Heyyy~! I've had plenty of free time lately (out of school, and still unemployed TTnTT), so I got this out pretty quick. I also have chapter 12 almost halfway done, and I have a fic idea in the works (which, if/when I post it, it'll be complete so I don't end up putting both on the back burner... ^3^'). Anyways, enjoy!

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Edward were all stood in front of the Burrow's kitchen sink, peeling a mountain of brussel sprouts while discussing what Snape and Malfoy had said a few days ago. But they didn't speculate any further ahead because, after all, they already knew that Malfoy was up to something potentially deadly for the person concerned. They also knew that there would be no point in telling someone in the Order since obviously Dumbledore's personal spy had certainly told him everything already. Ron and Hermione had been amazed that Harry wasn't reluctant to trust Snape anymore but they felt it was a sensitive topic, so they hadn't delved into it.

However, they had discussed the implications of the Unbreakable Vow. For that, Ron and Hermione had already had to explain to Ed and Harry what it was and they had therefore learned that it was an oath that could not be broken under pain of death. Immediately Edward had asked for more information on the subject and soon he and Hermione were immersed in a high-level discussion of the implications of Unbreakable Vows, appealing to knowledge that far surpassed that of Harry and Ron. The two boys had exchanged a look heavy with innuendo about their two bookworm friends and let them debate while continuing to peel their brussel sprouts. Ron then brought up a detail of the problem that neither of the two boys who had spied on the conversation between Malfoy and Snape had thought of:

"But if Snape has taken an Unbreakable Vow, doesn't that mean he's compromised? Imagine that Snape had to swear to reveal some confidential information to the Order? Or to continue Malfoy's task? We'd be in a bit of a mess, right?"

"You're right there." Harry said, frowning.

"That's definitely something we don't know right now. We are missing two essential pieces of information: who is the person Malfoy must eliminate and how far the protection that Snape swore to Malfoy's mother goes…" Edward said as he battled against a particularly difficult to peel brussel sprout.

"Let's imagine the worst straight away," Ron said, raising his knife with a sprout stuck on it, "and consider Snape being forced to continue with the task You-Know-Who gave Malfoy Jr. We know that this involves either seriously injuring someone or outright killing that person. If Snape doesn't, he dies. If he does, someone dies. Either way, we lose an important piece on the chessboard if Snape is indeed a spy on our side."

"I would prefer to avoid thinking of people as pawns in a chess game, it's dehumanizing." Edward sighed, tossing some rotten sprouts in the trash.

"Sorry," Ron apologized, "it's just that it's easier for me to think like that. I am the chess player and master of strategy of the Circle, after all. You can't forget that."

"What can't..." Fred asked, Apparating into the kitchen.

"...We forget, little brother? George finished, appearing in turn in the room.

"Oh look, George, they're using knives and all the tools! I wish them good luck!" Fred exclaimed as he slumped into a chair as George unceremoniously put his feet on the table.

"In less than three months, I'll be seventeen and I will have the right to practice magic! And then you'll see what I'm capable of!" Ron growled, thinking about his progress in becoming an Animagus. Just the memory boosted his spirits: the Circle members could practice and attempt to become Animagus even during the holidays because the Trace was not very accurate in wizarding homes. And becoming an Animagus was a talent neither Fred nor George suspected he was developing- even though their idols, the Marauders, had become such in fifth year…

"In the meantime, you can give us a brilliant demonstration of how Squibs and Muggles go about peeling their vegetables." Fred joked.

"Wait a minute… Hermione! You're a talented witch! You can get rid of this chore easily!" Edward exclaimed, pointing an accusing index finger at Hermione.

"Oh! I had completely forgotten," Hermione said, waving her wand as the Brussels sprouts self-peeled quickly and efficiently under Ron's admiring gaze and the rather disappointed look of the Weasley twins.

The youngest Weasley brother leaned over to Hermione and whispered:

"You remember the last time that happened, in first year?"

Hermione blushed and answered him:

"How could I forget?"

Seeing this, the twins rushed to Hermione's side, pretending to take her temperature and pulse as if she was actually sick before asking:

"Hermione, are you sure you didn't get hit on the head? Because if you start to blush in front of Ronnie, it's because he must have stolen a love potion from our shop, which is intolerable!" George exclaimed with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"That's enough, the both of you!" Ginny exclaimed as she entered the room, thus allowing the two Gryffindors to quickly slip into the next room where Hermione had to explain to Mrs. Weasley that their chores were over.

"Since when do you stand up for them?" Fred asked, his gaze fixed on Ginny as if he didn't recognize her anymore.

