When the alarm clock woke Harry at half-past-six the following morning, a few rays of sunshine were beginning to peek through the window. Harry yawned as he sat up in the bed and stretched. While his body was urging him to go back to sleep, Harry knew he needed to get up and write a couple letters to send out with Hedwig, before the early-to-rise Muggles noticed her flying around. He scooted across the bed and over to his school trunk, and opened it up. He pulled out some writing material, then walked over to the desk near the window and sat down.
The first letter he wrote to was to Ragnok. He offered to meet with Ragnok for the scheduled appointment anytime between tomorrow and Friday. He knew Hermione's parents would likely approve of such a trip. Even if they didn't tag along, they would probably like the idea that Tonks would be joining him and Hermione as a chaperone. As Harry thought about it, he realized it was probably best if Hermione's parents didn't come along, given that Harry and Hermione had some important things to do that her parents couldn't be a part of. Tonks could side-along Apparate him and Hermione to Diagon Alley and back easily. Harry finished up the letter saying that he looked forward to meeting with Ragnok and the harvesters.
Then he began his letter to Sirius.
Sirius,
Greetings. At the moment, I am in Crawley at Hermione's house. I'll likely be staying here for the next couple of weeks. Hermione's parents are very nice and both seem to support me and Hermione as a couple. I was a little unsure about Hermione's father, Dan, but I really think we'll get along. He is a former member of the SAS – basically an elite group of soldiers, probably even more elite than the Aurors in their own way. He is talented in the art of knife-throwing, and showed me some of his many knives. Dan has volunteered to train me and Hermione while I am here for the next couple of weeks. We'll probably be practicing throwing knives as well as training our stamina and strength which will help us in duels. Should be pretty fun and probably quite tough as well. Wish me luck!
The reason I am writing is I am planning to visit Diagon Alley sometime this week. Don't know when yet. I am waiting for my Vault Keeper at Gringotts to give me a date and time to come in. Long story – I'll explain it more when I talk to you. Hermione and I have a few important things we wish to discuss with you and Remus. We don't know how long it will take. So I wondered if we could visit you after I am finished at Gringotts? Once I get the date and time, I'll send you another letter with that information.
I look forward to seeing you soon. Stay safe. Say hello to Remus for me.
Harry
Harry chewed on the end of his quill as he reread the letter, and wondered if he should write any more. He rolled it up when he was satisfied with it. Hedwig had woken up by the time Harry had finished with his letter, and was looking at him eagerly.
"Ready to deliver a couple of letters?" Harry asked her. "They're both in the vicinity of Diagon Alley. Easy enough journey."
Hedwig hooted, then flew out of the cage and onto the top of it.. Harry gave her a couple of owl treats, then tied the two scrolls to her leg.
"By the time you return," Harry said, "I'll likely be out on the town doing some shopping. So I'll keep the window open for you. Be careful, girl."
Hedwig hooted and nuzzled his ear, then turned and flew out the window. Harry heard footsteps outside in the hallway, and he stood and walked over to the door. He opened it and peered out into the hallway. Hermione was wrapped up in a body-length towel as she walked down the hall toward her bedroom. She jumped slightly when she noticed him, and her flushed face took on a pink tinge to it.
"Morning, Harry," she said, "Been up long?"
"Just a few minutes," Harry said, "Just sent out the letters to Ragnok and Sirius with Hedwig. Should have a date and time to go to Diagon Alley by the time we return from our shopping trip."
"'Kay," Hermione said, "I've been up for half-an-hour or so. Just finished up taking a shower. Kind of obvious, since I am standing here in a towel and my hair is a wet mess. Anyway, it is free if you want to take one. Better hurry though. Tonks is doing her morning jog and will probably hop in the shower when she returns."
"I'll take a quick one then," Harry said.
"Also, I remembered something this morning that we both forgot," Hermione said, "Ragnok gave you a bank card from Gringotts, Harry. The clothing stores we'll be going to should accept it like any other card. My parents don't need to pay for your clothes. Your card should do that for you."
"Right," Harry said, nodding. "I had forgotten. Thanks."
