Chapter Sixteen

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As soon as Harry woke up the following morning, he went to his desk and pulled out a clean piece of parchment and a loaded quill. Before he could forget it, he wrote out the piece of the prophecy he saw in his dream and read over it a few times. Some of it made sense to him, but there were also parts that didn't fit with anything. Rolling up the parchment, he put it in the pocket of his cloak, intending to go over it with Ron, Hermione and Ginny at lunch time.

After showering and dressing, he headed down to breakfast and dropped into a seat next to Sev. The younger boy gave him a worried look.

“ Are you alright, Harry?”

“ I'm fine, Sev.”

“ You just look tired. Maybe you should take some Dreamless Sleep Potion tonight. I'll make you some if you like.”

“ I'll be alright, Sev. I just had a strange night last night.”

Sev looked over to see if the nearby Slytherins were listening, before whispering to his friend.

“ Did you dream about Shirley again?”

“ Yeah, I did. I'll tell you later, though. Meet me in my secret room at lunch; we'll discuss it with the other three. Hermione's smart, I might need her to interpret some things.”

“ Sure, I'll see you there.”

Harry thought it would be best to contact everyone else, and see if they would come. As soon as the other three were all in the Great Hall, he sent them a mental message.

~Ron? Hermione? Ginny? I have something important to discuss with you. Will you meet me in my room at lunch?~

~Alright. What's up, Harry?~

~I'll tell you all about it later, `Mione. I had a dream last night, and I know some of the Prophecy of Four~

~We'll be there. Are you bringing anyone else?~

~Sev's coming, but I think we should interpret it before we tell Dumbledore. He has more urgent things to worry about~

Harry would have told them more, but at just that moment, Lucius Malfoy came storming into the room. The Boy-Who-Lived could see the rage in his face, and started to feel a little uneasy. Although he knew he could beat him in a fight, he still remembered the adult Lucius he had met in the summer before his second year. He had been an intimidating figure to a twelve year old, and the way he looked now reminded Harry of that time.

“ Anguifer, I want a word with you.”

“ Go ahead, Malfoy. No-one's stopping you.”

“ Why is my room pink?”

“ That was a whole sentence, Lucius. I believe I permitted a word,” Harry said with a smirk. Malfoy's look darkened.

“ Just answer the question, Anguifer.”

“ Why would I know why your room is pink?”

“ Because you were the one who changed the colour!”

“ And I take it you have proof of this?”

“ I DON'T NEED PROOF, YOU STUPID MUDBLOOD!”

“ Calm down Lucius, you'll burst a blood vessel. You wouldn't want something like that to happen now, would you? It would ruin that Malfoy perfection now, wouldn't it?”

“ I will not have you lording it over me, Anguifer. You have no right to cross a Malfoy like this.”

“ Really? Why would that be?”

“ You need to have some respect for your betters.”

“ Well, when I meet my betters, I'll be sure to show them the proper respect.”

“ I'll show you! Serpensortia!”

When the snake burst out of the seventh year's wand, Harry reacted instinctively.

*Attack the blond boy!*

Lucius gaped at his conjured snake as it turned to attack him instead of Harry. Those in earshot were giving Harry funny looks when they realised he had spoken in parseltongue. With a wave of his hand, the Slytherin placed memory charms on those who had heard before they could spread the word. The last thing he needed was word getting around that he could talk to snakes. It would be like his second year all over again. As soon as Lucius got rid of the advancing snake, Harry sent a curse at him in retaliation. It was one he had been meaning to try for a while, but the right opportunity had never presented itself. Now seemed as good a time as any. The attention of the whole hall was caught as Lucius Malfoy started to sing at the top of his voice.

“ This is the song that never ends,

It just goes on and on my friends,

Some people started singing it not knowing what it was

And they'll continue singing it forever just because,

This is the song that never ends,

It just goes on and on my friends,

Some people started singing it not knowing what it was

And they'll continue singing it forever just because,

This is the song that never ends….”