"Since I bet ten Galleons that they will be a couple before the end of the school year," replied the young redhead with a mutinous air that Harry found irresistible before she took him and Edward by the sleeve to lead them upstairs.

They soon found themselves in the attic where no one but the ghoul would come to disturb them. There, they settled quietly on the mattresses and each began their transformation, trying not to forget anything like feathers or a claw. During the school holidays they had all progressed quickly and Hermione had even put aside the usual homework to focus on the project which she now considered more important than schoolwork.

So far, only Harry, Luna and Edward had done it, but now they had to face the difficulties corresponding to their animals like on three legs (in Edward's case) or learning to fly. The young alchemist hadn't been surprised to see that he would always miss his left leg, whatever shape it was, and so he had to deal with it. He would have to be careful during his transformation forever. Fortunately, they could hear their totem spirits guiding them through this more difficult than it looked phase. As for Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Neville, all they needed was one more detail and each was redoubling their efforts and focus to get there before Christmas.

Finally, during the few days before Christmas Eve, each member of the Circle could finally achieve their animal form. Ginny had become a beautiful fruit bat (a little redder than the usual specimen) but still struggling to use echolocation to fly properly. Neville had amused everyone by recounting in his letter how he had been hunted in his mongoose form by his grandmother who had mistaken him for a rat. Luna now went back and forth between her house and the Burrow's attic every night to see them in her barn owl form. The merry-go-round between Ron and Hermione amused everyone: Ron as a lion seemed to be brooding over the cat animagus like one of his cubs, which made the whole gang chuckle quietly. Harry quickly got used to his bird form and was practicing Wronski's Feint in his winged form. As for Edward, he was the cutest little fennec in the world, although no one dared tell him that out loud.

Soon the solemn moment to choose their name as Animagus had come: Harry had decided on Quickwing because of his speed. Hermione chose Bastet in reference to the Egyptian goddess of cats and on her advice, Ron had quickly decided on Nobleo, the contraction of the name of the lion in the Reynard the Fox stories and Leo, a derivative of the word lion. Although the name was a bit pretentious, there was no denying that he was a magnificent specimen of his breed. Luna had chosen the name Alabaster Heart because of the shape of her face in owl form. Neville chose the name Tavi in reference to the story of Rikki Tikki Tavi that he had devoured in the first half of the year. Ginny picked the name Larousse. Finally, Edward had decided on the Latin word for gold, Aurus, in reference to the gold in his eyes which remained even in his animal form.

Then Christmas Eve had arrived and the whole household had gathered in the living room- decorated with a profusion of garlands- around the radio to listen to the star Celestina Warbeck. Unfortunately, everyone had to adhere to this tradition under penalty of receiving, like Fleur who denigrated the singer, Mrs. Weasley's angry glare in defense of her favorite singer. The twins and Ginny were playing Exploding Snap and explosions were heard from time to time in the room. Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron struggled against sleep and from time to time, the head of one came to rest on the shoulder of the other and vice versa. They didn't notice the tender look Bill and Mr. Weasley were giving them. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, seemed to be dozing by the fireplace. As for Harry and Edward, they were more interested in the political aspect of the war and asked Mr. Weasley on the subject:

"'So have you been very busy at the Ministry?" Harry asked, supposedly innocent.

"Yes. Unfortunately, the results are not up to the amount of work we are doing: we have arrested only three people in the last two months but in my opinion not one is a Death Eater. But avoid spreading that around."

"Yeah, it would be so sad if we were to think that the Ministry is incompetent when last year the population had proof that it was corrupt... No offense." Edward muttered.

"Have they released Stan Shunpike?" Harry, who had sympathy for the Knight Bus Controller, asked.

"I'm afraid not, although all the interrogations have come to the conclusion that he is no more Death Eater than you two but to release him would be to admit that the Ministry made a mistake and during the war, we cannot afford to admit that we were wrong because it would be catastrophic for public opinion." Mr. Weasley explained bitterly.

"But it's the truth that should matter above all!" Harry said fiercely.

"You don't win a war by telling the truth, Harry. You have to be realistic. Sometimes it is necessary to wrap the truth in a beautiful fabric of lies if the war is to be won. I'm not happy with that, but you don't win a war just on the battlefield." Edward said bleakly as he thought back to how Mustang and Armstrong manipulated public opinion during the Battle of Central.

"That's insane! We must tell the truth, I have suffered enough to say it loud and clear." Harry growled, glaring at Ed.

"I didn't say don't tell the truth where it counts. But even the Order itself does not apply your fine principles. Let's take a random example… Look at Dumbledore: he refuses to collaborate with Scrimgeour even though they have a common enemy, Voldemort. I am sure that both are hiding secrets and it is fair game when you know that there may be spies on both sides. Besides, didn't Dumbledore tell you to keep everything he reveals to you secret except to us?"

