I have 4 chapters finished for the "sequel to the sequel", and I'm still looking for a title. If your could review with suggestions, I would be most appreciative, there's only one chapter after this left! I know, I know, you're all SOOO disappointed, aren't you? (j/k). It's either you guys give me a title, or it's going to be called "The Half-Blood Prince". And honestly,how unoriginal is that? lol.
There's one chapter for "SaGP" remaining, and I should post the entry chapters to the third part sometime soon. Look for fairly regular updates after that. I realized that I can't be... confined... to writing chapters in order- I just don't work that way. But, sooner or later (lately, it's been sooner) the muse strikes and I get some 'filler chapters' in between the 'main events'. The only thing I can offer to you for advice on the next story is- Hang on to your Chocolate Frog Cards:-)
Love always,
thebartender713
Chapter 14: Predictions of "The Last Potter"
"So what did you want to tell me, Hermione?" asked Harry, apprehensively.
A succession of time had passed once again, and- other than Harry losing a few more times to Ron at chess and Tonic and Crookshanks spewing up hairballs into Mrs. Weasley's slippers- once again, it was quite uneventful. After having to go through the whole embarrassing ritual of Ron's 'I am the Chess Master' song and dance routine once again, Hermione had asked Harry for a word in private one afternoon before their last unhurried meal together before the return to Hogwarts to following morning. They retreated to the library, and sat down. Hermione bit her lip, and began to speak.
"Well, Harry, I've been thinking, and-"
"You? THINKING? NO!"
His best friend laughed.
"Yes, I know. Sometimes I hurt myself doing it, but I was real careful this time and so I'm ok."
Harry couldn't help but smile. Hermione's sense of humor had improved greatly over the summer during their time at Grimmauld Place, and he was glad that they could joke about sensitive subjects. Sometimes, Harry thought, it seemed that humor was the only thing that was pulling him through these days.
"So what did you figure out?"
"Well- I was thinking about the um, well, the Prophecy, and I um… Well, I think I might have figured out a little 'play on words' in it."
Harry was skeptical. He knew that Hermione was probably the smartest witch in Hogwarts ('ok, more like our entire generation,' he thought), but somehow he wasn't sure that even she could have picked up something that both he and the Headmaster had missed.
"Ok. Well… what is it?"
Hermione's eyes lit with a passion that only was revealed when she had just learned a really juicy bit of knowledge from one of her numerous books.
"Well, I was thinking about how it seems to repeat itself- the first and last lines. I kept saying them over and over to myself in my head, and I realized that although they ARE similar, they do have some distinct differences."
Harry raised an eyebrow, although this time it was out of interest, not skepticism.
"Ah. And?"
She smiled, her inner fire rekindled by Harry's evident attention.
"Ok. The first line: The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…
"That just says that someone with the power to finish off Voldemort is coming near. So, in all logic, it really could just mean that he (or she) is approaching the room that Professor Trelawney and Professor Dumbledore are currently in."
"Hermione…" Harry interrupted tentatively. "Are you sure that you're not just so anxious to help that you're stretching this a little bit too far?"
"I know, I know!" she cried, though not losing her excitement. "But just listen- there's more!"
Once again, Harry raised a tentative eyebrow. "All right, 'Mione. I'm listening. Give me all you've got."
"Ok- the second line: Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…
"That somewhat changes the possible interpretations of the first line. I mean, all this time I was keeping those lines together- as if they were one sentence. But they're really not. It's almost a completely different train of thought. So, to me, this part says that a wizard (or witch, because at this point it's still gender neutral)- A wizard, but not necessarily THE wizard will be born to a set of parents that have defied Voldemort three times, and he will be born towards the end of July. That doesn't necessarily mean July 31st, just any time after the 15th, since that would constitute half of the month being over- thus, it "dying". I think that you were just exceptional and extreme in this case, being born on the actual 'dying day'.
"I got a little stuck here, because, I mean, we don't really know what your or Neville's parents did that would be considered "defying him". That, and I didn't know of any other wizards born after the halfway point in July. Well, excluding those roadblocks, I went on.
"Line three: And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…
"Ok, literally this says that Lord Mouldy-Shorts marks the baby as his equal. Equal as in WHAT, we don't know though, do we? Equal in like, intelligence, power, evilness, blood, or what? We don't know! The only thing I could come up with is the fact that you can do a lot of things he can- Parseltongue, wandless magic, etc. And then there's the bit about power- if you're essentially EQUAL, how could you have a power that he doesn't know about?
