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Chapter Eighteen: The ProphecyMost people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.
-Mary Kay Ash
"Sirius!"
Remus' voice cut urgently through the room.
Sirius turned quickly in his chair to look at the other man. "What? What's wrong?"
"Dumbledore's called an urgent meeting. Everyone's arriving downstairs now. Come on."
Sirius nodded, putting his book down and striding purposefully into the kitchen. He quickly scanned the room for Anna, finding her sitting by herself in the corner, nervously wringing her hands in her lap. He made his way over to her and took a seat.
"Anna, are you okay? You look really nervous."
She looked at him, her eyes reflecting her fear. "I'm worried, Sirius. It's bad." She nodded towards Dumbledore, who was standing at the front of the assemblage, waiting for everyone to find his or her seats. "I've known that man since I was eight years old. I've rarely felt him so worried." She narrowed her eyes, concentrating on the elderly man. "He's almost sad, he feels helpless. Like he's failed something. Or someone. It must be something bad." She glanced up at him with her pale, grey eyes. "I'm scared, Sirius."
Sirius frowned, his brow furrowed. He took Anna's hand in his own, gently massaging her palm. "It's okay, Anna. Everything will be okay."
She nodded, not really heeding his words. The sat like that for a while, Sirius trying his best to calm and comfort Anna while she half-heartedly listened to him, all the while searching anxiously around the room.
She jumped suddenly, startling Sirius as she let out a relieved gasp. She leapt out of her seat and flew towards the door that a tall, cloaked, black-haired man had just walked through.
"Severus!" she cried, catapulting into his arms. Snape looked shocked for a second, staring down at Anna, but then his face softened as he realised how distressed the young woman in his arms really was.
"Shhh! It's okay Anna, what's gotten you so worked up?" he said, comfortingly stroking her hair.
She held onto him tightly. "Albus called this meeting so urgently and then I could feel him and he just felt so worried and helpless and you weren't here and I thought for a moment that maybe something had happened to you and I was so worried..." she rambled on.
Snape held her at arms length. "Don't be silly," he said sternly. "Nothing's happened to me. Now come on, let's go sit down." He led her towards Sirius, a gentle hand on the small of her back.
The members of the Order all looked on in some measure of shock at discovering that the foreboding Potions Master actually had a heart, although Sirius noted that Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore watched the spectacle with rather an affectionate and amused eye. But once Snape and Anna were seated beside Sirius, Anna of course in the middle, Dumbledore once again looked aged and grim.
"Members of the Order," he said in a loud, ringing voice. "I have called you here to this emergency meeting because a rather serious issue has been brought to my attention. Only this morning, our spy in Lord Voldemort's ranks," here a shiver went around the room, some heads turning in Snape's direction, "was told of Voldemort's current desire; something that we cannot allow him to achieve. This is a matter of grave importance and I ask you all to listen carefully and to not let this information leave this room.
"Sixteen years ago a prophecy was made, to me, by one Sybill Trelawny in a room above the Hogs Head. This prophecy spoke of 'one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord.' This prophecy spoke of Harry Potter."
Sirius' back stiffened. A gasp went around the room. Dumbledore nodded gravely.
"This is why Lily and James Potter were killed fifteen years ago. One of Lord Voldemort's servants heard the prophecy, albeit half of it before he was thrown from the building by my brother. But, nevertheless, he heard enough. And, on the basis of the eavesdropper's information, Lord Voldemort began searching for Harry Potter. But, not knowing the full details of the prophecy the killing curse Lord Voldemort cast backfired, leaving Voldemort destroyed.
"Now that he has risen again his first priority is to obtain the full prophecy, a record of which resides deep in the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries to be more exact. It is imperative that we do not let Lord Voldemort have this prophecy, for having the prophecy would be having the knowledge to destroy Harry Potter, and then, all hope would be lost."
The room was silent.
"So," ventured Kingsley Shacklebolt, "Basically you're telling us that the weight of the world rests on the shoulders of a sixteen year old boy?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes."
"Well. Shit."
A/N: There we go. Hope that was okay, I don't think these sorts of technical chapters are my forte, but nevertheless I hope you liked it. GUESS WHAT!!??!?! IT'S THE WEEKEND! Yaaay!!! And it's really pretty weather! And I don't have too much homework! Goodness! Well, please review, as always. Oh, and if you didn't get the reference about Dumbledore's brother, go to this web
Okay, I'll try and get some more up this weekend, hope you all have a wonderful time, and if you live in Sydney, enjoy the weather! And HAPPY FATHERS DAY... if there are any fathers reading this. Do men actually read Harry Potter fanfictions? Ohh.. do they write them? Hehehe. If there are any guys reading this, review and tell me that you're a guy! Maybe then I won't give up on the male race. HAH! Seeya!!