The trio let out a deep breath.
Sirius looked at them with laughter written over his face. "Do you really think I would make you tell?"
"Really Ron! We're not Percy!" Fred exclaimed with a discussed face at the thought of his older brother.
"On with nick names!" James proclaimed.
"But we are not calling Harry 'Prongs jr.'" Lily said.
"Why not!"
"Because! He's had that name since he was born."
"So?"
"So? I had to fight you tooth and nail not to name him James jr.!"
Sirius and Remus sniggered.
"But that doesn't mean that he can't have my nickname."
"Don't you think it would get confusing with two 'Prongs' running around Godric's Hollow?"
"Lily, their already carbon copies except for the eyes, why not the names too?" Sirius said.
"Just, because."
"Not a very good reason Flower." James sniggered.
"You Marauders are so aggravating!"
"We do our best." Remus smiled.
Fred and George had odd looks on their faces. "Harry," George started. "How exactly do you know, um, James and Lily is it?" he asked looking towards Lily.
Lily nodded.
"Um, they're my parents?" Harry said apprehensively. He thought that Fred and George knew that.
The twins' jaws dropped. "But, but, your dead!"
James looked thoughtful while finding his pulse. "No, I don't think I am, What about you Flower."
"I think you can answer that question by your self Potter."
The twins turned to Ginny who was talking to Hermione on the couch. "Did you know?" Fred asked his sister.
"Of course I knew. And I must say I agree with Lily about the name."
"How did you find out?" George demanded.
"Common sense. Anyways, did you not notice that Harry and Lily's eyes are exactly the same? And that Harry looks exactly like James?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Not a coincidence Fred," Ginny said, turning back to Hermione.
"Can we get back to the names?" Ron asked.
"Can I put my two kunts in?" Harry asked apprehensively.
"I don't know, can you?" Remus smiled.
"Oh har de har har Moony. I already have the nickname of 'Prong's jr.' No offence Dad, but can't I have a different one?"
James frowned but nodded in defeat.
"What about 'Hooftail?'" Hermione suggested.
"Too much like Wormtail." Ron said darkly.
"Agreed," Sirius said.
"Scar?" Fred suggested.
"No." This time is was Harry who disagreed.
"Flash"
"Flash?" Remus questioned Ginny's suggestion.
Ginny shrugged.
"I don't think so; I would feel like a stop light." Harry said while imaging his white tail turning red, yellow and green.
Lily, Remus and Hermione nodded in agreement; while Sirius, James, and the Weasley clan looked confused.
"Muggle thing," Remus explained.
"And how do you know that?" Sirius questioned.
"I took muggle studies," Remus explained, "while you all took Divination."
"Divination was a complete waste of time," James moaned, "staying up to all hours of the night plotting our outlandish deaths."
"One of the reasons I did not take it," Remus said, "Along with the reason that there was on other way up to the classroom then that blasted ladder." Remus shuddered at the thought of silver.
"Now thinking about it, I never got how I would died right." James mused.
"I think I did, somewhat, it was something about a battle and I would die def-" Sirius cut off that train of thought at the sight of his godson's distressed face.
"What about Points?" George said.
"Points?" Harry questioned. "It's not bad."
"What about Bolt?" James suggested.
Harry got red in the face. "No! I get enough grief over that stupid scar and I am not being names after it!"
James looked sheepish and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.
There was un-comfortable silence in the room before Hermione spoke up. "Storm" She said softly, staring into Harry's greens eyes.
Ron, seeing that Harry was not going to flip out over this name, slowly nodded. "It certainly fits your personality."
Sirius and Remus nodded in agreement. Now it was just up to Harry, who nodded.
"Harry James Potter, I here by proclaim your, official, Marauder name as 'Storm.'" Remus said in all seriousness.
"Ok, 'Storm'." Hermione said, inclining her head toward Harry. "What about me?"
"Bushtail?" Ron suggested.
