The following week at the Granger house was spent with Harry and Hermione studying and practicing physical defense, as well as spending a couple hours a day working on meditation exercises. They worked to strengthen their shields, but still weren't sure just how well they were doing since they hadn't been tested yet. They also worked on legilimency and thought they were making progress since they were able to pick up more surface thoughts around them. Still, they never wanted to delve too deep and had no one else magical around to really judge by. They did find that being in a public place such as the market and opening their legilimency was quite distracting with dozens of people's scattered surface thoughts bombarding them. They both made a point to perform the test at different times and work on sorting and managing the effect.
The Grangers were busy most days at the office, leaving the young couple to themselves to study and run an occasional errand in the neighborhood with an Auror escort. On Friday, Neil and Jean managed to clear their schedule in the afternoon to spend time with Harry and Hermione before they left the following day. They decided to go to a local folk arts and music festival in a neighboring town. The day was perfect weather and they enjoyed the time to relax and temporarily forget about the worries of the magical world. As they walked across a parking lot to prepare to leave, they passed a young couple who were having an argument. Although Harry couldn't hear what was being said, it was impossible not to pick up the feelings being broadcast. Worst of all he felt a palpable wave of fear from the young woman. When Hermione grabbed his arm, he knew she felt it as well. Deciding to try something that he wasn't sure about, but felt he had to do, Harry pushed his mind toward the man. He found only basic natural shields and pushed past them quite quickly. Inside the young man's mind, he found a great deal of hatred, as well as some kind of substance addiction. Unsure how to deal with it all, he pulled Hermione in with him and together they projected feelings of love and acceptance, as well as a sense of protection toward the woman. They were unsure if what they were doing was correct, or even legal, but the argument seemed to suddenly cease and the man stopped and knelt down to embrace the woman. Knowing they had done all they could, Harry and Hermione turned back to join her parents, who were watching.
Well that was interesting love. I don't know how long it will last, but at least I feel we made a bit of a difference.
I hope so. I don't know if that was legal, but he was so open that I felt I didn't have a choice. Thanks for helping me.
Jean raised an eyebrow at them as they got in the car.
"Um, did you two do something back there?"
"Yes mum, a bit of mind magics work. The man was projecting and quite open. Harry initiated it and then brought me in. We calmed him for now. I don't know how long it will last. There are a lot of layers to that couple's problems. Still, it feels good to do what we can. It's a new aspect to magic for me."
"I really wouldn't have forced myself in if the man had tighter shields and wasn't broadcasting so loud."
"I'm sure son. It's just another amazing facet of your skills."
They arrived home that evening and had a quiet dinner before heading upstairs to finish packing to leave the next morning. Harry had so much more than when he had arrived at the beginning of summer that he had to use a suitcase in addition to his trunk and decided that both he and Hermione could stand to get new trunks with more space. Once they had everything gathered, they curled up in bed and talked for a few minutes before beginning to kiss and fondle each other. It didn't take long for their skimpy summer sleeping outfits to be scattered around the room as Harry spread his wife's legs and dipped his head down to begin pleasuring her. They each opened their minds to each other and slowly let themselves merge mentally as he brought her close to her peak. This was something they had been working on throughout the week and this night they seemed to reach a perfect merge as Harry was able to feel every nuance as Hermione approached her climax. When he sensed her on the edge, he pulled his tongue out of her and moved up her body as he thrust his erection solidly into her. Looking in her eyes and with their minds merged, they each felt the other's bliss as Harry set a steady pace that Hermione met. When they climaxed together minutes later, they felt their own orgasms as well as each other in a reverberating cycle back and forth. Harry didn't soften immediately as he kept up his rhythm and drove them both to a second peak. Making love while completely open in mind, body and soul was an even more amazingly profound experience than they had ever had and both collapsed and passed out still joined together. At some point while they slept, Harry slipped out of his love, but they stayed entwined together until the alarm summoned them the following morning. When they awoke, the memories of their merge caused both to grin foolishly at each other.
That was the most incredible feeling last night. I love you so much Mione.
Yes my love. I didn't think you could give me more joy than you have already, but that was beyond. Definitely a new level to our bond.
