The Prophecy of Absconditus

Chapter One: London, 1997

Platform nine and three-quarters was packed to capacity with Hogwarts students on September first as Ron Weasley ran through the magical barrier. Ten minutes remained until the train pulled out of the station, and Ron took his time weaving along to find a compartment or Hermione. Harry already came through the barrier, and Ron caught up with him several seconds after he began to push his trolley. A smirk tugged at his lips when he came to a stop, seeing that Harry pinned his Head Boy badge to his school robes.

"Strutting around with that thing already?"

Harry stared, his face blank, and then lit up in understanding. Turning a light pink, Harry nodded.

"If Hermione can owl us once a week about getting her Head Girl badge, I can certainly strut. Especially after missing prefect two years in a row."

"At least you aren't telling me about your wonderful accomplishment over and over again."

" 'I can't believe I made Head Girl!' " Harry said in a high-pitched squeak, which sounded nothing like Hermione. Ron laughed. " 'Did I tell you? I just couldn't remember. It's really such an honor.' "

"Are you talking about me?"

Ron chewed on his bottom lip, biting back laughter, as Harry turned around to find Hermione behind him. Giving her a sheepish smile, Harry shrugged his shoulders. The stern look on Hermione's face faded when she saw Ron, and she rushed forward to throw her arms around him.

"What about me?" asked Harry, as Ron returned the hug. Hermione stared at him.

"What about you?"

"Where is my hug?"

"You don't get one."

"You don't deserve one," said Ron.

"You can't afford one."

"That was just foul."

"You've spent too much time together this summer," said Hermione.

Ron supposed there was truth in it. He spent three weeks at the Burrow before Hedwig showed up one morning with a letter inviting Ron to spend the summer. He was miffed. Since when did Ron go to spend the summer with Harry?

As it turned out, while Harry was away at Hogwarts during sixth year, Vernon and Petunia Dursley separated. Vernon refused to allow Harry housing at his place of residence any longer, claimed Harry could not come back to Privet Drive for the summer. Petunia packed her bags and left. Ron didn't know if this had anything to do with fear of Dumbledore or a sustaining alliance to her sister, but Petunia came to pick Harry up from the station alone. She even allowed Harry to invite a friend for the summer, hence the letter.

An entire holiday of work and play built up the perfect balance. Ron left for their flat almost immediately in a Ministry car that Fudge gave the family after his fifth year. The family rarely used it (Bill called it a sad attempt to get back on the Weasleys' good side), but they made an exception. When he arrived, Harry showed him around. Due to the congestion of the area they lived in, and that Petunia was still uncomfortable with magic, Quidditch was out of the question, but Harry showed him this wonderful Muggle invention called a television.

Ron returned to the Burrow two weeks before holiday was over. With last minute homework finished and all items on the required list picked up, Ron prepared to head back for seventh year.

After O.W.L.s, Ron dropped History of Magic but managed to bluff his way to an A in Divination, which he continued in sixth year (mostly because he surprised himself and could use the easy grade). This year, Ron dropped Divination for Advanced Prognostics, taught by an Auror from the Ministry and certified Seer. Advanced Prognostics was given to students by invitation, and a rare elective to be taken, but in his sixth year (much to his own surprise as anyone else's), Ron developed a gift of foresight. The incident in Divination where he made his first prediction had been quite humorous, and things got even better when Ron received invitation. Parvati and Lavender still weren't quite ready to forgive him.

In addition to Advanced Prognostics, Ron was taking Pureblood Ancestry and Mythology. Unfortunately, so were Harry and Hermione. Ron would have been pleased to have Hermione and Harry in lessons with him, but this was different. Ron signed up because he wanted an easy subject for his last year, and being a pureblood, not much would be new to him. It focused on the things that all pureblood children grew up knowing. For Harry, who had lived with Muggles, and Hermione, who was born to Muggles, things wouldn't be the same. In fact, it would probably make them look at the wizarding world differently, and Ron spent most the summer trying to talk Harry into dropping the class. Harry thought Ron had gone off the deep end. Ron only hoped that the professor didn't teach about the Potter family. Some things were better left unsaid.

"So what did you do all summer?" asked Hermione, once they had found a compartment and settled in. The Hogwarts Express rolled along in the direction of the castle.

"Chores," said Harry.

"Television," said Ron.

"Homework," they chorused. Hermione seemed pleased.

"I learned so much this summer! I couldn't believe how fascinating the Chaucer - Chadwick case was in 1902. Imagine, all those people dead and no one knew for the longest time. It was absolutely horrible."

"Ron kept trying to talk me out of doing my Pureblood Ancestry work. Said I should just drop the class."

"It won't be as easy for you as it will for me," said Ron.

"You really shouldn't take a class you know all about already," Hermione said. "How are you ever supposed to learn anything? I did that essay last. I never knew so much about Keepers before. I had read about them, of course, but there was so much I didn't know, especially about the Keeper Civil War of 1174. They were almost completely wiped away, and I think it's wonderful how they each specialize in one power. And wandless magic!"

