Chapter 5: The Prophecy

'Hermione.'

As soon as he had finished the pentacle started to glow, first dimly then with ever increasing intensity until all of a sudden it fell dormant again.

Silence followed leaving the faint rhythmic beat of his heart seem almost too loud for his own ears. Nervously he started tapping his right foot on the floor while waiting patiently for something to happen. Seconds ticked by stretching into minutes. He was on the verge of releasing the pendant as out of nowhere a disembodied female voice asked, 'First Wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander?'

Relieved he answered, 'Toasted toads truth.' [1]

'It's you! How are you? Did something happen? Are you hurt? Is ...' As one question chased after the other an involuntary smile stole itself on his face. It was so her, being a busybody. And he loved her for it. In a strictly friendly way, that was. Just hearing her voice helped to calm him down and soothe away most of his worries. Because if she was talking to him, it meant that she was safe.

But there was a reason he had called and so he interrupted his friend's tirade. 'Mione! I am ok. And yes something did happen. Otherwise I wouldn't have called you.' They had agreed to only communicate when it was absolutely necessary, a pact he tended to keep. It was after all for their own safety.

The pendants they used to keep in contact had been his idea. In a way he had to thank his cousin for their invention. Because if his too-fat-for-his-own-good relative hadn't gotten walkie-talkies for his sixth birthday he himself wouldn't have thought of creating them. Like the muggle version they allowed communication between a matched pair. They were also enchanted to be bug-proof, which made them securer than fire-talking. Even though, they kept the numbers of calls to a minimum. No need to challenge fate. After everything that had happened to him and the others, they tended to go with the proverb: better safe than sorry. They'd even started to use code phrases in order to know if the other could talk freely.

But that didn't mean he had to like it. The prolonged silence was pure torture for himself. He hated not to know about his friends' whereabouts or if they were fine. In his nightmares he saw them being attacked by the Dark Lord and him sitting here without being even aware of the danger.

He awaited each call anxiously, only to shy back from answering if it finally came. He couldn't live with being told that one of his comrades had been killed while he had been out of reach. He loathed to have to stay too far away to protect them.

The room felt suddenly too cold for his liking. So he was glad to hear Hermione talking again, effectively chasing away the dark shadows creeping into his mind.

'I was only glad to hear from you again. It's been too long. We are missing you. And before you ask: we're all fine as well and everything's going according to plan. Oh, and there's something I have to tell you as well. But it's not of immediate importance. At least I don't think so.' The words seemed to tumble out of her mouth, not even stopping for her to take a breath in between.

'Well, you can go first.' He teased her, knowing fully well that she was bursting to hear his news. But there was still a lingering feeling of dread. He so wished he could stay with them, even if the logical part of his brain told him that they were safer with him far, far away.

'Harold James Potter! Do tell!' Her indignation was clearly audible.

'Fine, fine.' He sighed banishing all thoughts of worry for his friends out of his mind. He just whished that he could give her happier news. 'I was recognized today.'

'WHAT? That's impossible! No one should be able to do that! You are under the Fidelius charm! Not even I am aware of your location.'

'I know! Without my aecret keeper's approval nobody should be able to see me even if I were standing right next to them!' Unable to sit any longer Harry sprang up form the coach and began pacing the room. It should have been impossible. So why had the Potions Master recognized him? The wheels in his head were spinning furiously but the answer eluded him.

'Who was it?' she asked after a small pause.

'Snape of all people,' he mumbled under his breath, only the need to hold the pendant keeping him from throwing his arms up into the air.

'Snape? Oh my.' Her voice sounded strangely squeaky.

Alarmed he asked, 'What is it?'

'Well, I think this could be related to what I found out. It would probably explain it.' She trailed off.

Stopping in mid-stride he lamented the fact that they didn't have visual contact. He would have loved to glare at her.

'I want you to listen to me and then tell me what you think about it. The other day I went to Hogwarts because I had a meeting with Professor McGonagall. As I was waiting in her office I noticed a sheet of parchment lying on her desk. I had nothing else to do and so -'

He could practically hear the blush. 'You read it.'

'It was a prophecy.'

Harry's brow furrowed. He hated prophecies. They were nothing but trouble. Either you didn't understand their real meaning until they happened and it was too late or they were completely useless.

Hermione cleared her voice.

'And on the eve of battle

Two lonely souls shall meet.

The first of them a master

With skills of many arts

His past defined by darkness

Etched as symbol on his skin.

The other one a fighter

Baptized through gloried death

Reborn to life in shadows

Three times his former self.

So joined they will determine

The fate of our world.

What do you think?'

She intoned, with the last sentence going back to her normal tone of voice.

Thinking it over he shook his head. It couldn't be. Nope, not in a hundred years. He must have misunderstood. Snape and HIM? No. Repeating the prophecy again line for line in his head, the wrinkles on his forehead increased. No mistake there. Shocked he sat down again. Why the hell HIM?

'I'll be damned!' he finally exclaimed aloud.

'That's what Ron said as well.' She chuckled. 'But I wouldn't worry too much about it. You know my opinion of I divination /I . It's all a waste of time, complete humbug. Everyone of us is after all having a vital part in the destruction of Voldemort, so it's kind of stupid to predict specific persons being in the centre of it. And for the rest, it's pretty vague.'

Harry sighed. Thank Merlin for Hermione's down to earth attitude. He had probably overreacted. The prophecy primary meant for the two of them to play a part in Voldemort's downfall. And if they had to work together to reach that goal, that was okay with him. Everything else was not worth considering as it would definitely not happen without his consent.

Discontinuing that line of thought he went back to their conversation. 'Of course you are right. There are a lot of more important things. One of them's Snape. What are we going to do with him? He is not a threat per se as he is on our side. But what if he's caught as a spy? We can't risk him giving away the fact that I am not dead.'

A shriek of surprise could be heard in the background. 'Oh, you don't know yet? Dumbledore didn't tell you?'

'No! Know what?' How was it possible for the man to always annoy him? Either he talked in riddles or he was neglecting some details he himself would see as crucial.

A few seconds passed before she answered, 'The headmaster thinks that Voldemort suspects Snape already. That's why he pulled him away form his position and sent him on a mission to France. He has to get in contact with the Claw of the Lion. But now I am not so sure any more if this whole thing was only a pretext to send the professor your way. No, probably not just a pretext. Dumbledore wouldn't risk such a valuable position for the sake of a prophecy.'

'Mione! Stop!' Harry desperately tried to quench her ramblings. It could get quite scary if his friend voiced her thought process out aloud.

'Oh, I am so sorry Harry! I even did the mission briefing. It's all my fault.' she cried out. The full consequences of what had happened finally hit home.

'Hermione, calm down. Of course it's not your fault. You couldn't have known that I was in Caen. My secret keeper's the only one informed of my whereabouts. At least they were - before this mess,' he concluded darkly. When would they finally learn that he had grown up and could be trusted with everything concerning his own person? They knew he hated their meddling!

'What are you going to do now?' Hermione asked, finally having calmed down again.

'I don't know yet. First of all I am going to make another call. I am really interested in my dear secret keeper's explanation of this,' he growled, while cursing stupid prophecies in his head.

'You do that and I will see what I can do from my side. Take care, Harry!' Her last words were laced with concern.

'I will', he said gently. 'And tell Ron hi from me!'

'Of course!'

The pendant in Harry's hand glowed once more before winking out. He laid it back on the table only to reach for another. The solar cross.

[1] It's related to Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth novels. They are really good books.