They kissed for a couple minutes, but then regretfully pulled apart due to their time schedule. They arrived downstairs forty minutes later and enjoyed a last breakfast with the Grangers for a while. They promised to send Hedwig with notes and Neil and Jean promised to come visit as Sirius had suggested. As they were all hugging, Sirius arrived in the backyard, ready to side along apparate them to his home. The Aurors had been notified already and Tonks wished them well before they left. The apparition went smoothly with the three of them and their luggage all landing in an alley along a residential street of large townhomes. They appeared to be in a prosperous London muggle neighborhood. As they looked around, Sirius turned and looked at both of them.
"My home is under the Fidelius charm. I'm the secret keeper and no one can see the house unless I tell them where it is. The manor of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black is at number 12, Grimmauld Place, London."
As Sirius said the words, Harry looked up and saw something amazing. Between two of the townhouses that had been in front of them, another was pushing its way between them, causing the others to move to the side. Harry and Hermione were still adjusting as Sirius grabbed a suitcase and Crookshanks' carrier and gestured for them to follow him. They reached the front stoop and Sirius led them into a dark paneled foyer and entry hall of what had most likely once been a grand home. Unfortunately, the house had seen better days and the place was in need of a good bit of remodeling and cleaning. Sirius waved the door shut behind them and welcomed them in.
"Welcome! I know the place doesn't look like much, but it has plenty of space and it's about as secure as we can get. I plan on redecorating soon as well. Now your room…"
Sirius was unable to continue as what sounded like a herd of elephants came down the stairs. Looking up, they saw the four youngest Weasleys charging down, yelling greetings at them. Then another voice broke through the chaos.
"BLOOD TRAITORS AND MUDBLOODS BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF BLACK! LEAVE MY SIGH…"
The tirade was cut off suddenly by Sirius who had cast a silencing spell on a large portrait of an angry woman that hung over the stairs.
"Uh, sorry about that. May I introduce my dear mum, Walburga Black. Unfortunately we haven't figured out how to unstick her portrait yet. The spell will last for a couple hours. It's best to remain quiet in the hallway if you can."
The Weasleys had reached Harry and Hermione and were passing out hugs and backslaps. Then Molly Weasley came in from the kitchen.
"Ah, welcome dears! I heard you met Walburga. It's so good to have you here. I wish we could be at the Burrow, but right now it's safest here. Ronald, why don't you show the Potters to their room."
Ron nodded and reached to grab a suitcase as he waved for them to follow. Sirius put a hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled at him.
"Go ahead and get settled in. I'll be up in a few minutes and we can talk."
Ron led them up to the third floor and showed them into a large bedroom with an attached bath. The room looked cleaner and brighter than the hallways had and was decorated in Gryffindor colors. Harry knew that Sirius must have redecorated it recently. Ron left them to unpack and the first thing Hermione did was let Crookshanks out. The cat immediately sniffed the air and then darted out the door to start exploring. Just as they were opening their trunks, a tapping on the window alerted them to Hedwig's arrival. Harry grinned and went to let her in as he set her cage on top of a dresser.
"Hey girl. Excellent timing as always."
Hedwig preened at the praise and the head scratches Harry offered her. He turned back and joined Hermione with the unpacking. They were almost done when Sirius arrived in the doorway.
"Hey! You left the door open, so I guess I can come in? I see you're almost unpacked. How do you like the room?"
"It's excellent, thanks Sirius."
"Glad you like it. I decided to start up here with banishing the snakes and all the Slytherin green. Not that I won't have some green around, but there are other colors. Ginny already has ideas on some of the redecorating. I'll warn you, don't get her started on the subject. I'm tempted though to hand her a bag of galleons and tell her to have fun. She does seem to have an eye for it and anything would be an improvement."
"So Sirius, how long has this been your family home? Is this where you grew up?"
"Yes, primarily. We had a summer place near Puddlemere. A bit of farmland and plenty of space for boys to get in trouble. Those are my best memories. The few weeks each summer we spent there. Most of the time we were here in the city, where my father had his businesses. The house has been in the family for around 240 years. As you can tell by my mother's warm welcome downstairs, it wasn't always a happy home. My parents were from the true old pureblood stock, complete with a long list of rules and expectations. As soon as I sorted into Gryffindor, I failed them completely. I came home for a couple weeks each summer and then fled to the Potters' as soon as possible. When I was sixteen I gave up completely and never returned."