Hermione smiled, then retreated into her bedroom. Harry cleared his throat as he tried to calm various parts of his body down. Damned young teenage hormones! Or perhaps Hermione was partially to blame. After all, her curves had been quite pronounced with only a towel around her body. Harry shook his head, clearing his mind of such thoughts. He decided at that moment that a shower was very much needed.
Perhaps a cold one at that!
Nymphadora Tonks groaned as she finally came to a stop, finishing her two lap jog around the neighborhood. She was starting to regret the lack of daily exercise routines over the last week. Normally, after a nice jog, she was pumped up and ready to begin the day. Right now, all she wanted was a good shower.
She glanced at her surroundings to make sure nobody had followed her. As her mentor Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody always said, "Constant Vigilance!" Even though Harry hadn't told Dumbledore where he was staying for the first two weeks of the summer, there was always a chance that Dumbledore had found out. While it was unlikely that Dumbledore, himself, would try to stalk Harry during the summer, he probably had several accomplices that he could have asked to follow Harry around.
When she was confident there was nothing suspicious, she made her way inside the Granger's house. She changed her appearance back to normal; she had put on a disguise – thanks to her Metamorphmagus skills – so nobody would identify her. After all, it was common knowledge amongst people like Dumbledore that Tonks was Harry's bodyguard. If someone recognized her, they would know Harry would be nearby. Definitely something she wanted to avoid at the moment.
She walked into the sitting room and grabbed an outfit – mindful that she would be going shopping with Harry and the Grangers – and shower supplies from her duffel bag. Then she made her way upstairs toward the bathroom. She was about to open the door, when it opened by itself. She jumped, as did Harry, in the doorway. He was in naught but a towel which was tied around his waist. His unruly hair was still damp and a few droplets of water were dripping from his bangs onto his chest...
Tonks blinked, realizing she was staring. "Wotcher, Harry! Sorry, should have known the bathroom was occupied since the door was closed."
"That's alright," Harry said, "I'm finished. Bathroom's all yours."
"Thanks," Tonks said.
Harry smiled and started off down the hallway toward the guest bedroom. Once again Tonks caught herself staring at the young teen, recalling the sight of his damp and naked chest. She cleared her throat and stepped into the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it, inhaling and exhaling. She was quite sure she could still smell Harry's scent in the bathroom. She sighed and glanced at herself in the fogged up mirror.
"What are you doing?" she whispered to herself. "He is thirteen, going on fourteen. And he has a girlfriend! Off limits." She frowned. "Oh, but he is so good looking! And Hermione seems to be okay with him having more than one girl... No!" She shook her head and turned away from the mirror, "Don't even think about it, Nymphadora. Thirteen, going on fourteen. He's taken, and you're just his bodyguard and a friend."
Tonks groaned, and began to undress out of her sweaty jogging clothes. She needed a shower.
Perhaps a cold one at that!
Three hours later, at the Topman's men and boys clothing shoppe, Harry was picking out several pieces of clothing that he liked, including several pairs of jeans and trousers of various sizes, as well as a few various shirts and pullovers. Since he had never done much clothes shopping in his life, outside of buying clothes in Diagon Alley, Dan was assisting him to help choose decent options for a young teenager. Hermione, her mother and Tonks were next door at Topshop – the sister shoppe of Topman's, mostly for woman's wear.
Harry had spent much of the last hour in one of the changing rooms, trying on several articles of clothing to see how they fit. Those that didn't fit, he handed to Dan who put them away and returned with different sizes of the same clothing. By the time he was finished he had a good dozen outfits. A fairly successful shopping trip.
"Don't be surprised if the ladies demand a show to see you in all your new outfits," Dan said, half-joking, as Harry walked out of the changing room with his new choices of clothing, "They're successfully distracted by shopping for their own clothing for now. But I'm sure they'll be disappointed they're missing out on all of this."
Harry's cheeks went warm at the thought of showing off to Hermione. He had never really thought of doing something like that before. But he decided it might be a nice way to spend some quality time with his girlfriend.
