Harry Potter and the Scars of Time
By: Krystal Lily Potter
Chapter Twenty Two: The Prophecy
Rating: AA (which means, around here, 14 and up)
Couples: HP/HG, KB/RW plus a little mentions of a few others...
Summary: Harry's last year at Hogwarts has finally come but that doesn't mean things will be any easier for him. After last year's horrifying events the school things that nothing worse could happen. They were all wrong. The prophecy resurfaces and is dangling in front of Harry, held up by the pain from the past, quite literally. As the world is slowly being morphed outside of the safety of Hogwarts the people inside it are finding out that they cannot hide for much longer and that time is as much their best friend now as it is their worst enemy. What is a person supposed to do when they know they have to face the most evil wizard in history and if they're killed then the rest of the world, magic and muggle is doomed?
Warning: More violence then last time. There are mentions of suicide, murder, rape, and sex (I don't go into details with that). There will also be fighting, cursing (and I don't mean spells) and gory stuff. For now the rating stays AA/PG-13 but later, towards the end, it might go up to R.
Heed this warning if you don't like death: there will be A LOT more deaths of characters you recognise from JKRs books and some original ones. If you thought I was cruel and brutal in the prequel to this then I don't know what you're going to think of me after reading this story.
Sequel to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Well I decided I might as well tell you all…this story is actually shorter then Half Blood Prince by one chapter. So that means there's 31 chapters in this fic (and to think, it was at 48 when I first made the outline while I was still writing HBP). And one thing no one seemed to takes seriously when I said it a million years ago…I do lie about some of the things I tell you about the story…take that as you will but I'm not telling you what it means in terms of what's happening in these last 10 chapters.
REMEMBER everything aside from Author's notes that is in italics is either flashbacks or dreams
"The strongest one isn't the one who started the fight but the one who ends it."
Harry sat in Transfiguration reading through his book. His mind, for once, was completely on his work. Beside him Ron gave a loud yawn and muttered something along the lines of, 'Bored out of my mind'.
Behind them sat Hermione and Padma Patil. They would talk about what they were reading from time to time and it gave Ron a terrible headache to hear the two smart girls go on about the work that he was having trouble remembering. Well it wasn't that he didn't remember anything, but with the exams enclosing in on them they were packed with even more work.
After Christmas it had been pretty slow with the adventure factor. They spent most of their time doing normal things like normal students (minus the whole ULD thing) but there was something now that seemed to be plaguing the school.
Everyone could see that Dumbledore was a little tense lately, and he was constantly calling Harry to his office. No one knew why though and Potter remained tight lipped to everyone, including Ron and Hermione.
As Harry finished the chapter he was reading he stared blankly at his page as he let his thoughts take over his mind. He had been going to Dumbledore for while and it seemed to please both the Headmaster and himself that his trust in him was slowly rebuilding. His thoughts turned to his last conversation with Dumbledore and he knew, that at Dinner time that day, everything would change for the whole student body forever…
"You asked to see me sir?" Harry asked as he sat down in the chair across from Dumbledore.
"Yes Harry," Dumbledore said as he put some papers away before looking at his pupil across the desk from him. He fixed his glasses lightly before saying, "I know that there are things you've…hidden from me over the past two years. Mainly a certain club I believe you renamed the ULD, am I correct?"
Harry nodded numbly; he had no clue how Dumbledore knew that unless there was a snitch in their group.
"No, no one told me," Dumbledore said as if reading Potter's thoughts, "there are just some things that, as Headmaster of Hogwarts, I am required to know. In all honestly Harry, I am deeply impressed at what you've been doing. You've taken control of the students of the school in your time here. Most look up to you and you know this. You're their leader Harry, not I, which is why I called you here. I need to ask a grave favour from you. One I will never be able to repay in my lifetime but perhaps in the next I will."
In all the time he had known Albus Dumbledore he had never seen him this tense or this worried. It was as if Dumbledore knew he had been defeated.
