Dumbledore nodded sagely and after a deep sigh he proceeded to tell his tale. "Fifteen years ago, I was at the Hog's Head. That's a bar in Hogsmeade," He said when he realized many people in the room wouldn't recognize the name. "I was there to meet and interview an applicant for Divination teacher. At the time, it was against my inclination to allow the subject of Divination to continue at all, but this person was the great-granddaughter of a very famous Seer. It was only common courtesy that I should meet her. It was a disappointing interview. The woman seemed to have no trace of the gift at all so I informed her after the interview that I didn't think she was suitable for the position and prepared to leave. At that moment I had an experience very much like yours last year Harry."
At the puzzled look on Harry's face, Dumbledore put his wand to his temple and pulled out long thin streams of silvery stuff which he gently placed in the basin. When he prodded it with his wand a figure rose out of the bowl.
Harry and Hermione instantly recognized the person covered in shawls and wearing glasses that magnified her eyes to enormous size. Harry also recognized the hoarse tones as she began to speak.
'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who
have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark
him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die
at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the
power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...'
The harsh voice died away and the ghostly figure of Trelawny disappeared into the basin.
It was several seconds before anyone spoke. The first to do so was Sirius.
"That load of garbage is what got James and Lily killed?" He demanded. "She probably made it up Albus. You just said you had told her she wasn't qualified for the job. Obviously she was trying to impress you."
Sirius was surprise when it was Harry who answered. "No, she made one last year too. I heard it. She predicted that Wormtail would rejoin Voldemort."
"WHAT?" Sirius said and then he turned to Dumbledore. "And you didn't do anything then?"
Before Dumbledore could reply Harry explained. "She didn't say Peter specifically. I only know now what it meant because of how that night unfolded."
"But still this prophecy..." Sirius tried again.
"It is a true prophecy." Dumbledore said. "It is recorded in the Hall of Prophecies."
"What is the Hall of Prophecies?" Hermione asked as her curiosity peaked. Harry's father had mentioned it as well.
"There is a room in the Ministry where all of the true prophecies are recorded."
"So why have you been protecting this prophecy and stating how important it is that Voldemort not find out what it says, when any of his Death Eaters can waltz into the Ministry and listen to it?"
"They can't," Dumbledore explained. "Only the people who the prophecy is about can remove the device...the orb that contains the prophecy."
"Oh," Hermione replied but it only took a second to get over that argument and continue on. "Okay so it is a true prophecy. How does it mean Harry specifically?"
"Actually, it could have been two people," Dumbledore replied. "There were two children born at the end of that July who were born to parents who had escaped Voldemort three times. The parents were good friends of each other in fact. Harry of course was one of them and the other was..."
"Neville?" Harry asked remembering his mother saying he had been born the day before him.
Dumbledore looked over his half-moon glasses at Harry questioningly before finally answering. "Yes. Mr. Longbottom was the other possibility."
"But...but," Hermione still wanted to argue. "There are many different calendars in the world and...and... the seventh month could be..."
The Headmaster raised his hand to pause her comments. "Miss Granger, I apologize but we could discuss this all day. Let me make a quick summary of what I discovered about that particular aspect of true prophecies," He paused for a second and then explained. "A true prophecy will be made in world references as understood by the Seer. In other words, a Seer will not give a prophecy in a different language or a different cultural reference than they personally use. In this case, Sybill Trelawney uses the modern calendar so the Prophecy was about the month of July."
"Oh," Hermione repeated.
"So it might not be 'Arry?" Gabrielle asked hopefully. "It might be ze other boy?"
"Unfortunately it is definitely Harry," Dumbledore replied. "That became clear that night."
"My scar...he marked me. That's what the prophecy said," Harry replied and his hand went to his forehead.
"That is how I interpreted it," Dumbledore said.
"If you knew Harry was going to have to fight Voldemort," Remus started. "Why haven't you been training him so he has at least some chance?"
"In what?" Dumbledore asked then held up his hand again to thwart the onslaught of questions that he realized was headed his way. "Let me explain what I have done so far. As the adults in this room know, there is a reason we do not take anyone under eleven at Hogwarts or any other magical school. Why they are not allowed wands until then. A child exerting himself magically before that point can cause damage to his magical core," He paused for a moment expecting Hermione to ask a question and then continued. "So I could not train him until he arrived at the school. So why didn't I then?"
"Zat is ze question," Alain said.
....
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