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document.write(''); chapter nine: The Prophecy

Dumbledore didn't seem at all surprised to see Harry and Hermione. Which, granted, wasn't really saying much, since Dumbledore hardly ever looked surprised. Still, Hermione couldn't help but detect a certain resigned look in Dumbledore's eyes as they came in, as though he had been expecting them.

" Please, sit down," he said graciously, motioning toward the two chairs in front of his desk, " Miss Trelawney, you too."

Kimmy took the seat next to Hermione but purposefully pulled it away, glaring coolly when Hermione glanced over and met her gaze.

When they were settled, Dumbledore clasped his hands together and ran his gaze over the assembled trio. " I trust that your presence means that Kimmy has informed you of the prophecy."

Harry nodded bitterly. " Yeah, and of the conspiracy to cover it up."

Dumbledore held his gaze, unblinking. " I'm sorry that this was kept from you, Harry, and you as well, Hermione, but it was most important that we decipher the meaning of the prophecy before we made the two of you aware of it."

Hermione frowned at this. " The meaning of the prophecy? I thought that the meaning was pretty clear-my being in love with Harry will bring about his death and the destruction of the wizarding world."

Harry looked over at her quickly but remained silent.

" That is one interpretation," Dumbledore began.

Kimmy's face was positively livid. " The only interpretation."

Dumbledore ignored this outburst, his face impassioned. " The actual wording of the prophecy reads that if Harry and you fall in love, it will bring an end to Harry and an end to the wizarding world as we know it."

" I don't see how that's much better," Hermione admitted.

" Not all endings are bad," Dumbledore reminded Hermione gently, " sometimes, one thing must end for another great thing to come to pass."

There was silence as Dumbledore let his words sink in. " Of course," he said after a moment, " that is also only an interpretation. Miss Trelawney and her family may very well be correct."

Harry glared at Dumbledore. " Well, if being in love with Hermione might bring about something good, why did you work so hard to keep us apart? Why did you allow Kimmy to manipulate me?"

Unflinchingly, Dumbledore met his gaze. " Because we needed more time, Harry, to determine whether or not this prophecy was a good or bad omen. Of course, I didn't realize that Miss Trelawney would take matters to such extremes..."

Kimmy shrugged. " If our interpretation of the prophecy is correct-which it is-than there isn't anything too drastic to be done to make sure that the two of you don't end up together."

" It does all seem a little drastic, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said after a moment, " Especially for something like a prophecy. They've been wrong before, haven't they? And anyway, if it is our fate to fall in love, then there's nothing that could have stopped it."

Kimmy glared at her icily. " We might not have been able to stop the two of you from falling in love, but there are ways to keep you apart."

Harry placed a protective hand on Hermione's arm. " I don't really like your tone, Kimmy. You make that sound like a threat."

Kimmy merely shrugged. " Maybe. Maybe not." She glanced at Dumbledore. " It all depends on whether or not he'll cooperate in helping us keep you apart."

" The only way to do that would be through force or mind control," Hermione pointed out, " and there's no way Professor Dumbledore would resort to that."

" Oh really?" Kimmy challenged. She turned her brilliant blue eyes to Dumbledore. " Why don't you explain to them, then, what you've already done to keep them apart?"

Slowly, Harry and Hermione turned their gazes to Dumbledore, who regarded them calmly. " You must understand," he began, " that we only had your best interests and the best interest of the wizarding world at large in mind. We needed more time to analyze the prophecy--"

" Why don't you just get to the point?" Harry suggested coldly.

Dumbledore sighed. " Your fourth year at Hogwarts, there were already signs that the two of you were beginning to develop feelings for one another. When Miss Granger was selected as the person whom Harry would miss the most, it seemed that the two of you had reached the point of no return."

Hermione frowned. " But I wasn't chosen for Harry. I was chosen for Viktor, and Ron was chosen for Harry."

" They changed it," Harry answered simply, looking sickened. "Changed our memories."

Dumbledore nodded. " We introduced Viktor, hoping that he could distract Miss Granger and allow us more time."

Hermione stared at him in shock. " Viktor was a double-agent? To keep me away from Harry?"

" Yes," Dumbledore affirmed, " just as Opal Redding, the transfer student your seventh year, was meant as a distraction for Harry."

They stared at him, uncomprehending. Dumbledore-DUMBLEDORE-had lied to them. He'd played with their emotions and manipulated them, all to keep them apart.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Harry inquired bitterly. " Shake your hand and say thanks for screwing with our lives all these years?"

Dumbledore sighed again. " If it's any consolation, it wasn't an easy decision to make."

Harry scowled at this. " Oh, yes, what a wonderful consolation. That certainly makes up for everything." He rose to his feet, looking questioningly at Hermione.

She hesitated, but only for a moment, then rose to follow after him.

" I feel I don't have to remind you," Dumbledore called after them, " that there is still a chance that the prophecy was an omen for death and destruction. The choice is yours to make, of course, but you must use caution in your judgment--"

They ignored this and continued out the door.

Harry kept walking long after leaving Dumbledore's office, his pace brisk and rapid. Hermione was nearly running to catch up with him. " Harry-Harry, wait a minute--"

He turned sharply, his eyes anguished. " Is this the part where you tell me we should stay apart in case this prophecy is true?"

Hermione stopped in her tracks, staring at him. " Is that what you want?" she inquired.

" Of course not."

She smiled, then shyly closed the distance between them. " That's not what I want, either."

The hard edges on his face began to fade, and he returned her smile, though there was still worry mirrored in his emerald eyes. " But what about the prophecy?" he inquired finally.

Hermione shrugged. " What about it? You know I've never believed in Divination, Harry."

" But it predicted that you and I would fall in love, that we--"

" So?" Hermione challenged. She took his hands and smiled up at him. " Harry, I don't believe that fate decides our lives. We make our own destinies. And being with you...kissing you, loving you...I've never been happier in my life. So when it comes down to it, I choose to be happy. I choose you."

His mouth broke into a wide grin. " Say it again." Seeing the look on her face, he elaborated, " The part about loving me. Say it again."

" I love you, Harry."

" I love you, too, Hermione."

This time, it was Harry who closed the distance between them. They kissed sweetly, earnestly, oblivious to the rest of the world.

Further down the hall, Kimmy watched them from the shadows, and her eyes narrowed angrily.

***

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A/N: So, the votes are in, and according to almost unanimous requests, this will keep going down the new path. Hopefully, this chapter explained a bit more about the prophecy. Next chapter will be a bit more cheerful hopefully, and we'll get back to some of the other subplots and characters--like Draco, for those of you who are having a heart attack without him. Yeah, I admit it-- I miss him, too! ;) Thanks for all the reviews--you guys are awesome!