"What can I do for you?" Harry asked.
"We don't have the resources Voldemort does and worse has come to worse. I know you still contact everyone from all the others school and it's time for us to use our last resort," Dumbledore said, avoiding the question.
Harry knew exactly what he wanted though, "You want me to make an army, from the schools."
"Together we are strong Harry; it's time to stop Voldemort forever," Dumbledore said, "Believe me, I never wanted it to come to this."
"I'll talk to my contacts from each school and see what I can do, but I can't make any promises," Harry said after a moment.
"That is all I ask. I will address the remaining school as well as our own tomorrow at dinner," Dumbledore said, "Durmstrang is leaving on Saturday and Beauxbaton on Sunday. Salem is almost finished as well and Maple Merlin's is leaving tomorrow. Part of me hopes that they will agree to help, another part of my wishes gravely that they all say no and return to the safety of their homes for now."
"If they say no, we will fall Professor," Harry said seriously, "and once Hogwarts is gone he'll move from school to school to school, destroying everything."
"In all reality, we are the last stand against Voldemort," he added after a moment of thought.
"There is one more thing Harry. I believe it is time you're friends knew," Dumbledore said, "You've kept it in your own soul for two years now."
"I know sir…I know…"
"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall's voice shot through his thoughts. He turned and looked at her slowly, blinking a little bit, "Good to see you are back in our own world. Please try to stay here, your exam marks depend on it."
"Sorry Professor," he said as he heard a few people snickering.
She studied him from a moment before returning to giving the class instructions.
He looked back down at the text book in front of him with a grim look on his face. His uncomfortable mood went unnoticed by everyone except for his two closets friends. He didn't care though, he didn't want attention.
McGonagall looked up as the bell rang and gave them some pages to study for homework. Harry didn't hear what she said though, he would ask Hermione later.
The students filed out of class and Ron gave a loud, happy laugh. His stomach had bee grumbling all class and he was excited that they were out now. That meant it was only a short time before dinner was going to begin.
"We should get to work on our homework right away," Hermione said as she linked her arm with Harry's. He reached over with his free arm, grabbed her bag and slung it over his shoulder along side his own.
"Hermione we JUST got out of a class where all we did was do research!" Ron shot back, "Now you want us to do more? You're bloody insane!"
"I just like having my homework done," she shot back.
Harry could feel an argument coming between the two and said, "How about we go to the common room…you guys can have your row there out of the way of the others school plus the other houses."
He found it amusing as both nodded. It was assumed that neither was listening to him properly as they marched up towards the Gryffindor common room.
"They can just have a go at it," he thought dryly, "I've got other things I need to take care of and they won't notice if I'm gone."
Sure enough as they got back to the common room Hermione and Ron exploded at each other. It had been awhile since they had argued like that and it made Harry feel as if everything was alright again, although he knew it was far from it.
"Well I'll be back later alright guys?" he said but they ignored him and continued their verbal battle. He simply shook his head and walked back out the common room door.
Harry swiftly made his way down to one of the secret rooms behind the mirror of Raef. This one he had designed with Hermione's help to contact all of the people from several schools. He had sent out little warnings to them and they agreed on a time. The people from Maple Merlin's, Durmstrang and Beauxbaton had all returned home but the Salem crew was still present. He knew that Kaylee was nervous about when they'd be called home, but she took comfort in the fact that not only was Salem the second biggest wizarding school in the world (Hogwarts was the leader, obviously) but they had planned to redo the whole school originally anyway so the builders simply hauled down what was left of it and started rebuilding it again.
"It's a shame really," Hermione had said, "to lose all that history."
"History isn't as reliable as you think," Kaylee had said back in one of her wise moments (which were rarer than Ron's wise moments), "it's completely biased. You have one group's opinion on everything and usually the other side of the opinion is destroyed along with the civilization."
Harry broke out of his thoughts as his 'little sister' ran up beside him as he started entering the mirror room. Right now there were seats in it for both the Salem and Hogwarts representative and mirrors for all the other schools. Soon there would only be one chair and eleven chairs.