"Don't you dare Ronald Weasley."
"Fluffy?" Sirius said.
Hermione turned her glare onto Sirius.
Sirius was no fool (or maybe he was) and quickly 'poped' into Padfoot.
Hermione did the same and there was a sight to see, a huge wolf facing off against a huge dog.
The wolf was slow advancing on the dog, stalking it like she would her prey. Sirius stood his ground for a while then turned tail and ran around the room, Hermione in close pursuit.
Sirius was barking for help from his fellow Marauders. James was laughing so hard that turning into 'Prongs' was the last thing he could manage.
Hermione was slowly gaining on Sirius, finally catching up with him, jumping on his back, effectively stopping Sirius and somehow flipping him over.
Sirius 'poped' back to the sight of a brown wolf, panting, standing on his chest.
"I take it that was a no?" Sirius said, trying to suppress a smile.
Hermione snorted, gracefully jumped off his chest, and stalked over to Remus with her tail held high. Curling up next to him and resting her head in his lap, watching Sirius get up and dusting himself off.
"Lot of help you lot are," He grumbled.
"Sorry Padfoot, wrong time of the month for me," Remus said, which for some reason set Ginny into a fit of giggles.
Sirius turned to James, "Your excuse?"
James shrugged. "Don't have a good one."
Sirius snorted. "Sorry excuse for a Marauder, not having an excuse." He flopped back into his chair.
Remus was smiling and scratching behind Hermione's ears. "What about Luna?"
Hermione quickly poped back, it looked rather odd as Remus's hand had suddenly found its self on top of Hermione's head.
Hermione paid no notice to that. "I am not being named after that- that-"
"Ravenclaw?" Ron supplied.
"Not exactly the word I would have used."
"She's not that bad Hermione." Harry reasoned.
Hermione huffed.
"Golden-eye?" Harry said.
"Wasn't that a James Bond movie?" Hermione questioned.
Harry nodded. "I think so."
"What about Luppa? It's French for wolf." Lily said.
"Luppa? Hmm, It's ok." Hermione said.
"But not for you?" Lily asked.
Hermione nodded.
"Tala?" Ginny suggested.
"Native American for wolf," Remus supplied to erase the confused looks on the group's faces.
"I don't think so." Ron spoke up.
"Yeah, its just . . . ." Fred started.
"Not Hermione." George finished.
"Paws." Sirius stated.
Hermione started to nod before she saw Ron frowning and gave his a confused look.
"It's kind of . . . simple, isn't it?" Ron asked. "I mean, I have paws too, it could apply to either of us."
Remus nodded. "You have a point Ron, out of the six of us, three have paws. What about . . . Eclipse?"
Hermione instantly agreed.
"All in agreement?" Remus asked, looking around the room.
Nodding heads answered his question.
"Hermione A-"
"Don't you dare say my middle name."
Remus smirked. "Why? I like it."
Hermione snorted. "You might like it, image living with it."
"How do you know her middle name? We don't even know it!" Ron stated, upset.
"Student records," Remus shrugged.
"Get on with it Moony." Lily said from her armchair.
Inclining his head towards Lily, "As you wish ma'am, Hermione A. Granger, I here by proclaim your official Marauder name as 'Eclipse'."
"What about me?" Ron said.
"Pink Panther?" Hermione suggested with a wicked smile.
"I am red! Not pink." Ron said with a discussed face. "Thank you very much."
"Fang?" Fred said.
Harry shuddered. "No way, one of Aunt Marge's bulldog's was named that. That bloody thing chased me up a tree."
Lily made a sound that was crossed between anger and disbelief.
"I thought that was Ripper." Hermione mused.
"That one too," Harry said darkly.
"Firetail?" George said.
"Wormtail." Ron replied.
"TenderFoot?" James said.
"'Tenderfoot?' It's a little close to Padfoot, don't you think?" Ron asked apprehensively.
