A/n: Well, I did it! Unfortunately, vacation is just about up, but I think that the chapters will still come out pretty frequently. We are almost done with this part of the story after all! Thanks once again to Chava for putting up with me and beta-reading.

Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 19

Harry sat up in bed with a gasp and then immediately sank back into his pillow and the warmth of his blankets, squeezing his eyes shut as if that action could close off his brain as well.

He had been well aware that his impending encounter with Voldemort was approaching quickly, yet he had been unprepared for his most recent vision.

He had not been prepared for Voldemort to set an exact date.

Friday night, Voldemort was planning a major assault on Hogsmeade, and as soon as he had announced it, Harry had known, simply known, that Friday night would finally be the end.

That meant that he only had five days left and not even five whole days as the fifth evening would not be his own.

A pair of tears fell before he could stop them.

Wiping them away quickly, he mentally chastised himself. After all, most likely he would not stay dead. He was being ridiculous, except there was always the possibility that he would fail.

He still had so much to learn, and it would be impossible to cram everything he would need to know into the time he had left.

He could not discount the possibility that he would die and stay dead.

It was also possible that he would return as a human infant.

Either one of those options meant that Harry would lose his life as he knew it.

Even if everything worked according to plan, it could be months before Harry matured to the proper point as a phoenix and would be able to reclaim his life.

An irrational wave of disappointment hit him, and he allowed himself the self-indulgence of bathing in it for a few seconds.

He had been holding onto the idle hope that the inevitable encounter would wait until he had completed his O.W.L.s.

Instead the fates had teased him once again, denying him yet another piece of normalcy as well as waiting until the last minute to inform him of that denial.

In the midst of his musings, an unbidden smile curled the corners of Harry's lips as he imagined having that conversation with Voldemort.

"Tom, you really don't mind me calling you "Tom" do you? I understand that you're hell-bent on taking over the world and everything, but do you think that you could possible put your plans on hold for another couple of weeks. You see, my O.W.L.s are coming up, and the date you've set isn't really all that convenient for me…"

A sort of hysterical beginning of a laugh burst from his throat before he could stifle it.

"Harry?" Ron mumbled, his voice still heavy and muddled with sleep.

"It's all right, Ron. Go back to sleep. It was just a very strange dream."

"Just drink some cookies and it will be okay." Ron muttered incoherently, already drifting back into a slumber.

Harry literally had to cover his mouth with both hands to avoid the peals of laughter threatening to escape that would have inevitably awakened the rest of his dorm mates.

His emotions were still very raw, and although he had grown accustomed to Ron's little idiosyncrasies, the nonsensical words had pushed him over the edge tonight.

Tears of mirth, and perhaps of hysteria, streamed down his face as his diaphragm worked in silent laughter until he was sure that his sides were going to burst.

Time seemed to stand still until Harry finally managed to get a hold of himself, and once he had regained control, he resolutely avoided glancing over at Ron's sleeping form, sure that any sort of reminder would set him off again.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and attempt to fall back into a slumber himself, the song signaling a summons to the Phoenix Chamber flittered into his mind.

Knowing that it was too early for Fawkes to be calling him to his lessons, he deduced that Snape had returned and had informed Dumbledore of the planned attack.

Slipping easily out of the dormitory, Harry soon found himself perched above the table with Fawkes.

"Harry-"

"Yes, I know." Harry interrupted before Fawkes had a chance to even begin his statement.

A jolt of fear ran through Harry as he read honest sadness and regret in his feathered mentor's eyes.

Just as Harry's doubts began to resurface with a vengeance, Harry felt Fawkes reach out with his magic to calm him.

"Easy, Harry. I was just thinking that you have to carry such a large burden on such young shoulders. You've done everything in your power to prepare for this, and whatever is meant to happen will happen. The worst thing that you can do right now is doubt yourself."

Harry forced his thoughts to calm even while acknowledging the new one that pointed out Fawkes's irritating habit of being right.

A bit of amusement leaked in with Fawkes's calming influence, and Harry was distinctly reminded of his first meeting with the phoenix in his animagus form.

"You've come a long way since then, and it's been a privilege to be a part of that journey."