As they sat down each one of the mirrors flashed the colour of their school before the images appeared.
Looking around the room Harry saw there was Tyson Vermeer from Durmstrang, Jaclyn Damour from Beauxbaton, Taichi Yokomato from Doragon Manako, Miguel Lopez from Subida Esperanza, Sheen Taylor from Pharaohs Valley, Lelani Theron from Goudster, Beth Anderson from Maple Merlin's, Ethan Dole from Sunspot, Cassandra Menelaus from Athena's, and Alex Sulla from Romulus Augustus.
"So Potter, what seems to be the problem?" Beth asked curiously. Her wide eyes shone with wonder like they always had.
"I know you'll have to talk this over with your classmates and everything…but times are getting tough," he started but stopped, not knowing how to voice his thoughts.
"The final battle is coming, we all know it," Kaylee piped up, "Voldemort (a few people winced while others didn't) will hit Hogwarts first, we all know it. Right now there are not enough trained wizards and witches to defend us. Once he hits here, he'll kill Dumbledore and Harry, and then he'll go around from school to school first, killing every single one of us. There's no avoiding it…"
"Why do I hear an 'unless' coming up?" Alex mused.
"Because there is one," Harry said, "Dumbledore purposed that we build our own army. We've been doing just that while we were here and I think it's time to put all our strength to the test."
"So you're saying, when there's an attack on Hogwarts…" Lelani started but trailed off, not really wanting to finish her sentence.
"Then we all come and fight," Harry confirmed her fears, "We finish this hear and now. We can't let it spread and even more lives be lost."
"You want only the ones we've been training all year, correct?" Tyler said in his deep baritone voice.
"We shouldn't need students to fight at all…none of us should have to," Harry said, "But yes, we all need to work together."
"How will be all get there?" Taichi questioned.
"I added…erm…something special into our medallions," Harry admitted, "or rather, I came up with the idea and Hermione, Padma and Luna made them a reality. They can turn into portkeys to get you wherever the hell you want."
"So we could use those to get to Hogwarts when the attack begins?" Sheen asked.
"That's what I'm hoping," Harry admitted.
"So Hogwarts is in this for sure?" Cassandra said slowly after a moment of thought.
"All of our ULD is and Dumbledore's asking more students tonight…but I don't want you guys to do that. We shouldn't even be asking for this type of help so I limited it to only the ULD members," Harry said.
"I talked to the people from Salem about it," Kaylee said, "and we're all in. Not one of us hesitated to say yes. It's time we slammed Voldemort back to whatever hell he was spawn out of."
Everyone in the mirrors turned around and was talking to people behind them. Harry couldn't understand what they were saying but he assumed they were discussing these turn (yet not unexpected) of events with their fellow ULD members. Normally they had translation charms on the mirrors so they could hear everyone in the language they spoke. For example, Miguel from Mexico sounded like he was speaking English to Harry but in reality he was actually speaking Spanish.
Beth was the first to turn back and she said, "We're in."
"Don't think that Durmstrang is backing out," Tyson said.
One by one all of the schools agreed to help. The last being the students from Goudster but through Lelani's voice it sounded like they weren't hesitating to do what they had to do in order to get peace.
"I know this is really risky but we're stronger when we're together," Harry said slowly.
"That'll teach any future wannabe dark lords that if they mess with one of us," Kaylee said strongly, "They mess with all of us."
There were shouts of agreement with this statement and Kaylee sat up taller in her seat. She seemed very proud of herself.
After the meeting was over Kaylee and Harry headed to the Great Hall, it was now dinner and everyone was making their way there.
"You do realize that we're actually building up the first ever magical senate?" Kaylee asked as they walked down the hall.
Harry blinked at her and said, "I never thought about it that way. I'm surprised you did, since when did you take such an interest in things like history and politics?"