"I personally don't care about that, but I am not sure panthers are 'tender'." Sirius mused.
"What about Flame?" Lily said.
"Not bad." Ron said after a moment.
"I like it." Hermione said.
"Yea."
"Ronald Author Weasley, I here by proclaim your official Marauder name as 'Flame'."
The group was just about to leave for lunch when a small 'pop' was heard. Turning towards the sound they found that one of the tables was laden with sandwiches and pumpkin juice.
"I have a feeling were not to go down to the Great Hall for lunch." Sirius said, taking a few sandwiches and a goblet of pumpkin juice over to the couch.
"No, really?" Lily asked.
"I do believe I am right on this one."
"Good, I need to work on lesson plans," Remus said, settling himself at another desk with his lunch, accio-ing his books, parchment, and a quill.
"Moony, term doesn't start for another 2 and a half weeks." Harry said.
"Does that mean that you already have your essay's done?"
"Yes." Harry, Hermione and Ron proudly coursed.
"Good, I can grade three and get them out of the way." Remus said, still flipping pages in his book and taking occasional notes.
"Grading can't be that hard." James said. "Zeros for the Slytherins, and everyone else 100 percent."
"Not that easy Prongs." Remus said, excepting the three scrolls from Hermione. "For instance," Remus unraveled Hermione's, filled with Hermione's small handwriting, the essay must have been 3 feet long.
Hermione blushed.
"Not that I am complaining." Remus turned back to grade it.
"We should have named Hermione 'Moony jr.'" James muttered.
Sirius and Ron had gotten immersed in a chess game. Ron looked determined not to let Sirius win.
Harry was reading his defense books, taking notes for D.A. between bites of his sandwich.
James had moved over to where the twins were eating and they all were taking or should say, plotting with their heads together.
Lily, Ginny and Hermione were talking about girl stuff as far as the boys could tell. Giggling was heard ever now and then from their corner.
"Dinnertime!" Sirius shouted a few hours later.
With a snort Remus woke from his place on the couch. "What's goin' on?" He slurred, not fully awake yet.
"Take a wild guess." Lily said, getting up from the floor where she had faced down almost all in the common room in a number of chess games.
"Dinnertime," Remus yawned, stretching while getting up.
"Lucky guess," Sirius accused.
Hermione had to pried out of her new book she received for Christmas, Ron and Harry put down their potions essay that Hermione had reminded them that they had not finished yet. The twins and James looked rather flushed as they were ushered out by an over excited Sirius with the rest of the group.
"Where did you all go anyway?" Lily asked her husband, Sirius and the twins.
"Oh, no where really, just walked around the school," James said.
"Hoping to running into Snape,"
"Professor Snape." Hermione corrected Fred.
"Still can't believe he's a professor." James muttered.
"He's honestly not that bad." Hermione said, earning shocked expressions from the teens. "Oh come on! He might be a unfair git, but he's still a good teacher."
Ron snorted.
Remus was still yawning.
"Moony still tired?" Lily asked.
"Full moon in four days," He explained.
"What the shack like?" James asked.
Remus shrugged. "Not much different I guess. Dustier."
"Is that cabinet still there?" James asked, referring to the one that the Marauders used to stash anything that they did not want destroyed on the full moon.
"It's not in the big room, or the master bedroom." Remus said, thinking back to the last times he was in the old house.
"If I am thinking of the right thing, then its still there; in the smallest bedroom," Ron said. "The only thing in the place with no damage to it right?"
Remus nodded.
"It's still there then."
Harry and Ron opened the huge doors to the Great Hall. The sight that met their eyes was one table in the middle of the hall; all others banished to the sides. Christmas decorations galore, the 12 usual trees adorned with hundreds of ornaments. Snow was falling, till about 10 feet from the ground where it disappeared. Around the table were the members of the Order.
