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Authors
Note/ Diclaimer: This is the prologue to a *much* longer story (30 pages
already and not half done) that actually takes place eighteen years in the
future from the point. But the propecy is rather important, and I felt
compelled to write the story of it's telling. Thus... this prologue! (Yay!
Aren't you *so* excited? :) And if there's anyone out there good with
titles, please e-mail me... I'm not completely pleased with this one and
would very much appreciate any and all suggestions. Anyway. Sirius Black,
Remus Lupin, Professor Trelawny, James Potter and Lily belong to
Ms.Rowling. Mairwen and Colin Tremayne, Aunt Athena, and the unamed frog
belong to me. :)
Those Whom
The Gods Disfavour
Prologue
"Fifty-two more hours, thirty-seven more minutes and twelve- no, wait-
eleven more seconds until Christmas Break is over."
Remus Lupin grinned over the top of the book he was reading at his friend,
"I certainly never thought I’d see the day Sirius Black would actually
be wishing for school to start again."
Sirius sighed and leaned back in his chair, setting his feet comfortably on
the table in front of him, "Can’t help it. This week has been one of the
most boring in my life, and that counts the week I had to stay with a muggle
uncle and we spend the whole time inventorying socks. That was a blast
compared to this. No one who stayed this break is any fun at all-"
"Present company excluded, of course?" grinned Mairwen Tremayne,
who completed the trio of rather bored Gryffindor seventh years.
"No," Sirius said, looking horrified at the idea, "You and
Remus are the worst of all of them. As if James and Lily weren’t
enough-"
"That’s your problem, love," grinned Mairwen, winking at Remus,
"I don’t think you’ve ever been so long from James’ company before.
Personally, I think it’s getting to you."
Sirius shot her a dirty look.
"Hey, it’s not my fault," she said, "I’m not the one, who
after seven years hatibg, he decided he was of no mortal use apart from. I’m
not the one he’s fallen madly for-"
"Madly is right," grumbled Sirius, "To spend the Christmas
holidays at Lily’s. I’ve met her sister once before. Not pleasant for either
of us. I think I liked it better when they refused to speak to each
other."
"Speak for yourself. At least now I’m free from Lily’s endless rants-
‘How much I detest James Potter’ or ‘That James Potter just thinks he’s so
special, doesn’t he?’ Though the latter was always a particular favourite of
mine."
"James never even mentioned her at all," Sirius grinned, "Went
out of his way to avoid the subject. In all seven years, she was probably the
only girl who was never discussed at least once in the guy’s dorms."
Mairwen glared at him, "The only one?"
"The only one," he repeated gleefully, "The nights we've
stayed up dicussing you- fun times, eh Moony?"
Remus flushed slightly pink, "I’m sure I don’t know what your talking
about."
"Oh don’t you? What about just last week when you were saying-"
"I’m starting to get rather bored myself," Remus interrupted,
shutting his book with a small bang, "There’s got to be something we can
do around here."
Sirius jumped off the chair, "My thoughts exactly. I have something I
wanted to show you-"
Fifteen minutes later the three had left the common room and were following
Sirius’ lead as he lead them up and down corridors, through doors and over
staircases.
"He does know where we are?" Mairwen muttered.
Remus smiled, We can hope. How much further, Sirius?"
He stopped and turned around to face them, mischievous smile playing across
his face, "Right in this door- stand still and behold- Professor
Trelawny! What are you doing here?"
"You mean she's not what we came to see?" asked Remus
sarcastically.
Professor Trelawny looked slightly startled at seeing them, as if they were
ghosts, but kept her voice calm, "Hello, Mairwen. Boys. Though I do not
fathom why, the spirits seemed to have called us all to this particular
place. And if I have taught you anything, I hope you will realise when the
spirits call, you answer, unless you wish to feel the gods disfavour."
"It seems they disfavour us pretty much already," muttered Sirius,
looking as if he wished to throttle her for being there.
Mairwen shot him a warning glance, "I guess so, Professor Trelawny. But
there doesn’t seem to be anything happening here. Perhaps you’d best go back
up to your classroom and stare into your crystal ball some more."
"Yea," agreed Remus, trying to keep back a smile, "Maybe you-
er- heard them wrong."
Sirius snorted derisively, "Perhaps they had a bad cold. And you know
how terrible it is to have ill spirits- Professor Trelawny, are you
okay?"
She had gone as stiff as a board, and it was only Mairwen’s hand still on her
arm that was keeping her propped up. Her eyes rolled back in her head and
they could hear low growling noises.
"Is she rabid?" Sirius whispered.