All of the students were laughing their heads off as the Malfoy heir tried to stop singing, with no success. Dumbledore, amidst chuckles, tried to reverse the effects but nothing he tried worked, much to Lucius' dismay. Eventually, the headmaster cast a silencing charm on him to shut him up, although his mouth was still moving constantly. Once the boy had been silenced, Sev leaned over to his friend.

“ Harry, what did you do?”

“ I made him song `the song that never ends' over and over.”

“ When will it wear off?”

“ It won't. That's the point!”

“ Will you take it off eventually?”

“ Nope. As you could see, the headmaster couldn't break the spell. The only thing that can stop it is a shock of powerful Dark magic. I knew Dumbledore would never use that, which is why I set the spell that way.”

“ So, when will it end?”

“ What will happen, Sev, when he goes to a Death Eater meeting? Do you think Shirley will stand for one of his servants mouthing something all the way through the meeting? He'll take off the silencing spell…”

Sev started laughing loudly, earning him some rather strange looks from his fellow Slytherins.

“ Harry, that's classic! I just hope I'm there to see it…”

“ If you are, you have to tell me all about it.”

At lunch, Harry went to meet his friends in his room. When he got there, he realised he was the first to arrive. He started to practice some sword work until a noise made him turn suddenly. Sev was leaning against the wall, watching him work in awe.

“ You're really good, Harry.”

“ You should see Ron. He's the master of the sword. Gin's best with archery, and Hermione's the martial arts expert.”

“ What do you specialise in?”

“ Duelling. I know more hexes and curses than anybody else, both Light and Dark. You see, I have the edge over both Dumbledore and Voldemort, both of which generally stick to their own branch of magic. I use both Light and Dark equally, giving me the advantage.”

“ I see. That's why you always win in battles against the Death Eaters.”

“ Yes, it is. Always remember in future, use both types of magic. Normally, Death Eaters stick to Dark spells, as they are more powerful and make them seem superior for being able to use them. However, if you use Light curses as well, you can do just as much, if not more, damage without tiring yourself out.”

“ I'll try and remember that.”

“ So, do you want to practice until the others arrive?”

Sev went over the armoury and pulled out a sword that suited his purposes and began a mock battle with Harry. Over the last six months of nightly training, the young Slytherin had become rather good. He was nowhere near the standard of the time travellers, but he was better than others his age. When Hermione, Ron and Ginny came through the door, they stared in shock at the battling teens. Harry was moving effortlessly, his motions smooth and each flowing into the next. Sev was graceful in his moves, but more economical than Harry, exerting himself no more than necessary. What surprised the students was how well the two Slytherins worked together. Of course, the time travellers were used to working well as a team, and it was a bit of a shock for them to realise that Harry had built such a close relationship with their greasy Potions professor. After about twenty minutes, Harry noticed they were all standing watching, and faltered in his move, allowing Sev to open a deep gash in his arm. The younger boy immediately threw down his sword and went to examine the wound.

“ Harry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…”

“ It's alright, Sev. I got distracted. It was my own fault. It'll heal in a few minutes anyway.”

“ How?” Sev asked in confusion.

“ You're forgetting I'm part vampire. I heal fast when it's only shallow wounds.”

At this point, Hermione thought it would be prudent to interrupt. To gain their attention, she cleared her throat. When they turned to her, she gestured for them all to sit down. Before he sat, Harry took the prophecy out of his pocket and duplicated the parchment, handing a copy to each of his friends. As the others read over it, Harry sat back in his armchair to assess their reactions. Hermione had a contemplative look on her face, as if she was trying to figure out the missing piece of a puzzle. Ginny seemed to understand some of it, but frowned as she read the last few lines. Ron and Sev just looked confused. Hermione was the first to comment.

“ Well, some of it makes sense, Harry. At least the first part does. After that, it gets a bit fuzzy. Some of the details don't fit with what we already know.”

“ I know what you mean. I remember thinking that at the time.”

Before any further comments could be made, Sev stood up and picked up his bag. Turning to Harry, he gave him an apologetic look.

