Chapter 8

Winter Plans and Future Predictions

Raya strode into the castle with Draco by her side. Ron, Harry, and the others followed.

"That was really weird," said Ron, "why are we using swords again. Wands are just as good and much less tiring."

"Dumbledore told us Ron!" said Hermione.

"The Death Eaters have more powerful magic," explained Hermione, "they have come up with counter spells to pretty much any spell. Maybe even Avada Kedavra."

"Does this mean we have to fight with them Muggle style for pretty much everything?" asked Ron.

"For the most part," answered Hermione.

They caught up with Raya and Draco and saw where she was going. Dumbledore's office.

Just as they were approaching the office entrance Dumbledore walked in their way.

"Going somewhere?" asked Dumbledore.

"What did you do out there?" asked Raya.

"Ah! Well you didn't follow my advice," said Dumbledore, "I had to do something."

"I was fine," said Raya, "I was doing fine!"

"They would have killed you Raya," said Dumbledore, "you do not have all the proper training. And pulling Harry and his friends into it."

"I didn't!" interrupted Raya, "drag any of them into this. They did it on free will."

"You are not read to face Voldemort's new forces," said Dumbledore, "and that's final."

"You," said Raya, "are not in any position to tell me what is final and what is not."

"Raya Lily Potter," said Dumbledore, raising his voice, "you must learn that you are not all powerful yet. You are only destined to be."

"I understand that perfectly well," said Raya, "I am trying to defend what is left of my family." She pointed at Harry.

"Raya," said Dumbledore, lowering his voice slightly "please. I did what I believed and still believe is right. What's done is done. Now will the eight of you please follow me to my office."

The eight teenagers followed Dumbledore up to his office. They all pulled chairs round his desk and took a seat. Waiting for Dumbledore to continue.

"Harry," said Dumbledore and Harry looked at him expectantly. "You know that you are spending the Winter Holiday at the Dursley's this year, correct?"

"Yes," said Harry, "I know that."

"Well Harry," said Dumbledore, "I have written a letter to your aunt and uncle."

"I don't have to go?" asked Harry hopefully.

"No," said Dumbledore, "you are still required to go. But I feel that it will not be such a bad experience as you believe it will be."

"And how is that professor?" asked Harry, "You've never had to live with them."

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "that is correct. However, they have not lived with your friends."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Lovegood, Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Potter," said Dumbledore, "will be accompanying you to the Dursley's over Winter Holiday."

"But my parents said that they wanted me home this holiday," said Hermione.

"All parents have agreed," said Dumbledore, "with the exception of Raya's (for obvious reasons). Draco, your mother has given you permission."

"My mother?" asked Draco.

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "she agreed to send you away from the family over the holidays."

"Wow," said Draco under his breath.

"You will leave," said Dumbledore, "they same as all the other students. No different. The key is to have no problems, no reason to have anyone suspect that anything is different."

"What do the Dursley's say about all this?" asked Harry.

"The request in my letter, polite as it was, was not optional," said Dumbledore, "in fact the only reason that I found it necessary to write is because I am a polite man and not letting them know that you are coming would be quite rude."

"Have they written anything back?" asked Harry.

"I will be surprised if they figure out how to write back, but I am sure if they do than yes they will write back," said Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore?" asked Raya.

"Yes," answered Dumbledore.

"Do they know about me?" asked Raya softly.

"No," sighed Dumbledore, "but they should know. You will tell them sometime over the holiday."

"Alright," said Raya.

"Now," said Dumbledore, "its late. Return to your dormitories."

Everyone got up and began to leave.

"And everyone," called Dumbledore and everyone paused and turned to look at him, "congratulations, you did a good job tonight."

"Thank you," they all said in unison.

"Dumbledore?" asked Hermione softly, "what about Hagrid?"

"Hagrid?" asked Dumbledore.

"His hut was blown up," cried Hermione, and Ron draped an arm around her for comfort, "he was inside! I couldn't stop it! I tried! But I couldn't!"

An extremely large shadow walked out of the shadows of Dumbledore's office.

"Lookin' for me?" asked Hagrid's booming voice.

"HAGRID!" everyone cried and ran and gave him a hug.

"I'm glad you're okay!" said Ron.

"I went out the backdoor," said Hagrid, "I went to make sure none of the animals in back were harmed."

"All of you return to your dormitories, Luna to your own, and get a good nights sleep," said Dumbledore, "no one is to know about this."

Everyone nodded and left his office.

"Well," said Harry, "aren't the Dursley's going to be surprised!"

