Disclaimer: Still don't own anything...not even the title, which is a song by Zao...

The Rising End (The First Prophecy)

Chapter 1

Minerva McGonagall awoke with a start. She kept her eyes closed as an onset of…what could only be described as memories played in front of her eyes. Only they weren't her memories. Yet, they seemed so…familiar. Suddenly, it hit her. Of course! She was one of the re-awoken! Which one was she, though?

She got up slowly, when, all of a sudden, one of the memories in particular stood out. It was a memory of part of the dream; the part where she and Medea had heard the prophecy. So she was Circe. She ran down the stairs to find her niece, Unspeakable Diana McGonagall. Diana had lived with her aunt ever since her parents had been killed, during Voldemort's first reign.

"So it happened to you, too?" Diana asked, eyeing her aunt appraisingly.

"Yes, Medea," Minerva answered, knowing immediately that they were the legendary mother-daughter team. "I wonder who else has been awoken?"

"Well, I would assume that either Morgana or Merlin has been, plus the Founders," Diana said, stating what was clearly the obvious.

"Not that," Minerva said, shooting a glare at her niece…or daughter, depending on how you wanted to look at it. "Who are they here as?"

"I guess only time will tell," Diana trailed off. Suddenly, a bright red phoenix feather appeared in the middle of the room. "Guess we should go, shouldn't we?" Minerva only nodded, and the two apparated off to 12 Grimmauld Place.

Three occupants of 12 Grimmauld Place awoke at the same instant.

Harry was simply glad that he no longer had to share a room as he cried out at the onslaught of memories that played across the back of his eyelids. Suddenly, they stopped. He sat up in bed. So he was Salazar Slytherin…no wonder he had such a hard time convincing the Hat to put him in Gryffindor…

Suddenly, there was a scream. It sounded like…Hermione! Harry jumped up and rushed into her room, again thankful that enough rooms had been cleaned so that she no longer shared with Ginny. If she was who he thought she was, Ginny definitely shouldn't overhear.

In an instant, Hermione's eyes flew open, staring straight into Harry's. "It's actually happened. As much as I hoped it would never come to pass, it's actually happened," she gasped, clearly in shock. "I hoped the Darkness would never rise so much. I guess I should have known it had to happen." She was clearly in shock. Harry couldn't help but hug her. "You realize that when we find Godric, he's going to laugh himself silly, don't you?" she asked. Harry could only chuckle.

"Yeah, I know, both of us having to beg the Sorting Hat to put us in his house instead of our own. Do you think we'll ever live it down?" Hermione could only shake her head.

"What are you two talking about in here?" a suspicious voice asked from the doorway.

"Nothing," Harry said hurriedly, before turning around completely. "Hermione just had a nightmare." When he turned around fully, he realized just who he was talking to. "Oh. It happened to you, too."

"How could you tell?" Bill Weasley asked, moving into the room. He was genuinely curious.

"Your eyes," Harry replied simply. "They're older."

"Jajamenekh," Bill said, holding out his hand in introduction.

"Rowena Ravenclaw," Hermione smiled, shaking his hand.

Bill turned to Harry. "Are you Godric Gryffindor?" Harry just shook his head, fighting not to laugh. "No. Your not. That's just priceless," Bill laughed. Harry put on a hurt look.

"Glad to know it brings you so much enjoyment," he said, doing a very good imitation of having his feelings hurt. After all, Slytherin house wasn't known for being sly and cunning for nothing.

"Sorry," Bill apologized, trying to sound sincere.

"You need acting lessons," Harry smirked, before laughing aloud at the look on Bill's face.

"Just who are the people that are causing the Darkness?" Hermione interrupted.

"Voldemort, obviously," Bill replied. "There must be more, though, otherwise we wouldn't be so spread out."

"Yeah. You were born in 1971, right?" Harry asked Bill. Bill nodded. "That would be about a year before Voldemort started rising in power. So, if we were born in 1980...who rose to power in 1981?" Harry knew the answer, he was simply waiting for Hermione and Bill to figure it out. Hermione got it first.

