I own nothing, J K Rowling IS Harry Potter. All my 'ideas' are basically ripped from stuff I enjoy; Harry Potter (duh!), Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, Dragonball, The Matrix, The Lion King, 24, and anything else that even remotely looks far too creative for me to just make up! Don't say I didn't warn you alright!

The fact that Harry can't use Avada is something I've been toying with for some time. I'd like to think that there are things that Harry is unable to do. Don't worry though, I explain my reasoning…..just not until my sequel!

Oh, and I probably should say this. Please don't, under ANY circumstances, try any of the stunts Trent did in the previous chapter. Driving IS dangerous, regardless of how good you think you may be.

I received a great piece of advice when I was learning to drive; assume everyone else on the road are complete idiots. Do this, and adjust your driving accordingly to be safe. Don't speed, don't show off, and for God's sake, DON'T drink and drive.

I've had my license for around 8 years, and have never got any fines from the Police. I prefer to save my 'idiocy' for my racing sims. That way, when things DO go wrong (and believe me, they do! I've been in a car where the back wheel decided to overtake us. It wasn't a nice feeling either! Nor was it nice when the brakes failed, come to think of it), no one gets hurt, and it's not your own car you have to pay for to repair.

Chapter 21 – Christmas Show And Tell

Harry and his friends had signed up to go home for Christmas. Harry would go to the Burrow with Ron and Ginny, while Hermione went back to her parents. Hermione would spend Christmas day with them, before all of them would go to Grimmauld Place for the rest of the holidays.

Most of the sixth years had decided to take the course in Apparition. It had been going for three weeks, and Harry felt he had learnt a lot about it. Trent had told them the basics of apparating, and told them he'd be taking them to Hogsmeade for a demonstration after the break.

Their first class was disrupted by Peeves, but Trent had performed a similar spell to what Remus had done to the poltergeist in third year. Instead of chewing gum that shot up Peeves' nostril, it was a drink bottle lid. Harry had felt that Peeves had been much more subdued than in previous years, but decided he was still upset about the fact that Fred and George left Hogwarts towards the end of the last school year.

Harry had also received his second vision of the year the night before. All that Harry could remember happening was that Voldemort had found out that Trent had been an Auror. Voldemort did say that he thought the name seemed familiar, but couldn't place it. Voldemort was then told how Trent had been captured by his Death Eaters but escaped. Needless to say, Voldemort was not impressed with the Death Eater who had given him that piece of information. It had been Lucius Malfoy who had been on the receiving end of a Cruciatus curse from Voldemort's wand.

Harry decided to tell Trent about this, and ask whether or not Dumbledore should know. He walked into Trent's office, and found his Professor marking yet more assignments.

"Hey Trent, can I ask you something?"

"Something else, you mean Harry" Trent smiled as he looked up.

"Yeah, that too. Can you remember which Death Eater captured you?"

Trent dropped his quill, his face instantly became much more haunted, and his eyes lost most of their sparkle.

"I don't remember being captured, but I do remember everything once I came to. I was locked in a cold, dark room with no windows. I was feed bread and water once a day. I don't know how long I was there for, but one day I was dragged, blindfolded, into another room and tied down on a chair. Once my blindfold was taken off, I was surrounded by five Death Eaters."

Trent sighed before continuing,

"I was kicked, punched, and had curses thrown at me for a while. Then someone stepped forward, I can still remember her voice. She spoke to me, saying how foolish I was, and that I should join Voldemort. I refused and she put the Cruciatus on me for a while. Then after she lifted the curse, she withdrew my wand and snapped it in front of me."

Trent's eyes narrowed dangerously, "I was so angry, and something just snapped inside of me. I experienced a similar transformation to the one you had at the start of the summer. My bindings snapped off, and I just remember wanting to cause as much pain to everyone in that room, but especially her."

Trent stopped, and Harry had to know.

"Do you know who she was?"

Trent looked thoughtful "I'm not sure. I think she said her name was Lestrong or something."

Harry's looked shocked, before narrowing his eyes "Bellatrix Lestrange" he spat.

"Yeah, that's it. You know her?"

Harry nodded.

"She's the one who tortured Neville's parents with the Cruciatus until they became insane. They're currently in St Mungo's."

Trent looked shocked, but Harry wasn't finished.

"She…she's the one who killed Sirius."

Trent just stared blankly at Harry for some time, before saying anything.