"Every time I read about Keepers, I thought of the Quidditch position," said Harry. Ron stifled a laugh.

"Harry, the Quidditch Keeper and an actual Keeper have nothing in common. One is an athlete, and the other is a magical being."

"I know that. I was just stating."

Ron failed at suppressing a snigger, causing Harry to form the same sheepish smile, that almost became a permanent part of his face since boarding the train. The Incident last year sparked that sheepish smile in the first place. Something about everyone knowing he was gay made Harry go into sheepish mode a lot. Hermione didn't seem to notice.

"Everything is about Quidditch with you, Harry, honestly."

"Ever since Umbridge," said Ron.

"I, for one, found them fascinating. Especially with the life expectancy. Tragic, isn't it?"

"What's tragic?"

"The life expectancy of a Keeper! Harry, where is your mind today?"

"Probably in the gutter," said Ron. Harry grinned.

"I'm sorry, Mione, but I don't get what's tragic."

"Didn't you research for your paper at all?"

"Of course I did, but the assignment didn't say anything about life expectancy. It just said that we had to define a Keeper. I didn't know I had to know the life expectancy."

"Well you don't have to know, exactly, but I would have thought you'd have come across it. I mean, they have the highest suicide rate in all magical beings because of the stress that comes with the job. And they're just born into it, too, never asking for any of it."

"I'd probably off myself, too. I know Malfoy would," said Ron. A dreamy look came over his face, and Hermione tried to hide her smile. "Too bad he wasn't born a Keeper. Maybe he is and we just don't know. They have to keep it secret and all."

"If he was born a Keeper, he'd be Muggle-born. They all are. It's in the Keeper Code of Conduct and Law, act sixteen, subsection one. And he wouldn't be learning at Hogwarts until he was older. Maybe not even then. Not all Keepers are trained in magic, just the really powerful ones, because they only specialize in one power, and that's born into them. All their magic is wandless. And they don't have to keep it secret. Just from Muggles. Besides, it's probably a good thing that Malfoy isn't a Keeper. Once they're created, they're reincarnated over and over again with their circle until it's decided that they can move on."

"I think one lifetime with Malfoy around is more than enough," said Harry.

"That was my point. There's this one circle -- the Corona Romana -- they're thought to have the most powerful Keepers in this lifetime. They're one of the oldest circles. Livia and Atropos, their Seers, date all the way back the oracles of ancient Rome. Kalypso was the inventor of Switching Spells. I hadn't known before, and she -"

"Can we talk about something other than school work?" asked Ron. "Like holiday. Or play chess. Or do something that doesn't involve books and research, no offense Hermione. You know we don't share your passion for learning."

"I know," she said, and then sighed. "Yes, why don't you two play chess? I think I'm going to go for a walk. Visit Neville and Ginny."

"You do that."

Hermione gave them a small, resigned nod before standing and leaving the compartment. Ron watched her go, feeling guilty for chasing her away. From the look on Harry's face, he wasn't feeling much better about it than Ron was. Exchanging glances, Harry searched for the chessboard and pieces.

"Did we come off as rude?"

"Me? You're the one who wanted to get off the subject," said Harry. "You came off as rude. I came off as an idiot. Nothing Hermione isn't used to."

"Are you saying that I'm rude?"

"Ron, you aren't just rude, you are the epitome of rude. I'm thicker than Crabbe and Goyle. Poor Hermione. I don't know how she puts up with us."

"You aren't thicker than Crabbe and Goyle. That's really stretching things."

"It took me four years to realize that my attraction to guys made me gay."

"That doesn't make you thick. It means you were in denial."

"It's all the same."

"No, it's really not."

"Fine. I thought I fancied Cho once. Took me a few years to even realize I was attracted to guys."

"That's hormones. Stop being so gloomy. We're going back to Hogwarts. That's always supposed to be a good thing for you. Going home and all."

"Going home. Right. Going back for seventh year is so promising that I can hardly contain myself. Don't you get it, Ron? This is seventh year -- our last year -- and every year so far has been building this tension . . . Things are going to be bad this year. Can't you feel it?"

"Why? Because of You-Know-Who?"

"Yes! And would you just call him Voldemort?" Harry dug his fingers into his scalp. His gaze dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry, Ron. S'just I get so frustrated."

"I know. No harm done, no offense taken."

Harry grinned, though it looked more like a grimace to Ron. His bright green eyes faded as each year passed, with each time Voldemort came around again. The way Harry had changed startled Ron. He never expected it from his friend, and didn't know what to make of it. Most of the time he just accepted it, filed it away for later. Other times he pondered, and this turned out to be one of those times.

No matter how many angles he looked at it from, Ron didn't know how to help Harry (in any sense of the word). He wished he did, and watched with sadness as Harry found the chessboard and set up the pieces. What was going on in Harry's mind? How was Ron supposed to react to him? Things weren't even comfortable anymore. A strained silence hung in the air, and was still there when Hermione returned. Pleasant small talk resumed, but Ron remained uneasy even when the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade.