"Arghhh! You're confusing me!" Harry replied, holding his head in his hands as the Warbeck song echoed quietly. Then he turned to Mr. Weasley, still busy peeling his kumquats and who had not listened to the debate between him and Ed. He finally decided to convey the conversation between Snape and Malfoy to him, to which Ron's father hesitatingly replied:

"You never thought Snape was pretending…" Mr. Weasley began, well aware of the complicated relationship between Harry and Professor Snape.

"Oh, it wasn't him I wanted to talk about," Harry replied without compromising himself. "I just wanted to know-"

"It isn't any of our business. It's Dumbledore's business." Lupin, who had listened to the whole conversation, cut him off.

"You mean we just have to follow Dumbledore without questioning his opinions and that's it, right?" Edward asked, a little pissed off at all these sheep. "What will happen if Dumbledore were to die before the end of the war? He is neither omniscient nor omnipotent, you know! Dumbledore seems not to reveal any of his secrets, but if he dies, the whole Order of the Phoenix will be left leaderless and running around like a chicken with its head off: aimless, with no direction to go… And what will you do then? In any case, you'd better find out now!"

"I think Ed is right. You won't always be able to count on Dumbledore. Besides, he is more and more absent from Hogwarts, if you didn't already know! And even he admits that he can make mistakes!" Harry declared.

"If it's about Severus, Harry…" Lupin began.

"Why does everyone think my life revolves around this guy? It's okay, I've gotten past that and apparently he has too. At least he acts with indifference which suits me perfectly!"

"I'm delighted, Harry. It comforts me to see that you have matured in your feelings towards Severus."

"About that, I was wondering…" Harry paused: did he really want to ask one of his father's best friends if Snape had any feelings for his mother or if, at least, they had been friends? On the one hand, that would explain a lot of things about his teacher, but on the other hand, wasn't it a taboo subject- a story between Professor Snape and his mother that would better remain private? Wouldn't that be an intrusion like the one he made in the Pensieve last year? Harry already knew that if he wanted an answer, it would be better if the main parties agreed to give it. So he closed his mouth and shook his head, showing that he ultimately didn't want to pursue the subject.

"What have you been doing lately? I didn't dare send you letters in case you were looking out for Death Eaters. Too many Owls would have ended up drawing attention to you…"

"Well, it was a wise decision on your part. Your beautiful Hedwig is magnificent but very recognizable and that could have ended up attracting the attention and especially the suspicions of my… compatriots- the werewolves," Lupin added, seeing Harry and Edward's incomprehension. "They are almost all in Voldemort's camp. Dumbledore needed a spy and I was there, ready to go."

"That must be difficult, right? If any of them remember you being a Defense professor at Hogwarts or if Pettigrew told them which side you are actually on…" Harry asked with a frown.

"Indeed, it is very difficult, especially since these werewolves are wild and have fled society. They hunt, steal and sometimes kill to eat. Under the aegis of Greyback, they chose Voldemort's camp and believe that by doing so they will have a better life."

"Who is Greyback?" Harry asked, remembering Malfoy bringing him up at Borgin and Burke's.

Lupin then explained who Greyback was: a fanatical werewolf who saw it as his life's mission to bite and infect as many people as possible so that werewolves would become the majority in the wizarding world. This abject individual also specialized in children in order to kidnap them and raise them far from their families, far from any civilization. Apparently, Voldemort had promised him prey in return for his cooperation, so that he could threaten parents with unleashing this abominable creature on their children.

Harry and Ed learned that it was Greyback who bit Remus because of an offense from his father. Professor Lupin explained to them the vicious werewolf's methods of getting close to his future victims to be sure of biting and infecting them. Most of Greyback's pack had been practically raised by this abominable man and no longer knew anything about civilization. Suddenly, like him, they thought they had the right to blood and revenge on normal people.

"But you are normal! You just…" Harry began.

"...Have a small monthly problem that makes you more aggressive. Don't worry, women suffer from it too…" Ed added with a smirk.

Remus Lupin laughed as he drank his eggnog, being careful not to be heard so as not to suffer the fury of the women of the house. Most people felt sorry for him but Harry and Edward did not; they felt compassion for him but also knew how to make fun of his problem. With good humor, he took some eggnog again: Harry and Edward reminded him of the way James and Sirius approached his "furry little problem" in public.

Full of goodwill, he answered Harry's questions about a student of his time who would have called himself the Half-Blood Prince and reassured his best friend's son that he was not a member of the Marauders' gang. He did not know who it was and according to him it could have been a student before his time.

