Harry Potter and the Lost Prophecy

Chapter Five:

Mayhem at the MagiZoo

No one spoke for several moments. Inside the box lay a long green quill. It sat on a bed of maroon velvet completely oblivious to the fact it had rendered five people utterly speechless.

Hermione was the first to speak "I had no idea there was anything inside. It felt empty."

Harry reached forwards to pick it up but before he could Ginny's hand shot out and clutched at his sleeve.

"Don't!" she whispered hoarsely, "You don't know what it is!"

"It's just a quill!" Ron retorted to his little sister, "It's perfectly safe."

Charlie nodded in agreement. "Don't worry Gin, nothing bad is going to happen."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth, Ginny gave a hysterical scream.

Without even touching the quill, Harry pitched forwards onto the hearth rug. One hand flew to his temple, while his eyes were riveted on the scene that was unfolding before his eyes.

His scar burned with white hot pain but he ignored it, unable to think of anything other than the terrifying images he could see.

Harry could see a Muggle village. People were running frantically through the streets, screaming silently into the night. Houses were aflame, as were bodies. Piles of ashes littered the ground, and a small child stood crying in the middle of the street. There was a sudden burst of green light. When it disappeared all Harry could se was the lifeless body of the child. Behind her the Dark Mark appeared, glittering in the night sky. A high pitched laugh filled his mind along with a voice that resonated through the dark recesses of his brain.

"Do you see this Harry? This is for you, because of you."

A hand touched his shoulder, shattering the vision into a thousand fragments. He turned his head to see Hermione kneeling next to him, concern etched on her features. He swallowed and met her gaze. She froze, seeing the terror and pain in his eyes.

They sat staring at each other for a long moment.

"What did you see?" Hermione asked eventually. She helped him to stand and settled him in an armchair.

Harry stared at her in surprise. "How did you know?" he asked, wincing at the pain that was still tearing at his mind.

Hermione shrugged. "I know you Harry. You have that look when you see someone being hurt. At the moment it's the worst I've ever seen it."

Harry leant forward and placed his head in his hands, the pain in his scar finally beginning to subside. Tears came into his eyes at the memory and he swallowed thickly.

"It was horrible," he choked out, "Muggles, children- their village was burning. And the Dark Mark was floating above every house." He couldn't tell her about the voice, that cold hard voice that could have belonged to Voldemort, or even himself. He couldn't tell her that he was to blame. He thought again of the book Voldemort had given him, still lying in his trunk, unread.

There was another uneasy silence, broken by the unmistakable sounds of Mrs. Weasley's sniffling. Harry looked up to see her standing alongside Charlie, Ron and Ginny.

"Oh, Harry dear," Mrs Weasley sighed, pulling him into a hug, "It's ok. It's probably nothing. We'll call the Ministry and tell them, of course, but there's not a lot else we can do to help, unless you know where it was that you saw this happening." She looked down at Harry's crumpled face and hugged him again. "No, I didn't think so. But don't you worry- the Ministry will deal with it now."

She released him and he sunk back down into the chair.

Striding over to the fireplace she threw in a handful of dust and called, "Arthur Weasley!"

A few moments later Mr. Weasley's head appeared in the grate.

"Hello!" he said cheerfully, his face falling as he saw the expressions on his family's faces. "What happened?" he asked, eyes wide with worry.

"Harry had a...vision," Molly said, "I think it's best if he explained what he saw himself."

She motioned him forwards and Harry recounted the vision, again leaving out the part about the voice. He heard a combined gasp of shock behind him as he told of the girl's crumpled corpse.

"But I don't know where it was, or even if it's real!" he choked out, a tear starting to well up in his eye.

"Don't worry Harry," Mr Weasley said reassuringly, "Hopefully it's nothing, but we'll put our best Aurors on alert. Try not to think about it. Besides," he added, "Don't you all have somewhere interesting to be?"

"Huh?" Ron said, eloquently.

Charlie gave a half smile. "I thought you might like to visit the MagiZoo with me this afternoon. I've got to pick up a few dragon supplies, but I guess that's not such a good idea now..." He trailed off, looking hopelessly at Ron.

"No!" Harry said, standing up. "There's no point sitting around moping. I've never been to a MagiZoo, have you Hermione?"

She shook her head looking both intrigued and worried.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked quietly.

He nodded fervently. "Yes!" he replied emphatically, "Now, tell me more about this MagiZoo."

"From what I hear, it's pretty much like a Muggle zoo, but instead of elephants and tigers they have Re'ems and pixies. And dragons of course!" Hermione replied, and Ron nodded in agreement.

Harry smiled despite himself, remembering his last visit to a zoo. He'd unwittingly used magic to free a Boa Constrictor and scared Dudley. His life had been a lot simpler then, but definitely worse.

