Chapter Three
Discovering Destiny

Of course they had accepted the quest. After being friends with Harry for all those years, and after everything he'd done for them, how could they not accept?

"Of course we'll do it! Harry needs us, even if he has to have the Final Duel with, with, with, Voldemort." It was the first time Ron had ever used Voldemort's name. Ginny began to wonder what Harry would say, but it hurt too much. She didn't know if she would ever see him again. But she was confident he would destroy Lord Voldemort.

"Very well. The Minister and I have devised a plan. You three shall tell all the other D.A. members as soon as I've finished telling you, and Remus, you shall inform the Order of our new directives.

"Harry is going off to find any information he can about the whereabouts of Lord Voldemort, and as you know, he will attack with a special magic-" Dumbledore was cut off.

"Excuse me, Professor? Can you tell us what this magic is?" Hermione questioned with a worried look on her face.

"Miss Granger, that is completely up to Harry to tell you, as I'm sure he will when he has returned from defeating Voldemort, but I can assure you, it is not illegal. As I have said, he will attack with that magic. The Order will provide him with all the information we can about anything that may help. We will also be tracking down the Death Eaters so Harry will have a hopefully uninterrupted journey.

"As for the D.A., many of you are not of age, so we cannot permit you to join the Order, though you can assist in any way possible. Those of you who are of age: It was my direct request that you stay with the D.A. and assist the underage members. You will search the wizarding world for anyone or anything with any information. Then you will report everything that you saw, or didn't see, to a member of the Order each day. If you shall decide not to follow these directions, you will be removed from the quest in an instant. No matter where you are, you will look around for any sight that seems out of place. You will search every house, shop, bar and question every person you meet; even Muggles. I assume my brother Aberforth is still working at the Hog's Head, and he may be of great assistance, also."

They looked at each other with firm expressions, and then they all nodded toward Dumbledore.

"Hermione, Ron: gather the other D.A. members and tell them what I just told you. As today is the last day of term, the parents of the D.A. members will be expecting their children home tomorrow. Remus: tell Professors McGonagall, Hagrid, and Flitwick to send an owl to each and every parent of the D.A. members and explain to them what their quest is. After that, go to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place where you will find Minister Krum and the Weasleys awaiting my return. Tell them I will be there within the hour. Ms. Weasley: I would like to speak with you alone. Off you go!" Dumbledore commanded and Lupin, Ron, and Hermione left to go do the errands.

Ginny sat down on the dusty chair near the entrance to the room. Dumbledore stood, apparently thinking, for a few seconds.

"Ms. Weasley, I have a special mission for you. Although you have not yet turned seventeen, I will be teaching you how to apparate, for it is essential to your individual mission. I also believe that you have magical skills beyond many in your year, and because of that, I have decided to let you travel alone, searching for Harry. You must aide him. Only you, and apparently it is time. I also must confide in you that I am afraid he is not yet ready for this. He thinks he is, and I know it must happen now, but I am afraid, still. Harry can be a bit stubborn when it comes to something he's passionate about. I'm not accusing him," Dumbledore added quickly after noticing the piercing look on Ginny's face, "but it can lead him to trouble. I have made a mistake with Harry, and also with one other student in Hogwarts: you. I have cared too much for both of your feelings than to tell you the truth. Harry left before he could hear this: Harry already knows that The Half Blood Prince is the only one able to aide Voldemort in the Final Duel, but there is also one person who can help Harry. Can you make a guess as to who that is?" Dumbledore turned away from Ginny's face and summoned Fawkes, his magnificent phoenix.

"Professor, do you mean me?" Ginny breathed in an exasperated tone.

Dumbledore just gazed on her with his twinkling eyes and began to stroke the scarlet feathers of his phoenix, which just appeared in the room in a burst of flames.

"Yes, Ginevra Molly Weasley, I absolutely mean you. I have witnessed many prophecies in my old age; the one about Harry and Voldemort being one you know about. But another one, almost as important, is about you. As I was leaving the Hog's Head after hearing the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort, a certain former Professor appeared behind me and it seemed as though he hadn't eaten or slept in a few days. I knew him to be a Death Eater, but I could see he wasn't armed with his wand so I stopped and asked him what was wrong. He spoke in a voice I immediately recognized; he was making a prophecy. Imagine that: two prophecies in one night! This prophecy was closely related to the one I had witnessed a few moments before. But this one, mentioned you."

Dumbledore stopped momentarily and signaled to Fawkes who disappeared in a burst of flames, leaving behind a single golden tail feather, which Dumbledore picked up and placed inside his robes. In an instant, Fawkes returned, supporting a stone basin, which appeared very heavy, on his tail.

"Ginevra, I do not know if you recognize this object. It is called a Pensieve. It is used to hold memories that I simply cannot hold in my brain all the time. It also allows myself, or others, to view my thoughts placed in this basin at any given time. If you would please peer into the bowl, you will understand what I am talking about."

Ginny stood up and walked toward Dumbledore and Fawkes warily. She examined the silvery substance within the bowl and looked up at Dumbledore's face. He nodded gently, and she suddenly noticed that he looked quite apprehensive. Lowering her face down towards the contents of the basin and the tip of her nose touching the silvery liquid, she felt as if she were flying in a downward spiral.

She hit the ground hard, but stood up quickly. She recognized the place; she was in Hogsmeade. (Outside of the Hog's Head to be exact.) She turned around a few times, but she became dizzy. Just then, a man of about twenty with greasy black hair and a hooked nose appeared from the bushes and approached the Hog's Head.

"Snape!" Ginny exclaimed and withdrew her wand. Then she remembered she was in Dumbledore's memory, and Snape, presumably, didn't even know she was there.

Snape staggered towards the door to the bar, but before he could open it, Dumbledore emerged from it. Dumbledore still had his long silvery hair and crooked nose, but his face seemed younger.

Ginny edged up closer to the pair so she could hear what was going to happen.

"Severus, I can see you are unarmed. Has the Dark Lord banished you or have you come here on your own accord?" the younger Dumbledore asked.

Snape didn't say anything for a few moments. But when he finally did, it was in a harsh, raspy voice Ginny knew not to be his own.

"The next descendent of Godric Gryffindor to be born to the witch with his eyes shall be the one who attempts the downfall of the last remaining heir of Salazar Slytherin. They shall complete the battle between good and evil and they alone will decide which force is greater. There are two people, and two alone, who can assist them in this Final Duel. The Half Blood Prince shall return to his master. The next female born into the pure blood family of wizards with hair the color of the feathers of a phoenix will aide the good. They alone can help, and they alone will be matched in power. The Half Blood Prince and the girl with the hair of the phoenix can aide the duelists."

Snape finished and fell to the ground. Dumbledore uttered, "Locomotor Mortis," and Snape was raised in the air parallel with the tip of Dumbledore's wand. Dumbledore walked steadily down the street, with Ginny at his heels.

"Ginevra, I think you've seen enough. We must return."