"Wow. I guess I can understand why staying here is so hard then. Maybe once things are secure, you can come to the Potter estate. I'm told it's called Druimoor. I haven't been there yet."
"Well, you are in for a treat. Druimoor is spectacular. The countryside around Exmoor is truly beautiful. Your grandparents always planned for James and Lily to live there with their children. There's room for several generations. Unfortunately, they decided to pick an unknown spot in Godric's Hollow when they went into hiding. I know you're still young, but some day I'd love to see you take the place back. Do you know if the house elves are still caring for it?"
"No. Our account manager said they both had passed. They were apparently quite old. I'd love to see the place."
"I understand pup, but I'm sure it's under regular surveillance by Death Eaters. I know this old house is nothing in comparison, but I prefer to keep you alive and safe. My family's dark leanings do have the side effect of having provided layers of protections and wards through the centuries. It's what makes the place a perfect headquarters for the Order. By the way, there is a full Order meeting tonight. Molly usually banishes the children upstairs. The twins have a listening device that they used for a few days, but she figured out how to block it. Dumbledore will be leading it of course and usually arrives a few minutes before. Did you plan on talking to him right away?"
What do you think love? Too soon?
No Harry, I think the sooner the better. You need to catch him off guard. You've been thinking about what to ask him for weeks now.
"Sirius, we think we may try to catch Dumbledore right away and catch him off guard. Also, can we attend the Order meeting? Will we need to take an oath?"
"Sounds good. As for attending, you'll have to take that up with the old man. I'm sure Molly will pitch a fit. She didn't let the twins join, despite them having just come of age."
"Well, I love Molly and all she's done for me, but I'm a legally married adult now. She has to cut loose at some point."
Sirius snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, on to more realistic topics. How is your defense training going?"
Harry looked to Hermione and gave her a nod to join in.
"Overall defense is about the same as a week ago. It's hard to practice and not destroy dad's shop. The dummies we built out of pipes and old junk are fairly destroyed and beyond repair. We think we're doing well with the mind magics, but we can't know for sure until our shields get tested and we find someone to test against. Even though we can do magic now outside school, we've been limited by being in a muggle environment."
"I understand and have some good news for you. One of the few areas where my father and I were able to work together was defense training. He felt it was a good activity to channel the energies of young boys and we have an arena in the basement, including magical training dummies. Reg and I beat them up badly and they still repaired after, so you can give them a go. As for the mind magics testing, I've never been much of an Legilimens. You may hate the idea, but Snape will be here tonight. I'd pick him or Dumbledore to test you. I am better at Occlumency. It's a good skill to develop in prison. If you want to give my shields a go, feel free."
Harry and Hermione traded a look before Harry turned back to his godfather.
"Are you sure Sirius? Also, who's Reg?"
Sirius let out a barking laugh.
"I keep forgetting how much I need to tell you. We have a lot of catching up. Reg was my brother. Two years younger than me. Regulus Arcturus Black. Younger and Blacker than me by far, he was my parents' favorite. Sorted into Slytherin before the hat ever settled onto his head. He was everything I refused to be. Despite that, in our younger years we were quite close. Perhaps it was growing up in this old house with just ourselves and our warring parents. He chose to follow the Dark Lord and then tried to second guess the decision. He died during the first war. My parents actually had disowned me when I ran off to live at the Potters', but when they passed suddenly not long before Reg, they never modified their wills and their black sheep became Lord Black. I find it ironic as hell. Anyway, enough strolling down memory lane. Give my shields a go and see what you can find for yourself."
