Chapter 8: Dumbledore

Once again, I find myself at the window. One wouldn't think that an inner room in the castle would have a window, but after all, we are magical and one must find enjoyment where one can. That explained my penchant for sweets. I know others laugh at me for it, but it reminds me that there are still good things in this world.

The dark clouds hung in the air like so many charred and blackened remains. They just served to remind me how many lives had been destroyed. A jagged bolt of lightening tore through the sky and a rumble of thunder answered. Sighing, I thought about what I had to do. One never wants to let go of life, but sometimes sacrifices must be made. It was only a matter of time before my life would be forfeit, and there were many loose ends to tie.

Severus and Hermione are not going to like what I have to say to them, but it must be done. My strongest weakness has always been the fact that I care too much. With Harry, I waited too long to tell him what I knew, all because I thought he was too young to face what lay ahead. I should have learned my lesson then, but I did not.

The glittering Pensieve caught my attention. It seems that so many of my memories are floating around in that small dish. Parting the liquid with my fingers, I caught sight of a pair of large glasses that were hiding a Seer's eyes….

An unexpected knock at my door caused me to look up. "Enter." I wondered who would be coming to see me at this hour. To my surprise, it was Sybill Trelawny. A sense of foreboding washed over me. "Sybill, it's a surprise to see you here."

She had paused several feet inside of the doorway, and remained there. I knew at once this was not a social call, for she rarely left her quarters to venture in the lower parts of the castle. The far away look in her eyes only confirmed what I had suspected. Another prophecy. Her voice was raspy as she spoke.

"In the pursuit of the light, a great wizard will fall. Others will fight for his Cause, made stronger by his memory. Some years from now, one will emerge with great powers unknown to her. This one will be linked with the one born as the seventh month dies. Another will assist in the surfacing of these works, but will be reluctant to do so. This one will have done much good for the Cause, but will put his life in more danger by fulfilling their destiny. Fire will follow where they lead. Tragedy will befall many before their power is summoned, but once awakened, it will have the power to aid in the defeat of the Dark Lord."

Before I could utter a reply, Sybill coughed, coming out of her trance. A look of confusion came to her face.

"Headmaster? What happened? Where am I?" She looked around her, realizing she was in my office.

"You've made another prophecy, Sybill. I must insist that you say naught of this to anyone." I knew she liked to brag that she had the sight. Even if she didn't remember what she had predicted, she might be in danger if others, especially followers of Voldemort, knew that she had the knowledge in her mind.

"Of course, Headmaster. Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to my tower.." With that, she turned and left me, leaving me to ponder the future.

In the years since I had of course realized who she was speaking of. Hermione Granger was not only the brightest witch of her age; she was rooted firmly in the circle of friends surrounding Harry Potter. These poor children had too much to bear. I never spoke nor even hinted at what I knew, delaying the even heavier burden that would fall on her shoulders. I watched her from afar, recognizing signs of what was to come. Her skill in many areas, especially when fire was involved was amazing. Yes, she would be a great help.

Severus would be much harder to persuade for he had already put his life on the line many times as a spy. He detested Harry because of his father, and in turn, Hermione and Ron for being faithful friends. Still, he protected them many times, in spite of his disgust. I was afraid though, that this task might be too great for him, for he was the one foreordained to aid Hermione. If he could move past his prejudice, there might be more at stake than the defeat of Voldemort. This kind of power forged a bond that could not be broken.

As for myself, I knew that my time was dwindling. There was much to do. I was pulled from my thoughts as a noise attracted my attention, and I turned. They had arrived.

"Severus, Hermione, thank you for coming so quickly. I'm afraid we have much to discuss. Please sit." Hermione looked worried at my seriousness. She sank into a chair in front of my desk while Severus rigidly sat down. He was the first to speak.

"Albus, as I said when I spoke with you earlier, the Dark Lord called me to him earlier today." He paused to glance over at Hermione. "He knows that I'm assigned to watch Miss…Hermione. For now he is content to let her be, but I'm afraid that soon he will wish to use her to his advantage."

"Yes, I'm sure you are right. That is one of the reasons that I sent you to her, Severus." I ignored the irritated look on his face, and glanced at Hermione. She was deep in thought, a confused look on her face. Shifting my gaze back to the younger wizard, I surveyed him critically and cleared my throat. "I assume he again questioned your loyalty, my boy?"

"He did nothing that I have not been through before. I had help on my return this time." Severus averted his eyes from the young witch beside him and continued. "The Dark Lord also gave me a warning, knowing I would pass it on to you. There are to be more Muggle attacks, and soon. I would be surprised if they haven't already begun."

"I see. It is as we feared." I sighed and removed my half-moon glasses, pausing to rub the bridge of my nose.

Hermione started to speak, but was stopped when I held up my hand. "Please let me speak first. There is a reason that I had Severus bring you with him today. There is something that you must know. I trust that you've heard of different forms of elemental magic, Hermione?"

In the moments before any of us spoke again, I could see that her mind was racing, thinking of recent events, before grasping what I was saying. Her face held hurt, confusion, and anger.

Looking at Severus, I could see that he didn't quite understand, but his hand involuntarily went to the ruby amulet that circled his throat.

This was not going to be easy.


A/N: Ok, so I said I'd explain the ruby amulet in this chapter, but I lied. It's actually in the next chapter, because the next chapter was originally this chapter, but I decided that another chapter was needed between the last chapter and the next chapter. Have I lost you yet? LMAO Anyway, stay tuned!

Thanks again to my wonderful betas. You all are such a huge help!

Disclaimer: If I owned HP, I'd be vacationing on a tropical island while some cabana boy named Raoul rubbed oil on me and another cabana boy named Juan brought me endless pina coladas.