Chapter 6 here… Umm, just read on…
Title: The Future is Waiting
Chapter 6: Rumor and Reason
The next time Harry saw Rose was after lunch, at an orientation about the grading system at Bridgework. All the sixth years were there and, to Harry's discomfort, the seventh years as well, including Cho.
Rose led the seventh years into the room where the sixth years were waiting; it was a room much like the one they had in History of Magic back at Hogwarts, though less boring. The sixth years were seated at the left side, and Rose gestured the seventh years to sit at the right. Harry watched around the room, sitting in front between Ron and Hermione.
When Rose had finished ushering the seventh years into their seats, she sat among the other Student Heads who were in front, just across the aisle.
"Settle down, settle down," a woman's voice echoed around the room.
If it had not sounded like a woman, Harry would have thought it was Dumbledore that had spoken. The chatter that was buzzing around slowly died down, and the person that had spoken swept down the aisle.
"I am Professor Zelda Eugene," she said in the same voice.
She looked intently around the room, and landed her eyes on Harry. She smiled at him kindly, and Harry had no choice but to smile back. Looking at her closely, Harry thought she looked like a smaller version of Madame Maxime. She took her eyes off Harry and turned them upon the whole of the room and spoke once more.
"I am the headmistress of Bridgework Academy of Eastern Magic. Now, do not get me wrong. I am very pleased to have visitors in this school, very interesting indeed," she said gracefully. "However, even if I want my visitors to have an exceptionally pleasurable time here, I am still a teacher. Your instructors back at Hogwarts have told me that you will receive the same education here as you would have obtained were you located there. Only, the Bridgework grading system will be followed since it is our teachers who will be meeting you."
Low murmurs began at her words again.
"Now, honestly, do you want to know about the educational and grading systems here in Bridgework? Please raise your hands if you don't. There's no need to be shy. No harm will be done."
She spoke with a smile on her face, so the Hogwarts students took it as a guarantee that it was all right to speak their minds. Almost everybody raised their hands, including Harry. Professor Eugene gave a soft laugh.
"As expected… Well then, there is no need for this meeting at all!" she smiled good-naturedly again. "I shall pride myself in having saved my guests from a rather boring assembly, shall not I?" she said.
The Student Heads rose as one, and started scattering around the room, preparing to lead the students out of the room.
"Miss Ashworth, could I have a word please," Professor Eugene said quietly, so that only the people in front were able to hear. Rose was already in front of the aisle, but she turned back and sat down again.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were already filing out of their desk when Professor Eugene spoke once more.
"Mr. Potter, perhaps you could remain? Just for a minute," she said.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked blankly back at him, but Hermione mouthed a silent "Go!" at him. He turned and faced Professor Eugene who was staring at him intently again. He sat down on the edge of the desk where he sat earlier. Professor Eugene waited for all of the students to walk out of the room before she spoke again.
"Perhaps a little company would not hurt?" she said. Harry did not understand what she meant, but the classroom door creaked open and in came Professor McGonagall.
Even with Professor McGonagall's arrival, Harry did not have the slightest inkling what this was supposed to be about. He chanced a glance at Rose, who seemed to be wondering along the same lines too. But unlike Harry, she was not staring all around the room or glancing up and down the teachers. She was just sitting quietly, head bowed, and occasionally looking at Professors Eugene and McGonagall.
When McGonagall had finally walked the length of the aisle and had settled herself in a high-back wooden chair that she had conjured with her wand, Eugene spoke again.
"Minerva, do you know where Severus is?" Eugene asked.
"He said he would just be following me here. I think he is busy at the moment, Zelda, though I am sure he would not let a visit here pass," McGonagall replied, glancing sideways at Rose, who had risen her head to look at McGonagall too.
"Now, I'm not sure if you are wondering why we summoned the both of you here," Eugene spoke again. "As I'm sure that you've heard about each others' stories."