"Do you mean Aunt Petunia?" asked Raya staring at Harry with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Yeah," said Harry, "she married a man named Vernon Dursley. And they had a son named Dudley."

"They aren't wizarding folk right," asked Raya.

"No," said Harry, "they hate the magic world. Everything about it."

"How could they?" asked Raya, "if they know nothing about it?"

"They just do," answered Harry, "they are so obsessed with being normal that they hate anything that would make them seem strange."

"I see," said Raya to herself.

They saw Luna off to the Ravenclaw dormitory and then the rest continued up the stairs to their own dormitory.

"I finally will get to meet the notorious Dursley's," exclaimed Ginny, "I'm am so excited!"

"You shouldn't be," said Harry, "they are the worst. In fact I would like to apologize in advance for anything cruel or insulting that they say to any of you."

"You shouldn't apologize Harry," said Hermione, "they're, well, them. You have no control over their feelings or beliefs."

"Hermione's right Harry," said Ron, who had his arm over Hermione's shoulders and her arm around his waist. "we all know that you and the Dursley's are completely different. If they something, we aren't going to take it out on you. Remember when I came to pick you up and Dudley called me "Your strange friend." I didn't take it out on you!"

"Yeah," said Harry, "I know."

"And besides Harry," said Neville, "they say mean things to you too."

They reached the portrait hole.

"Password?" asked the fat lady.

"Phoenix feather," replied Draco and the portrait hole swung open.

That night Harry had his first complete dream. He could see and hear everything that was happening. Sirius took Raya, "the weapon", from the house minutes before the attack on his parents. He saw Sirius telling Raya that unless he, Harry, survived that she was the only Potter left. He saw her wrapped in that warm blanket as Sirius ran with her through the woods. He saw everything. His dream was complete. He woke up later than he ever had in the dream. This time his dream ended with Sirius opening the door to the old abandoned house and Harry saw a dark room. When Sirius lit a couple candles Harry was able to see a still dim, very dirty and dusty room.

Harry slowly got out of bed. It was time to get down to breakfast. The knob to the bathroom turned and Draco stepped out of the bathroom.

"Hey Harry," said Draco then sarcastically added, "ready for divinations?"

"Oh yeah!" said Harry in mock enthusiasm, "I can't wait!"

Draco laughed.

"I know!" said Draco in the same mock enthusiasm, "it's my favorite subject!"

"Oh yes," said Harry, "Professor Trawlaney is such a hottie!"

"Harry," said Draco very seriously, "you went too far."

They both laughed. Ron appeared as he drew the curtains from around his bed.

"What's so funny?" asked Ron.

"You mean besides your pajamas?" asked Harry and he and Draco started laughing again.

Ron hadn't been able to find his Chudley Cannons Pajamas so he had told everyone that he would find something. Now he had on no shirt and a pair of long pink flannel pants that Hermione had left up here one time when she was trying on a new skirt Ron had bought for her for their one month anniversary of going out.

"Shut up," said Ron and he got up to go to the bathroom. When both Harry and Draco had a sight of Ron's backside they fell on the floor and held their sides from laughing so hard. On the rear of the pants the words Hot Chick was printed in big bold letters.

"Shut up!" yelled Ron.

Neville got up from his bed and walked over to where Draco and Harry were still in a heap laughing.

"What's so fun-" started Neville and then he caught sight of Ron's rear and added himself to the heap of rolling laughing bodies on the floor.

Ron slammed the bathroom door shut. It took Draco, Harry, and Neville a long time to finally be able to talk to one another.

"It's a good thing," said Harry still laughing and quite out of breath, "that Seamus and Dean always get up really early!"

"Yeah," agreed Neville and they started laughing once again.

They were finally able to get a hold of themselves. They got dressed and waited for Ron. He finally came out of the bathroom dressed like a normal boy should.

"Wonderful choice of outfit," said Draco, in a very girlish manner, "yet are you sure that everything matches. I mean how will you live if everyone thinks you don't know how to accessorize!"

They all laughed as Ron chased all of them out of the dormitory into the common room.

They passed Raya, Hermione, and Ginny coming out of their room.

"What!" started Hermione and was cut off by a scream as Ron jumped Harry and brought him down on the couch.

"Ron!" yelled Ginny and she ran down the stairs with Raya and Hermione close behind.

"Ron!" yelled Ginny again when they reached Ron, Harry, Draco, and Neville. "What's going on?"

"They were laughing at me!" said Ron.

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"Because I couldn't find my Chudley Cannons pajamas last night so I wore your pink flannel pants that say Hot Chick on the rear," answered Ron.