At that moment, Harry was extremely grateful that the flush of embarrassment that rushed to his cheeks could not be seen in his present form and was equally grateful that Dumbledore called the meeting to an order.

As important as the subject matter of the meeting was, Harry found his mind wandering as it provided his own distractions as Snape relayed to the Order what Harry had already seen.

He knew that he was going to drive himself mad if he kept harping on how soon everything would come to a close, not to mention that if he allowed himself to be inordinately preoccupied, his friends and teachers would realize that something was up.

Harry's attention returned to the meeting as soon as Snape finished his account and Dumbledore took the floor.

"Thank you, Severus."

Though Dumbledore's words were grave, he was radiating the same power Harry had sensed at the end of his fourth year.

"I fear that as Cornelius is still insisting on maintaining the charade that Voldemort has not returned, we are going to have to mount the defense of Hogsmeade. Those of you who have established networks of supporters, I ask that you contact them and ask for their help. I will supply all of you with the necessary portkeys, and we'll meet just inside of the Forbidden Forrest an hour before the scheduled attack. We want to be waiting for him, but we also don't want to raise any suspicions with all of the disappearances too far ahead of time. The element of surprise could be what turns the tide in our favor."

Dumbledore's eyes scanned the table, ignoring the painful tearing in his heart at the thought that some of these brave people, his friends, would not be returning after the attack.

"Severus, you know what you'll need to do, and Minerva, I'm going to ask that you remain in the castle during the attack."

Snape nodded, but McGonagall looked as if she wanted to argue.

"Minerva, I'm going to be needed out there, and we cannot leave the children alone, especially not with the attack so close. You know why it has to be you that stays behind."

Unused to receiving answers, Harry did not even bother to ask the obvious question and was quite surprised when he heard Fawkes's voice in his head.

"The headmaster and deputy headmistress have magical ties to the castle that the other teachers do not, so one of them must remain in order to properly mount the castle's defenses."

McGonagall also nodded in understanding but still did not seem appeased. It would be difficult for her to stay behind while everyone else was out risking their lives, but her students would need her if, Merlin forbid, the attack stemmed into Hogwarts.

The meeting lingered for only a few minutes longer, and even though basic strategy was discussed, the final strategy would not be able to be ironed out until they knew how many and who had come to fight.

Harry caught Snape making a subtle movement of his head, a signal to Dumbledore to remain behind as the others exited.

Though everyone else had left, Snape still spoke quietly as if he was afraid of being overheard.

"Albus, you know that if I turn, I'll no longer have any value as a spy. He'll kill me if I return."

"Yes, I know, but right now I need you fighting for us. Besides, Voldemort will know that someone tipped us about the attack when he finds that we were waiting for him. Your cover has already been compromised."

Harry found his lungs temporarily paralyzed as a strong wave of regret originating from his Potions professor threatened to bowl him over.

Even though Dumbledore had been unsuccessful at attaining his animagus form, he sensed that regret just as truly as the pair of phoenixes.

"Severus, you have more than paid your debt."

Snape shook his head.

"What I did… It's a debt that can never be repaid. Goodnight, Albus."

Dumbledore released a sigh when he was left alone with the phoenixes, and his entire body seemed to deflate along with his lungs.

The strength that he had been exuding throughout the meeting disappeared, leaving not the wizard that Voldemort feared but an old, tired man, who had seen and carried too much.

As if trying to hide the weakness or trying to separate himself from reality, Dumbledore hid his face in his hands.

Harry's first instinct was to go to him, to use his newly discovered skills to help at least a little, but a warning inside of his head stopped him.

"I'll go, Harry. I fear Albus would overwhelm you at the moment. Stay put. We still have some training left to do."

Fawkes glided down, finding a new perch on Dumbledore's shoulder. Warbling a couple strains, Fawkes also nudged Dumbledore's cheek with his own.

The relief Harry felt when the elder wizard lifted his head was short-lived as he spotted tell-tale streaks of moisture that had stretched down the aged face.

Fawkes continued his song, and Harry could feel the magic surging inside the room.

Finally, Dumbledore reached up a hand to stroke Fawkes gratefully, but he still did not look like himself

"Come on, Fawkes. Let's get some rest. We have a long week ahead of us."

