Headmaster Dumbledore.
Professor Potter.
Professor MacGonagall.
Professor Snape.
It was like a roll call of persons designed to make Neville maximally nervous. Cedric sat quietly.
Hermione sat loudly.
Questions boiled out of her as though they'd been simmering for days, which Neville supposed they had been while she recovered.
"Perhaps it is best, Miss Granger, if I start from the beginning." The old man behind the beard and purple pajamas began.
"Fifteen years ago, during the middle of the war, there was a prophecy concerning the Dark Lord."
Lily grimaced, and shot Dumbledore a dirty look, but the headmaster continued as though he did not notice.
"The prophecy concerned his downfall. And the Dark Lord took steps to prevent its happening. However, in doing so, he revealed a secret. In pursuit of power and immortality, he created objects of foul magic; items born of murder. Items known as horcruxes. While these objects survive, the Dark Lord cannot be killed by any means."
Hermione's hand shot into the air.
"Yes, Miss Granger, do you have a question?"
"That doesn't make any sense, Headmaster. What happens if You-Know-Who's body is completely obliterated?"
"Then he will rise as a spirit, little more than a ghost... until he can find some power to fully restore himself."
"Also, what information did he reveal to lead you to that hypothesis? And what did the prophecy say exactly?"
This time it was Lily who answered. "I saw him make one. With the murder of my son." Hermione's voice caught in her throat.
"We both know the only reason that I'm here, Albus, but unless you want me to leave and do this on my own, you'll tell the prophecy to the student I had to stun to save, and net time you'll bring Moody." Lily's gaze was fire and ice. Seated as far across the room from her as possible, Severus straightened so subtly that Neville was unsure if anyone else noticed, although after, Dumbledore gave Neville a knowing wink.
"Well, Professor, if you insist. I'll summon Alastor and we will reconvene. But for now, to answer your questions, Miss Granger.
They are Horcruxes; they carry the psychic residue of the Dark Lord; they are being stored in a secret vault in Gringott's until we find a way to destroy them; you three have been found trustworthy and noble; yes, and no." Neville blinked absently at the flurry of words, but Hermione nodded along.
"Sir." Cedric spoke up finally, less nervous than respectful, Neville thought, although everyone always seemed less nervous than he felt.
"While I can believe that we are trustworthy, there are other students well or better suited to these tasks. In particular, why not start with seventh years? Or at the least, the Weasley twins?"
"Consider," Snape drawled, "the current roster of seventh year students, how many show any initiative whatsoever, versus how many are young death eaters, or soon to be."
"And you will find Miss Granger," MacGonagall added, that the reason you were not missed was that the Weasley twins managed to change which hallways went to which common rooms for a good three hours last night. We have only just managed to get the corridors to settle back down."
As the students left the Headmaster's office, an invisible force pulled them into a closed-off corridor, and a faceless voice, uttered dozens of charms. All three of them had wands drawn but barely had time to put shields up before Lily Potter Evans' head, and only her head, appeared.
"Sorry to startle you, but the headmaster and I have different ideas about how much you should know and when ou should be allowed to learn it. I managed to get this for you, for now." She handed them a few slips of paper. "It won't be long before Albus knows I've done this, but by then I hope you'll know enough." Lily's head vanished again, leaving them agape, to read what she had written.
"Spoken by Sybill Trelawney to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore on the eve of April 16th, 1980.
The One with the Power to Vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to Three Defiances, born as the Seventh Month Dies.
And the Dark Lord will Choose him as his Equal, but his Power will be Unknown.
And One must die at the Hand of the Other, for Those Two different spirits Cannot Exist in the Same World."