"Figured that I'm the perfect candidate for something like politics because I love arguing, I love lying but I didn't actually study that stuff…the senate comment just popped into my head because I was thinking about the muggle movies I like called Star Wars."
Harry snorted as they continued walking down the stairs.
When they reached the Great Hall Black swiftly made her way to one of two tables that Salem occupied. She sat with her friends and watched as Harry walked up to Dumbledore, whispered something to him and sat down beside Hermione, across from Ron.
Dumbledore stared at him for a moment before whispering to the Headmaster of Salem then stood up and said, "Students of Hogwarts and Salem."
Everyone stopped eating and looked up at him with interest. It had been awhile since Dumbledore had talked to them all.
"I realize that over the past seven years Hogwarts has been in several stages of fear, panic and finally war. It has always centered around our schools and now has spread out to the rest of them in the Wizarding world," he said clearly.
"And it is time that we took a stand once and for all. Representatives from every school have talked to each other and they have all agreed that their group of specially trained students that go by the name United Light Defence, or ULD for short, will help in the upcoming battle."
There was a gasp and people looked around curiously, realizing that there was a ULD in their school too. Right away speculation started going around about who was in it but everyone was positive about three people: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley.
"It is not a fact I can hide anymore, we here are in the direct line of attack. This is where the war began and this is where it shall end. If we fall then nothing will stop Voldemort. Which is why I'm asking you, any students who are willing to help, if you would consider having a 'crash course' to help defend the school?"
There was an uproar at the Slytherin table and Pansy Parkinson stood up and said, "You want us to fight in a war against Voldemort?"
"Only if you wish to help," Dumbledore confirmed, "I realize that some people are not as trustworthy as I would have liked to believe. So, it is time for us to choose what is right and what is easy. I've been preparing you all for this choice for two years now and it's time to choose."
People whispered around, many looked terribly afraid. A first year at the Hufflepuff table yelled out, "What about us? The younger years."
"First to fourth years will either be helping the wounded by healing them or retrieving them," Dumbledore said.
"Have all the other schools agreed to this?" a Ravenclaw asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore replied.
There were more loud objections then Dumbledore raised a hand before saying, "For those who wish to help in some way, please stand."
Everyone looked around nervously and all looked around quickly as Harry was the first to stand up. Most people looked surprised because, his dislike for Dumbledore was as known as his habit of getting into trouble.
Soon Hermione joined him, as well as Ron, Neville, and all the seventh years. It was a loud sound and in the end every single person at the Gryffindor table was standing up. Not wanting to be outdone many of the Ravenclaws stood up, ¾ of them in all. Many Hufflepuffs stood up and everyone gasped when some Slytherins stood up.
Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle all looked on in shock as Draco stood up. There was many yells of traitor as they looked at them.
Everyone from Salem stayed seated, for they knew that this was strictly Hogwarts business. Dumbledore had said there was a certain group of them that were already participating and they assumed that if they weren't asked then it wasn't their fight.
"To all those who remained seated, including the Salem students and their Professors, I am deeply sorry about this," Dumbledore raised his wand and muttered, "Obliviate."
With that anyone who didn't need to know about the conversation forgot about it.
"Well that meeting went a lot better then I had predicted," Harry said that night as he lay on his old bed in the boy's dormitory. He had taken a liking after Christmas to sleep in there than the Headboy's dormitory and even brought most of his clothes in there again. Hermione had followed this example too and started sleeping in the same room as Parvati and Lavender again.
"You probably expected someone to start shooting curses," Seamus muttered with a yawn as he rolled around, trying to get comfortable.
"Of course he did," Ron agreed tiredly.
"Shut it Ron," he shot mockingly as his best friend.
Later that night Harry moved around a lot, not able to get to sleep. He knew that Neville, Seamus and Dean were but Ron's lack of snoring alerted Harry that his friend was awake.
"You awake Ron?" he asked.
"Yeah, I can't sleep," Ron's voice replied in the darkness, "I don't know why."