The three girls exchanged glances and then burst out laughing. They sank to the floor trying desperately to hold on to one another for support.

"Not you guys too!" screamed Ron as he got off Harry.

"Oh Ron," said Hermione, "you can keep those if you like them so much!"

"ARGH!" yelled Ron, but that just made them laugh harder.

Finally after everyone had composed themselves they walked down to the Great Hall. Harry looked at three of his best girl friends. Ginny, Hermione, and Raya were talking together and laughing. He then lover at his best guy friends. Neville and Draco were still talking about the pink pants as Ron kept telling them to shove it and kept threatening to sleep starkers. He looked back over at Raya, who caught his eye and beamed at him. She was beautiful.

"There is no way," thought Harry, "that we have the same genes."

They entered the Great Hall and all sat down. Soon after they did Luna came in and saw them and waved. She came over and sat beside Neville.

"Good Morning all," said Luna as a plate of bacon, toast, pancakes and a side of pumpkin juice appeared in front of her and everyone else.

"Good morning," everyone answered back.

Being Friday everyone looked up in astonishment when a white owl came flying in the Great Hall carrying a letter.

"Hedwig?" said Harry then he looked closer, "it is Hedwig!"

It, surprising, landed right next to Dumbledore and he took the letter, bowed his head to Hedwig and Hedwig flew off. Dumbledore opened the letter and started reading it. The rest of the Great Hall went back to its normal chatter but the eight friends stared as Dumbledore read. Dumbledore laid the letter down when he was finished and glanced at the eight friends. When breakfast was over Harry, Raya, Draco, Neville, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Luna made their way over to the staff table.

"Dumbledore?" asked Hermione, "who was the letter from?"

"The Dursley's," answered Dumbledore, "they managed to figure out that you give the letter to the owl that delivered it."

"What does it say?" asked Neville.

"It says that however much they disapprove that they see that the demand is not voluntary so they will have you," answered Dumbledore. "Now, you must leave if you do not want to be late for your next classes."

Hermione, Ginny, and Luna left the table while Raya, Harry, Ron, Neville, and Draco stayed.

"You should leave if you do not wish to be late for your next classes," repeated Dumbledore.

"We do wish to be late for our next class," said Draco, "we're all going to Divination."

"Let me rephrase then," said Dumbledore, "go to your next class."

The five reluctant 7th years all headed for the Divination Tower.

They reached the silver latter just as the last few students were climbing it.

"Ladies first," said Ron bowing in front of Raya.

"What gentlemen," laughed Raya as she climbed up the latter.

"Ladies first," said Ron again and bowed in front of Harry.

"I wouldn't be talking "Hot Chick"!" said Harry and he climbed the latter as fast as he could with Ron right behind him screaming.

Draco and Neville laughed the whole way up the latter.

The five friends sat at a table together. Raya had to sit between Ron and Harry to prevent Ron from jumping Harry.

"Everyone settle down," said a cloudy voice, "and we will begin."

Professor Trawlaney floated into the room.

"Today we will be looking in crystal orbs and seeing our future within them!" said Professor Trawlaney in her mystical voice.

Raya grabbed then cloth in the middle of their table that covered their orb and pulled it off.

In the orb was white mist that was very thick. Occasionally if you looked close enough bright blue jets that looked like lightening flash through the mist.

"Everyone will take out a piece of parchment," said Professor Trawlaney, "and a fresh quill."

All the students followed the instructions and then looked at her expectantly.

"Everyone will look in the orb and you will write what you see," said Professor Trawlaney, "everyone will see something different."

All the students nodded. Some were already dropping to sleep because of the potent smoke that circulated around the room from the fire.

"You may begin," said Professor Trawlaney.

The five friends all looked into their orbs. Raya began writing immediately. Draco followed soon after. It took Neville about one minute to begin writing. Ron finally after about five minutes began slowly scribbling messily across his piece of parchment he had borrowed from Raya. Harry strained his eyes and looked in the mist. Finally he began writing. After about a half an hour Professor Trawlaney's voice floated through the air once more.

"If everyone will stop what they are doing," said Professor Trawlaney.

Everyone stopped.

"I will collect everyone's papers and read them aloud," said Professor Trawlaney.

She picked Lavender's and Parvati's first, then moved to Dean's and Seamus's. Then she picked up the papers from Harry's table. Then moved to the table behind them where sat the new students Becca Pasternak, Alex Farberg and Catherine Collins. Then she moved to another table where some other new students sat: John Concher, Natalie Landi, and Spencer Nelson. Then she moved to a table of Hufflepuffs where among them sat the new student Hannah Batjer.