"Thanks for doing this," Harry said, "Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia never took me clothes shopping. Wore Dudley's hand-me-downs for several years, and you saw how large he was. My Aunt and Uncle bought me only a few things over the years when I needed them: underwear every month or so, and glasses about once a year, but only after I started going to school and receiving notices from the nurse to get new prescription glasses. And those were mostly cheap. I've had these glasses for three years. Come to think of it, ever since Hermione repaired them the first time, they haven't diminished in quality."
"I'd still recommend a new pair of glasses," Dan said, "Either that or contacts. Is there a magical alternative?"
"I'm not sure," Harry said, "I'll see what Hermione says. Alright, all that is left now is new trainers. I think I'll get trainers and Wellies. Oh, and apparel for training as well."
"There is a great sporting gear shop near here," Dan said, "They'll have better clothing choices for training and jogging, and swimming costumes as well."
Harry blushed. "I don't really know how to swim."
That was quite true. During the second task in the previous timeline, he had figured that the gillyweed had given him temporary knowledge on how to swim. Aside from that single day, he had never gone swimming in his life.
"That is a great shame," Dan said, "Swimming is good exercise. I tell you what. There is a great indoor public swimming pool in town. We can go there sometime this week. Get you ready in time to visit the beach this summer! I'm sure Hermione would volunteer to teach you."
Harry smiled at the thought of that. While it might be a bit embarrassing for his girlfriend to teach him how to swim, he also knew it would be an excellent way to spend some time with her.
Meanwhile, in the Topshop next door, Hermione was in one of the changing rooms, trying on a few different outfits. At the moment, she was trying on a few different pairs of bikinis, but she didn't know which one she wanted.
"Hey, Tonks?" Hermione called out to her friend, who was waiting just outside the changing room, "Come in here for a moment. I need a second opinion."
"Always happy to help," Tonks said, and entered the room; she grinned when she looked at Hermione, "Ooh, I don't see what the problem is. Harry is going to love to see you in that."
Hermione blushed. She was currently wearing a two-piece bikini that just happened to be the same colors as those representing the Gryffindor house.
"Do you think it is the right size?" Hermione asked.
While the bikini didn't show anything too intimate, it still showed a bit of her cleavage.
"It leaves some room open for imagination," Tonks said, "While also showing off your figure. What are your other options?"
"Well, there is one here that shows a bit more skin," Hermione said.
Tonks grinned. "If you like it, buy it. If you're worried about what your parents will think, don't wear it around them. Keep it until you go to Harry's beach house. Might be something to wear for his birthday. Unless you decide to wear nothing at all..."
"Tonks!" Hermione gasped.
She blushed profusely, though it wasn't really from embarrassment. Last night while she was trying to go to sleep, she was thinking about some leisurely things she and Harry could do that summer when they weren't doing the more serious stuff. Her mother's half-joking mention of clothing-optional beaches kept swimming through her mind. Tonks' suggestion only brought those thoughts back.
"Just something to think about," Tonks said, then she sighed and sat down on the bench, "Hermione? I have a confession. I feel really guilty about something that happened earlier today."
"Oh?" Hermione asked.
"This morning, I came in from my jog and went to take a shower," Tonks said, "And Harry was in the bathroom already."
"Did you see him while he was in the shower?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No!" Tonks said, as her hair and face went a light shade of red. "He came out with a towel around his waist. And... I caught myself staring at him. I didn't mean to. I – oh, bother."
"Is that what you're worried about?" Hermione asked, "I can't blame you for that. He is gorgeous after all."
"Yes, but he is your boyfriend," Tonks said, "I felt so guilty. Then there is the fact that he is going on fourteen and I am twenty! I feel like a pervert."
"I'm not going to blame you," Hermione said, "If Harry decided you looked hot, would you think he felt guilty about it due to age differences? Perhaps, just because he's so shy most of the time. But he would get over it. But if I got mad at him for staring at other girls, I'd have some problems. After all, he is basically engaged to three girls. If I want to be with him for the long run – which I do – I am going to have to accept that I won't be the only girl in his life. Don't feel guilty about staring at him. You might find at some point in the future, he'll stare back. You are cute, after all. Any guy – or girl, if you walk that line too – would be lucky to have you."