"We should just talk about something that doesn't have to do with the war or anything like that," Harry said suddenly, "it might help both of us get some rest."
"Hey Harry," Ron said after a few minutes of silence.
"Hmmmm?"
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
"You know you can Ron," Harry said while rolling his eyes.
"How are things with you and Hermione? I mean I always see you guys together with each other but you seem so…distant with each other," Ron said.
"We're not Ron but you know Hermione," Harry said slowly, "she takes school more seriously then anything else. Plus I'd rather keep my relationship quiet, I've lived most of my school years in the spotlight, as you've pointed out many times."
"Yeah sorry about that, I can be a prat at times," Ron said. There was a few moments of silence before Ron asked in a playful voice, "Am I going to be Uncle Ronnie soon?"
"Ron!" Harry snapped and felt his face heat up.
Ron laughed quietly and whispered, "I see now, it means I could be."
"Shut up," Harry muttered, not denying or agreeing with what he said.
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…
Lily Potter sat happily in a hospital room, looking tired but proud as she held her new born baby.
Born to those that have thrice defied him,
Lily and James both walked carefully backwards away from a snake that was slowly closing in on them.
Born as the seventh month dies…
Harry sat on his bedside at the Dursleys slowly opening his first ever Birthday presents.
And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,
Harry looked up at Professors Snape and Quarrel talking and, as Snape looked at him, a sharp pain shot through his scar.
But he will have powers the Dark Lord knows not…
Harry rushed to the edge of the Black Lake and quickly a stag patronus flew out of the end of his wand and charged at the Dementors that were attacking Sirius and his past self.
And either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives
Harry and Voldemort faced each other at opposite ends of a circle made of Death Eaters. Their wands were connected by golden light and shadows of people were slowly appearing out of Voldemort's wand.
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…
Once again Lily Potter was sitting in the hospital room with Harry in her arms. This time though James and Gemma were with them.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he jerked up in his bed looking around quickly. He had been having this dream for several nights. He knew what it was telling him, the same thing Dumbledore had been saying over the past few weeks…it was time his friends knew about the prophecy.
He had hidden it for well over a year and a half now and, for some reason, after all that time, it was starting to eat him inside out.
"It's time…" he whispered before falling back in a cold, dark sleep.
"Hey Harry," Ron said as he sat down beside his friend outside. The snow was melting away very quickly. It was obvious that the summer would be a hot once since it was only early April and only slush remained.
Hermione gave him a quick kiss as she sat down beside him. It was just the three of them sitting outside on that nice, warm spring Saturday.
They sat in silence for several minutes before Harry said, "There's something you two should know." Another long pause, "I've been hiding it from you since the end of fifth year."
This caught both of their attention and Hermione said quickly, "Oh no, you have another girlfriend don't you?"
Harry chuckled and said, "If I did Mione I'm sure you would have figured it out long ago but no…this is serious guys…"
"Whatever it is mate you know we're here for you," Ron said encouragingly. Hermione nodded eagerly with him and stared at him curiously.
"Remember the prophecy that was smashed in fifth year?" he said slowly.
"Yeah, it was such a shame that it was broken before any of us could have heard it," Hermione said with a frown.
"That's not true. The one in the Ministry was only a copy of the original one that Sybil Trelawney told to Albus Dumbledore."
Both of his friends looked as if they had seen a ghost as they let him continue.
"When we came back from the Ministry," Harry muttered, "Dumbledore showed it to me. I've been keeping it from you since then…I don't know why I'm telling you now, I guess it was just time."
Both Ron and Hermione looked very upset at this. They hadn't even heard the prophecy yet but his seemingly lack of trust in them made them both feel terrible.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those that have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have powers the Dark Lord knows not…And either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"
Harry stared at them as their eyes widened. Hermione's welded with tears and Ron's held sheer disbelief. He couldn't stand to see this. His thoughts whirled about how he made a mistake in telling them.
