The Houses Competition
House: Hufflepuff
Class: Head of House
Drabble/Standard: Drabble
Prompt(s) Chosen: (theme) war
Bonus Prompt(s): (prompt) Alternate Outcome
Word count: 738
Warning for non-canon compliance, use of the prophecy from Order of the Phoenix, and a slight bit out of character. I would like to take this time to thank everyone who beta read this story for me. It truly means a lot that you would help me out like this. So, thank you all very much. I'd also like to thank the Hufflepuff team and our stand-in Vee for being so awesome this entire season. Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy A Dark Prophecy Not to be Unheard.
James felt a sense of weary dread as he trudged into the Three Broomsticks after a long day of work at the Ministry. He'd never assumed that being an Auror would be an easy job, but he never realized that it could be this difficult, either. His group of Aurors had arrested ten to twenty presumed Death Eaters in the past few weeks. Add that to the two they'd just caught earlier and the war between the Light and the Dark seemed to be ramping up.
"Butterbeer, please, Madam Rosemerta," he said, putting a galleon down on the table, "and keep them coming."
Rosmerta raised an eyebrow but didn't question the behavior. She obviously remembered James and his friends from their years at Hogwarts. She only nodded and took the galleon off the table as James walked towards the least crowded side of the pub.
He seemed to not be the only one with this idea either. He could see Professor Dumbledore and a young woman in the room beyond the public part of the establishment. The young woman seemed nervous and kept fidgeting with her glasses as the duo talked. Perhaps she was involved with the Order. If that was the case, he was pretty sure that Dumbledore wouldn't mind if he listened into the conversation.
"I'm glad that you could make it here tonight, Sybill," Professor Dumbledore said, not noticing the creak of the floorboards as James approached the door. "You are still interested in the Divination teacher position, aren't you?"
"Yes," Sybill replied, sounding more unsure than anyone else James had ever heard. "My grandmother was a famous seer and her grandmother before her. Back to the very first prophet in Ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi."
"Yes, my dear," Dumbledore said. The sound of a cup being put down followed shortly after. "I'm well aware of your pedigree in that regard. But are you interested?"
"Yes," she said, sounding more confident than she had before. She must have needed to be assured that he wasn't hiring her because of her family pedigree, James thought to himself as he listened to her tell the Headmaster all the reasons she was interested in the job.
"Can you give me an example of your talents?" Dumbledore said, sounding more tired than anything. The war was draining on everyone, but James had never thought that it would affect the older man like this. He had always perceived Dumbledore as untouchable.
"There is someone listening in on our conversation," Sybill said, taking a sip of her tea and putting the cup back down.
"My dear, Sybill, we are in a pub," Dumbledore pointed out, motioning towards the doorway which James was hidden behind. "There are a number of patrons that could be close enough to be considered listening in on our conversation."
"But this one is a…."
For a minute James feared that he'd been caught listening to his old headmaster hiring a new teacher. Not that there was a problem with that. It wasn't like he was overhearing something personal or anything. He was about ready to pop around the corner and apologize when the scariest thing he'd ever experienced happened.
Sybill's voice returned but it wasn't hers at the same time. It was low, loud, and dark, with intones that suggested trouble on the horizon. What she said froze the blood in his veins and made him want to stop listening and run away. But he couldn't. He had to hear this. Something in his gut told him he had to hear this.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches," the voice said, making James tremble with a mixture of relief and dread. "Born to those who have thrice defied him. Born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal. But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives."
James whirled on his heel as quickly as he could and raced away from the room and that voice that was repeating the first line of the prophecy once more. His heart was thundering in his chest as he raced towards the door, ignoring Madam Rosemerta's calls that he was forgetting his drink. He had to get home to Lily. He had to tell her what he'd just heard. They had to make a plan to protect their son.
I hope you all enjoyed A Dark Prophecy Not to be Unheard as much as I enjoyed writing it.