Then he paused in thought.

Or had it been better? he asked himself, almost wistfully.

He pushed the thought away, and joined in his friends excited conversation.

* * *

Harry stepped out of the grate and looked around him. They were inside a small, ordinary looking building that was obviously the entrance to the zoo but through a large window in the opposite wall Harry could see trees and greenery and various creatures he'd never seen before.

Ginny stepped out behind him and said "Hermione's coming next. It's her first time by Floo". Harry spun around just in time to catch Hermione as she stumbled out of the grate. She was coughing and didn't look very happy.

"I think I prefer Muggle transport" was all she said however, as she wiped the soot off her face.

Ron appeared followed by Charlie and they headed out the door and into the sunlight.
Harry stared around him, trying to take in everything at once. Creatures of various hues and sizes wandered around freely. To his left Harry could make out the sea and he turned to ask Charlie where they were.

"We're on an island off the coast of Scotland," he answered as he handed them each a piece of parchment. "It's away from prying Muggle eyes and is also the natural habitat for some of them so it works out perfectly." Charlie was obviously in his natural habitat; his eyes sparkled excitedly.

"What's this for?" Hermione asked holding up the parchment, "Are you going to give us a quiz?" she asked eagerly.

Charlie laughed, shaking his head. "The parchment is enchanted to inform you about each creature. You can ask it questions and it will give you the best reply it can. As for the quiz, well, let's just say that you might want to use this as a learning experience."

He smiled brightly at them "I've got to go and see a wizard about a dragon, so I'll leave you to wander around on your own. Oh, and there's a map on the back of the parchments so you can find specific beasts. I'll catch up to you as soon as I can."

He turned to leave but Harry stopped him.

"Uh, Charlie? Are you sure it's safe? We're out in the open, and these animals are walking around free without cages or anything."

"It's perfectly safe," Charlie replied reassuringly, "There are shielding wards placed on everyone when they enter so nothing can hurt you here, and there are similar ones on the creatures. They also have their own boundary lines they can't cross so you'll be as safe here as at Hogwarts."

"C'mon!" Ginny exclaimed. Forgetting her usual embarrassment she grabbed Harry by the hand and pulled him alongside her. "You've got to see the Jarveys! They're so funny! And the Winged Horses are really beautiful..."

* * *

Ginny dragged them around for an hour showing them her favourite creatures.

"What's your favourite Ron?" Hermione asked pointedly as they stood by the Fwooper enclosure for the fourth time.

Ron glanced down at his map "It's this way," he answered after a moments searching.

They headed down a dirt track into some nearby woods. After a few minutes walk they found themselves in a rather large clearing.

Ambling among the trees were several creatures which looked like blonde gorillas.

"Demiguises." Ron stated, pointing over at the creatures.

Hermione pulled out her piece of parchment and read the description that appeared.

"The demiguise is native to the Far East. However they are extremely hard to detect as they are able to make themselves invisible when faced with danger. Their pelts are highly prized as their silky silver hair is often woven to form invisibility cloaks."

Harry looked at her in surprise.

"I didn't know that!" he exclaimed, turning to look at the strangely majestic creatures.

"You mean they killed one to make my cloak?"

Ron shook his head. "They have shearing stations, like sheep. They're still very expensive though. Hard to catch, you see."

A demiguise started to amble over to them, blinking its dolefully black eyes rapidly. Then suddenly its outline shimmered and it vanished completely. Quickly, the others followed suit, until the clearing appeared to be empty.

"What's wrong with them?" Ginny asked quietly.

Ron shrugged. "Something must have spooked them. They over-react sometimes."

Suddenly an explosion rocked the ground, and they turned to see fire rushing over the forest behind them. For a second they all froze, watching in horror as people began to run screaming from the forests. Seconds later, though, they found themselves being swept up in the crowd of people running from the area that was now engulfed in flames.

Harry grabbed Hermione's hand as they were separated from Ron and Ginny by the sea of frightened wizards and witches. Hermione turned terrified eyes towards him, as the Dark Mark appeared over the enclosure closest to them. Harry pulled her away and into the forest.

A hand landed on his shoulder and Harry spun around to face a worried looking Charlie.

"Wh--" Harry started to ask but Charlie cut him off.

"Where are Ron and Ginny?" he asked quickly.

"We-we lost them in the crowd." Hermione said tearfully.

Charlie nodded grimly. "There's no time to explain now. I'm going to give you a Portkey back to the burrow, and I'll find Ron and Gin."

Before either could reply he had dumped a small marble into Hermione's hand, barely giving Harry enough time to place a finger on it before they were spinning off into darkness, landing with a thump in the backyard of the Burrow.