"So that kind of made me think. What could you possibly have that could constitute as power, but the Dark Lord wouldn't be able to know it- that is, to know as in understand? Dumbledore always said that if there's one thing that Voldemort doesn't understand- and therefore underestimates- it's LOVE. That makes me think that your "power the Dark Lord knows not" has something to do with love, or friendship even."
Harry gasped and leaned forward, now eager to hear more. He hadn't thought about the Prophecy in the light Hermione was raising it, and he was willing to bet his own 'Family Portrait' from Dobby the House Elf that Dumbledore hadn't either.
"Line four: And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives.
"Well, of all, I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. Either you or Voldemort must die at the hand of the other. But that raises another question. Could the "other" be someone in fact OTHER than yourselves? This one had me going for quite some time. I mean- I was thinking about Neville being the possible other, since he was the other possibility to be "marked" since he was born at the end of July as well. I'm still a little stuck on that one, but it also seems to be thrown off a little by the last line a bit, too.
"Line five: The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…
"It seems like the first line repeats, but in a way it doesn't. The first line just says that the one with the "power" approaches, while this line says "WILL be born as the seventh month dies." This one holds no gender reference. It could be anyone, Harry- even NOT you!"
Hermione was breathless, but she finished her analysis triumphantly. Harry just gaped at her. There had been one other time where he had gotten a brief glimpse of just HOW much effort his friend put into her homework. That had been the time their third year when she had looked up every Animagus on the Ministy of Magic's register, just to see how many had done it and who they were. Now he had gotten the full force of the power of Hermione's mind.
"Wow, 'Mione," he gasped, "I can't believe how much thought you put into this. Thanks. I really appreciate it. The whole 'love' thing as the power makes sense, but I mean- how can you show or use 'love' as a power? That's impossible."
Hermione shook her head. "It's really not, Harry. Can you think of NO way to show love?"
Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but snicker. "'Mione, if you think I'm going to go up and snog Voldemort then you've got some serious issues!"
Hermione laughed with him, but continued to shake her head. "No, Harry! Come on think deeper than that! Can you think of no physical action that constitutes love?"
Racking his brains, Harry couldn't bring himself to think of anything, unless…
"Well, I mean, there's the whole self-sacrifice thing. I mean- my mother sacrificed herself for me. I guess that would be love. If it's not, then I don't know what is."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about Harry!" Hermione beamed.
Harry's jaw dropped at his friend. Had she seriously lost her mind?
"Um, hello? Earth to 'Mione. I'm not a woman! I can't do the whole 'motherly love' thing."
"That's true, Harry, but you're missing a crucial point. What's the ONE thing a woman needs to become a mother?"
"Um, sperm, hello?"
"DUH. That's the ACT I'm talking about, Harry."
"The act of sperm swimming?" asked Harry, stupidly.
"NO!" cried Hermione, frustratedly smacking herself in the forehead. "Harry come ON! You honestly have no idea what I'm talking about?"
"No. But thanks for making me feel like a complete imbecile," he admonished, good-naturedly.
Now it was Hermione's turn for her jaw to drop.
"Harry? Do you mean that you and Ginny NEVER… um, you know?"
Shocked, Harry stuttered, "What? Oh, no! Um, I mean, uh, no… We never have. Why? What does that have to do with anything? I mean, other than the whole baby making thing?"
"Oh Harry!" cried Hermione, exasperatedly. "Everything! Think about it- a baby is the only physical product of love! I mean, when a man and woman have sex it's so much MORE than that sometimes. I mean- just the feeling, it's completely different. You can totally feel the change and it's just amaz-"
Hermione gasped, and stopped mid-sentence, her face changing drastically from pale to bright red upon the realization of what she had unintentionally just let slip. She hoped Harry wouldn't have caught it- but in fact, as Harry cared to notice- Hermione's face was about as red as Ron's hair. It was a dead giveaway.
"Ooohh!" he teased, "So you and Ron, eh? Niiiice. I'll be sure to congratulate him on that. Took him long enough to get the gall to ask you out. I'm surprised, really. Pleasantly, but surprised all the same."
Hermione, if possible, seemed to turn an even brighter shade of magenta.
"Oh- you have no idea. Ron has it coming to him. After all those things he said to me about Cho Chang… you can't even begin to imagine."
Hermione laughed in spite of herself. "You're right. I don't want to know. But anyway- back to the point."
