Chapter 1
Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts had been, so far, the most tiring and nerve-wracking of them all. The pressure of NEWTs, his position as Quidditch captain, and the war left him feeling utterly exhausted. And no matter how worn out he was, he still had to clear his mind before bed. Occlumency had become as much a necessity as eating and breathing. Some days the only thing that kept him going was the unwavering support he had from Ron and Hermione. If not for their stubborn need to be there for him no matter how hard he tried to push them away, he didn't know if he'd have made it this far. For the past year and a half, they had saved him in more ways than one.
It seemed that every year, Harry would have new images to add to his nightmares. The most recent one was of the end of sixth year, when he had been forced to face Bellatrix Lestrange again. She had mercilessly taunted him about Sirius while pointing her wand at Ron, who was unconscious after being stunned by a curse meant for Hermione. In that moment, he was sure he was going to lose his best friend. And there was nothing anyone could do that would prevent him from killing Bellatrix if that happened.
None of them were prepared, though, for the power of Hemione's rage as Bellatrix prepared to use the Killing Curse on Ron.
The only thing Harry saw was the flick of Hermione's wand, and Bellatrix was knocked out before she had a chance to react. In her arrogance, Bellatrix never bothered to disarm a simple mudblood, concentrating her efforts on Harry instead. Harry had never been so thankful for having one of the most brilliant witches that had ever passed through Hogwarts as one of his best friends. He didn't know what he would do if he lost one of them. He had lost too much already, and he refused to lose them. It just wasn't possible.
He tried to push these thoughts out of his head. He had to clear his mind and go to sleep. He was already in his pajamas when Ron entered the dormitory.
"Harry?"
"Yes?" Harry looked at Ron, who seemed anxious.
"Professor McGonagall is downstairs. She said Dumbledore needs to talk with the three of us."
"Now?"
"Yeah, it seems important."
Ever since Sirius’ death, Dumbledore made sure to tell Harry anything that had to do with his safety, and at his request, his best friends were to be included when it was possible. Harry felt a shudder run along his spine. He had a bad feeling about this. And not the kind of bad feeling that he associated with danger. It was unnerving, but he had learned to trust his instincts again.
Professor McGonagall definitely looked worried. He had never seen that particular look on her face before. It just served to increase his unease. Both Ron and Hermione were walking behind him, and hadn't said a single word during the entire way to Dumbledore's office.
When they finally reached their destination, they found the room crowded. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were talking quietly with Remus Lupin. A few Order members were waiting at the entrance, Professor Snape was standing behind Professor Dumbledore, and, to their surprise, Hermione's parents were there as well.
"Mum? Dad? What's wrong?" said Hermione, running to her parents as soon as she spotted them sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk. They looked stricken.
Hermione's mother stood up and embraced her daughter. "Everything is fine, dear. Don't worry. Everything will be all right."
"What are you doing here?"
Mr. Granger stood placed his hands on both his wife and daughter's shoulders. "Calm down, Hermione. There is nothing wrong with us."
Hermione didn't look convinced, but she sat down between her parents and waited to see what this meeting was all about.
In another corner, Mrs. Weasley was trying to keep Ron in her arms as he tried to escape, much to the amusement of Mr. Weasley. "Mum, please, I'm okay."
"All right there, Harry?" Harry turned to see Remus at his side.
"Yes, I'm all right. It's good to see you, Remus."
His former professor smiled at him. He looked tired, but not as worn out as he was the last time Harry had seen him at Christmas break. Harry was glad Remus seemed in better shape. He had suffered and lost too much in his life, just like Harry had. Maybe it was what had made them even closer in the past couple of years.
Harry was about to ask him if he knew why Dumbledore called this meeting when the Headmaster stood and cleared his throat. "Good evening. Thank you for coming on such a short notice." He looked at all the attendees. His eyes moved to the Order members that were at the door, and nodded at them. They filed out of the room quietly. When the door closed, he continued. "You must be wondering why I asked you here. I'll try to be as succinct as I can.
"Last week, after a staff meeting, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall and I were discussing some points. Professor Trelawney came back to pick up something she forgot. Before she could leave, however, she had another prophecy."
Harry felt Dumbledore's eyes on him, and felt his stomach clench. None of Trelawney's prophecies had been positive, especially not for him. He didn't know if he wanted to hear any more, but no matter how bad it was, he knew he had to be strong. Harry was aware that Voldemort was planning a massive attack soon, and the more information he had, the better. Trelawney was, for the most part, a fraud, but he had to admit that both times she’d had a real vision, they were eerily accurate.
Dumbledore was grave when he proceeded. "It is a prophecy that could bring a new hope for the Wizarding World, but that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands. And I'm afraid that Voldermort is already aware of some parts of this new prophecy."
End of Chapter 1
Author's Note: Many thanks to Kedavra77 and Thalia Chaunacy. Your suggestions and beta work helped a lot.
Dedication: for Anna, my dear friend, sister, and official cheerleader of this story. Thank you for everything, honey.