Mad-eye was talking to Dumbledore at the head of the table. Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie were along the middle, pouring over parchment. Mrs. Weasley and McGonagall were across from each other, laughing with Tonks who had just knocked over the picture of pumpkin juice. A quick 'Scourgify!' from Kingsley fixed that.
Snape sneered from his seat. Hagrid was at the other end of the table, the only place that would fit him.
"Is there a reason the Order is here?" Sirius whispered to Remus as they walked towards the middle of the room.
Remus shook his head. "Dumbledore said nothing about this at the last meeting." He whispered back.
"This is the extent of the Order?" James asked in amazement.
Sirius nodded. "Well, there about five not here, but basically, this is it."
James let out a low whistle, which caught the attention of everyone at the table.
Silence.
Snape rolled his eyes, and Dumbledore's twinkled. Those were the only to calm reactions to the arrival.
Mrs. Weasley was almost in tears as she hugged Sirius. "And the day before we were fighting over that motorcycle!"
"Shh, it's all right Molly." Sirius said.
Mr. Weasley was hugging Lily, "My dear, Merlin how good it is to see you."
James was smiling as facing Mad-eye, at the receiving end of the old Auror's wand.
"If you're the real Potter, On March 10, 1980. Where were you, me and Black?"
"I believe we were in Scotland, chasing down Deatheaters."
"And those slimly bas-"
"Sirius!"
"Sorry Molly, those bloody Deatheaters got away."
Mad-eye looked them over a moment before shaking James and Sirius's hands. "Good to have you boys back." He growled.
Dumbledore called for very one's attention minutes later. "Could everyone please take their seats?"
Sitting across from James and next to Sirius was Harry. James was trying to mime something to his son with out everyone else noticing.
Finally Remus took over, leaning over and whispered into Harry's ear. "What your father is trying to tell you thought some sort of commutation that I barley recognize is not to drink anything."
Harry had to suppressed a laugh at the way the werewolf summed up James's miming, or lack there of, and proceeded to fill his plate with roast turkey, potato's, both boiled and roasted, buttered peas, gravy, and cranberry sauce.
Before anyone could lift a fork piled with food to their mouth, Dumbledore stood, goblet in hand. "I would like to propose a toast to Mr. and Mrs. Potter."
Sirius coughed rather loudly.
"And of course, Mr. Black; May they be with us longer then before."
"How cheerful," Sirius muttered.
The group raised their goblets and murmured: "James, Lily, Sirius," before taking a drink.
Then there was a sight to see. People were breaking out in poka-dots, strips, and checker patterns. all in complementary neon colors.
The Marauders and the twins were cracking up. Dumbledore was chuckling as he watched his beard flash all the colors of the rainbow.
Snape did not look too happy as his customary black robes turned red and gold; neither did McGonagall as her deep green robes had silver streaks added to them.
McGonagall was just about to open her mouth to take points off Gryffindor before Sirius beet her too it.
"Technically were not students anymore, so you can't take points from us." Sirius had a smug smile on his face.
"20 points from Gryffindor."
Sirius, James and the twins opened their mouths to protest. Remus was chuckling and shaking his head.
"I can still take points . . . ." McGonagall trailed off as the rubies she had sent to the top of the hourglass froze and started to fall back to the bottom. "I said 20 points from Gryffindor!"
The rubies once again started towards the top before falling back to where they originally started.
Sirius intimidated Trelawney's misty voice. "My inner eye tells me that you are not destined to take away points from Gryffindor at this time."
McGonagall snorted, "Doesn't help that you have a staff member as a best friend either."
Remus was the picture of pure innocence, "Who, me?"
In the mean time Dumbledore had called up a few house elves and requested new drinks be sent up, then with a simple 'swish and flick' of his wand, every one was restored to their original color, much to the Marauder's and the twins disappointment.
As people were starting to eat, Mad-eye spoke up, "You going to explain to us how the Potters and Black are alive or do we have to guess?" He growled.