Harry nodded and took a deep breath as he centered himself, feeling for his internal well of magic. Settling into his own thoughts, he pushed out toward his godfather and immediately hit a wall. Focusing, he reached deeper and pulled on his magic harder than he ever had in his exercises. Then he pushed forward at the wall and felt it crumble. Suddenly he was engulfed in memories of two boys running down the stairs he had climbed just a short while ago, a house elf in tow. Next, a memory of a quiet and very formal dinner in the dining room he had glimpsed briefly downstairs. A few more memories flashed by, but they became hazy as he felt himself being pushed back. Drawing again, he fought to delve deeper. Then he reached for Hermione and pulled her in with him. Between them they crashed into the deepest levels of Sirius' mind and the hardened wizard dropped to his knees, screaming and holding his head. Realizing what he had done, Harry pulled back quickly, but carefully. He felt Hermione separate from him and then his eyes came into focus as he saw Hermione cross the room to Sirius and lay her fingers on his temples.
Harry, help me. We haven't practiced that and we went a bit far. We need to ease him. I know the theory, but have never tried this.
Harry focused again and joined Hermione. This time he let her lead as they sent calming waves into Sirius while he did what he could to carefully put the pieces of the shield back up. It was still fragmented, but Sirius could repair it easier now. This time when he and Hermione separated their minds, they saw a smile on Sirius' face. They were both tired from the efforts, but Harry was relieved that there didn't appear to be any lasting damage.
"Sirius, we're sorry about that. We still need to practice. We have a lot of theory, but have never done that before. I decided to see how far I could go if we came in together. I went too far and I am truly sorry."
"Apology accepted, but not needed pup. I put up my strongest shields to challenge you. You broke past them on your own and even managed to fight me when I pushed back. What you need to understand is that there are different levels to each person's psyche. I'm no expert, but a basic explanation is that you can go through a number of layers until you reach a person's core. Most Legilimens never go that deep. If you reach the core, the deepest essence of a person, you can cause them permanent damage. You and Hermione have a bond that lets you pool your power and you touched my core. I thank you for pulling back immediately. I think you could actually reach that level on many people all on your own. You're quite powerful pup, but the two of you together are positively scary."
Despite Sirius' roguish grin, Harry shuddered at the idea of what he could have done. He definitely needed to train and refine his skills. Hermione felt his concern and wrapped her arms around him as she kissed his jaw. Her attentions distracted him and he turned to kiss her full on. The kiss got a bit carried away until Sirius began to chuckle.
"Alright, I can take a hint. Should I cast the silencing charm on the way out?"
Hermione pulled back from Harry and tried to scowl at Sirius, but found herself laughing at the look he was giving them.
"Never mind Sirius, Harry and I will continue this later. Let's go down and see everyone else."
Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the day catching up with their friends. They had seen them at the wedding, but had been too involved with the celebration to talk at length with the Weasleys. They didn't make any comments about their plans for evening when the Order arrived, figuring that they needed to catch everyone off guard. The meeting was planned for after dinner, with some of the Order arriving for the meal. Much to everyone's surprise, Luna Lovegood and her father Xenophilius arrived shortly before dinner. Harry and Hermione had seen Luna in the halls at school, but did not know her. The Weasleys on the other hand knew the Lovegoods better, as they lived over the hill from the Burrow. Luna was in Ginny's year, so Ginny knew her the best. Also joining them for dinner was Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks, who entertained the table with her metamorph tricks. The meal was delicious as usual with Molly cooking, and Harry reveled in the frenetic family atmosphere. The Lovegoods were more than a bit odd, but Luna seemed quite nice and she and Ginny got along well. She was also quite pretty in a somewhat ethereal way. Harry caught Ron more than once staring at the blond Ravenclaw. Once everyone was well stuffed, Molly assigned cleanup duties and informed everyone not in the Order that they needed to head upstairs, including the Potters in her sweeping gaze. Harry took a breath and prepared himself for his reckoning with Molly Weasley.
Alright, here we go love.
Right here with you.
"Actually Molly, Hermione and I need to speak with Dumbledore and we'd like to participate in the meeting now that we're of age."
"What? No! You're too young, technicalities or not."
"Sorry Molly, but we're old enough to be married and I'm old enough to take control of my house and all its associated businesses. I am within my rights."
"Sirius, you're his godfather, talk some sense into the boy!"
"Molly, he is a boy no longer. Perhaps I could have wished for more of a childhood for him, but that was not the case. I agree with his decision."
Molly harrumphed and turned back toward the kitchen, clearly still not happy. When she returned and found Ron and Ginny still in the room talking to Harry and Hermione, she chose a new target.
