Dumbledore's Biggest Mistake: Prologue
The
Emerald-eyed champion will have one chance to learn the power by the
Dark lord unknown.
The flame-haired maiden whom he saved from the
serpent King, owns his heart and to him must be wed.
By the new
Dawn of his sixteenth year, a bond must form, or all that is light
shall fail.
The one born as the seventh month dies shall fail in
his mission and the Dark lord shall reign unchallenged for
one-thousand years.
The champion will have one chance to learn the
power by the Dark lord unknown.
The ministry employee assigned to record the arrival of new prophecies noted the time and persons involved. She placed it on row ninety-eight, shelf four-e, slot number seven. On the label in front of the prophecy, she recorded, PED to DDD and TED concerning HJP, unknown girl, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, December 19, 1982, and then copied the information on the log. As it was time for lunch, she returned to her desk, the new prophecy forgotten among so many others.
Fourteen years later
Molly Weasley looked around the sitting room at the Burrow on New Year's Eve. The day was most certainly a very interesting affair. She shook her head, remembering how the twins had found out about Lavender Brown's present to Ronald, and refused to stop teasing him. Predictably, this had led to a huge row, and was the reason that the twins had chosen to spend the night at their flat over the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes shop.
Ginny had spent the day in her room reading a long letter from Dean. She had joined the family for dinner, and now sat by her mother on the family room sofa. Molly, for her part, did not necessarily approve of her daughter having a boyfriend she did not know, but understood the need for a teenage girl to feel loved and accepted by her peers.
She would still rather Ginny was with another young man like… Well, she had to admit to herself, she would rather Ginny were with Harry, but she knew that her daughter had given up on the young man ever asking her out. Still, a mother could dream, and she had noticed a few glances Harry had turned Ginny's way during these holidays home from school, and was sure that if Ginny was not currently with someone, Harry would be all hers.
Harry was seated across the room with Arthur and Remus Lupin. The three of them appeared to be discussing something important, but Harry still occasionally glanced over at Ginny. Yet Ginny was completely oblivious to Harry's presence in the room. Molly noticed that Arthur and Remus exchanged knowing glances whenever Harry would look in Ginny's direction and she thought, 'at least I am not the only one who notices his interest in Ginny.'
Glancing at her youngest son Ron, Molly wondered if he would ever realise his feelings for his other best friend Hermione. Now that was definitely a worrisome situation; if Ron were ever to admit his feelings to himself about Hermione, she would almost certainly reciprocate and those two could get on with their lives together.
Young Ron had befriended a young Harry on their first day on the Hogwarts Express. That had been a fortuitous situation for the Weasley family, as both Arthur and Ginny would most certainly be dead now: Harry had rescued them both in the past few years. Now the two boys had grown to become strong and very handsome young men.
Ginny distracted Molly from her worries when she stood and turned. "Goodnight Mum, I'm off to bed now," she said. As Ginny left the sitting room, Molly surreptitiously glanced at Harry, and noted that although he continued with his conversation, his eyes followed Ginny as she left the room. That did it for Molly; she would do everything in her power to see the two of them at least had a chance to be together.
"I still can't shake the feeling that something was supposed to happen, but didn't," Harry said, loud enough for her to hear.
Lord Voldemort sat comfortably on his throne as he considered the ease with which his new plan was coming to completion. 'All I have to do is be patient, and everything will work as I have planned. When this is finished, I will be the recognized as the greatest wizard in the world. Even by those who follow Dumbledore. Love, Bah! Why do I need that when I am the most powerful wizard ever?' He was distracted from his musing by one of his followers approaching him.
"My lord," the Death Eater said cautiously.
"Wormtail?" The named Death Eater cringed. "What is it?
"Master, you commanded me to tell you when the Malfoys and the Lestranges had arrived," replied Wormtail.
"Show them in," was Voldemort's instant command.
"Yes, Master." Wormtail walked quickly to the door and motioned for the witches and wizards to enter. "The Dark Lord will see you now."
"Master." The two witches and wizards approached the reigning Dark Lord and knelt. "You commanded our presence?"
"Yes, Narcissa, it has come to my attention that you disobeyed my order to have Draco complete his mission on his own. Do you not believe your son worthy to carry my mark?"
"Master, I knew you would want this mission completed," said Narcissa. "Therefore, I sought assistance in assuring that Draco's assignment would be successfully completed. I know you desire the death of your enemy. Though I have faith in my son's ability to fulfil your command, I must make allowances for the fact that he is still young."
"That task was a test for him to prove himself worthy to serve me. You were told to allow him to complete it on his own. You disobeyed me! You will be punished for this." His wand ascended and he said, "Crucio!" The blonde witch dropped to the ground, writhing on the floor.
Voldemort turned his attention to Bellatrix Lestrange. "You knew that I would not be pleased by your sister's actions, and yet you allowed her to continue along her chosen course," he said, with a mocking sneer on his face.
"Master, I tried to deter her, but she refused to listen," she pleaded.
"You did not try hard enough!" Voldemort sat his face an expressionless mask. "Crucio!" Narcissa Malfoy screamed again as the Curse was reapplied. Voldemort allowed her to suffer under it for almost a minute.
"Now," Voldemort continued after lifting the Cruciatus for the second time, "remove yourselves from my presence. The stench of your failure annoys me."
The three still standing gathered Narcissa Malfoy and, bowing low, left the room as quickly as possible. As the door closed behind them, they heard Voldemort speak, "Wormtail, I have an assignment for you."