"Of course! And that would explain all the difficulties! They're in a league together! Now, are there any more?"

"So Cornelius Fudge is Dark?" Bill asked.

"Not only Dark; Evil," Harry confirmed. "There could be more. It depends who the others were reincarnated as."

"What's the difference?" Bill asked. As Jajamanekh, and still as Bill, Dark and Evil were the one and the same as far as he was concerned.

"Dark can use Dark magic, which is only classified because of what it can do if left in the wrong hands. Evil is dark magic in the aforementioned wrong hands," Harry explained. "Actually, all of us," he said, referring to himself, Hermione, and the other two founders. "Could be considered Dark wizards, as we had the knowledge of the Dark magics, and knew how to use them. We weren't evil because we didn't use it for our own gain. Say, for example, Death Eaters were attacking you and all of your family. You knew it was either your or them, and you decided it should be them. In this 'for instance', you not only know what the Killing Curse does, you know how to use it. You start using it on the attacking Death Eaters. Is it still Evil, as it saved you and your family? Or say there is a patient that is on their death bed. They know they're on their death bed, you know they're on their death bed. There's nothing that can be done for them. If you let what is ailing them take it's course, it's going to be long and painful. Do you use the Killing Curse to put them out of their misery? After all, it's quick and painless."

"I guess you have a point," Bill conceded reluctantly. Suddenly, a bright phoenix feather appeared. "Oh great. An Order meeting," Bill groaned.

"Maybe the rest of the ancients will be there," Hermione suggested. "That feels weird. Referring to myself as an ancient, when I'm one of the youngest. Anyway, Medea, Circe, and Morgana are your best bet. I doubt Godric or Helga will be there; they're most likely our age. I'd bet about anything that Merlin is the one inc control, as that part only appeared in that version of the prophecy, and he had to explain it to Morgana." Bill nodded, somewhat absently, before leaving the room.

He walked the distance between the third floor bedrooms to the kitchens very preoccupied. He didn't notice when Minerva and Diana McGonagall apparated in, practically on top of him, or when the Hogwarts group, consisting of Snape, Pomfrey, Sinistra, Flitwick, and Vector, flooed in to the kitchen. He did notice, however, when Dumbledore flooed in and immediately began the meeting.

"It has come to my attention that a prophecy is being fulfilled as we speak. Some of the most feared and revered wizards and witches are being reborn as Voldemort's followers. We must stand together in these increasingly dark times."

"Is there none that are on our side, or could be persuaded?" a voice called. It appeared to be Diana, an Unspeakable who Bill knew only vaguely from his time at Hogwarts. She had been in his year, only in Ravenclaw.

"I'm afraid not. This prophecy was quite specific. We do have a fairly good idea of what we're up against, however, as it was only made to a restricted number of people. One of them took the liberty of writing it down, which is what gives us the knowledge of it today," Dumbledore replied sadly. At least, he seemed sad.

Bill fought to hide his disgust at such an obvious lie as there not being any light to balance out the dark. Honestly. He didn't notice others doing the same. Suddenly it hit him. What if Dumbledore was another the prophecy had spoken about? He glanced around the room to see if any members who had been born the year before Dumbledore had defeated Grindlewald, resulting in his jump in popularity, looked any different. None did. He continued his perusal of the room. The first he spotted that looked different was Diana. She seemed to sense his gaze, for she looked up. After examining him for a moment, she gave a small smile, and briefly nodded her head towards her aunt. Bill examined his old Head of House closely, and confirmed that she, too, had been one spoken of in the prophecy.

'Hmm,' Bill thought to himself. 'She was born in 1933. The year before Dumbledore started teaching, as well as the year before Grindlewald started his climb for power. Yes, that would fit.' Bill glanced around the room once more, looking for any others McGonagall's age. His eyes landed on Poppy Pomfrey. She, like Diana, appeared to feel his gaze on her, and looked up. She, like Diana, smiled once she figured out he knew. HE inclined his head towards the spot where the McGonagalls sat. She nodded slightly.

"I strongly caution you all," Dumbledore said, clearly adjourning the meeting. The meaning was made even more clear when he strode to the fireplace and flooed out.