"Alright, I may not be able to say anything about the Potters, but you two are mine and I order you upstairs now!"
Ron groaned and Ginny looked like she was going to blow a gasket until Luna took her by an arm and led her out of the room. Deciding to get clear of Molly, Harry took Hermione's hand and left for the living room, where the early arrivals had gathered after dinner. A few minutes later, Dumbledore arrived at around ten minutes to eight. He was about to settle in to wait for the others, when Harry stood and walked over to him.
"Professor, Hermione and I would like to talk to you in private before the meeting. Perhaps in the library."
Dumbledore was a bit taken aback by Harry's approach, as he calmed his mind and schooled his expression while also trying to project a firm confidence toward the headmaster. Judging by the old man's slightly raised eyebrows, he was glad to have at least partially succeeded.
"Alright Harry, we have a couple minutes. Lead the way."
Harry took Hermione's hand and strode out of the room, not noticing the questioning looks they left behind. When the three of them reached the library, Hermione closed the door and cast privacy charms. This also seemed to alert Dumbledore, but he waited patiently for Harry to begin.
"Professor, there are a number of items I wish to discuss with you. I know you and others still consider us young, but we are legal adults now and more mature than many our age. I ask that you keep this in mind when I present my questions. Hermione and I have been studying a lot over the summer, primarily working on defense since it seems obvious that I will need to face Voldemort and his Death Eaters in the future. The question that has been on my mind for several years is a simple one. Why me? I know that I am above average in talent, but certainly there are others of similar abilities. It has come to my attention that you have information that has been withheld from me due to my age. Specifically, information regarding a prophecy that Voldemort seems to lay stake in. I ask now for full disclosure from you. I'm old enough to know why I have been targeted. I have much more at stake now that Hermione and I have bonded."
Dumbledore let out a small sigh and went to take a seat. He carefully schooled himself, still a bit shocked by the line of questioning. He was hoping to have a couple years yet to put a few things in place and let Harry grow up. How had he found out about the prophecy? Despite his bonding, he was still so young. Harry had taken a seat across from him and pulled Hermione into his lap. The look on the young man's face was determined and Dumbledore realized that he had grown up quite a bit over the summer. Still, this didn't seem like the right time yet. After a minute of contemplation, he had his thoughts aligned enough to form a reply.
"Harry, I appreciate the reasons for your questions, but I ask that you be patient with me. There are still preparations to be put in place and I don't believe you should be put under the full burden of what you ask yet."
"Full burden? How much more of a burden do I need? I've faced Voldemort four times now. Has anyone other than yourself in the Order faced him as often as I have? How much of a burden was I under at the Dursleys as they used me as their slave while abusing and starving me for years?"
Harry was beginning to get angry and Hermione could feel his control slipping as she gently tried to calm him as Dumbledore continued.
"Come now Harry, I know your relatives were not the most ideal, but I think you exaggerate a bit. They took you in and cared for you for…"
Harry couldn't believe it. The old man really didn't have a clue. He supposedly had people watching him at the Dursleys. Were they really that blind? Yet Dumbledore still sat in front of him, trying to project a sense of calm with his grandfatherly half smile. That more than anything tipped Harry over the edge. He had meant to bring up the topic of mind magics next, but now he decided to force the subject forward. He felt Dumbledore gently probing him, trying to gauge Harry's feelings. Harry pushed him back easily from his shields and then closed his eyes briefly to center himself as he pushed farther, hitting Dumbledore's shields as he gathered his magic and pushed forward. The shields were quite strong, but his anger drove him and drew on all his magic to break through. Once he had conquered them, Harry didn't rifle through Dumbledore's thoughts. Instead he pushed his own memories into Dumbledore's consciousness. This was something he had only done a bit with Hermione. Now he showed the old man his first conscious memory at the age of not quite four when his uncle took a switch to him for breaking a glass while doing the dishes. Next he showed him the dusty cupboard that had been his room for most of his childhood. He flashed on through memories of being awakened early in the morning to cook for the family and then being sent away with a single piece of toast for himself. He showed himself arriving at school wearing clothes that were ten sizes too big and being teased relentlessly to the point that he somehow magically transported himself to the school roof. The memories went on, all the way to the madness that Uncle Vernon displayed when his Hogwarts' letters began to arrive. As each successive memory sank into Dumbledore, his face sagged as his eyes showed realization for the first time. Finally he pulled out and left Dumbledore sitting speechless before him. It took a few minutes before he spoke again.