"I was getting to that Alastor." Dumbledore smiled and went into an expiation that was very similar to the one told to the staff.
The Order had wide eyes by the time he was one talking.
"Trust it to be you to come up with something like that." Bill chuckled.
James was looking around at the new faces that had been add to the Order since the last meeting he had been to. "Where are the Longbottoms?" James asked.
An un-conformable silence fell over the group.
"Oh Merlin, James," Mrs. Weasley said softly. "Their gone, No not dead, after you d- after you-know-who's down fall they were . . . were tortured to insanity for information on His whereabouts."
Lily clapped a hand to her mouth, turning pale, eyes watering. James moved to but an arm around his wife; her and Alice had been very close.
"Benjy Fenwick?"
"Gone," Sirius replied tonelessly, looking at his plate.
"Edgar Bones? Sturugis Podmore? Caradoc Dearborn? Gideon, Fabian Prewett?" James asked, looking around the table for some sign of affirmation that they were not all gone.
"All of them Prongs." Remus sadly stated.
James slumped in his chair, removing his glasses, rubbing his eyes.
"What about Aberfroth?" James asked eyes still covered.
"He is still with us." Dumbledore said from his end of the table.
James sighed. "Who are the five that are not here?"
"Elphaias Doge, Dedlus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Strugis Podmore, and Hestia Jones." Tonks counted off on her fingers. "Oh, we forgot Mundungus and Arabella Figg. They're all back at headquarters and her home."
James replaced his glasses on his nose and for the first time noticed the new faces at the table, mostly Kingsley who was sitting beside him.
"Kingsley Shacklebolt, head Auror in charge of Sirius's hunt." He rumbled, extending his hand.
James exchanged a quick glance with Sirius who nodded before shaking his hand.
Lily had quickly dried her eyes and too was looking around the table. "Oh my, Bill?" She said, spotting the longhaired Weasley.
Bill smiled. "Yes ma'am."
Lily got up to give him a quick hug. "You were only, what? Two or three when we last saw you!"
"Wild little thing at that." James smiled at the young man. "Hello Bill." He said, shaking his hand.
"Lily, maybe you can convince him to cut his hair and get rid of that fang." Mrs. Weasley said, thinking that she had another ally in the war to cut her oldest son's hair.
"I'll convince him to keep it, not get rid of it. I like it."
Ginny smiled from her seat beside Fred and Lily. "Told you Mum, Give up, if it gets as long as Professor Dumbledore's then he should think about cutting it."
"Miss Weasley, if you would kindly leave me out of this." Dumbledore hid a smile behind his beard, though his half moon glasses did nothing to hide the blue eyes twinkling like wild.
"Do you remember Charlie?" Mr. Weasley indicated his second born son.
"Charlie?" Lily said in surprise.
"It would seem that is my name."
"You've gotten so big!"
Charlie chuckled as they embraced.
"And you forget about me?"
James and Lily turned to study the pink and blue haired witch, who squished up her face and changed into a young schoolgirl with red pigtails.
"Tonks!"
The young Auror giggled as she changed back.
After everyone had caught up, the topics of conversation turned serous:
"Sirius," Kingsley started. "Have you ever been to China?"
Sirius thought a moment. "Not that I recall, why."
"I need a new place to have spotted you. So far you have been various parts of Russia for the past seven months."
Sirius stared at him. "The ministry doesn't know I was dead?"
Kingsley shook his head. "Albus thought that it would be better we wait, for some odd reason that he did not decide to disclose."
There were a few minutes of silence as people occupied themselves with eating and making sure that they at least had first of every thing served.
"Where were you when we were hunting you?" Kingsley suddenly asked.
Sirius smirked, "Secret."
"Come on Black." Moody said after taking a swig from his flask.
"The Forbidden Forrest."
Kingsley, who had just taken a sip of pumpkin juice, choked and ended up in a slight coughing fit.
