The Stag Prophecy

Dearest Mundungus Fletcher,

The time of the Marauders is now...

Albus Dumbledore

After sealing the letter with a swish of his wand, Dumbledore pressed his wand to his temple, and pulled a sparkling, silver thought from his worried mind. The thought remained fixed to the wand, until the pull of the Pensive soaked the shimmer from it's string-like form. It gladly ate the thought, and began to churn and boil. As the thoughts swirled faster and faster, Dumbledore gently placed his hands on either side of the Pensive, and starred into the bubbling memories.

"Why hello, Professor Dumbledore," Professor Dippet said, without looking up from his papered desk. "Aren't you teaching a class now?"

Albus Dumbledore half-smiled at the younger version of himself, who had burst into the Headmaster's office, carrying Sibyll Trelawney. 'I was quite a good looking chap,' Dumbledore thought with a laugh.

"Professor Dippet, this is of most urgent matter. It requires your attention at once," Dumbledore insisted.

Professor Dippet took his time closing his ink jar, and cleaning his quill before diverting his attention to Dumbledore. Finally, his shiftless eyes raised to see a rather comical looking Dumbledore- almost collapsing under the weight of the garishly fashioned Sibyll.

"Well, well, well," Dippet smirked. "Seems you found a Damsel in Distress, Dumbledore...But why did you bring her here? I'm sure Nurse Abbott can assist her."

With that Professor Dippet flicked his wand so a pile a paperwork appeared once more on his desk. Dumbledore stood, flabbergasted and again persisted on Dippet's prudence.

"Professor Dippet! If you would please-"

"Alright Professor Dumbledore," Dippet said coldly, having an ounce of seriousness in his voice for the first time in Dumbledore's experience. "But I have much work to look after...It better be worth it. I want none of your tattle-telling on that Riddle boy."

Even then, as Headmaster Dumbledore viewed the scene though the Pensive, he was amazed at how well he hid his anger- and the composure he kept around ignorant Dippet. Dumbledore simply cast 'Wingardium Leviosa' on the fainted Trelawney, allowing him to take the seat in front of Dippet's desk.

"Sibyll Trelawney- well... It is only a theory I have-" Dumbledore whispered.

"Theory Shremry!" Dippet interrupted impatiently. "Go on! What happened?"

"All of the sudden, she went into a trance. She began prophesying- a very important prophecy,"

Dippet sat further back in his chair, allowing his paunch to protrude as he chuckled. "Is that why you're here? Because Sibyll Trelawney made a prediction?" Dippet remarked with a certain degree of mockery. "That girl makes an average of twenty important, dire prophecies a week! Why, just yesterday in fact, she ran into my office- proclaiming the Apocalypse was among us! And the other week she made a prophecy that Hogwarts would be stomped to dust by a pack of Norwegian Ridgebacks!"

"This was different...I believe she was only partially conscious," Dumbledore went on explaining, ignoring Dippet's obliviousness. "And then prophecy itself was of certain interest-...It was pertaining the Rise and Downfall of the Dark Lord."

Immediately Dippet stopped laughing- his cheeks and stomach no longer flapping with delight. His face was now quite white. "The...Dark...Lord?" Dippet shuddered. "But that's just a myth."

"A myth indeed," Dumbledore agreed. "But you know very well that some of the most notable wizards of the past have foretold his coming."

Professor Dippet tried to conceal his fear with sarcasm, "Ha...Ha...Ha...This is hilarious Professor Dumbledore- really it is...Do you really think that Sibyll Trelawney- a mere fifth year had this powerful predication- that only the greatest wizards have managed to have before? Really Dumbledore...The girl is a cu-cu head."

"I know what I heard, and it was indeed a powerful prophecy," Dumbledore said.

Dippet, not knowing how to handle the situation, looked at Dumbledore with an expression of confusion. He hide his fear with a arrogant tone. "Alright, alright then...So who is this Dark Lord? And how do we stop him?"

"I only have theories," Dumbledore replied. "Based on series of events, the predication, and my own personal intuition- I believe the Dark Lord may have some connection to Tom Riddle."