He quickly got up and started running away. In his mind he thought briefly, 'All I've ever done is run away…from destiny…from life…and now from my friends…'
Kaylee sat beside her 'brother' silently. She had found him in the owlery earlier, upset and confused looking. He had poured his thoughts out to her about everything. His fears of his friends dying, all his dreams as of lately and the prophecy, everything…
She sighed and said, "Harry I know it might not mean that much coming from me since you've known Ron and Hermione a lot longer then you've known me. I really want you to understand though…I don't think you're weak by keeping all that in. In fact I think it was rather brave of you."
Harry smiled weakly at her and said, "As brave as Ginny dumping Malfoy in front of everyone ('That was sure a brief relationship,' he thought, 'much like mine and Cho's was.') last week?"
"Well I don't know about that," Kaylee said playfully.
"Thanks little sister, I don't know how I got along without you," he said with a weak smile.
She laughed happily before saying, "You should go talk to Ron and Hermione."
"Yeah, I guess I should," he said before getting up. The two of them quickly raced down the hallway, looking for their boyfriend and girlfriend.
Author's Randomness
Well…I know it might not be the best but it was fast, wasn't it? This was actually the quickest chapter I've ever written…I'm so proud of myself!
Well I don't have much left to say. Just 8 more days til the sixth book comes out and 9 more chapters for me to write…think I can do it?
Thank you to my ever loyal reviewers! I don't know what I'd do without you!
Nandhp – Thank you
Nogolielikeme – Umm…no…you see this story, in a sense, is more twisted and strange then other stories I've read…I can promise you, Sirius will not be seen in this story unless it was in a dream or something…but I don't even think that I'll add one of those in.
FuZzYsPaZ04 – Good point about Ron and I agree…although Kaylee has a lot to do with him cooling down (not much though because she has a terrible temper too). Yes you did repeat yourself a lot but that's ok…I am the queen of repeating myself!
Alianne – Who do you think Professor Nickleson is? Eventually I'm just going to come out and say it accidentally if people continue to mention her. Well at least you know now that Nickleson isn't who she appears to be.
Zirconium – That's ok about the spacebar thing. Here's the thing about the whole…Nickleson thing. You've got to keep in mind that he just assumes that's what it was. I never once said it was her that was brought back.
Cologuardbaby23 – Awww but it's fun to leave you guys hanging! LOL! I'm joking. Yeah I knew some people would think it was Remus I killed off but nope…I decided not to be THAT meant…right now at least.
CastusAlbusCor – Thank you
Hpfanchrissy1502 – Thank you! I'm glad to see that people don't mind the fact that I can't update as fast anymore…
Holimontski – LMAO yeah really! I still have work though but meh…it's only McDonalds (HA!). Harry take control of his emotions? That's no fun! No like he's gonna go crazy and turn to the dark side or something (yes I am referring to Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars). Yeah my exams went pretty good, I got one of the highest marks on the exam in my teacher's English classes AND THE highest mark (totalled) in his classes so I'm happy:)
Ms. Sakura Moon – LMAO! Thanks for liking the fic, putting me on favourite authors AND giving me a muffin! It's all just so overwhelming! No I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being honest!
Athena's Snow Wolf – You're the first person who said it was confusing…no it's Harry TRYING to figure it out and he assumes she's the best option since she's the only new person to show up. Yes, I love confusing people. Tell you what…I'll tell you which chapter the identity of the person will be revealed in…chapter 28:) Have fun waiting for that!
Primetime420 – True there are a lot of dedicated readers but it takes A LOT to be willing to finish a story this close to the time when the REAL version of it is coming out (nine days…)
LinkMaster2000 – Yeah that's really had to believe isn't it? I'm so excited!
Aqua Mage – No Professor Nickleson is not Lily Potter but…nah I won't ruin the surprise.
TrueLove53 – Thank you
Sorry for the awfully boring chapter! And yes there will be much more mention of the prophecy now that it's out in the open once again! This is only the beginning of the end…
Krystal Lily Potter