“ Sorry, Harry. I have to go to Transfiguration. I don't have a free period like you four. I'll see you at dinner.”

As soon as the younger boy was out of the room, Ginny let out a sigh of relief.

“ It's just as well it's the end of lunch. Some of the things we need to discuss are about the future, and you know we can't talk about it while he's here.”

“ I still don't know why to trust the greasy git so much, Harry,” Ron said, “ I mean, you know what he's like in the future. He hates you!”

“ Ron, what you have to remember is that Sev's a spy. In the future, he's mean and grumpy, but I was the one who taught him to be like that. Something I hated to do, but was necessary. Also, he hates me as Harry Potter, the son of James Potter. You've seen first hand that the Marauders don't get on with him. They've not been too bad since I've been friends with them and Sev, as I've been keeping their confrontations to a minimum. But you can guarantee that as soon as we go home, they'll be at each other's throats again. One thing you have to bear in mind is that the Sev I know here doesn't know that I'm a Potter. He's learned to like me for who I am as a person, and hasn't judged me because of my father.”

“ I suppose. But you'll never get me to like him.”

“ I'm not asking you to like him, Ron. I just want you to be civil with each other. You managed it during the prank war, so I don't see why you would stop now. Anyway, we have more pressing issues to discuss. Like the meaning of this prophecy.”

“ Well, we need to take it a line at a time, and see if we all agree on an interpretation. I mean, we may all have different ideas about it,” Hermione said, going into full research mode.

“ You have to remember, `Mione, that Voldie doesn't know much of the ancient Egyptian language. He's using dictionaries to interpret it, and some of the translation may not be entirely accurate. Why he doesn't use a translation spell I will never know, but then again, he's not the sanest person on the planet.”

“ That's a good point, Harry, and we'll take it into consideration.”

“ We should start with the first line,” Ginny said, “ `Line of the Basilisk and line of the Lion', I'm assuming that refers to bloodlines. Probably Gryffindor and Slytherin. As far back as anyone can trace those families have been represented my snakes and lions. And Slytherin did have a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.”

“ True. Anyone have any other ideas?” Hermione asked. When she received shakes of the head in reply, she started to furiously take notes in a Muggle notebook.

“ `Forever locked in mortal toil' probably refers to the feuds between the two families that have been going on for thousands of years,” Ron added, “ And `Shall meet before the end of each millennium' fits with that. It was the end of the last millennium that Harry was in on the battle in the Chamber of Secrets between Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor.”

“ True. And it's at the end of this millennium that Voldie's causing trouble. Whoever the heir of Gryffindor is will have to face him at the end of the century.”

“ But I thought you were the one going to face him, Harry?” Ginny asked in confusion.

“ So did I. But I'm the heir of Ravenclaw, not Gryffindor, so I doubt it could be me.”

“ You're right, Harry. It can't be you. The lion symbol traditionally has nothing to do with the Ravenclaw family. Anyway, the prophecy continues with `In a battle to the death, the final fight shall come, ten thousand years from this day'. I guess that means that one line or the other will be wiped out ten thousand years after the prophecy was written. Harry, do you know how old the prophecy is?”

“ I don't know, `Mione. Voldemort didn't say. Quite old, I would say, if it was ancient Egyptian.”

“ I thought the Egyptian civilisation was around for thousands of years?” Ginny asked.

“ It was. The magical one even longer than the Muggle one. The magical Egyptians flourished between eleven and eight thousand years ago. The Muggles were at the end of and after that period. It could be any time in between.”

“ How do you know so much on the topic, Harry?” Hermione asked the green eyed boy.

“ I've been reading up on it, as well as learning some of the language. I might be able to get my hands on the original, and do a more accurate translation.”

“ That makes sense. Anyway, the next bit goes `Where the Lion and the Snake will fight to the end, the Snake, backed by darkness, shall fall to the Lion'. That seems like Slytherin will fall to Gryffindor. The heir of Slytherin using Dark Magic, and the heir of Gryffindor using Light magic.”

“ Can't be Harry then,” Ron snorted.