They unloaded their things, got in the carriages, and headed off for Hogwarts School. Dumbledore pulled Harry and Hermione aside when they arrived, leaving Ron to attend the feast on his own. He barely paid attention during the Sorting, and when Harry returned, listened to all the news about being Head Boy. He would have to attend monthly meetings with the faculty, which Harry didn't seem at all excited about, counsel younger students, which Harry seemed terrified about, and serve as an example. Ron thought he was more terrified about the last part than Harry was, and rightfully so. That wasn't even to mention he got his own room. If Ron had really thought about it, he would have worked harder on his schoolwork to get away from Seamus, the slob.

Supper was fantastic, as it always was at the opening feast. They complained about Snape being back, but rejoiced at his misfortune of missing out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position again. Hermione reminded them it was their own choice to continue Potions after O.W.L.s. Harry checked out the guys, giving his opinions and commentary to Ron in the lewdest fashion possible. Ron would have been offended and annoyed if he wasn't so pleased that Harry was becoming more comfortable with what he affectionately called his "alternative lifestyle." Toward the end, Harry started scouting for the Quidditch team this year, and proclaimed his position of captain to the entire Gryffindor table.

The feast wrapped up, and Dumbledore stood to say his customary words. He introduced Harry and Hermione as the Head Boy and Head Girl, which -- Ron saw from across the Hall -- made Malfoy glare and mutter to one of his goons. A few of Zonko's (and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes) products were banned from Hogwarts. The Forbidden Forest remained out of bounds for all students, as did Hogsmeade for students in their first and second years, or without permission slips. The new Pureblood Ancestry and Mythology professor was introduced (Phoenix Valmont).

Once Dumbledore finished, Harry and Hermione left to see their private rooms. They would meet Ron in the common room later. Gryffindor prefects guided the first years toward the seventh floor dormitory where Gryffindor Tower was. Ron followed. As he left the Hall, Malfoy made a snide comment about Ron being lost without Harry's shadow to wallow in. Nothing Ron hadn't heard before.

In favor of waiting for Harry and Hermione, Ron went up to the seventh year boys' dormitory. His trunk sat at the end of his bed. Four beds were in the dormitory in comparison to the customary five that Ron had gotten used to over the course of his years at school. The room felt very empty with Harry gone, almost sad, and Ron climbed into bed. His friends would have to see him in the morning.

*

"What do we have today?" asked Harry.

It was breakfast time on the first day of lessons. Harry was bent over a piece of parchment, scribbling what looked like either a Quidditch play or a plot against the Death Eaters. Ron wanted to believe it was the former, but caught Harry making plans of attack in case of a siege during the last days of holiday. Professor McGonagall handed out the timetables only moments before, which Hermione labored over.

"Charms and History of Magic before lunch," said Hermione. "I have Arithmancy after lunch."

Harry groaned, and then lifted his eyes to find his timetable.

"I've got Divination."

"Prognostics," said Ron.

"I still can't believe you're a Seer," said Hermione. Her nose turned up, lips puckered.

"Me, either."

"I wish you were still in Divination with me," said Harry. "Then again, it should be fun with you gone. I'll just complain about how I miss you. The look on Trelawney's face when I say your name should be priceless. I heard that she wasn't even invited to take Prognostics. She's probably bitter."

"She isn't the only one. Parvati glared at me all this morning in the common room and last night at dinner. I think she's going to try and kill me."

"At least you'd see it coming," said Harry, snickering. Ron laughed with him. "Do you know who you have?"

"Professor Leiss. It's on my timetable. Dumbledore said something about a certified Seer working with the Aurors at the Ministry."

"Those who can't do, teach. Prime example: Professor Trelawney."

Hermione scoffed. Harry and Ron glanced at her; she was adding to one of her Transfiguration essays.

"Hermione, give it a break. We don't have Transfiguration until --" Ron checked the timetable. "Thursday. You still have two days to make corrections."

"I know, but what if I don't have time?"

Harry grabbed the essay from her, folded it, and stuck it in his bag.

"You can have that back at the end of the school day."

"Harry --"

"Listen, Mione, we're doing this for your own good. One day, you'll thank me for this."

The look Hermione gave Harry suggested that she would be committing homicide before thanking him. Harry grinned (though not sheepish), and took a bite of toast before standing. He indicated that Ron and Hermione should follow him.

"We have class. I hope you don't want to make last minute corrections on your Charms work."

"Why? Would you take that from me, too?"

"No. I'm fond of all my vital body parts, after all, and I don't think my limbs would remain in tact if I took something else from you, least of all something that you need for our first lesson. No need to visit Madam Pomfrey my first real day back."

"Good call, Harry," said Ron.

"Thanks. I thought so, too."

"Come on. We have lessons."

Ron followed Harry and Hermione out of the Great Hall, headed in the direction of Gryffindor Tower to pick up his books. Then it was off to Charms. Maybe this wouldn't be a bad year after all. Maybe Harry was wrong, and there would be no siege. Still, there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind -- a flash that would drift across his eyes -- that told him differently. Call it Seer intuition, if you will. Ron didn't like the impression one bit.