"Kill joy," muttered Harry, scuffing his foot on the rug.
"The whole act of lovemaking- that act of reproducing, making an heir. I can think of no better way than that to tap your power. If you know what it's like to experience undying love and devotion, then I think that would help you harness your power."
"Ah. Then the bastard almost had me right from the start then- albeit, unknowingly."
"What do you mean, Harry?"
"It's like Ron said- 'when it comes to mums, I've got a lot to learn'. I've never known undying love and devotion because Voldemort-"
Despite a hard effort, Harry began to choke on his words,
"Because he killed my parents before I even had a chance to get to know them. Before I even had the chance to feel how much they loved me. The closest thing I've ever felt to a mother's love was when Mrs. Weasley hugged me after I woke up from the Triwizard Tournament."
Harry sniffed, and attempted to wipe his nose and eyes in one swift, hopefully unseen movement. He was unsuccessful. Under that all-knowing gaze of Hermione, she caught it all. But unlike with Ron- when it came to Harry, she knew exactly how to comfort him. Pulling him into a warm hug, she rubbed his back, and just let him talk.
"I never knew what it felt like to be hugged by someone who loved me just because I was… well, ME. Not because I was "The Boy Who Lived", or "Triwizard Dual Champion", but just because they loved me. All my faults, inadequacies, everything. Voldemort almost had me from the start- and I don't think he even realizes it."
Pulling out of Hermione's comforting embrace, he gave her a thankful smile.
"But if you think I'm going to shag the closest thing to a mum I've got, then you really HAVE gone nutters, Hermy."
Using her thumb to wipe away the few traces of tears on the Boy Who Lived's face, Hermione laughed.
"Honestly, Harry," she sniffed, "I think you are the only person in the world (other than Grawp) that can call me 'Hermy' and get away with it. Anyone else would be hexed on the spot."
"You really think this could help, though, don't you? This whole learning how to love, and be loved, and having a baby?"
She nodded. "I don't know if it's foolproof, Harry, but I mean, it couldn't HURT, could it? Besides, if you were to… um, well, not…"
"Survive?" he supplied, bluntly.
"Well, yeah. If something were to go… um, wrong when it came to the final showdown between you and Voldemort, I could think of no one else that would have a possible chance at defeating him other than one of your heirs."
He sighed. "Yeah. Good point."
"So what are you going to do?"
"What? Are you expecting me to just walk up to Ginny and be all: 'look, baby, you sweet thang, Hermione thinks we should shag because it will help me defeat Voldemort. Yeah, that's right you sexy thang, you heard me. I need your lovin' because it's my secret supremacy. I just found out. I want you to help me harness that power through a night of unbridled passion!' Call me crazy, Hermy, but somehow I don't think Gin's gonna go for that one."
Hermione snorted. "HA! You've got that right. I know if Ron would have approached me like that he would have just gotten a swift kick in the-"
"Don't want to think about it!" yelled Harry, curling up defensively in protection of himself.
"Anyway, I imagine these things take time. I mean, I would think that it's just something that 'happens', not something you plan."
Hermione smiled knowingly, and a distant glow captured her gaze. "It's true. Ron and I… well, I know you don't want the intimate details, but- you're right. It just… happened. And it was beautiful. I mean, I won't even bother asking if you're sure you want it to be Ginny- I've known from day one that you two were meant to be.
"But it's going to take time, I won't deny that. I mean, I do think that you should tell her sometime soon. I mean, she would have to be a willing participant- especially if it's going to result in a new 'Last Potter'."
"Yeah. That's gonna be a tough one. Well, I think there's really only one thing I can do right off."
"What's that?"
"Call Dumbledore."
Turning to leave the library, Harry reflected on everything his friend had said and suddenly began to snicker.
"What's so funny?" asked Hermione.
"Hermy, did I really just hear you refer to Lord Voldemort as 'Lord Mouldy-Shorts'?"
Hermione giggled. "Yeah. That's what I've been calling him around Ron because he still flinches when you say 'Voldemort'. So I changed it to 'Mouldy-Shorts' to get him to quit."
Harry's laughter was coming in gales now, and he was gasping for breath.
"HA! 'Mouldy-Shorts'. I can't WAIT to say that to old Tom's face. Hehehe, 'Mouldy-Shorts'."
Together, arms around each other's shoulders, Hermione and Harry headed down to the kitchen for dinner, laughing all the way.
