Harry’s feet slammed into the ground. As he found his balance he took looked note of his surroundings. He stood in the grimy house of black. Two other people sat at the table, quietly drinking their mug of butterbeer.
“Harry!” gasped Hermione in relief. “What happened?” Ron too got up from his chair, looking quite pale. “I mean, I went to Professor Dumbledore’s office but you didn’t come! So then I went down to Lupin’s office and told him everything, and the he left and gave me this coin, and I ended up here─”
Harry waked silently walked over to the chair and sat down, running his fingers through his hair.
“Harry, what…?” Hermione said softly. Ron walked over to where Harry was sitting. Harry looked at their puzzled expressions, and with an enormous effort he told them what had happened.
Every word caused him pain, making him sink deeper into the reality that was his fate. Before he was even able to walk, he was marked as ‘the equal’. Before now Harry had never taken the prophecy seriously. He knew it was true, but never truly accepted it. He had always thought that nothing could happen as long as Dumbledore was present.
Harry’s throat seemed to constrict as he finished. Ron and Hermione looked horrified. “S-so Dumbledore’s really…?” Hermione whispered. Harry slowly nodded.
Ron spoke with a mortifyingly serious tone, “W-we’re done for. The castle, the Order… all doomed.” He would have continued had Hermione not stepped on his foot and inclined her head towards Harry, who was determined to make a spot on the floor interesting.
All the events that had happened to him flooded into his mind.* Each time he had been saved by Dumbledore. They sat in silence, as the seconds grew longer.
A loud crack broke the moment. Lupin appeared into the kitchen and looked almost apologetically at them all. Harry bowed his head and looked back down at the knot in the wood. Hermione walked forward.
“Professor…? Err… How long are we going to stay here?” asked Hermione.
“Most likely until morning,” said Lupin “The Order has put together and emergency meeting for tonight to straiten a few things out.” His eyes lingered over to Harry. “Meanwhile, is there anything you need from the castle?”
Ron and Hermione shook there heads. Harry, however, thought for a moment. There was something he had needed to tell the Order since last summer.
“I… I need my Pensieve.” he said quietly. Lupin gave a faint smile, as though waiting to hear this, and nodded.
“I shall be back shortly then,” he said, and with a small pop was gone.
“What d’you need your Pensieve for?” Ron asked. Harry shook his head.
“I’ll tell you later.” Hermione nodded.
“Poor Lupin,” Hermione said sympathetically, “I’d bet you anything he’s feeling completely responsible for this.”
“Why would he feel─” Ron started.
“Because he lost the map.” Hermione said simply. “Furthermore he allowed a Death Eater to get hold of it. He looked horrified when I came into his office.”
“Hermione, that’s a bit harsh,” Harry started.
“But it’s true is it not?” Hermione snapped. Harry felt his temper rise but forced the urge to yell back. Yelling won’t help anything, Harry told himself.
“Hermione, listen to me. It’s my fault of what happened today,” Harry said, “all of it. We knew that Lupin didn’t have his map. We knew he lost it in Hogsmeade. I gave you my clock and my map so that you could wander around after hours. When I saw that you were missing, I went to find Professor Dumbledore, but when I couldn’t find him I decide to wander into the Death Eaters trap, even though I knew what they were planning to do.”
“But Harry, it’s not our fault Lupin lost his map─” Hermione started.
“We are sixteen, and you’re seventeen, Hermione. We can hardly blame this on Lupin. We know better. Lupin was supposed to watch things around the castle, not us.” Harry said firmly. Hermione stood dumbfounded in the room with her mouth hung open slightly. She knew he was right, but didn’t want to accept it. “I’m sorry Hermione.” finished Harry.
“Me too.” Ron said. Harry and Hermione turned to looked at him.
“Why you─” Hermione started.
“I didn’t do anything to stop you, and… I saw the Death Eater leave with the map, I just didn’t really think about it.” said Ron, as though he had wanted to say this for days. Harry and Ron turned to Hermione, waiting for her to say something.
“I-I never should have snuck out of the castle in the first place.” she said finally under the help of Ron’s penetrating stare. “Your right, Harry, I-I’m seventeen.” she said more sincerely. Ron seemed satisfied and sat back in his chair.
