Prompt: Prophecy

Chapter 22: Prophecy

Ron stood outside the boundary of the shielded camp. Hogwarts castle loomed in the distance. He wanted to rewind everything and return to school. Like nothing happened. It was foolish to wish for such things. The girl he thought he loved at one time was dead and his best mate was slowly descending into madness. His mother was dead, their whole family feeling completely unmoored. Ron even missed Percy and his smug pretension. Some days the war felt like it was going in their favor and other days it was hard to process the losses. Ginny scared him the most. She was volunteering for every assignment that was posted to the board. Ron would take it upon himself to volunteer for as many as those assignments as he could managed to make sure someone was watching her back. Not that she needed it. He'd just be damned if he lost his only sister too. He couldn't make all of them, someone needed to keep an eye on Harry too.

A stick cracked somewhere to his left. Lighting the tip of his wand, Ron turned toward the sound but took a step back in case he needed to run back into the shields.

"I mean you no harm," Firenze said as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Bloody hell, you almost got hit square in the chest with a knockback jinx. This is the only path that's off limits. Everyone agreed to that," Ron said in a hushed voice. He didn't want to draw the attention of anyone else. The truce that had been brokered with the sentient beings and creatures was already tenuous.

"The prohibition wasn't really framed as an option, but I understand. This is important and I can't trust just anyone. When I saw you, I took a chance," the centaur said, stepping back, hoping Ron would follow into the shadows.

Ron walked up to the edge of the marked path, took one step off of it and into the tree line. "What is it? Trouble in the forest?" he asked, waiting for the day the inhabitants revolted and made the war a two-pronged assault.

"Well yes, but nothing urgent. You need to know about a prophecy we have received."

Divinations certainly wasn't Ron's favorite subject, the topic had been much improved when Firenze took over from Trelawney. The centaur had a way of connecting it all to signs in the planets and stars that made much more sense than searching for shapes and symbols in tea leaves. "Who's it about?"

"Indirectly, Potter. And the dark lord."

"Indirectly? That doesn't sound very useful. Let's hear it," Ron said and swallowed. He didn't think his outlook could get worse.

The centaur produced a familiar globe and held it out for Ron to take it. When he hesitated Firenze shook his head. "It's not protected. Anyone can touch it."

As soon as it touched Ron's palm, a voice echoed in the darkness. "When the sun is eight days in the eighth house and the black moon lilith lights the darkness of the tenth house, a boy will be born in a land between two bays. He'll be a stranger who never knew another home. Hidden in secret, he'll hold the key to freeing the wizard with two souls from the wizard with a shattered soul. A mother's love will be forced to choose. The one she chose to love or the one made by that love. If she makes no choice, the soul lost may be her own. When the snake is killed, go to the place where this all began. Where the other mother made her choice. The victor will be made that day. The future decided."

Ron tried to process the mysterious message, it felt like something that could make sense. Maybe after the fact. That's what Hermione always said. People only remembered the parts of divination that the seer got right, making it feel like they predicted the future. "The wizard with two souls? That's Harry?" Something about the changes his friend seemed to make sense at the utterance.

The centaur nodded. "There's darkness in Harry. It was always there, but it's in control now."

"Who's the boy between two bays?"

"We don't know, but based on what I've seen, he was born last week. July 31. If I were you, I'd try to find him and his mother. Figure out what makes them so special before they're forced to confront the dark lord."

"Oh sure, just scour the country for every boy born last week Friday," Ron shot back.

Firenze shook his head. "I wouldn't limit your search to this country. Something about the planets and stars I see, I don't think it was our sky."

"Don't suppose you can narrow it down at all?"

"I'm afraid not. Not right now. If we see anything else, I will find you. Good luck Ron Weasley."

And with that, Ron was alone with just his thoughts and a glowing ball of doom. July 31. That had been Harry's birthday. There hadn't been much celebrating. They raided a death eater safe house.

"Ron? What are you doing out here?" Ginny called out as she walked up path from Hogsmeade. She wasn't meant to be back until the next day.

He turned to meet his sister, not questioning why she had returned to the camp so early. He'd have to trust her with the prophecy. Maybe she'd have some ideas on where to start looking for the baby. "We need to talk. Let's go to the burrow," he said, took her hand before she could say anything else and apparated.

"What has gotten into you?" she asked after regaining her bearings.

"This," Ron said, put the orb in her hands and let her listen. "It's from the centaurs," he explained when it was done speaking and filled her in on the rest of Firenze's information.

"A mother is going to be made to choose between her son and his father? And the father is Harry?"

"That's a leapt. How'd you work that one out?"

She rolled her eyes at her brother. "Unless you think You-Know-Who is having babies with someone, what other interpretation is there?"

"You think you and Harry are going to get back together. That's a stretch," Ron said.

Ginny slapped him upside the head. "I didn't have a baby on Friday. And no, we're not getting back together."

They didn't broach the subject of the rift between her and Harry. Ron did his best to calculate dates. His best friend would have had to have gotten someone pregnant the previous fall. When he had abandoned them. Ron swallowed the lump in his throat. Even then he knew things were changing with his two friends. At the time, he thought the horcrux made him think that. Harry's reaction to Hermione's capture was all the proof Ron needed that the relationship was different. "The only person who could have given birth to Harry's baby on Friday was Hermione. And we know that's not possible. This prophecy can't be talking about a son of Harry's."

"Let's take this to Professor Trelawney. She'll have more experience interpreting it," Ginny said, looking concerned about the development.

Ron wasn't sure the divination's professor would be entirely helpful. He also didn't have any other ideas. He took the orb from her. "Yeah. Alright. I'll meet with her tomorrow. Why were you looking for me?"

"It's Draco. He sent me a message. He wants to meet, but doesn't want Harry to know. He said I could bring you if I didn't trust him."

"Damn right we don't trust him. How did he know where to find you?" Ron asked, his temper rising.

"He left a note for me at Gringotts with the Goblins. He said we can name the time and place."

Trusting Draco Malfoy wasn't a thing Ron was inclined to do. Even so, if Draco had taken the risk and was willing to meet on their terms, it could be worth hearing him out. "The Shrieking Shack. Tomorrow, after dark," Ron decided, not happy with the development. "And this prophecy stays with us for now."

"Agreed," Ginny answered. "Come in for dinner. Dad would be happy to see us. Fred and George are coming tonight too."

Torn between spending time with his family and watching over Harry, Ron finally relented. A night with everyone would put things into perspective. "You're not cooking are you?" he joked, ducking quick enough to avoid another slap to the head. Her laugh lifting the dark cloud that hung around him. The prophecy could wait and it might never make sense. It was tomorrow's problem.