Dippet rolled his eyes. "I told you I would not hear anymore of this nonsense about Mr. Riddle. His is a model student, and I can't see why you pick on him...Well maybe I can-"

"I believe his presence added to the factor that the predication was induced upon Sibyll Trelawney."

Now, Dumbledore was quite fed-up with Dippet's ignorant behaviour. He closed his eyes momentarily, and then placed the Pensive back in it's regular shelf. He again read over the letter to Mundungus, and called his Phoenix, Fawkes to fetch it.

"Fawkes, this is an incredibly urgent and important letter," Dumbledore advised his bird. "Which is why I am trusting in you to ensure it's delivery."

Fawkes cooed as Dumbledore tied the rolled-up message to his leg. Then Dumbledore waved his wand, opening the window in his oval office, and watched Fawkes' trail of red and gold shimmer as he flew away.

* * * * *

The Slytherin Common Room was elegant. Over a roaring fireplace, hung the large Slytherin Crest, among many banners and other trophies that plastered the walls. The moon faintly glinted through the translucent, silver curtains that covered the large windows. However, the room paled in comparison to Dumbledore's mysterious office.

As James entered the Slytherin Common Room, his three friends quickly abandoned their game of Wizard's Chess and crowded around him, filled with questions.

"Are you expelled?"

"Did he take the map?"

"What did his room look like?"

"Was he mad?"

"Are you still Prefect?"

James pushed his hands down, motioning for his friends to give him some space. "Woah, you guys! One at a time!" James said, as he plopped onto one of the comfy, green couches.

As though he was a magnet, his three friends swarmed to sit as nearby him as possible. Sirius pushed Peter from the seat directly next to James, so that he ended up sitting at James' feet. While Remus docilely found a place in a wooden chair.

"Alright," Sirius nodded. "Do you still have the map?

A grin wept across James' face, as he took a piece of parchment from his cloak pocket. He waved the map in the air, and his friends cheered. "Marauders forever!" James called.

"Forever and beyond!" his friends echoed, rising their fists in applause.

"What about you?" his plump friend, Peter asked. "Are you...expelled?"

"Of course he's not you dud!" Sirius scoffed, leaning over to nudge his elbow in Peter's fat stomach. "You'd only wish!"

Peter rubbed his belly and moaned, "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, lets just say a certain Slytherin Quidditch position would be open...Rhymes with 'Spacer'," James joked, as he slapped hands with Sirius.

"Not to mention, there would be a certain Gryffindor Prefect without a certain Slytherin Prefect to make kissing faces with," Sirius added with a laugh.

Remus then forced a cough that sounded oddly enough like "Lily Evans".

James joined with their laughter. "Lily? Na uh!...That girl definitely has something against me. Making kissy faces with her, would be like snogging Snape!"

"Ewww!" remarked Peter with a truly disgusted look upon his face.

James was quick to change the subject. "Anyhow, enough about stuck-up girls, let me tell you about Dumbledore's office! I'm sure now that I have a mental picture of it in my head, we will be able to devise some sort of cunning plan to break in and-"

"Steal the Sorting Hat!" Sirius interrupted with excitement.

"And replace it with a Ballerina's Crown! Or one of those Steeple Hats the Princess' wear!" added James.

"Though I hate to break up your mischievous strokes of genius, I'm wondering why Dumbledore was hardly suspicious of the map," Remus said. "He obviously knew of its magical properties, or why would he confiscate it in the first place?"

James and Sirius both exchanged glances, realizing that Remus' point was something needed to be considered. James shrugged and said, "I don't know... Dumbledore wasn't too mad... He actually said he was astonished."

Remus stood from his chair, and began pacing back and forth across the flaming glint of the fireplace. He tapped his fingers on his chin in deep thought, and mumbled, "Astonished? What did he mean by that?...That certainly is odd, don't you think so?"

"Nah!" Sirius grinned. "I bet old Albus was a joker in his days too! Probably just amazed by us clever Marauders!"

"Marauders forever!" Peter chimed.

And with a final echo of "Forever and beyond!", the group of boys retired to their beds...