Following this exchange and seeing Fleur make a faithfully cruel caricature of Celestina Warbeck, everyone, by mutual agreement, went up to bed and Harry fell asleep contemplating the snowy skylight and thinking back to Remus, to Stan Shunpike, to werewolves, and to Snape, his mother and the Half-Blood Prince.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore, accompanied by Severus Snape, also watched the snow fall. The Defense professor seemed agitated and said in a broken voice:

"The Dark Lord is taking the prophecy Rookwood brought him very seriously and I finally got to see it today, inscribed on a parchment, on the personal desk of the Dark Lord himself. It read:

As the last day of the century passed away, he was born, shining with light

Child sacrificed to seize an infinite power

The darkness will never stop seizing him

To see it sink forever

Engulfed in oblivion without return.

As you know, this fragment is different from what we have heard, and which says:

His coming could bring about the end as well as the survival of this world.

But if this sacrifice, alone in his soul and conscience

Does not accept the risk of being swallowed up

Then all will see the world sink into violence

And magic itself will wither and die.

Unfortunately, we are missing the last fragment of the prophecy, and we know very well how dangerous an incomplete prophecy can be."

"The most important thing is what interpretation Voldemort makes of it," The old Headmaster whispered without paying attention to Professor Snape's grimace as he flinched in pain upon hearing the hated name.

"The Dark Lord knows that this prophecy was delivered in 1915 and he thinks that the end of the century refers to the end of the 19th century and not the 20th century. But he does not understand why the term child is used subsequently. He also thinks that thanks to him and that black book that I already mentioned to you, he will get his hands on infinite power."

Professor Dumbledore was silent for a such a long time that Professor Snape exploded with rage:

"I have told you over and over again, Dumbledore, that the Dark Lord now seemed to be more interested in this new prophecy than in Potter! I heard Rookwood mumbling alone in his corner and I studied his work under the cover of the cloak: he thinks that with this prophecy and the one designated by it, it would be possible for the Dark Lord to seize magic itself! They are completely insane! And the worst part is that our part of the prophecy seems to point in this direction: 'And magic itself will wither and die.' This is extremely serious, Dumbledore! We need to find the child that the prophecy points to right away."

"Even if, by doing this, we would be pointing him out to Voldemort? I still think, Severus, that we should ignore this prophecy even if it warns us of imminent danger. The priority for defeating Voldemort is Harry and his training, which I am taking care of." Dumbledore said evenly.

"And in the meantime, the Dark Lord is doing everything to find the designated person." Snape exclaimed.

"And thus, we save precious time because all too quickly, his attention will return to Harry. And anyway, it seems to me that we cannot influence this 'child sacrificed' because he must choose 'alone in his soul and conscience'. Quoted Dumbledore to calm Snape's fury.

"So we just have to hope he makes the right choice just like you tell us to trust Potter? This is madness!"

"Sometimes wisdom is allowing the madness to happen." Professor Dumbledore said, thus ending the conversation.

At the Burrow, dawn arose. In the attic, the five members of the Circle had gathered to unwrap Christmas presents. Edward had tinkered with alchemy to make leather wand holsters for everyone in the gang. He had also unwrapped his own gifts and was especially delighted reading the long titles of the books that almost everyone had given him. Luna had sent everyone a painting depicting their Animagus form and everyone marveled at the young girl's artistic talents. Ron had given Hermione a very pretty brooch which he had obtained through Edward. The latter dared not admit that the diamonds on the brooch were real ones, transmuted very easily from a piece of coal. Harry and Ginny had burst out laughing at the very touching sight of Hermione hugging Ron to thank him before blushing together in concert. On the other hand, the master of Kreacher had not been delighted by the latter's gift: a box full of maggots.

Around noon, the Christmas meal was served and everyone began to talk while enjoying the turkey and parsnips that accompanied it. After a while Edward was sated and he sat, listening to Lupin and Harry's discussion about Patronuses. Unfortunately, the party mood was broken by Scrimgeour's arrival in the middle of the meal under the spurious pretext of accompanying Percy Weasley to his house but actually wanting to see Harry and, surprisingly, Edward. The two boys, little deceived by the Minister's false pretext, decided to accompany him to the garden to talk in peace. With his brutal frankness, Edward quickly interrupted Scrimgeour, who pretended to be gazing at the garden:

"What exactly do you want from us?"

"I have wanted to meet you for a long time. Especially," he said, addressing Edward, "since the Brockdale Bridge affair. I wish I could have talked to you longer, but Dumbledore was very protective of everyone in the Ministry the night You-Know-Who returned. "

'Except,' Harry thought with a start of anger, 'he had been back a year already and like the other morons in the Ministry, you didn't believe me.'