"I do believe we need to speak for a moment," Diana said as the four gathered together. Bill nodded, and motioned to them to follow him.

As they climbed to the third floor bedrooms, the sounds of friendly bantering reached their ears.

"Remind me again, 'Wen, just why we are playing this?" an amused voice said from behind a closed door.

"Because, Sal, I enjoy beating you," another responded. "Checkmate."

"Knock, knock," Bill called through the door.

"Come in," two voices called in unison.

"I have indeed found three more," Bill said as he settled down.

"You would be Circe," Harry said, motioning to Professor McGonagall.

"And you would be Morgan Le Fay, also known as Morgana," Hermione said to Madame Pomfrey.

"Which would make you Medea," they concluded together, glancing at Diana.

"How did you figure that one out?" Bill asked, amused.

"It was quite easy," Hermione started. "After all, Circe was known for Transfiguration, Morgana for healing, and that only left Medea. While we don't know Diana well enough to draw any definite conclusions, you could relate the secrecy of living on a practically deserted island, where no one knows what you get up to, to that of a life of an Unspeakable, where, again, no one really knows for sure just what you do."

"That's also how we've reached a conclusion on who Godric and Helga must be. At least one characteristic has carried over. For you three, it was what Hermione said. For Bill, it was the love of Egypt. For Hermione, it was the thirst for knowledge. For me, it was Parseltongue. If we're right for Helga, it's her sense of justice, and for Godric, that blasted, all-knowing smirk," Harry said.

"Who are they?" McGonagall asked curiously, knowing quite a few who could possibly fit the description.

"Well, we obviously don't know for certain," Hermione said. "Helga, if we're right, is kinda obvious, and would be the only one to end up in her own house. Godric, however,… That could take some getting used to."

"Who do you think it is?" McGonagall pressed. She attempted to use Legilimency, another thing Circe and Medea had been famous for, but Hermione interrupted.

"Professor, you may have perfected the art of Legilimency, and in turn Occlumency, but we perfected Occlumency without knowing Legilimency first."

"Ironic, isn't it," Harry smirked. "Not only is Gryffindor's Golden Boy actually Salazar Slytherin himself, which is already enough to give Snape a heart attack, but knowing that the very same person was one of the people who helped to perfect Occlumency. It would put him in an early grave."

"I think that Dumbledore is another Dark power," Bill said, growing tired of the chitchat.

Harry and Hermione were shocked into silence for a moment. Bill was quite proud of himself, fully suspecting this would be the last time anything like that would happen in a while.

"That would make sense," Hermione said. "You two were born the year before he started teaching, which was the year Grindelwald rose."

"Think how much power he has at his disposal," Harry added. "You would be hard pressed not to use it for your own gain. As revered as he is, everyone would turn a blind eye to his faults. The pedestal they've built for him is so high, he might as well be the Almighty himself in their eyes."

"We should be going," Pomfrey said, glancing at her watch. "You three have a reason for being in here. We don't. Keep us posted if you find the other two."

"We will," Hermione said. They said their good-byes before Minerva and Diana disapparated and Madame Pomfrey headed back downstairs to floo back to Hogwarts.

"When do you think that the best time to confront the other two will be?" Bill asked.

"As soon as possible. But unless one is brought here for a meeting or the other for questioning, the chances of us running into them are slim," Harry sighed. He rose. "I'm going back to my room before anyone can get suspicious." Bill and Hermione nodded as Harry left, and after a few more moments of discussion, Bill followed Harry's example. They must have all been much better actors than they gave themselves credit for. When Ginny woke up, and went to find Hermione, Ginny had no clue that her friend had changed. When Mrs. Weasley bustled up the stairs to wake Harry and Ron, Harry didn't let on that he was much different from the person he had been the last time she had seen him. When Ron was sent back up the stairs a half an hour later to wake his older brother, Bill never let on that he wasn't the same person Ron had known his entire life.

Author's Note: Well, how did you like the prologue and first chapter? I'd be more than happy to hear about it in a review! hint hint