"Well. It would seem I have some competition to get revenge on her then, don't I" Trent smiled weakly.

Harry then told him about his vision, and Trent said that he'd tell Dumbledore about it. Harry also asked Trent if he had told the Headmaster the story he had told Remus and himself in the Spirit Room in August. Trent smiled at this, and told Harry that he had informed Dumbledore about it. But that the Headmaster still believed the prophecy Trelawney made at the opening feast was about Harry.

Trent then made sure that Harry remembered that they'd be resuming their training the day after Christmas. Harry nodded and headed back to finish packing his things before heading off tomorrow to the Burrow.

"C'mon Harry! Presents!"

Harry groaned as Ron whacked him over the head with a pillow. He slowly made his way downstairs, and was shocked at the number of presents underneath the tree. He hurried over and joined Ron in opening his presents.

Harry had gotten another sweater from Mrs. Weasley (this time in navy blue), a box of chocolate frogs and bertie botts beans from Ron and Ginny respectively. Fred and George had given him a sample of their latest work, which had included sweets which made you talk nothing but gibberish for two hours. Harry smiled inwardly as he remembered a similar prank that Remus said he'd done on the rest of the Marauders. Hermione had sent him a book on some of the most difficult charms known, which included the Fidelius and Patronus charms among many others. Remus and Trent had gotten Harry a couple books on duelling.

Harry had given Ron a book about the Chudley Cannons, and he'd already nearly finished it to the amusement of everyone else. Harry gave Ginny a book on Hippogriffs, as he remembered her telling Ron, Hermione and himself that Hagrid would be going over those in her class in the New Year. He gave Mr Weasley some muggle magazines, which he found absolutely fascinating as the pictures didn't move like wizarding ones do. He had also given Mrs Weasley some magazines, but these were cooking ones. She flipped through them saying that some things in them looked quite good.

Once everyone had opened their presents, people started arriving for lunch. Those who came included Remus, Dumbledore, Hermione, Bill and Charlie. Harry thanked Remus for his and Trent's presents, before Dumbledore pulled Harry aside.

"Harry, I believe you'll like this. I hope it serves you well."

He gave Harry a box before returning to the kitchen. Ron urged Harry to open it, so he ripped away the paper and found a pensieve.

"Wow Harry. I knew Dumbledore wanted to get you something, but a pensieve" Remus whistled as he came in to tell the others that lunch was ready.

"What's so special about a pensieve though? All they do is store your memories."

"But they are incredibly difficult to find. Also, because of that, they're quite expensive. All in all, a pensieve is something worth hanging on to."

Harry just nodded and made a note to thank Dumbledore for it during lunch.

"Remus, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure thing Harry, just let me finish cleaning up alright?"

Harry nodded while Molly, Remus and Bill tidied up the kitchen after the Christmas feast just a few hours before. Once they'd finished, Remus turned to Harry and they walked into the living room.

"What's on your mind?"

"Is there somewhere private we can go? I don't want anyone else to know. Well, not yet anyway."

Remus looked puzzled for a moment before replying, "yeah, we could go up to the attic and put up a few charms. That should give us some privacy."

After Harry had grabbed the pensieve that Dumbledore gave him for Christmas, they made their way up the stairs to the attic which had been cleaned out, 'probably by Mrs. Weasley' Harry thought, before Remus finished putting up some imperturbable and silencing charms.

"All right. So what's on your mind, and why do we need all these precautions?"

"I've given this a lot of thought, and I need to tell someone about the prophecy."

Remus looked shocked and said "I'm flattered that you came to me Harry. But I must ask, why me? Why don't you tell Ron or Hermione?"

Harry looked somewhat frustrated before replying, "because I know exactly how they'd react to this. Ron would get all huffy about it, saying I've been keeping secrets from him. Either that or he'd tell me how 'wicked' it is. And Hermione? She'd say how terrible I must be feeling and wouldn't leave me alone for the rest of my life, which mightn't be that long actually."

Harry sighed, "Mr and Mrs Weasley would freak out. And Dumbledore already knows, heck it was he who told me."

"You don't have to tell me, Harry."

Harry looked up at Remus and said "I…I just need someone to listen to me. And not to tell me how to run my life for a change. I have to tell someone this, I need to. You'll understand after."

Remus conjured up a couple of chairs and sat down, with Harry following suit.

"If you're going to tell me, why'd you bring your pensieve?"