Fawkes responded with a tone of apologetic regret while turning his head in Harry's direction.

"Go on. I'll be all right."

After cocking his head as if to ascertain for himself the whether or not Dumbledore was prepared for him to leave, Fawkes took off and returned to the perch.

Dumbledore watched the pair for a moment as if considering something he had previously neglected before leaving to grab a couple hours of much needed rest.

A year ago, Harry would have absolutely balked at the idea of spending any of his limited time in the dungeons with his "greasy git" of a Potions professor, but his association with his professor had become inordinately complicated as his fifth year had progressed.

More importantly, skipping Potions so close to the O.W.L.s would just add another piece to the puzzle in Hermione's brain, which was just too risky.

It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Harry was actually beginning to enjoy the art of potion brewing now that he had a better understanding of what was going on.

Nothing at all.

The door slammed loudly as Snape billowed into the classroom, onyx eyes glittering dangerously.

Apparently, Snape was not dealing with stress of Friday night's impending event and was set on taking out his tension on his students.

"Mr. Longbottom, what are the two main ingredients in Blood Clotting Paste?"

Come on, Neville. You know this. Harry thought, hoping that maybe his mental encouragement could do some good.

After the completion of their patronus project, Neville had approached Harry about helping him with Potions, and Harry had agreed without hesitation.

Neither had wanted to give up what they had started to build, and Harry had found to his amazement that Neville had a knack for the theory aspect of Potions, which made perfect sense when Harry reminded himself of Neville's talent in Herbology.

If not for Neville's fear of Snape, Harry had a feeling that his friend would be one of the best brewers in the class.

Thus, unlike the last time, these tutoring sessions were not one-sided, and Harry found himself benefiting from the discussion just as much as Neville did.

"Ground cobwebs and powdered mouse meat." Neville answered meekly but answered nevertheless.

A wide grin split Harry's face as he celebrated in his head.

Snape's eyes flashed in a mixture of astonishment and irritation. For some reason, his attention shifted to Harry, shooting a glare in his direction that seemed to indicate he knew Harry was responsible for breaking his favorite toy.

"Weasley, what color should a burn poultice be?"

It was a trick question, and the smirk on Snape's face indicated that he was sure Ron would not know the answer.

What Snape did not know was that he happened to pick the one thing Hermione had drilled into Ron's sometimes thick skull the night before.

"The color of the poultice depends on the severity of the burn. A red poultice should be used for first degree burns, orange for second degree, and yellow for anything more severe."

Ron answered the question easily, much to Hermione's satisfaction.

Snape's normally sallow face was turning an unusual color, and Harry found himself actually feeling sorry for him. He desperately needed something to relieve his tension, and all of his easy targets had somehow turned on him.

"Finnigan, what happens if you heat a Fever Reducing for too long?"

"I don't know."

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for your ignorance." Snape voiced in triumph. "Heating that potion for too long will cause the willow bark to react with the pixie dust to form a deadly toxin."

Ron, unable to help himself, muttered something under his breath about the unfairness of Snape's treatment.

"Weasley, fifteen points from Gryffindor for your mouth. The instructions for today's potion are on the board. Begin."

The rest of the class passed without incident, but as soon as they left the classroom Hermione announced only in Ron and Harry's hearing range, "Something's going on."

Harry's blood ran cold. "What do you mean, Hermione?"

"Didn't you notice that Snape was acting really strangely? He's nervous about something."

Ron rolled his eyes. "He's just being a git like always."

"Oh, honestly Ron, it's so obvious. Harry, you haven't seen anything important lately, have you?"

"No."

This time Ron frowned. "You woke up crying last night."

Hermione's eyes widened in horror while Harry let out a sigh of exasperation.

"I wasn't crying, Ron. I was laughing."

Okay, so he had done a little of both, but what Ron had heard was laughter.

"I know what I heard." Ron defended stubbornly.

"Ron, you told me that if I drank the cookies, then everything would be okay. I don't think you were quite awake."

"I did not!" Ron protested though he looked unsure and the tips of his ears were going scarlet.

"If you say so."

"What did you dream about, Harry?" Hermione persisted.

Cursing his friend's power of observation, Harry schooled his features into a neutral expression.