"Gods Harry. I'm sorry. I should have known. Do you realize what you just did?"
"Yes sir. It's called Legilimency. As part of our defense studies, Hermione and I have been working on mind magics this summer. I think we're making good progress, but we haven't had a chance to really test ourselves."
"Harry, the last person to break my shields was Voldemort when we fought during the first war, not long before your parents were killed. Even then he only broke them for a few seconds before I put them back up. No one has done what you did since I was a young man. I will have quite a headache for a while."
Hermione got up off Harry's lap and went to the headmaster. Putting her fingers on his temples, she gently massaged both physically and mentally as she had been practicing. She felt some of the old man's shields starting to rebuild as he let out a small sigh before looking up at her with surprise.
"Thank you Hermione. I see you have also been busy studying this summer. Tell me, were you in the merge when Harry broke through my shields?"
"Only on the periphery. Harry didn't draw on my power, although he could have if he needed to go further."
"Further? Well, I thank you for not doing so. I don't think I could have handled that. So does that mean that you can pool your magics as I suspected you might someday be able to do when you bonded?"
"Yes, although we are still refining the technique."
"So professor, now that you know what we've been working on and you better understand what I've been through, do you really consider me too young to know my own destiny?"
A silence enveloped the room for a couple more minutes before Dumbledore shook his head and replied.
"I suppose not Harry, but I warn you this will be quite difficult. I also ask that after I tell you this you guard the knowledge carefully. A year before you were born I met with an individual who was applying to be the Divination professor at Hogwarts. I was skeptical of this person, but she was the great-granddaughter of a noted seer, so I gave her a chance. The interview was not going well and I was about to leave when she slipped into a trance and actually delivered a true prophecy. This is what she told me:
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..."
Dumbledore let his words trail off as he watched Harry and Hermione absorb the words. Hermione sagged at first and then her face hardened as her resolve returned. She was still thinking as Harry finally responded.
"So the prophecy means me? I have to die to kill Voldemort. Are you certain?"
"As best I can tell Harry, unfortunately yes. Of course, this seer has only given the one confirmed prophecy and I certainly hope to find a way to defeat it. It mentions three ways to identify the one who will vanquish him. First, the parents must have thrice defied him. That applies to your parents and one other couple. Second, being born as the seventh month dies. Your birthday of course is the 31st. The other couple who the first qualifier applies to had a son as well, born one day before you. It is the third qualifier that narrows the list from two to one. He will mark him as his equal. Voldemort fulfilled that part of the prophecy when he gave you the scar. He picked which baby would grow up to try to vanquish him."
"July 30th, a day before Harry, that's Neville's birthday!"
"Indeed Hermione. Frank and Alice Longbottom were in the Order of the Phoenix during the first war and they were the others who defied the Dark Lord thrice. But Voldemort picked Harry for whatever reasons he decided that he was the more likely candidate to fulfill the prophecy."
"But how did he learn about the prophecy. Did the seer tell him?"
"No Harry, I don't think Trelawney would. And if my timelines are correct, I believe she has been employed at Hogwarts since you were a baby. Professor, is that why you keep her around?"
Dumbledore nodded his head.
"Right on all counts yet again Hermione. I know many doubt her skills, but for the sheer fact that she gave this one prophecy, I find it necessary to keep her close. While Divination cannot truly be taught, my hope is that the class at least introduces the basics so that students may be somewhat familiar with the art and perchance we may find a true seer someday. As for how the Dark Lord found out, there was a spy in the inn when I was conducting the interview. Fortunately the spy heard only half the prophecy, leaving Voldemort with only a half truth."
"So the prophecy is why my parents were targeted? They were killed because of me?"
"No Harry, they were killed because an evil madman is seeking to take control of the wizarding world."