"So it isn't a bad thing for me to admit I fancy him?" Tonks asked.
"Nah," Hermione said. "For all I know, he might fancy you too. And if he doesn't, he might in the future. Though he would probably keep it to himself, since he might think it would upset me."
Tonks sighed. "Well, let's just keep it between you and me unless something like that comes up. Besides, I'm not sure I would feel right doing anything about it until he is older."
Hermione smiled privately, as she turned back to the body-length mirror in front of her and admired her bikini. Sure in body, Harry was a young teenager. But in mind, he was nearly eighteen. She wondered how Tonks would feel about that once she knew the truth. Also, come September, Tonks would be posing as a student Harry's age for a while. Tonks might feel better about her feelings for Harry if she appears younger. Hermione decided she would have to watch Tonks and Harry closely. After all, something might happen between them. And if it did... well, just more for Harry to love – and Hermione had no problem with that.
"I think I'll take your suggestion," Hermione said, "I'll purchase both of these bikinis."
"You can thank me later when Harry has to pick his jaw up off the floor," Tonks said, grinning.
Hermione laughed.
Their next stop, half-an-hour later was the sporting goods store. After Harry picked out some jogging, training and swimming outfits – with help from both Dan and Tonks – Dan brought them to a booth in the store that had various knives inside a protective glass box. The attendant there waved at Dan – they seemed to know each other personally.
"Tony, here, is a former member of the SAS like myself," Dan said, "Though he was in the service much longer than me. He is one of my usual customers at my dentist's office, and over the years, we discovered just how much we had in common, mostly with the love of knife-throwing. Tony, this is my daughter, Hermione, who I told you much about. And this is her boyfriend, Harry."
"It is nice to finally have a face to add to the name and story," Tony said to Hermione, "Your father brags about you a lot."
"Every proud parent brags about their children," Dan said, dismissively. "Anyway, Hermione has decided to follow in her father's footsteps. Both she and Harry are going to take up the hobby of knife-throwing. I thought I would buy them each one of their very own."
"Alright," Tony said, "Do you have a preference?"
"Easily concealed," Harry said, "It will mostly be for self-defense, rather than sport."
"The same preference for you, Hermione?" Tony asked; Hermione nodded. "Well, then that is easy. I have a few pocket-knives here that are safe to handle, and easy to open. Let's see..."
He removed one from the glass case and demonstrated the ease of access. The blade was about three inches long.
"Lightweight and easy to carry and use," Tony said, "A yank of the wrist, and the knife will open right quick. It perfect if you're in need to defend yourself, with a good nick to the skin. But they're also well-fitted for the kind of knife-throwing Danny boy here is into."
He handed the knife to Harry, and instructed him how to hold it correctly. Harry found that it was slightly heavier than his wand, but it was as easy to grip as his wand was.
"A fine choice," Dan said, as he turned to Hermione and Harry, "I had one just like it, many years ago. I have no idea what happened to it. I just remember losing it when you were a baby, Hermione. Anyway, I'd suggest one of these and a couple cheaper versions of the same weight and length for practicing with. You don't want to ruin or blunt the knife during training."
Harry and Hermione both agreed with Dan, and they purchased the pocket-knives as well as a set of training knives.
"Are there any books about knife-throwing techniques and subjects like that?" Hermione asked.
Tony smiled. "Dan told me you're a bookworm. Seems he was correct! I have just the thing."
He walked down toward the other end of the counter, and returned a few moments later with a small book.
"While it takes more than a book like this to become skilled at the art of knife-throwing and fighting," Tony said, "This guide will give you a few tips that Dan might forget during your training."
Hermione thanked the man and purchased the guide as well. Harry was not surprised to find that she had her nose in the book by the time they had reached the car a few minutes later.
THUMP!
Harry groaned as the handle of the knife hit the cardboard target and fell to the ground with a clatter.