"I don't really remember the details, just that it was very strange."

Harry was saved by their entrance into the Transfigurations classroom, and though he knew it to be futile, he hoped Hermione would drop the subject.

"All right, Harry, very funny. Now, if you don't mind, could you please return my beard to normal?"

Harry gave Dumbledore a look of false innocence, silently thrilled that he had managed to return the twinkle to his headmaster's eyes.

"Are you sure, sir? I think that I like it better this way. It's more festive, don't you think?"

Dumbledore stared at him over his half moon spectacles and then looked pointedly at the red and gold stripes that now decorated his beard.

"As headmaster, I cannot be partial to one particular house."

Harry faked a sigh.

"I suppose that you're right."

Dumbledore looked pleased as Harry once again focused on his beard but could only stare in surprise when the red and gold stripes were replaced by red, green, yellow, and blue stripes.

"Problem solved." Harry replied impudently, quite certain that Dumbledore would never again suggest for him to use his wandless abilities creatively during one of their sessions.

Maybe that would not matter anyway. Time had flown by quickly, and it was now Friday afternoon. Today could very well be the last session he would ever have with Dumbledore.

He would even miss those cursed lemon drops.

The laughter Dumbledore was helpless to prevent snapped Harry out of that disastrous train of thought.

"That wasn't quite what I had in mind, Harry." Dumbledore tried but failed to state sternly once he had gotten a hold of himself.

"I'm sorry, sir. Would you prefer polka dots?"

"No!" Dumbledore responded quickly before Harry could put that plan into action.

Harry smiled victoriously and then concentrated on his headmaster's beard once again, this time removing all of the added color.

Dumbledore overplayed the relief on his face when he saw that his beard had returned to normal, and when he spoke again, the jocularity in his voice was undisguised.

"Thankfully, that's all the time that we have for the day. I'll see you next week."

Harry nodded, just stopping his own smile from slipping in time, and he made it to the door before he stopped to address Dumbledore again.

"I don't think that I've ever thanked you for taking the time to do this, Professor. I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate it."

Harry slipped out the door, leaving Dumbledore to stare at the door for a while and wonder why he felt as if Harry was saying "good-bye."

Harry's eyes roamed over the page for what seemed like the thousandth time, but his mind just could not make sense of the characters that were supposed to form words and sentences.

Hitting the end of the page again, he gave a mental sigh and obstinately returned to the top of the page again.

Harry swore that some sort of clock had been magicked into his head because he swore that he could hear the seconds ticking away.

The sound of Ron calling his name startled his mind out of wherever it had been, and he turned his attention to his red-headed friend.

"Want to play a game of chess or something?"

Harry did not get a chance to reply before Hermione burst into the conversation.

"Ron, no way. You're already way behind, and the O.W.L.s are less than two weeks away."

"Hermione, even McGonagall told us that we needed to set aside some time to have fun. Besides, Harry's been stuck on the same page for thirty minutes. I think that he needs a break."

Ignoring Hermione's concerned and calculated gaze roaming over him, Harry managed a small smile.

"A game of chess sounds good, Ron. Thanks."

Relief flashed across Ron's face as he left to retrieve his chess board, resulting as much from his own need to take a break as Harry's acceptance.

Despite her initial protests, when Ron returned with the board, she positioned herself so that she could watch the game, keeping the book open on her lap as if to maintain the pretense of studying.

Harry meant to keep his mind on the game, but he found himself simply soaking in his friends' easy camaraderie. They had been his first real friends, and they had been through so much together.

In a way, it hurt almost more than he could bear that he would have to leave them behind, but he was also grateful that they would be safe within the castle walls, that they would not become spares like Cedric.

"Harry." Hermione gasped.

Harry snapped back into reality, certain that he had been caught wrapped up in his musings.

"That's check mate." Ron voiced, sounding equally shocked.

Harry could not figure out why they were so shocked. Of course Ron had check mated him. Every game they had played for the past five years had ended the same way, and his mind had definitely not been on the game.

His eyes drifted down to the board and found himself just as astonished as his friends.

It figured. He had tried to beat Ron for five years, and the first time he managed it, he could not recall a single move that he had made.