“So what are we gonna do, you know, with no Dumbledore?” Ron asked quietly. Harry shook his head. He wanted nothing more than to sit alone in his chair.
The sound of flames echoed into the room. Lupin had reappeared into the room holding Harry’s Pensieve. Harry thanked him before he Disapparated again. Hermione stared at the Pensieve in deep thought.
By the evening more members of the Order had appeared than Harry new were even part of the Order. He tried at all costs to avoid them all. Seeing so many worried people made him feel extraordinarily guilty. Ron and Hermione seemed to feel the same, for they were sitting close to him in the bedroom.
Two loud cracks filled the room. They all looked behind them at Fred and George. “The meeting’s about to start,” Fred told them, “Lupin said you should know.” he said with a shrug.
“Does that mean your going then?” Ron asked them. Fred and George nodded.
“Mum recons she can’t control what we do anymore since we’re of age now.” George said, satisfied. With that the two Apparated out of the room.
“Common,” murmured Harry, and set off down the stair with his Pensieve. Ron and Hermione followed.
Order members were piling into the meeting room. Lupin stood next to the door. “Professor, I want to explain about the prophecy,” Harry said, ignoring Ron and Hermione’s expressions. Lupin smiled grimy at him.
“You will be the first speaker tonight,” he explained, “After that I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”
“Can they come,” asked Harry, pointing to Ron and Hermione. “For the first part at least?” Lupin nodded and pushed them into the meeting room.
“Remus,” Mrs. Weasley said as Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the room. “What on earth do you think your ─” Lupin held up his hand and motioned her over to the other side of the room.
“As soon has everyone settles down you can begin, Harry,” he said and started talking to Mrs. Weasley.
Harry walked up to the podium standing in the front of the room. The room was fairly large and quite dark, to the point where he could just barely make out who was in the room. The floor was lined with several wooded benches. Harry’s pensieve gave off a bright glow that illuminated Harry’s face.
Members of the Order looked at him and started whispering to amongst themselves. Lupin gave a loud cough, causing everyone to silence. He inclined his head towards Harry, indicating for him to start. Harry turned back to the Order members and began to talk.
“I… I would like to…” Harry started but then gave a frustrated sigh. “I was foolish; more so than it seems.” He turned his gaze away from the audience. “But, not all is lost. I-I’ll show you why.” Harry reasoned.
Harry propped his Pensieve onto the podium and summoned the memory that would explain everything. Slowly he drew his hand up, dragging the memory of the prophecy with it. The image of Professor Trelawney began to talk in a deep voice. Harry stepped back to give everyone a clear view.
The Order was shocked, though they listened hard all the same. None of them knew that Dumbledore had known the contents of the prophecy.
Professor Trelawney continued to talk. “…AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER, FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES…”*
He looked over to Hermione, who was repeating the words in her head. She seemed to finally understand, and gave him a horrified look. Harry looked away. He was afraid of this reaction.
The image of Trelawney sunk back into the Pensieve. Everyone remained silent. The angry faces that greeted him were now quite expressionless. Harry inclined his head slightly and moved away from the podium.
He began to walk towards the door, but two long arms flew around is neck. Harry looked around at Hermione, who was embracing him in a very tight hug. She was not crying, or using Harry for support. She stood strongly by his side.
“Times are becoming dark Harry,” she said firmly. “People are dying, and its going to get worse. You’re not alone. You’ve got the whole Order of the Phoenix behind you, backing you up, and a lot of friends who care about you. That* the difference between us and Voldemort! We care! That’s how you are going to defeat him Harry. With people backing you up with the utmost loyalty and friendship. That’s the difference between you and Voldemort.”
*You want ‘that’s’ not ‘that’
Everyone stood in bewilderment. Hermione looked deeply at Harry, her eyes determined.
“She’s right you know?” came a voice from the seats. Ron stood up and walked next to him. “That prophecy can really throw you off. It said that you’re the only one who can kill V-Voldemort, not that you have to do it alone.”
And with that they silently left the room, all looking older than when they came in
a/n: Thank you so much Masked One for beta reading this chapter! Also, I just started a new fanfic, Entombed in Azkaban, so if you want to go read it!