Hermione looked up at Harry with scared eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, leaning into his chest. Harry pulled her into a hug and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I don't know," he said finally, feeling confused. "We'll find out soon. I hope the others are ok."

No sooner had he spoken than the three Weasleys appeared next to them with a loud pop.

"Don't mind us," Ron said sarcastically, and Harry hastily let Hermione go.

He turned to Charlie. "What the hell happened back there?" he asked.

"Death Eaters." Charlie replied quietly. "They destroyed the Floo and Apparition point, but it was only a distraction."

"What for?" Ginny asked curiously.

"They took some dragons. Three of our best albeit extremely dangerous breeds- a Peruvian Vipertooth, a Ukrainian Ironbelly and a Swedish Short-Snout."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Weapons." Hermione whispered.

Charlie nodded, smiling grimly. "I agree. The Ministry have sent Aurors but the Death Eaters will be long gone by now, along with the dragons. There are a lot of people stranded out there so it's going to take a long time to clear up."

Suddenly Mrs Weasley appeared at the door, wringing her hands fretfully.

"Thank Merlin you're all okay!" she exclaimed tearfully when she saw them.

"I was just talking to Arthur. He-he needs to talk to you Harry. Bill is to take you down to the Ministry immediately." Her voice shook as she said this, and she turned and hurried back inside. Harry looked at his friends. They were wearing expressions that he felt sure mirrored his own at the moment. They hurried inside to where Bill stood in front of the fireplace. He handed Harry a small jar containing Floo powder that was slightly different than normal. It was a glittering red and Harry looked up at Bill.

"It can only be used to go to the Ministry Headquarters," Bill explained, "Only Ministry workers have some, for security purposes."

He threw a handful into the fire and stepped into the now purple flames. He disappeared and Harry took a handful, glancing back at his friends, who all looked worried. He quickly threw the powder into the fireplace and stepped in. After a brief moment of nausea and disorientation he fell forward onto a plush carpeted floor. Taking Bill's extended hand, he pulled himself up and gazed around.

So this was the famous Ministry. It was different than Harry had ever imagined. The room in which they stood was huge, more like a banquet room than the entrance hall that Bill assured Harry it was. The walls were covered in wall to floor mirrors, which, as they passed seemed to be muttering. Harry heard his name whispered more than once as they walked to the ornate door at the other end. Quite frankly, it was unnerving. Bill noticed his discomfort and smiled reassuringly.

"Another security measure," he informed Harry, "They're taught to only recognise certain people, authorised by the Minister of Magic himself. And they can see through disguise spells and Polyjuice potion. If an unauthorized person walks through here the doors automatically lock and the Minister's personal Security Aurors are called."

He pushed through the large door as he said this and Harry found himself in an enormous room, with moving staircases spiralling of on every direction.

A rather distressed young woman with a clip board hurried over to them.

"Names?" she asked briskly, pulling out a large magenta quill and poising it over her parchpad.

"Bill Weasley and Harry Potter to see Arthur Weasley and Cornelius Fudge," Bill said smoothly.

She looked up in surprise, the nib of her quill breaking as she stabbed the parchment in surprise.

"Harry Potter?" she repeated, squinting at Harry. Her gaze flickered to his forehead causing her eyes to widen slightly. "Yes, yes, they're expecting you, Mr. Potter. This way please."

She trotted across the room, Harry and Bill at her heels. She led them up a spiralling staircase and into yet another large room. A long table stretched down the middle of the room, uncomfortable looking armchairs surrounding it. At the far end, by the fireplace sat Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, Mr. Weasley and a number of people Harry did not recognise.

Mr. Weasley jumped up as they approached, and hurried towards them.

"Are you okay?" he asked Harry, laying his hand on his shoulder in a fatherly fashion.

Harry nodded. "Why am I here?" he asked anxiously.

Mr. Weasley just shook his head and led Harry to a seat.

"Hello Harry," Fudge said stiffly. Harry remembered with a flash of anger how Fudge had reacted the previous summer after the third task. He had believed Rita Skeeter's lies, and judged Harry to be delusional. He also refused to believe Voldemort had returned. In Harry's eyes, this made him a fool.

"As I am sure you are all aware, this is Harry Potter. This morning he had a rather unexpected vision. I would like you to repeat what you saw, Harry, if you will."

Mr Weasley smiled encouragingly, and Harry closed his eyes, with a wince of painful remembrance. Then he began to recount his vision.

When he finished he looked up to find several pairs of eyes looking at him disconcertingly.

"Someone could have told him," a dark haired man across the table said, breaking the silence.

"Impossible," a middle aged woman with dark blond hair responded, looking at Harry strangely. "The news has not yet been released. The only people aware of the situation are the people in the room."