“ What do you mean by that, Weasley,” Harry said in an acid tone. Ron looked a little taken aback.

“ Calm down, mate. I just mean that you're a Dark Wizard. You've said so often enough. You'd use Light and Dark Magic, not just Light.”

“ True. Sorry Ron, I'm just a bit touchy on the subject. I'm still worried people think I'm turning evil.”

“ S'ok, mate. So, you think it means that the Gryffindor family defeats the Slytherin line once and for all?”

“ That's the impression it gives,” Ginny agreed, “ The next bit supports that. `The Light will prevail' means that the side of Light will vanquish the Dark forces, but the next bit's a bit confusing. `Helped by four, the Healer, the Seer, the Lion and the Wise One, the hope for all, the power of all, chosen by fate, the serve the Light for all eternity'. What do you think that means? I mean, the Seer could be me, and the Healer could be Ron, but I'm not sure about the rest.”

“ `Mione would be the wise one,” Ron said with a grin, earning chuckles from his sister and best friend, and a blush from his girlfriend.

“ Ron! You can't be serious.”

“ He's right, `Mione. You're the wise one, and I'm guessing the four refers to us. Of course, the wise one could be Dumbledore, of even another person altogether, but I think after everything that's happened over the last two and a half years it's safe to say we all have destinies. The next lines of the prophecy back this up. `Hope for all, the power of all, chosen by fate' could mean we were fated to come on this trip. We already know that we were meant to come, as our presence has kept the timelines right. When Glenadade was born, we knew we were destined for greatness. Maybe this is what it has all been building up to.”

“ Harry's right. We came here for a reason, and it's all starting to make sense.”

“ I don't get it, though. Harry can't be the Lion. Sure, he was a Gryffindor when he was first Sorted, but we now know that he's the heir of Ravenclaw, not of Gryffindor.”

“ I agree with Ron,” Ginny spoke up. Hermione had a sudden look of concentration on her face, as if she was trying to figure something out before a look of comprehension spread over her features. She looked up to her friends, who were shooting her questioning glances, before explaining.

“ I have a theory.”

“ Here we go,” muttered Ron.

“ Shut up, Ron. Have any of you ever wondered why Harry's so powerful? I mean, magically. We know his vamp senses make him strong, but even before that he managed things no-one else his age could. Facing Voldemort so many times before and after we left. Even now, he can perform complex spells wandlessly, while the rest of us can't. We got the same training as he did, but we are not magically strong enough to do the hardest spells without using our wands.”

“ What's your point?” Ron asked in irritation. He hated being reminded how superior his friend was to the rest of them. Ron got jealous easily, and while he knew Harry had had a hard life, he still hated having it pointed out to him how strong Harry really was.

“ My point, Ronald, is that some of it can be explained away quite easily. His great grandmother is an elf. Elves are very powerful magical creatures, so naturally some of that would have been passed down through Minh and James. You can even figure his Ravenclaw ancestors into the equation. But think about that logically. While it would have an effect, how much of that power would have been diluted over a thousand years of marrying less powerful witches and wizard.”

“ I see your point, `Mione, but where are you going with this. Why am I so powerful, if it was diluted like that?”

“ I'm getting to that. Now, just imagine that each of those factors is figured in, but there is still an unknown quantity. Something not identified before. Something that combined with the elven and Ravenclaw ancestry to produce a powerful wizard.”

“ Are you going to get to the point any time soon, `Mione? We have charms in forty minutes.”

Hermione didn't answer; she simply stood up and headed over to one of the bookshelves on the other side of the room. After a few minutes, she let out a triumphant whoop and headed back to her friends. Sitting down, she placed an open book in her lap and stared at a bewildered Harry.

“ You all know Minh-Minh-Lama is a half elf, right?”

“ Does any of you know who her father was?”

Everyone shook their heads. Hermione smiled and handed the open book over to Harry, who gasped when he saw what she was getting at. He looked at the staring redheads and whispered his great grandfather's name.

“ Ethelred Gryffindor.”