"If that's some kind of joke Harry, it isn't at all funny."
Harry gazed at Hermione with a sombre expression. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Ron blinked in bewilderment. "What do you mean, you can't defeat Voldemort alone?" he asked, faintly.
Harry ran his hands through his already messy hair. He looked as if he'd been dragged backwards through the Forbidden Forest by Grawp. "Voldemort's power is immense," he began.
"Tell us something we don't know," Ron muttered.
"Hush!" Hermione hissed.
Harry continued, regardless of the interruption. "Only a wizard of equal, or indeed greater, power can kill him."
"And he marked you as that wizard," Hermione broke in. "The prophecy confirmed that." She frowned. "How could it have been wrong? I don't understand."
"That's got to be a first," Ron quipped, his sarcasm coming back quicker than his colour.
Hermione kicked him with her foot, but not too hard. She knew this was just his way of dealing with it.
Harry hesitated, trying to find a simpler way of explaining. He decided to recount what Dumbledore had told him the night before.
Harry stared in disbelief at Dumbledore. Had he heard him right?
He shifted uncomfortably, trying to ignore the oppressive presence of Snape behind him. He could almost feel the Potions teacher's eyes on his back, burning into him. It made his skin crawl.
Next to Snape stood Cornelius Fudge. Now what's he here for? Harry wondered.
"What do you mean, Professor? Are you saying that everything you've told me – all that stuff about how one day I have to kill Voldemort – is a lie?"
"Not a lie, no."
"Then what?"
"I'm afraid I haven't been entirely open with you, Mr Potter," Dumbledore began.
Harry knew he should have seen this coming. "What, again Professor?"
He was thoroughly fed up of Dumbledore's secrets by now.
Dumbledore gave him a contrite smile. "I only have your best interests at heart. As I have told you before, if I keep something from you it is because you aren't ready to know." He began to pace slowly. "Unfortunately, as you have just heard, my hand has been forced in this matter."
Harry was still awaiting an answer to his initial question. "What do you mean, Professor?" he asked again. "Why can't I defeat Voldemort?"
"You can't defeat him alone," Dumbledore corrected.
Harry was becoming more confused the more Dumbledore tried to explain.
"You are already aware that Voldemort accidentally transferred some of his powers to you as a result of his failed attempt to kill you when you were a baby."
Harry remembered the conversation he and Dumbledore had shared in his 2nd year at Hogwarts, shortly after his defeat of Tom Riddle and the basilisk. He nodded.
"When a witch or wizard casts Avada Kedavra they pour much of their power into it. With repeated use over a short period of time, it depletes energy, requiring greater power each time. Immediately prior to his attack on you-" Dumbledore glanced at Harry. "-Voldemort had to defeat two of the strongest Aurors there has ever been."
Harry swallowed the lump in his throat that formed at the mention of his parents.
"His doubtless exhaustion, combined with the protection your mother blessed you with, is the reason you live now."
Harry knew all this. Why was Dumbledore going over it all again? Dragging up such painful memories…
"For a brief moment, when Avada Kedavra strikes the victim it creates a link back to the caster. Powers are inevitably transferred to the victim, but as their death is always guaranteed, it isn't considered a problem. You were the exception to that rule."
"With respect, Professor, this is basic knowledge of magic. Everyone knows this. What is the relevance to me not being able to kill Voldemort?"
"Professor Dumbledore is just about to explain that, aren't you Albus?" Cornelius Fudge sounded almost as impatient as Harry.
Dumbledore smiled sedately at him. "Indeed, Cornelius, indeed."
He turned to Harry. "To put it simply, you have some of Voldemort's powers in you. You will inevitably draw upon them when you cast Avada Kedavra. But, because they are Voldemort's powers, he has a natural defence against them. It will take immense concentration and strength of mind to overcome those defences, something which will leave you completely vulnerable to Voldemort's magic."
He paused. "That, alone, would cause enough problems."
Harry frowned. "There's more?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. Likewise, Voldemort has a part of you in him. Your blood runs through his veins as a result of his resurrection ceremony two years ago. Albeit a tiny amount, and whilst it offers him no further protection from your spells, the moment the link between your Avada Kedavra spell and Voldemort himself is established, he will have a certain amount of control over your mind, enough to influence your actions if not more. Therefore, facing him alone would be suicidal.