"I guess that I'm going to have to owe you a rematch."

Even though Harry had managed to smile, something in his tone had obviously alerted Hermione because she was now looking at him in alarm.

"I think that I'm going to turn in early tonight. I didn't sleep well last night. Don't worry, Hermione. I'll make up the studying I missed later."

Harry collected his things and made it all the way to the staircase before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just really tired." He turned back to the stairwell and then impulsively turned back to Hermione. "Hermione, would you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Keep Crookshanks nearby for the next couple of days."

"Why? What's going on?"

Harry met her eyes, seeing the worry reflecting from them and hoped that this would not be his last memory of one of his best friends.

"Nothing, Hermione. I'm sorry. I'm not making much sense. I really need to get some sleep."

Without another word, Harry climbed the stairs to his dormitory, finding it empty much to his relief.

He had been prepared to stun any of his classmates, but he was glad that it was not necessary.

"Somnus fictus." Harry commanded, pointing his wand at his covers.

Immediately a space inflated beneath the cover in the shape of a sleeping human, rising and falling with a slow breathing pattern.

Much better than the pillow method, Harry decided with a hint of satisfaction.

He had planned on leaving a note as well, just a little something in case things went wrong to let his friends know how much they meant to him, but he had been unable to write it, unable to find the words.

Now, it was too late. He was out of time.

It would just have to be one more incentive to return.

Harry moved to the window, and then turned to look at the room once more.

"Thank you." He whispered to the place that had given him his first real home and real friends.

Without any further delay, Harry opened the window, transformed, and flew from the castle to meet those preparing for battle on the edge of the Forbidden Forrest.

A/n: Yes, I'm very aware that the ending of this chapter is quite cruel, but just think, the next chapter will be the big one, the one we've all been waiting for… Sorry, I think that I was channeling Wood there for a moment. Now on to the reviewers!

Thanks to: Alexa, Anya, athenakitty, blip-dragon, CastusAlbusCor, charlie-potter1, Darkness Shattered, Illucia, insanechildfanfic, Kagome144, kateydidnt, kjkit, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, meg, Meggplant, Melindaleo, moonrider666, NiciCool, Nphipps, paradox01, Potter Reader, slycat-blaze11, Snow Raine, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows

Xyverz- He's not really becoming more phoenix-like, just learning to use his magic in a different way. As for the burning day… just wait.

SpiritMornea- You absolutely made my day… Well, two days. Thank you! As for this story ending, I think that I've pretty much decided to write the sequel to this story and not a sixth year based on Ootp. Also, do not insult your own work. I've found that I am my worst critic, and there have definitely been times where I've thought that my writing was horrible. Just keep writing and enjoy it. That's the best advice that I can give you. Oh, and don't miss the bus this time:)

Erra- Thank you again for your offer! I'm looking forward to it.

venus4280- You'll find out more about that vision later. That was the most important thing in the last chapter… hint, hint.

Seaweed Popsicle- Yes, Ginny does exist. She's tried to pop in a couple of times, but it just didn't work. I think that my patronus would be in the form of my cat, and I have to ask… what little dog?

becki- Get the socks out again!

Tears of Phoenix- You'll see the possibilities narrow significantly next chapter! I also agree that the translation of the prophecy in the Ootp is very misleading… we'll just have to see what JKR has in store for us. Oh, and when you make your broom, can I have one?

baasheep- Oh geez, do I see another heart attack coming? After all, it hasn't even been a month yet since the last update. Neville is certainly developing isn't he? The scene with Fawkes originally occurred in a much earlier chapter, but it would not fit. The idea kind of grew as time went on. I'm glad that you appreciated. I'm glad that you're feeling better, and I hope that your exams went well.

Molly Morrison- Now it's just a matter of whether or not someone will be able to figure things out after the fact.

amaryllis- Oh, she's really close. The scene that Harry saw with the dementor is VERY important. It will be explained later.

Insane Pineapple from Naboo- Yes, he is certainly a Malfoy. I think that we'll see more of him in the sequel… oh, and a little of him later in this story.

Saphadeke- I will say again that I will not abandon this fic, and if I kept everything fluffly for too long, you guys would start to get a sugar headache.