The Door to Chaos

Prologue

IT WILL HAPPEN TODAY... THE CHOSEN ONE WILL MEET A NEW DARKNESS ...AND THE DARKNESS WILL COME FROM A WORLD BEYOND THE THRESHOLD... TODAY, THE CHOSEN ONE WILL MEET THE KNIGHT AND IF TRUST CAN BE SHARED... THE KNIGHT'S ART WILL HELP HIM DEFEAT THE EVIL OF THE DARK LORD ... BUT GREAT AND TERRIBLE DANGER WILL FOLLOW THE KNIGHT THROUGH THE DOOR IF THE DOOR IS NOT CLOSED BEFORE THE YEAR DIES...

Professor Trelawney's voice shook, and her overlarge eyes slowly closed behind the huge glasses as the trance left her. The gauzy, spangled shawl around her thin neck was a soft purple today and the many chains, beads, bangles and rings chimed as she slumped in the armchair in Professor Dumbledore's study. After a while, a loud snore attested that she had fallen asleep.

Minerva McGonagall sighed in exasperation. Her beady eyes speared the other woman before her through her square glasses, while she pulled nervously with one hand on her green tartan witch's robe. Her other hand drummed a quick tune on the wooden desk.

She looked up to a painting on the wall and testily snapped, "I really don't understand why you have put up with this old fraud for such a long time, Albus!"

The man in the painting put the tips of his fingers together and watched the two women before him from his vantage point. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. For now, his light blue eyes sparkled behind his half-moon spectacles and his voice translated his amusement when his mild voice reached the new headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:

"Do I have to remind you that this prophecy was a real one, Minerva? You'll have to give her a rise of salary as I meant to do last year, this would be third real prophecy she's told/given, that makes her anything but a fraud...you know the procedure, my dear?"

"Oh, yes!" She pushed her chair back, put her wand against her head, made a complicated swirl gesture with the wand and murmured, "Oraculum Repono." Her other hand was ready to catch the small glass sphere. She glared as it filled with silver and black smoke and frowned when an engraved label with "Harry Potter / R.B.R." appeared.

"R.B.R. As if the Ministry had not enough to do, what with the Death Eaters and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Dementors at large and up to who knows what... oh Albus!"

When she looked up to the painting this time, her usually steely eyes looked suspiciously moist.

"I don't know if I can do this..."

"Minerva..." The old man sadly looked back at her. "I trust you with my school and if I do, then you should trust yourself as well. This is no time for doubts; you must keep your faith in the boy and protect all my children as would I..."

She blew her nose on her tartan handkerchief and put it away again. Her slim back straightened in new resolve and her trademark stern gaze was back.

"I know Albus. I wonder though, who the Ministry will appoint for next year's Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. Nobody wants the job! I even have heard rumours that the Minister had given free hand to the Department of Mysteries to find a suitable candidate...and you know what I think of the last teacher they appointed. If the children had not founded their own club they would all have failed at their OWLs, and-"

"Have no worries, Minerva. Somehow I think that this year's teacher will be very different..."

The headmistress snorted and walked over to the still snoring divination teacher.

"Sybill! SYBILL! Don't you have a class to teach in half an hour?"