It had been three hours since they had left the sporting good store. After they had left the sporting goods store, Harry, Hermione, her parents, and Tonks walked along to other various shops. Mostly they just looked around and had fun doing so. After their shopping trip finished, they ate lunch at a local buffet. After filling their stomachs with good food, Dan mentioned it was time to go home and work some of the new weight off with a bit of training.
Upon returning to the Grangers' house, Harry brought his new purchases to his bedroom. He found that Hedwig had returned and had brought two letters with her. Ragnok's letter suggested Wednesday at ten-o-clock in the morning. When Harry told this to Hermione, her parents and Tonks, it was mutually decided that Harry, Hermione and Tonks would go alone, giving Dan and Emma a bit of privacy for the day. Harry then replied to Ragnok, saying that he agreed with that time and date and that he was looking forward to it.
Sirius had also replied back. In his letter Sirius told Harry that, even though the newspaper had announced that he would get a trial, he had not yet risked going out into the wizarding areas, and even Muggle marketplaces were risky since the Muggle newspapers had yet to retract their earlier statements that he was a dangerous fugitive and still a wanted man. So, whenever Sirius desired some fresh air, he and Remus would venture into Muggle parks, where he would run around as Padfoot. Harry smiled and chuckled at the mental picture of that, and was happy that Sirius was at least enjoying himself instead of being cooped up.
Sirius was thrilled at the thought that Harry would visit him soon and promised he would be available at any given time that Harry suggested. So Harry announced that he, Hermione and Tonks would be in Diagon Alley on Wednesday, and would visit after he finished his business at Gringotts.
Dan was now teaching Harry and Hermione how to throw their new knives at the hay-bale targets. Tonks was sitting nearby and watching the proceedings with amusement. Neither Harry nor Hermione were starting off very well. During their first few attempts at throwing the knives at the targets on the nearest hay-bale, the knives had either come up too short, or sailed past it. Only in the past couple of attempts had they finally hit the hay-bales. Unfortunately the knives either never stuck to the cardboard, or the wrong end hit first.
"Well, there is good news and bad news," Dan said, "Good news is that neither of you have any problem with when it comes to the usually desired distance. You can reach the ten and fifteen foot targets pretty easily. It is your accuracy that needs work, as well as control."
"Good thing I am a Seeker and not a Chaser," Harry said, with a chuckle, as he retrieved his knife yet again.
"This is definitely much different than spell-casting when it comes to accuracy," Hermione said. "I'm usually a fairly good shot when it comes to spells. The knives veer off to the left or right."
"You just need to practice, dear," Dan said, "I know this is frustrating, especially for someone who likes to get everything perfectly correct. I was horrible at both darts and knives once too. Then I got better. As for your most recent mistakes, well, I have a better solution. You keep turning your wrist too much when you throw the knives. Keep your wrist firm and tight. Doing so will help your accuracy, while also keeping the sharp edge of your knife facing the target. Like so..."
Dan stood at the same exact spot that he had instructed Harry and Hermione to stand. He demonstrated the firm wrist technique, doing so in slow-motion, without throwing the knife. Then when he finally threw it, it soared through the air with little to no spin and buried itself into the red dot in the center of the target.
"Perfect technique, distance and speed," Dan said, as he claimed the knife from the target, "Master all three, and you'll master the art."
Harry returned to his former position and did his best to echo Dan's movement. He threw the knife and watched it soar through the air. When the knife hit, it buried itself in the hay, a couple inches left of the cardboard target.
"Better!" Dan said, "Much better. Don't be unhappy about that. At least you got off a good clean hit. Work on accuracy, and before too long, you'll hit that target. Hit that target and we can move onto the others and finally the mannequin."
Harry smiled to himself as he retrieved his knife. While he still needed a lot of work, he now felt confident that he would be able to succeed. He vowed to work on it everyday. After all, if he could perfect the skill enough to get a few good shots at the mannequin, then he'd have another weapon when it came to dueling Dark wizards.