"What!" Tonks cried out. "But, but, Hogwarts? And Hogsmeade? The whole place was swarmed with Dementors!"
"I hadn't noticed" Sirius remarked sarcastically.
"I don't believe you!" Kingsley had received a few, hard; pats on his back form James and recovered his voice, "You where there the whole year!"
"More then just that year, I left and came back in the beginning of the next school year. I had to get into Hogwarts."
"With out a wand? Your crazy Black." Kingsley wiped away the tears that had leaked out of his eyes when his was laughing.
"I had had things to do, that's all." Sirius shrugged.
"So what are you going to do when school starts again?" McGonagall asked.
Sirius faced turned cold. "Probably go back to number 12."
"Wait, you don't need to hide anymore." James said.
"Yeah, we can swear that we did switch secret keepers. You'll be free Sirius!" Lily proclaimed.
"One thought Lily; you're supposed to be dead. I have a feeling that the Ministry will not accept the word of two dead people." Sirius replied bitterly.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "There is a simple spell that can assure anyone that these two are really the Potters. It will be good enough for the Wizengamot."
"I take it that you the head again?" Sirius assumed.
Dumbledore nodded.
"How exactly are we going to get in to the Ministry? I have the suspicion that they won't let us three." Sirius indicated himself, James and Lily, "Just waltz in."
"I could bring you in at wand point." Kingsley shrugged. "I'm supposed to be the one to catch you so I don't think we would get into to much trouble till I could get you to my office."
Sirius nodded, "Sounds alright. We could go in early so we don't get asked too many questions. Or I don't get on the receiving end of an 'Avada' or two."
"There are three invisibility cloaks between the Order members." Moody growled.
Harry looked up from his plate in surprise.
Moody nodded toward the trio. "You three might as well be honoree members with what you've done."
Hermione blushed and looked at her plate, Ron's ears went red and Harry just nodded.
"As I was saying, we've got three cloaks. You three just slip one on each and follow Kingsley. Simple as that, no need for all this staged nonsense." The retired Auror said taking a sip from his hip flask.
"What do we do from then?" McGonagall asked the headmaster.
"I have to draw up some paper work that states that the Potters really are the Potters. You two will need to sign, and owl it to Fudge. That should take care of that. And re-gain your custody over Harry."
Harry and his parents exchanged wide grins.
"But you know he is going to ask a million questions." Fred said, getting back to the subject of Fudge. "What are you going to tell him? Surly not the real way, imagine that all over the Prophet."
"I was planning on the truth, only a modified version, a fluke, mistake of sorts. Then owl the Minster and tell him that I wish to re-open Sirius's case."
"Open a case, not re-open one. There was never one to re-open." Sirius growled, sounding like the great bear dog he is.
"They. Never. Gave. You. A. Trial?" James barely got out in anger.
Sirius shook his head.
James had his fists clamped shut with the knuckles turning white from the presser. "How soon can we get this done with?" He growled at the headmaster.
"I can have the papers done a soon as tomorrow and we should be able to get to the Ministry on Monday."
James nodded.
"But what are you three going to do?" Remus asked. "Going back to your old jobs?"
James and Sirius nodded.
"Do they still have our cubicles?" Sirius asked Kingsley.
The Auror nodded, smiling. "In the very back, covered in cobwebs, but they are still there. Ironically," He looked at Sirius. "Your cubicle is the one right next to mine, followed by James's."
"What about you Lily?" Mr. Weasley asked.
Lily shrugged. "Probably back to my post at St. Mungo's."
"You worked at St. Mungo's?" Hermione asked with admiration.
"Spell Damage."
"Always the best at charms," McGonagall said.
"So what's Voldemort been up too?" James asked after a few minutes of silence. "After June I mean."
"Children please leave." Molly said, dead calm, warning them not to argue, which of course did not work.
Before the teens could get more then a few words of protest out James spoke up.
"Wait a minute! They have just as much of a right to hear what is going on as you do." James said.