The room grew quiet again as Harry struggled with the new truth and Hermione did her best to comfort him. As she spoke to him in his mind, something else occurred to him and his eyes flew open.
"Professor! My bond with Hermione. What happens to her if I die?"
"I can't say for certain Harry. Soul bonds are so rare. I would imagine your death would prove fatal for her as well. The few instances that have been recorded indicate that is the case."
Harry felt a numbing grief wash over him. If it was just him he would gladly sacrifice himself to rid the world of Voldemort, but to take Hermione with him? How could he ask that? But how could he let Voldemort continue? He pulled Hermione tight in his lap and began to rock them. Dumbledore looked on with a pained expression, wishing he could comfort them, but understanding there was no way he could truly know what their bond meant. Eventually it was Hermione who sat up and took hold of Harry's face, looking deep in his eyes and speaking out loud.
"Harry James Potter! You snap out of this right now! This prophecy is just one potential future. We will find a way around this. I always said Trelawney was a quack. Maybe she isn't completely, but one prophecy in a lifetime does not make her word law. We have more information than we did before and now we will work on a solution. I will not let you die, at least not for a good many years."
Harry smiled and kissed his wife deeply, drawing strength from her. He wasn't as optimistic as she was, but for her he would fight. He turned back to address Dumbledore again.
"Thank you for finally telling me the truth Professor. I still am not completely happy with the way you have handled things, but I plan to move forward from here. Is there anything else I need to know? Do you have any ideas on how Voldemort can possibly be defeated? He should have died already. How has he stayed alive?"
"Ah Harry, those are indeed good questions. But those questions will take some time to answer and I am still researching them myself. Perhaps in time we can discuss this again."
"I suppose the meeting has already been delayed, so I will wait for now. But I will not wait for long. You have made enough mistakes Albus Dumbledore. I hope you will do your best to correct those and work with me to defeat Voldemort and save our lives."
Harry's strength had returned as he lightly pushed against Dumbledore's fragile shields. The old man nodded as Harry pulled back.
"I suppose I deserve that. You have my apologies Harry, although I know that will not be enough. When you return to school perhaps we should meet and discuss this further. I will do what I can to repair our relationship. I do ask that you guard this information for now, even from your friends. The Order knows there was a prophecy given about you, but not the details. You are not the only one I kept this from."
"Understood. If you truly keep your word and work with me, I believe we can mend what has happened, but I expect to be treated fairly and equally. As for guarding the information, I've been working on Occlumency as well. Why don't you test my shields?"
The words were barely out of Harry's mouth when he felt the assault hit him. It was sudden and fierce, causing lights to bloom in his eyes briefly. He felt a small fracture as he immediately began to push Dumbledore back, drawing on all his reserves. He was about bring Hermione into his mind to help when the old man pulled back and gasped. He quickly analyzed his shields and found them fractured in several places, but not broken.
"Well Harry, I think I feel safe with the knowledge I've shared with you. You have some of the hardest shields I have every witnessed. I could have pushed harder, but it would have drained me completely. Did you draw on Hermione at all?"
"No. I was thinking about it before you pulled back."
"Truly impressive. I think even if Voldemort pushed you completely he wouldn't get far for long and with the two of you together, you might even be able to push back into him. And you've only been studying for a couple weeks? Keep working on it and you will singularly be a match for him."
"How about me Professor, can you test my shields? I constructed them a bit differently."
"Perhaps another day Hermione. Between the assault I received earlier and the effort I just applied, I need to recover a bit. I would suspect that you're quite well shielded though. And if you called for Harry to help, then I am more than assured. Now, I appreciate why we needed to have this discussion and come to terms, but I have a good many people gathered to meet tonight. Is there anything else that you need to discuss immediately?"
"Only that we wish to take part in the Order meetings. I know we're young, but we feel we've earned the right."
"Well, some may not agree, but I'll allow it. Call this a first small step to rebuilding our friendship. I won't induct you fully into the Order yet, but I will allow you to sit in as long as you take a privacy oath."
Harry and Hermione both nodded and then took a brief oath that Dumbledore administered. With that done and many disturbing thoughts still swirling in their heads, they left the library and went to join their first meeting with the Order of the Phoenix.