"There have been so many rumors about this prophecy as well as your magical potential," he said addressing both Harry and Edward who were silent, having already understood where the politician was going. This time it was Harry who didn't want to beat around the bush who said:

"We had a discussion about this, Professor Dumbledore and I. But that was a private conversation that I am not required to disclose."

"Indeed, indeed." Scrimgeour granted him before starting to move slowly towards the essential: "But, in the end, it does not matter whether you are the chosen one or that you are also the object of a prophecy." He said this to Edward specifically.

Much to his pride, Edward didn't shudder, he just had a questioning glint in his eyes before asking in a voice he hoped was innocent:

"What prophecy?"

"Our interrogations of the Death Eaters arrested at the Department of Mysteries informed us that there had been a second prophecy involved during the battle. A prophecy that has behaved strangely since the day you mysteriously appeared on our records. Additionally, regarding this prophecy, we found shards of it on the Hogwarts Express six months ago. Although you seem to think so, not all Ministry employees are idiots and I can add two and two. You, Mr. Elric, being the object of a prophecy would not surprise me."

"Let's say, to make this simple, it's true," Edward interrupted, frowning. "What exactly do you want from us?"

"In these dark times, the wizarding population needs hope and-" Scrimgeour began to speak.

''-And heroes." Harry interrupted him this time. "And more specifically, a mascot. For example, two boys who fought against Voldemort himself in the Ministry or against his Death Eaters while the Aurors were taking their time to arrive to come as reinforcements? I see where you are coming from, Mr Scrimgeour, but you see, where we are in conflict is that I do not agree with the current policy of the Ministry. Especially its unfortunate tendency to make scapegoats that hasn't changed since last year, apparently."

"Dolores Umbridge warned me that you might take things too seriously." Scrimgeour sighed.

"That woman is still at the Ministry?! She cast the Cruciatus on Edward and she's not in Azkaban?! While innocent people like Stan Shunpike rot in prison? If this is the justice you advocate, then I will never, never support it!"

"We must take certain actions necessary for the good of all, even if these actions are… irregular. You can't understand, you're only sixteen. You blindly follow your mentor's teachings."

"I am perfectly capable of making my decisions without being influenced, weighing all the opinions around me and being able to think for myself, something that Umbridge did not seem to support in her students. I could have chosen to support the Ministry if it had not fallen into arbitrariness, but unfortunately that is not the case."

The silence that followed was as freezing as the temperature outside.

"Where does Dumbledore go when he's away from Hogwarts?" Asked Scrimgeour who had let go of his cordial ways.

"I do not know. Contrary to what you might think, he doesn't tell me everything either. But I advise you not to repeat the same mistakes as your predecessor: you will notice that he is no longer minister while Dumbledore is still director."

"So you are Dumbledore's men to the end, Potter? Elric?"

"I pride myself on knowing how to think for myself." Harry declared.

"I am only a humble servant of the Truth." Edward said with a smirk, certain his interlocutor wouldn't understand the double meaning of his sentence.

When they made their way back to the Burrow alone, Harry and Edward talked to each other before going back:

"I thought you lost the second prophecy?" Harry asked, turning to his friend.

"The truth is that it was divided into three and that I only heard one part out of three. I'm not even sure it concerns me. I forgot almost everything about what it says except:

To live you will have to die,

To protect, you will have to offer yourself,

But know that the survival of those you love

Demands from you that you forget yourself."

Harry stopped upon hearing these sentences and met Ed's gaze: he understood when he saw the serious eyes of his friend that the latter was showing a deep friendship by agreeing to reveal this prophecy which seemed to concern him and did not seem very comforting for his future. Edward, he understood, was no more delighted than he was to be the object of a prophecy, no doubt recited by a completely insane old woman.

"Promise me not to tell anyone. They worry enough with the prophecy about you already. I don't want them to know I'm in danger of dying, okay? It would be like having a terminal disease! I don't want Luna to know that… At least yours is a little more upbeat…"

"Yeah, so much more cheerful."

They burst into a bit of forced laughter that turned into giggles when they passed Percy whose glasses were covered in parsnip. They smiled: even if the future looked bleak, life continued, just like the jokes of Fred and George...

Translator's notes: The Reynard the Fox stories/cycle is a series of medieval western European stories starring Reynard, an anthropomorphic fox trickster whose main enemy is his uncle Ysengrin the Wolf. Fun fact: Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Disney cartoon are based on these two character-design wise, as the remains of a scrapped adaptation of some of the Reynard stories.