Mairwen looked stricken, "I- I don’t know what’s the matter with-"
"WHEN THE ROCK BEGINS TO CRUMBLE," the Professor suddenly
began in a deep, guttural voice quite unlike her own, "THE STAG
MAY DIE
TO SAVE THE FLOWER, WHO MAY STILL WITHER, BUT NOT WITHOUT CAUSE- SHE WILL
PASS DOWN THE LEGACY OF THE LIGHT, IN THE VERY SHAPE THAT WAS HER DOWNFALL.
BUT IT IS SAID THAT THOSE WHOM THE GODS FAVOUR DIE YOUNG- BEWARE TO THOSE
LEFT OF THE FELLOWSHIP, FOR WHEN HE AGAIN RETURNS WITH RENEWED INTENSITY,
HOLDING ALL THE POWER OF THE SKY, IT WILL BE LIGHTENING AGAINST LIGHTENING,
AND THE FELLOWSHIP WILL ONCE AGAIN BE WHOLE, THE FINAL DEFEAT OR VISTORY
WRITTEN IN SACRIFICIAL BLOOD ACROSS THE ANCESTRAL HALLS OF STONE."
The room was completely silent for a few minutes as the friends stared
wide-eyed and breathless at each other. Then suddenly, Professor Trelawny
gave a small grunt and her head rolled down to her chest, only a few minutes
until she picked it up and looked around dazedly.
"My- dizzy for a moment. Perhaps you are right," she patted
Mairwen’s hand as if nothing had happened, "and I have not heard the
spirit’s correctly. I shall go back up to my room and mediate. As for you
three, you'd best get back up to the common room before you get in trouble. I
have foreseen much animosity between you and Mr. Filch, Sirius."
As one, they turned to leave, their original purpose for coming to the room
all but forgotten. It was until the got back to the common room door that
anyone dared to speak.
"That was- odd," said Remus.
"I don’t like it," Mairwen said, "I’ll admit sometimes she can
be a little full of it, but that- what exactly did she mean? Those whom the
gods favour die young? The fellowship will once again be made whole?"
"Just another performance," laughed Sirius nervously, as if he were
desperately trying to cover his own fear, "I have to admit I almost
believed her this time- but be practising."
Mairwen only glared at him as he gave the Fat Lady the password and they
stepped back into the comfort of the common room. The fire was still burning
merrily, but Mairwen felt chilled to the bone, "I think-"
"Mairwen!" called a tearful voice from the side of the room.
She sighed, "What is it this time, Colin?"
"I lost my toad again. You know it was a gift from Aunt Athena last year
and she’d-"
"Fine," she snapped, heading towards the sleeping rooms,
"Heaven forbid you lose that damn frog."
The door slammed behind her and Colin looked surprised, "What’s the
matter with her?"
"The only thing the matter with your sister is nerves," answered
Sirius promptly, "She always takes Professor Trelawny much too seriously
for her own good- remember the year she prophesied that I would die?
Surprised Mairwen didn't start knitting my shroud right then-."
"I don’t know, Sirius…" Remus started slowly, watching as Colin
sullenly left the common room to go search the library.
He threw his arms up in the air with an exasperated sigh, "Not you too,
Remus? Listen, did any of that stuff even actually make sense to you?"
"No," he answered hesitantly.
"And why are we all so certain, even if it is true, that it means death and
destruction?"
"I don't know. The references to death and destruction were pretty
convincing."
"Okay. So she threw out a couple apoctalyptic phrases- how are we so
certain it was even meant for us?"
Remus let out a long breath, "We don't."
"Of course it wasn't. I'm certain the end of the world as we know it
might change history a bit- and the thought that anything any of us
could do would change history is as ridiculous as- as Hagrid ending up in
Azkaban, for Christ’s sake!"
Remus didn’t seem fully convinced but he nodded slowly, "I guess."
"Thank-you. We’re the masters of our own fates, Moony, not silly
doomsday predictions."
He nodded again, looking towards the door Mairwen had just left through,
"She seemed pretty upset…"
Sirius rolled his eyes and waved his arm dismissively, "Fine. Go."
He shook his head as he watched his friend hurry out of the room, and nearly
sat down on Colin’s frog, who had somehow found its way into the cushions of
the sofa. He picked it up and stroked it absently, muttering to himself,
"If your going to worry, it might as well be about something worthwhile.
A prediction Professor Trelawny made coming true? That’s so impossible it’s
almost funny. Almost."
Colin’s frog gave an encouraging burp, and Sirius set him aside, turned off
the lamp and went up the stairs to bed.
A single tale may draw to a close, but the story never
ends...
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