Author's Note: This is, possibly, the most random chapter yet. But what did you expect? Hang in there, this is the last prelude.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. If you ever thought that it did... I fear for you.
Prelude 3: The Prophecy Fulfilled
In a galaxy far, far away, there lived three great friends, two of which were brothers. Nobody could imagine that Neither, Either, and Other would argue.
Nobody was the only one who thought this, however, as he turned out to be right. One fine morning, the group reached a Parting of the Ways.
They had started a joint prison for evildoers in their community, and had developed the tradition of sorting the inmates into one of three houses. An argument soon rose up between Neither and Either over whom to admit. Either only wanted to allow murderers, but Neither was convinced that felons were just as worthy.
Other sided with his older brother Neither, and soon a fight erupted between Other and Either. The two, who had once been best friends, were now engaged in a duel to the death. Grabbing a gun, Other shot Either, who promptly died.
Neither was not very grateful toward his younger brother. However, it was unknown to him that his life rested heavily on the fate of his sibling. In accordance to prophecy, Neither could only live while his brother, Other, also was alive. Had Other died in the duel, Neither would have joined him quickly. From that day onward, Other insisted that everybody else must call him the Other, as a mark of respect.
Unknown to all parties involved was that their actions had just fulfilled a part of a prophecy that had been made years before by one Sybil Trelawney in another galaxy. This prophecy had been misinterpreted, as great prophecies have a tendency to be.
A man with a beard too long for his own good had been led to believe that the hope of his world rested on the shoulders of a bratty kid, an idea that was, of course, ludicrous. In fact, the most important part of the prophecy did not even apply to the Milky Way galaxy, which just went to show that the wizarding world had developed an overblown sense of their own importance.
The prophecy had been, in fact, startlingly clear, foretelling that:
"...AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES..."
All of which, of course, proved correct.
Unfortunately for one Albus Dumbledore, the happenings in this far away galaxy had little, if anything, to do with his own immediate problems. He might, however, been comforted to hear that it did come true after all. And, if Dumbledore wasn't pleased to know the eventual outcome of the prophecy, millions of Potter fans would sleep more soundly in their beds, knowing that the prophecy had not become just the next in a long line of forgotten events.
Back on dear old Earth, happenings were happening.