He gave Harry a minute or two to digest all this before continuing.
"Last year, I showed you my memory of the prophecy Sybill Trelawny made. However, there was a portion of the prophecy that I didn't show you. You would have seen it when the time came. Unfortunately, that time has arrived sooner than we anticipated."
He nodded to Snape, who took the Pensieve from its cabinet and placed it on Dumbledore's desk.
Dumbledore peered at Harry. "This is the ending of your prophecy." He tapped his wand to his temple, withdrawing the silky threads of his memory, and then stirred it into the water.
Harry leaned over and looked in. There was the revolving shape of Sybill Trelawny, draped in shawls as before, eyes bulging behind her thick glasses. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke.
'To defeat this most challenging of foes, he must utilise the powers of an equal, one tainted with the blood of his black magic ancestry, a bearer of the mark of the Dark Lord himself…'
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron frowned.
Harry shrugged. "Dumbledore said I would understand when I needed to."
"You think he knows?"
"I'm sure he does."
Hermione's eyes had glazed over. "Snape…" she whispered.
Harry looked at her sharply. "Are you seriously suggesting I may need Snape's help to defeat Voldemort?" he asked, incredulously.
Even Ron managed a deprecating snort.
Hermione glared at them both in exasperation. "I don't know! But he does fit the description, doesn't he? A black wizard... a former Death Eater who has the Dark Mark on his arm..."
Harry had to admit that she had a point. Not least of all because…
"Funny you should say that," he told her. "Snape is going to be teaching me extra Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons in my spare time."
"You're kidding!" Ron exclaimed. "After what happened with the Occlumency lessons?"
"I don't have much choice," Harry said. "Time's running out now, faster than it ever was before. If I don't have these extra lessons, I might not be prepared."
Ron and Hermione both studied him, Ron's face unreadable, Hermione's open sadness.
"That's not all. Last night I went with Dumbledore and Snape to Grimmauld Place. That's where Snape will teach me," he explained. "But that's not the only reason I'll be spending time there. Tonks and Moody are going to train me to become an Auror as quickly as possible."
Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"Dumbledore says I need to know as much as I can grasp in a short space of time. It's going to be something of a crash course. But the Ministry of Magic have approved it, given the circumstances. They want me to have passed my NEWTs and my Auror character and aptitude tests at the Ministry by the end of term."
"So… you won't be in school for the rest of term?" Ron looked downcast.
"Of course I will. Weren't you listening? Everything has to carry on as normal. We can't risk doing anything that would make Voldemort's Death Eaters suspect that we know what they're up to. If we did, it may cause Voldemort to act sooner. Didn't I just tell you that? I'll be doing all this extra studying in my spare time."
"How in Merlin's name do they expect you to do all that? You'll never fit it all in!" Hermione was appalled. "How can you possibly kill Voldemort if you're to tired tokeep your eyes open to see him!"
Harry couldn't help a small smile. Ron, however had something else on his mind.
"If you pass your NEWTs a year early, what will you do next year?"
Harry answered Hermione first. "Remember your Time Turner?"
"Oh…"
"So, I can be everywhere at once and no one will be any the wiser." Harry looked at Ron. "As for next year, if all goes as planned-"
Ron looked uncomfortable at that, and Hermione whispered, "It will."
"-if all goes as planned," Harry continued, "I won't be coming back. I'll start work for the Ministry in the summer."
Hermione picked at a blade of grass.
A couple of first years ran past not far away, chasing one of the wriggling carrots she'd seen Hagrid carrying before. Hagrid wasn't far behind, huffing and puffing. He raised a hand in their direction.
Hermione, Ron and Harry all waved back.
Everything seemed so normal.
A thought occurred to Hermione. "What about last night? It's all over the school how you just vanished and didn't resurface until this morning. Won't that attract suspicion?"
"That couldn't be helped. Everything happened so fast from the moment Snape told Dumbledore what Voldemort's planning." Harry shrugged. "I think Snape's handling it. He's going to let slip to the Slytherins that I had to go to St Mungo's to have a miscast Impediment Jinx lifted."
"Will they believe it?" Hermione asked, doubtfully. It didn't sound all that plausible to her.
