Chapter Four

Buffy groaned as she heard Harry mention the word Prophecy. She waited til he had finished before she spoke up.

“You know, just cause it’s a prophecy doesn’t mean that it’s the be all and end all.”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked with a confused look on his face. Buffy smiled at him.

“You know how you said you had covered me as part of your class?” she asked. After he nodded she continued. “Did you ever cover a fight with a vampire by the name of The Master?”

“That was the first time you died right?” he answered with an unsure nod.

“Right. That fight was based around a prophecy. It was written that I would face the Master and die.”

“But you did…”

“Right, I did do that. And then I was resuscitated and went on to defeat the Master,” she explained. “So just because it’s ‘written’ that you have to kill or be killed, it doesn’t mean that it’s the only thing there is to it.”

“So, you’re saying that maybe there is some kind of loophole that I could use?” he asked as he put it together with what she was saying.

“Exactly,” Dawn said joining in. “Like my blood and Buffy’s being interchangeable. Mine was supposed to be the only thing to close the portal, instead Buffy’s was used.”

“Portal?”

“The story behind my second death,” Buffy answered while shooting a glare at her sister. She was supposed to keep quiet over such things.

“Oh yeah, that was a weird story to listen to,” he agreed. “But if that is the case, then how could I manipulate the prophecy?”

“Giles!” Buffy and Dawn said at the same time and Dawn ran off to grab the cordless phone.

“Your Watcher?”

“Yep,” Buffy agreed with a bright smile. “He and Willow would be able to think of something… maybe Xander and Anya could help as well.”

“Already on their way here Buffy,” Dawn said as she walked back into the room with the phone.

Buffy quickly dialled the number to Giles’ house and waited to hear the voice of her mentor. If anyone could help Harry out, it would be the loyal bunch of Scoobies.

**

Dumbledore smelt the odour that Hermione had been talking about and it startled him. He hadn’t smelt it in so long. Picking up the book he looked at the crest and a sad smile fell on his face.

“What is it Professor?” Hermione asked.

“It seems Lily Evans decided that she would help whoever it is that was deemed the one who would stop Voldemort. That’s what the fragrance is, the smell of lilies. She used to wear it constantly,” he answered slowly.

“Lily knew that there was a great chance that Harry would be seen as the one to save the Wizarding world a few weeks before her death. It looks like she was more prepared than I thought.”

Hermione took a look at the book in Dumbledore’s hand. There was nothing she could see that would tell the Professor all of that. She looked up at him with a curious glance.

“The crest is a combination of the Potter family crest, the Evan’s and not surprisingly the Longbottom’s.”

“Neville?” Hermione asked. She had heard that he was sorted into Gryffindor for a reason, she knew that and now it clicked into place. “Harry mentioned the prophecy could have applied to someone else as well. Neville fits the criteria.”

“And Alice would have assisted Lily in creating this; it has too much power for one lone witch to have wielded.”