"But their children!"
"They may be children but they have faced him more times then any of us have!" James shot back. "And more then likely will face him again!"
"There not adults James!"
"I am perfectly aware of that fact Molly."
"This is exactly the conversation I had with Sirius a year ago."
"Good! At least someone has the sense to let them know what's going on."
"I still don't think that they should be here for this!"
"Molly, if you make them leave, as soon as this meeting is over I will find the closeted Pensieve and let them see it that way. It's your choice." James sat back with his arms crossed.
Mrs. Weasley looked around the table for support. No one wanted to meet her eyes, except for Dumbledore, who gave her a small shake of his head that signaled that she was fighting a losing battle.
Mrs. Weasley huffed as she sat back, defeated.
"James was the only one who could ever handle Molly after she got started." Remus whispered into Harry's ear.
"This meeting of The Order Of the Phoenix will now begin." Dumbledore said from his standing position at the head of the table.
James was doodling on a piece of parchment that the all Order members had conjured up at the request of Professor McGonagall.
Hermione's quill was flying across her parchment, Harry and Ron's going at a slower pace.
"You listening Potter?" Mad eye growled from his seat.
"Yes." James sighed.
"What have you summarized from all of this?"
"We have only a vague idea of what Voldemort is doing, or what he is planning to do." James had almost regretted asking about Voldemort, thought they were learning a great deal about what the death eaters were up to which gave them some idea to what Voldemort was planning.
"Correction, we also know, is that he is, once again, planning some way to kill me." Harry sighed, "And probably an outlandish one at that."
"We don't know that!" Molly exclaimed who had been unusually quite during the meeting. "Why do you think he is trying to kill you! Are you having-"
Dumbledore cut her off before Mrs. Weasley inquire about Harry have more visions like last year. "It is up to young Mr. Potter if he wishes disclose what he knows to you."
Harry put his head down and closed his eyes, wondering of he should tell them of the prophecy. It's the Order. They might as well know about it. But, Harry could already hear Mrs. Weasley questioning the reliability of the prophecy, and protesting that He's just a boy! It has to be wrong, It can't be for Harry.
James was just about to assure Harry that he did not have not to tell the Order, and that they could function just fine with out the knowledge when Harry raised his head.
In a tried voice Harry, shakily, repeated the prophecy. "The one with the power to vanquish the dark load approaches . . . . Born to those who have thrice defied him, Born as the seventh month dies . . . And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, But he will have powers the dark lord know not . . . An either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. . . . The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the seventh month dies. . . ."
Mrs. Weasley was the first to make a sound, sniffling, she hastily dabbed at her eyes with her napkin, Mr. Weasley putting an arm around her shoulders.
The rest of the Order had turned their gaze towards Harry who stared back. Snape was looking at Harry like he had never seen him before. Harry met his professor's eyes with his cold emerald ones.
Snape was positive that Harry had mastered Occlumency from the gaze.
Then, all at once, questions were flying at Dumbledore:
"Who told you this?"
"It can't be Harry!"
"How did you hear of this Dumbledore!"
"Could it be some one else!"
"He's 16!"
Harry had enough of all of this, quietly slipping away from everyone who was too absorbed in the Headmaster and the lack of answers they were getting from him.
Quickly walking from the Great Hall, towards the main doors of the castle, Harry just had to get away.
Ron and Hermione had seen Harry leave and slipped away too.
"Where do you reckon he went?" Ron questioned Hermione as they walked through the corridors.
"Outside, by the lake most likely."
Ron nodded as the two friends went to find the other member of the golden trio.
Down by lake was a stag under the trio's favorite tree. Hermione and Ron causally approached it, shivering in the cold.
"Storm?" Hermione said softly.
Harry raised his head.
Ron shuffled his feet. "You want to go-"
The stag nodded, standing up and stretching as his friends 'popped'
Taking off at an easy lope they plunged into the forest.
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