Over the next couple of hours, he continued practicing and gradually he started hitting sections of the target, though not the exact center. Hermione, meanwhile, was having a bit more difficulty. While she was able to hit the hay-bale, the knife either didn't stick enough or the butt-end of it hit instead. It was obvious to Harry that she was rather disappointed in herself.
After dinner that evening, Harry and Hermione were laying together on the hammock in the backyard. They had planned on starting their Occlumency lessons, but Hermione had said it could wait. Instead, she was reading the knife-throwing guide she had purchased earlier that day. Harry, meanwhile, had brought one of Salazar Slytherin's journals with him and he was currently reading through it. Tonks was in a lounge chair on the other side of the yard. She was giving Harry and Hermione their due privacy, and was reading through one of her Auror Cadet books.
When Harry noticed that Hermione was staring at the same page for five minutes, he decided to speak up. He had cast a Muffliato Charm earlier. Even though he was Emancipated and legally qualified to do magic, he was still afraid that the Ministry would see it as performing magic around Muggles. Thankfully, no letter had come. So it appeared that he – and Hermione as well, since she could do magic thanks to her Vassalage – could get away with a few spells.
"What's wrong, love?" he asked.
"Maybe I'm just not meant to use knives," Hermione said, with a sigh, "In the years you've known me, have I ever came across as a particularly violent person?"
"Not really," Harry said. "I mean, you've done your fair share of offensive spells when we were training in the D.A., or in fights with Death Eaters."
"I didn't come out very well after the Department of Mysteries," Hermione said. "If I had used better spells, I might not have been hurt that evening."
"You don't know that," Harry said. "Hermione, you're doing the same thing you've always done when you were presented with a problem you couldn't solve right away. You doubted yourself and then you read a book about the subject. However, ten times out of ten you always find a way to solve the problem. Identify the issue. No offense, but I don't think it has anything to do with knives."
"You're right," Hermione said, as she finally turned away from the book and looked at Harry, "I didn't want to tell you, but I guess I should. I'm not at all entirely sure I want to go along with our plan to take out Death Eaters this summer."
"Would you be surprised to know that I am having my doubts too?" Harry asked. "Just the thought of it gives me chills. You were right a few days ago when you said it would be cold-blooded murder. But what makes me support my plan is the necessity of it. Not to mention what would happen if we didn't eliminate the Death Eaters. Either we do it now when we can plan and prepare, and do it on our own terms. Or we do it later when they are ready to fight back and kill good and innocent people."
"I know, and you're right," Hermione said.
Harry placed a finger on her lips. "I am not finished. It is good that you are having these doubts. Why? Because it makes you a good person. Death Eaters and people like them would jump at the chance to do what we're planning. And they'd have no doubts. But they would make it much worse. They would harm innocents. We're plotting to take out people who have already performed heinous crimes, and are willing to perform more. I'm not saying that makes it one-hundred percent right."
"It is just necessary," Hermione said, nodding. "I know. Just give me time. Let me deal with this. I am going to keep practicing with the knives and prepare myself, both mentally and physically. Give me time and I'll be ready."
"You have time," Harry said, "It isn't like we're going to do this tomorrow. We still have several things we need to plan. And we also need help if we can get it. Sirius, Remus, and Tonks. I'd be happy with their help. On Wednesday, when we talk to them about our secrets and plans, we'll know for sure. Even then... these first two weeks of the summer is time to spend with your parents. I know you need this, and I would never want to take that away from you."
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said.
She leaned toward him and pecked him on the lips. He returned the kiss and it lingered for a moment, before Hermione backed away and they continued reading their books. Harry came across an interesting passage in the journal that caught his interest.
"Well, it seems even Salazar wasn't immune from the desires of a beautiful woman," Harry said, "Listen to this, Hermione. He's describing some sort of spiritual journey he took. This was before he met the other founders of Hogwarts, but after he dueled and killed his father.
"Today, I came upon a village fayre. At first, I was disgusted at how the mundane were attempting to mimic magic. I became curious as to where they had learned such things, and I wondered if there were magic folk amongst them. I came across a young woman but a few years my junior. She claimed she was a soothsayer."
"Another term for fortune-teller or Seer," Hermione said, when Harry looked at her questioningly.