"Coming from Snape they should…"
Lunch was almost over when the three friends made their way back into the school.
They wound their way through the crowd spilling out of the Great Hall, bumping into Dean and Seamus.
The two were still holding hands, and there wasn't any sign of the spell wearing off yet.
But neither seemed to mind. They had turned the whole thing into a huge joke, telling everyone it would be invitations to their wedding they'd be receiving next.
Seamus even joked to Hermione how he'd make a far prettier bride than she would.
She chose to ignore that, although the temptation to actually bewitch Seamus's robes into a delicate peach wedding dress, complete with sheer veil and pretty flowers in his hair was almost too great.
She felt much better later when she heard from Neville how Seamus and Dean's predicament had led to an interesting little scene in the boys' bathroom.
As the trio approached the stairs, Crabbe and Goyle stepped out in front of them, blocking their way.
Hermione looked around. "Ok, so we've got the two parasites, where's the monkey they cling to?"
Right on cue, Draco Malfoy spoke up from behind them. "H-H-Hey P-P-P-Potter. Heard y-y-y-you had a little a-a-a-accident y-y-y-yesterday."
Snape had obviously done his job.
People that were close enough to hear, mainly Slytherins, all sniggered.
"Oh, here he is." Hermione turned to face Malfoy. He, however, was looking at Ron.
"You really are a disgrace to pureblood wizards, Weasley. You can't even cast a simple Impediment Jinx!"
Ron's jaw dropped indignantly. Hermione grabbed him before he could put his foot in it.
She shoved him and Harry through Crabbe and Goyle, who obligingly stepped aside.
"He was messing around!" Hermione hissed at Malfoy, trying to cover up any slip. "An accent on the wrong word, that was all. Anyone could have done it."
She made to follow Ron and Harry but Crabbe and Goyle blocked her way again.
She glared at them. They glared back.
Then she froze. Malfoy was right behind her.
His hands grabbed her wrists, holding them firmly behind her back. His lips brushed her ear very gently as he leaned around and whispered, "I know what you're up to Granger."
Her heart thumped wildly. Surely he couldn't mean…?
"That little display of 'affection' earlier," he continued. "Not very wise of you. Some advice… Never play the master at his own game."
Hermione breathed a silent sigh of relief. For a moment she thought he'd somehow found out about the whole Voldemort situation. Harry had gone a strange shade of grey, obviously thinking the same.
She shook her head at Ron, who looked set to tear Malfoy apart.
Once again, she and Malfoy were the centre of attention.
She tilted her chin to the right. Their lips were little more than an inch apart. "Don't fool yourself Malfoy." Her voice remained low and steady, despite his grip on her wrists tightening painfully. "The only thing you're master of are those two goons."
He scowled. "If you think-"
"Mr Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall's sharp voice carried over the murmurs of the gathering students as they watched the unfolding scene.
He didn't let go immediately. "You'll get yours, Mudblood," he warned, ominously. Then he released her, pushing her away from him as he did. Harry caught her.
Ron pointed a finger at Malfoy. "You leave her alone."
Malfoy laughed. "What's this Weasley? Surely you don't fancy your chances with her?"
McGonagall was approaching fast. Harry pulled Ron away. "Come on, let's get to class."
"Wait there, Miss Granger!" McGonagall called. She raised her voice, pointing out that anyone still here and not on their way to class risked losing their house 10 points each.
Everyone began to file away, talking in quiet voices and looking at Hermione and Malfoy with interest.
"That goes for you too, Messrs Crabbe and Goyle. I'm sure Mr Malfoy will be quite alright without you for a moment."
Crabbe and Goyle reluctantly followed Harry and Ron up the marble staircase and out of sight.
"Well...Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy. I've heard quite a lot about the two of you over the last few days."
Malfoy lounged against the banister. Hermione pointedly looked in the opposite direction.
Neither said a word.
McGonagall perused them for a moment. When it was clear she wasn't going to get a reply she pursed her lips.
"I must say that I'm very glad to see you getting along so excellently. It will be to your advantage."
Hermione frowned at her. "In what way, Professor?"
"Because, Miss Granger, you and Mr Malfoy have been chosen to represent your houses on the organisational committee for the Winter Ball…"