"Alright," said Professor Trawlaney, "let's hear from Miss Brown first."

Lavender and Parvati smiled.

"Lavender's is long so I am going to skip around," said Professor Trawlaney and she began, "She sees a large house and three kids running around in a large yard and she sees herself calling them in for dinner. And she sees a man coming in and kissing her on the cheek and telling her that dinner looks great honey."

"It looks like Seamus," Raya heard Lavender whisper to Parvati and they both giggled. Raya rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't that sound like a exciting and inspirational future," whispered Harry under his breath.

Parvati saw almost the same thing, whispering that it looked like Dean. And again the giggles followed.

Next was Kennan, who saw large piles of dusty books and papers and talismans all around him as he was looking at one large book in a different language with a magnify glass. Shahlaa saw lots of swords with odd writing and symbols all around her as she cast spells over them to make them say the symbols in speech form and then she would record the symbol. Andreanna a large star like shape carved within the ground of what looked like a dungeon with torches stuck in the ground around it. She saw herself on her knees in front of it with tools like brushes and chisels and she was studying the mark. Riley saw himself inside of forest, sitting down and looking a small piece of parchment intently. Calendae saw herself working at Honeydukes.

When Calendae's was being read Ron leaned over to Raya, "why couldn't that be mine!"

Theodore saw himself in the Auror department of the Ministry of Magic. Blake saw himself in a dark room reading a large black leather bound book with a red light emitting from the pages.

Then she read Neville's.

"Neville sees himself on a horse riding towards a great army, there are others with him. Many others that are by his side. They are at war," said Professor Trawlaney slowly, "oh my Neville! That seems grim indeed."

"Maybe not so," Draco blurted out, "what if Neville's army wins?"

Professor Trawlaney ignored him as she came to Ron's.

"Ron sees himself in two places. First is in a dark tomb like place with Harry they are looking for something. Here it says, the scene changes as Harry and I scream "We've found it! Come quick!" The scene changes to a house with the Weasleys on the front door, he sees himself grown up. Well Ron two very different futures are in store for you. Perhaps your choices will decide which one it is."

"Why can't it be both?" asked Ron.

Once again she ignored the comment as she took Draco's parchment to the top of the pile.

"Draco, you see dark figures swirling around you and Raya. You push her out of the way. A bright light shines. They orb goes pitch black."

She stared up at him.

"Draco," said Professor Trawlaney, "no matter how any Seer would perceive this, this is frightening future."

Raya threw a nervous glance that Draco saw was directed at him.

"Harry," said Professor Trawlaney.

Harry leaned over to Ron passed Raya, "What doom will she read?" asked Harry pretending to sound mystified.

They saw Professor Trawlaney take Harry's paper in one hand and look at the paper under it, which was Raya's, the last one.

"Oh my," said Professor Trawlaney and everyone grew silent.

"What is it?" asked Lavender and Parvati together, the most involved in any Divinations class. "What's happened?"

"In all my years I have never seen," started Trawlaney, "not even among the twins."

Harry and Raya looked at each other.

"They are exactly the same," said Trawlaney. "They both are poems."

"It was written out," said Raya, "I saw my future then in the mist I saw the poem that was written it described what I saw perfectly so I just wrote that down."

"Same with me," said Harry, "it just appeared."

Professor Trawlaney began to recite the poem:

Dark Towers fall, no more in might, Evil shrieks, the end of night,

Horses ride, armies great, Only these determine fate?

Both hot and cold, Fire and ice, The dark lord defeated once, then twice,

When the ultimate sacrifice is made the lord will know his place,

Banded from the human race,

When the sacrifice is mourned, The closest to it most forlorn,

When tears fall to the grave, The sacrifice might yet be saved

If mighty heart and ultimate love, Its soul returns from high and above,

When sun has failed and moon is dead, Only eight look on ahead,

The battles no yet won or fought, Through the war deliverance sought,

Please is the word the of the maiden's cry, Please do not let my only die,

The world will stop and hearts will too, Greatest sadness is placed upon through, The darkest of days the sadness will weigh, Until you want to live not another day,

The cry will be answered by the one, Evil follower's only son,

When rivers flood and all trees burn, Because of the eight hopes will yearn,

To come into the world and the eight will do so, All the world must be taught and the world must know,

The eight are the hope for the future and past, Though conquered at times, all will last.

I'm really proud of the poem I wrote it myself. It turned out okay! Please Review!