was so focused on what Dumbledore had just said, yet he had no clue on what he just said, he had no idea where to start thinking about the whole idea, it was all so confusing for him. He knew that if Hermione had been around she would've suggested some book in the library involving notable witches and wizards, but he knew it wouldn't be in any book like that - it was a gut feeling that was telling him all of this. It was also this same gut feeling that was telling him that this had to do with the key, it had to do with Hermione, and he needed to figure out this puzzle ASAP - or else... Well, he didn't know what would happen, but everything felt like it was riding on his shoulders and depending upon one another to be solved. If only he knew what this all meant.
Within the next few days, Harry and Ron had discussed the prophecy thoroughly, hoping to find something in those words that were soon to play out in some part of his future that might give him a clue. Every spare moment of their time was serious thinking (which would have even Hermione a run for her money), planning, and working, just working for something they didn't know yet - but would soon find out. Although Harry and Ron had been working day in and day out on the prophecy, Harry knew they wouldn't get anywhere - but he hoped somehow by miracle they would. So, he continued on with Ron studying everything about the new prophecy - the words, the phrasing, etc. It all got so exhausting checking out these books they had hoped would help - but what they really needed, was Hermione. In fact, one could even say, Hermione was the key.