Harry nodded and continued. "In my experiences, soothsayers were mostly frauds. There were legends of soothsayers that could tell of the future. But those legends always told of a future that had nothing to do with the person who witnessed such an event. So I had my doubts. Until today..."
"He's talking about prophecies," Hermione said, "Did he hear one?"
"Let's see," Harry said, "The soothsayer's name was Loren, and I admit that she was quite beautiful. I will also admit that it was her beauty which stayed my feet and allowed her to speak to me. Even when she began reading the lines on my palms and talking about how I would live a long life. Given the fact that sorcerers like myself live two to three times longer than the mundane, that was not a surprise. I asked her if she could see my future. Was I going to be powerful, wealthy? Would I fulfill the dreams I have so desired? She began to speak, and I had hoped she would give me what I wanted. Then she started having a fit. Then she spoke these words...
"In an age of great battle and great betrayal, two souls through the wastelands of time shall vanish. The vanished will reappear as children of destiny, owners of a great and terrible knowledge. Two souls must accept Darkness, if the Light is to remain. Through an age of great battle and great betrayal, of tyrants and heroes, of love and loss, and great sacrifice, these souls will travel. Hardships and trials they must pass to achieve their greatest desires and victories, or the world will suffer in their stead."
Harry turned to Hermione, and found that she looked quite pale, and her eyes were wide with wonder.
"Harry," she whispered, "If I didn't know any better, I would think that Prophecy spoke about... us. 'Through time shall vanish'? We traveled back in time through a Vanishing Cabinet. 'In an age of great battle and great betrayal.' We were in the middle of a battle, and we just learned Ron had betrayed us."
"While it does sound kind of crazy," Harry said, "You could also be right. But what is this about accepting Darkness if Light is to remain?"
"I think it means that we have to brace our Dark sides," Hermione said. "As in we have to go through your plans to kill Death Eaters. That sounds pretty Dark, but we have to accept it. Hardships and trials – that might be the Triwizard Tournament and the other missions we've set for ourselves."
"'To achieve their greatest desires and victories, or the world will suffer in their stead," Harry read again, "Yeah, that sounds pretty self-explanatory."
"Obviously it would be bad if we lose." Hermione said.
"I wonder if, perhaps, I translated it wrong?" Harry suggested.
"Maybe, but I doubt it," Hermione said, "That is certainly intriguing. If it is true, then a Prophecy from a thousand years ago lasted all this time. It certainly gives new insight to Prophecies. I mean.. how many unfulfilled prophecies were there in the Department of Mysteries?"
"Quite a few," Harry said, then a thought crossed his mind, "Hey... remember those markings on the desk in Slytherin's office? I wonder if I keep reading, I'll discover that he began to obsess over this Prophecy thinking it was meant for him. Those markings might have been of a madman bent on this obsession."
"Maybe it was the Prophecy which created the madman," Hermione suggested. "He might have believed that this Prophecy would foretell his true destiny, and when it didn't happen, he continued to grow madder and more Darker."
"Possibly," Harry said, nodding. "Speaking of Prophecy. I think we should figure out how to retrieve mine from the Department of Mysteries before the end of summer. Just in case..."
Hermione nodded. "We'll add that to our plans. Children of destiny... huh, that has a nice ring to it."
"Speak for yourself," Harry muttered, "I am not exactly excited at the fact that I am apparently the subject of another prophecy."
"Oh, this one isn't so bad," Hermione said, "While it has the possibility of death and defeat, there is also victory."
"True," Harry said, "Trelawney's prophecy doesn't exactly say that."
"Well, it should," Hermione said, "Because we're going to win. I don't need a Prophecy to tell me that. And even if it did say we're going to lose, I would prove it wrong."
Harry smiled. Though in the back of his mind, he was screaming. Yet another Prophecy that might be about him. Why couldn't his life be his choosing? Why was he set on an apparent path?
Hermione seemed to realize he was in the middle of some inner turmoil, because she kissed him softly. He returned the kiss and all other thoughts vanished for the time being.