"I hate you, Harry." Ron sat down at the kitchen table and put his head in his hands.
"Oh come on, you can join too. You're old enough."
"Mum won't let me, my five O.W.L's did not put her in a good mood. Besides, I didn't get a letter on my birthday...."
"He probably only gave it to me because I'm letting him use the house," Harry shrugged, knowing that if he told Ron Hermione got a letter too he might go over the deep end.
"Right." Ron got up and was heading up the stairs when he met Hermione on her way down.
"They're havin' a meeting, games in Ginny's room, wanna join us?"
"I can't... I'm er... actually... in the meeting."
"You, too! How," Ron asked in disbelief.
"Well, once I got the letter asking if I would join I asked my parents and they think I should be as informed as possible on what's going on," she said.
Ron said nothing further, he just stomped his way up to Ginny's room.
Upon arriving in the Order meeting room, Harry and Hermione were greeted by a very excited Tonks. She then asked Harry if he liked the present, at which he blushed. They were joined by Lupin who seemed to not want to stop asking Harry if he was okay. Hermione thought Lupin himself didn't seem 'okay' but didn't press it.
Dumbledore apparated into the room and immediately made a bee line for Harry.
"Tonks, Lupin, would you be so kind and excuse us," Dumbledore asked.
Tonks and Lupin smiled and walked away with Hermione on their heels until Dumbledore spoke again.
"Miss Granger, won't you join us?"
Hermione's face reddened and she made her way back to them.
"I know this is only your first meeting Harry, but I wonder if I could inform the other members about your prophecy?"
"They'll need to know," Harry said, looking over to his friend who gave him a determined look.
"Okay.... Er.... Could you do it," Harry asked Dumbledore.
"Of course."
Dumbledore walked to the middle of the room and cleared his throat, which silenced everyone as they took their seats facing him.
"I would like to start by thanking Remus Lupin for his information on the Death Eaters in Prague. Also, I would like to thank Mr. Moody, Tonks, and Lupin for disposing of said Death Eaters, a total of five."
The room applauded, then waited for Dumbledore to speak again.
"On the Giant front, unfortunately, the order has not had any luck, so last week the Ministry sent their own people out there to see what they can do. Also, I would like to thank Tonks for the Weird Sisters album, that was quite enjoyable."
The room laughed at that while Tonks' face started to resemble her cherry tomato coloured hair.
"Now, I would like to bring up some news that has to do with our newest members, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger."
The room clapped again, and a dragon skin-clad Fred and George Weasley hooted and whistled. The only one who didn't even bother to pretend to care was one Severus Snape.
"This is not exactly the happy news I was hoping for their first meeting, but Harry and Hermione feel it is time for the Order to know."
This quieted everyone while they looked quizzically from Harry and Hermione to Dumbledore.
"As you all know, there was a prophecy. A prophecy that was recorded and kept in the records section of the Ministry of Magic. When it was broken I'm sure everyone assumed that it was lost. It was not lost, however, because I was the one who heard the original prophecy. Now, we feel it is not necessary for the prophecy to be told to you verbatim, but there is something you need to know. I'm sure you have assumed that I would be the one to kill Voldemort, but I will not. Harry is the one that must kill him."
Dumbledore paused while members yelled and gasped at this.
"Potter? Him against the Dark Lord? You've got to be mad!" they heard Snape yell.
"You can't do this to him, hasn't he been through enough," Lupin stood up, but was pulled back down by Tonks.
"You get him Harry!" could be heard from the twins.
"Albus, you can't do this..." Mrs. Weasley said after she swatted at the twins.
"I assure every one of you this is not my doing. Harry's prophecy clearly states that either Harry must kill Voldemort or Voldemort will kill Harry."
At that, Mrs. Weasley got up and left the room with Arthur Weasley at her heels, while everyone else sat in silence.
"What are you going to do to get him ready Headmaster," Snape asked.
"Not much. In fact, Miss Granger is the one who has been helping Harry. Miss Granger, would you like to address the question?"
Hermione got up shakily and spoke to the room full of elders, finding some courage when she saw Tonks changing her nose.
"We've been studying Voldemort's attack habits, -how he retreats, where he strikes, and who... er.... We've been doing protection spells. Mostly the more primal ones because Harry seems to do well with them. Just the other day we did... well, I don't know what it's called-"
"The Sempetutela Spell." Dumbledore finished for her.
The rest of the room gasped, mumbled, and shifted.
"Right," Hermione said, worried how he knew about that. "We've been studying where Voldemort seems his weakest. He hates muggles and anything to do with them, so we've been studying some old muggle weapons. Also, since Harry's a parsletongue, we've been thinking, since Voldemort uses snakes in battle, we can too...."
The room was silent in less of a panicked, more of an amazed way.
The meeting soon ended and Dumbledore went with Harry and Hermione upstairs.
"How did you know about the spell? We didn't tell anyone."
"I've been keeping track of the spells done inside the house. I hope you don't mind Harry, just to make sure no harm came to anyone in the house. I see Molly is in the living room," Dumbledore said.
Harry went to the living room without another word and sat down next to Mrs. Weasley on the large, overstuffed red couch.
"Hi," Harry said, unsure of what to actually do.
"Hello Harry," she said.
Harry thought of something to get his point across to Mrs. Weasley.
"You know what I saw when I looked in the Mirror of Erised?"
She shook her head, the look on her face showing that she had no idea where he was going with this.
"I saw my mum and dad. I don't know them because they died for me; to protect me. The same way you'd protect any of your children to the death, even Percy. My friends are my only family. I have to protect them, I know you understand that."
"You're so young; only a boy."
"I've gone up against Voldemort four times. I'm not just a boy. Mrs. Weasley, there are worse things than death. I'd rather risk my life then see Voldemort hurt my family again." Harry said, knowing she knew how he felt.
"Mrs. Weasley, I'm doing everything in my power to make sure Harry will be safe. We're going to get Tom Riddle where it hurts him the most; his mortality," Hermione said from the door.
* * *
"Come on, mate! You have to tell me!" Ron whined.
"Harry, Ginny and I will be in my room, won't we Ginny," Hermione said, as she began to lead the other girl away from the room.
"No way, I want to hear this!"
"Ginny, I'll tell you about the meeting, okay? Just come on," she pulled, finally getting Ginny out the door.
"What was that all about?" Ron gathered his chess pieces and began to reset the board.
"I don't know," Harry lied.
"Look Ron, there's something that came out at tonight's meeting that I didn't think would come up, but now that it has I need to tell you. You know how the prophecy broke the day Sirus died?"
"Of course," Ron said.
"That wasn't the only...er...copy. I've heard the prophecy."
"What did it say," Ron said slowly.
"It said: *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*," Harry moved his hair and pointed to his scar, "*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*."
"Bloody Hell, Harry! Wait, what does it mean someone must die by the other's hands?"
"I have to kill him, or he'll kill me. The only thing though, is it says that only I have the power Ron. I have to kill Voldemort or the world's doomed."
"Harry, your scaring me.... You know Dumbledore's gonna-"
"He can't. Ron it has to be me. I just wanted to tell you before the school year began so if you don't want to be around me, I won't be angry with you."
"I'm not going anywhere. What, now with this prophecy I'm supposed to become Malfoy's best mate? Sorry, but you'll have to keep putting up with me."
Harry felt his heart swell up with pride. Ron may feel himself in the shadow of his other siblings, but Harry knew better.
* * *
Author's note: All the words within the ** are from J.K. Rowling's novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, taken from the chapter The Lost Prophecy page 841.