"This won't exactly be easy for me to say Remus. I think it'll be better to just show you"

Remus nodded and Harry proceeded to concentrate on the memory of the discussion he had with Dumbledore that night, about Sirius and the prophecy. He decided to show Remus the whole scene, including the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort, and Harry trashing Dumbledore's office. Once he had the memory, he touched his forehead with his wand. A silver thread stretched from Harry's forehead and he carefully placed the thread into the pensieve.

"Ok, just don't say anything until we come back out, alright?"

Remus nodded and they both were sucked into Harry's memory. Remus looked horrified as he saw Voldemort in the flesh for the first time. He was amazed when the memory Harry threw Voldemort out of his mind. He was somewhat shocked when Harry began his rant at Dumbledore, and felt like cheering when the memory Harry defended Sirius so stoutly. Remus stood transfixed when Sybill Trelawney's figure rose out of Dumbledore's pensieve and told the prophecy, and also when Dumbledore explained it to the memory Harry.

Once they both emerged from the memory, Remus was speechless. 'How can one person have that much pressure on them' he thought incredulously before Harry broke the silence.

"Now do you understand why I don't want to tell Hermione or Ron yet?"

Remus nodded, and managed to croak out "I…I'm sorry, Harry. I never realised. How can you possibly cope with knowing that?"

Harry shrugged, "I've just accepted it, Remus. I was hoping you'd be able to help me understand it better though."

Remus had recovered his voice and managed a weak smile.

"The first part is straight forward. You were born at the end of July, and James and Lily had defied Voldemort three times before you were born."

Harry picked up where Remus stopped "he marked me with my scar, and Dumbledore told me that he thinks the power I have is love. That's how I was able to throw Voldemort out of my mind. I was thinking about Sirius at the time."

Remus nodded and continued "the last part is somewhat more complicated. 'Neither can live while the other survives'. Both of you are currently alive, so I don't see what it's talking about."

Harry looked at Remus and said "yeah, I know. That's the part that's got me stumped. The bit before it I understand, kill or be killed."

Remus looked thoughtful for a while before choosing his words carefully.

"You may be right…but look at it this way. It says 'either must die at the hand of the other'. What if 'the other' is Neville? Dumbledore did say that the prophecy could have applied to him until Voldemort chose you."

Harry stared at Remus, before shaking his head. "I don't think so Remus. I never thought about it like that before, but Dumbledore was pretty adamant that it means either I kill Voldemort, or he kills me."

Remus shrugged but nonetheless agreed anyway.

"Ok, so let's assume that it is down to you and Voldemort. I've thought about the last bit again, and tell me what you think about this. Neither of you will have total control over your lives until the other is dead."

Harry looked confused, "could you say that again?"

Remus smiled, but explained further. "Well, what I mean is that Voldemort seems intent on trying to kill you, right?"

Harry nodded, and Remus continued "and you're constantly looking over your shoulder, waiting for his next attack. Both of you aren't leading very fulfilling lives are you?"

Harry just blinked several times before answering.

"That…you're right. How'd you come up with that?"

Remus shrugged but smiled again at Harry.

"Well, I didn't read all those books at Hogwarts for fun, Harry. I like to look at things in several ways before coming up with an answer."

Harry just shook his head trying to make sense of what Remus had said.

"Ok then. What about the other prophecy though. The one Trelawney made at the feast."

"Well, I thought we agreed that it's talking about Trent, not you. And before you ask, yes Trent has told Dumbledore the same thing he's told us. But Albus still believes that it's talking about you, because Trent's always said that he doesn't want to face Voldemort."

"Ok, but like you said, we think it is about Trent. So that means that he'll be killed right? I mean, in the end, I have to face Voldemort…"

"But Trent said that you'd have to kill them both. I don't know, Harry…this seems more complicated than the other prophecy. Let's just take it at face value. Either it's talking about Trent or you facing Voldemort, and that only one will come out alive.

"You should ask Trent about getting some more training in. You've got a week before we have to go back to Hogwarts, so you might get a couple years worth in the Spirit and Time Room. Besides, he might show you how to apparate like the house elves do, it'll be much quicker to teach there, than when you go back to school."

Harry told him Trent was already going to do this starting tomorrow. The two of them then removed the charms from the room and made their way back downstairs.

Tomorrow, Harry would resume his training with Trent. This time he'd be teaching Harry about how the house elves apparate around Hogwarts.