Harry looked sideways at Rose. She was looking back.
"With all due respect, Professor. If this is about all that we've talked about a week ago, I'm afraid I will only be as spirited as I was then," Rose said, turning back to Professor Eugene. Harry found a little emotion in her voice now, unlike when she spoke earlier that day in the sixth years' common room. However, her voice seemed to be filled with fear and, weird as it seems, she seemed to be on the verge of tears as well.
"Ashworth, we have indeed talked about this and I have told you that even if we are not sure, the best thing to do is to try," Eugene said in a calm tone. Harry did not understand any of this. He was just about to turn to McGonagall and ask her when she spoke.
"Zelda, perhaps I should tell Potter about this before we start discussing things, shouldn't I?" said McGonagall.
"Yes, of course."
"Well then, Potter. Listen to me carefully. You have heard, of course, that Ashworth here, like you, had survived You-Know-Who?" McGonagall said, eyeing Harry. Harry nodded. "You have heard that you are rumored to be destined to defeat You-Know-Who together?" she said. Harry, this time, shook his head. "You have not?" she asked sharply, as though she did not believe him.
"No, Professor," he spoke, though his mouth had gone dry.
"Very well… I will explain…" McGonagall said with a sigh. Eugene sat behind her desk in front of the room. "Potter, you both survived You-Know-Who. However, even before Ashworth was born, a controversial prophecy was made about the Ashworths, and most probably, about her. Now, a very few people know what that prophecy was all about, owing to the fact that the prophecy was lost. Naturally, people hypothesized about it.
"Based upon some quite reliable evidence, one of the hypotheses states that the prophecy contains how one Ashworth will come to defeat You-Know-Who. It recites that a survivor from the Ashworths will meet another survivor and together, they will defeat You-Know-Who.
"You get the gist, don't you, Potter?" McGonagall finished in a rather irritable manner. "You know that there's no other survivor that Ashworth could meet but you?" Harry nodded nervously.
He was starting to feel nervous, but also ridiculous. If he was getting things right, McGonagall and Eugene were trying, probably on the Order's plan, to act based on a theory.
"Now, we have to work out, one way or another, how you two can defeat the Dark Lord," Professor Eugene said.
"But – No offense but – You're saying that… All this is based on only a rumor?" Harry said, rather lost.
"If I may speak, Professors," Rose said quietly. McGonagall nodded and Eugene smiled. "I have said it once, and my opinion will never waver. Just as – he had said, you are telling us to act on a rumor, an unbased guess," Rose said in the same quietly fearful voice.
"Ashworth… It is not at all unbased! You know very well – "
"I do not intend to be dramatic, but I can say that life has been hard for me. And if my guess is correct, the same goes for him – Potter, I mean. And finding out about this – theory – certainly does not make it any lighter," Ashworth said more quietly. It seemed as though she was fighting to keep her voice straight.
"There you are. Then, you've finally spoken your mind! You would not tell me why you opposed to this idea," Eugene said, ignoring Rose's now watery eyes.
Just then, the door of the classroom swung open once more. Snape swept inside quickly, much to Harry's dismay. His eyes landed momentarily on Harry. When he reached the front of the room where McGonagall sat, Rose stood from her desk and hugged him. Snape patted her back consolingly. Harry stared, bewildered. Snape turned his eyes on Harry once more and looked at him threateningly.
"I think today's talk is enough, Zelda, Minerva," Snape said, shifting his eyes from Harry to the two teachers. Rose straightened up and was staring at the floor.
"Very well," Professor Eugene said, getting up from behind her desk. "Mr. Potter, Miss Ashworth, please proceed to your next class. Your next teacher shall know why you two were delayed, do not worry."
"Off you go then, Potter," McGonagall snapped.
"I'll see you later," Snape said to Rose, who was picking up her bag from under her seat.
"And, Ashworth, do show Potter where your next class is," McGonagall said just when both Rose and Harry reached the door.