"Perhaps he is a seer?" an elderly man, with a dark complexion spoke up.

"The boy does not have the sight."

Harry turned to see the woman who had spoken. She stood in the door through which he had just come.

"Cassandra." Fudge said, smiling grimly. "How kind of you to join us. Please, have a seat."

The entire table had turned to look at her, but she was gazing curiously at Harry.

"This...gift," she began slowly, pacing down the long table until she was opposite

Harry. "It is not your own power. Someone is providing you with these visions."

Harry met her eyes. They were cold, blue and crystalline. He shuddered slightly, as goose bumps prickled over his skin. He didn't trust this woman. She was like someone carved of ice, with her platinum blond hair trailing down her back.

"Answer me boy!" she barked, making Harry, and a few others jump in surprise.

Harry nodded. "It's true. I don't think it's always intentional though."

Cassandra nodded thoughtfully. "And would I be correct in supposing that the provider is none other than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?

Fudge exploded, slamming his fist onto the table. Many of the others seemed shocked.

"We have been over this, Cassandra! The Dark Lord has not returned. There is no evidence to support the claims!"

Harry opened his mouth, ready to shout about Cedric, about Crouch Jr, about the Muggle killings, but Mr. Weasley caught his eye and shook his head slightly.

Cassandra sighed. "Yes Cornelius, I remember the discussion quite clearly. However our views may differ, I feel it would be prudent to nurture Mr. Potter's own potential power. Purely precautionary of course. It may prove useful in the future."

She stressed the last word, smiling coldly as Fudge shuffled nervously in his seat.

"I suppose," he replied after a moments thought, "that this may prove to be a useful tool. But we must think realistically. Harry is at Hogwarts for the school year. Surely you don't mean for Sybil Trelawney to tutor him?"

Cassandra laughed harshly. "Don't be absurd! I fully intend to train Mr. Potter myself. I will travel to Hogwarts for the lessons, once they have been arranged with Professor Dumbledore."

Fudge frowned at the mention of the Headmaster. Clearly he had still not forgiven Dumbledore for questioning his ethics after last year's fiasco.

There was a hesitant murmur of assent around the table. Suddenly Harry stood up.

"Do I get a say in this?" he asked heatedly. "After all, I'm the one who had to witness that horrific event. Why would I want to see visions like that again? And why would I want the extra work?"

And why would I want lessons from someone I don't trust? he added to himself.

Cassandra leant across the table, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Would you turn down the opportunity to master a weapon that could be used against-- various enemies." she said, glancing at Fudge, who nodded slowly.

"If Dumbledore assents, we can arrange a schedule that is least disruptive to your studies."

Harry studied her for a long moment, then nodded. Realistically, what choice did he have? To turn down a skill that could become an advantage to have over Voldemort would be madness. If he could master the visions and pinpoint where and when an event was to take place, there was a greater chance of stopping them.

But, there was the trust issue. For some strange reason he was struggling to trust new people in his life. People (and animals) kept turning out to be Dark wizards. It was not a pleasant experience. And this woman seemed...dangerous. Harry couldn't pinpoint what it was about her, but she gave him the shivers.

But a quick nod of approval from Hermione's cat Crookshanks would put these fears at rest. Crookshanks, according to Hermione, was part Kneazle, and could spot a dark wizard easily. And the pros seemed to outweigh the cons.

He looked across at her and grinned. "You do realize that Divination is my worst subject, right? My inner eye sight is as blurry as my regular vision."

The older woman laughed suddenly, her face warming behind the smile.

* * *

Harry found Hermione and Ron sitting in Ron's bedroom, pouring over Ron's Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle comics. Hermione was pointing out all the mistakes and prejudices of the author. Ron was rolling his eyes as she lectured him.

"Hi," Harry said, stepping into the room.

"Harry!" Ron said, smiling, his eyes plainly saying rescue me! "How did it go?"

Harry shrugged, and quickly explained about the meeting. Hermione was entranced by his descriptions of the Ministry. Ron, however, seemed more interested in descriptions of Cassandra.

"And she'll be at Hogwarts? To tutor you?" Ron said, smiling wistfully. "You are so lucky..."

Hermione didn't seem impressed. "I bet she's no better than Trelawney," she sniffed in distain. "Divination is completely unpredictable and useless, compared to Arithmancy. I mean, they weren't able to stop the attack were they?" she trailed off, seeing Harry's face.

Ron shot her a nasty look.

"Ugh, let's not think about Divination," he shuddered at the thought.

Brightening slightly, he turned to Harry, grinning. "Mum said we can go to Diagon Alley tomorrow. We can get all our school books and things," Hermione perked up slightly at this, "and go to Zonko's. I think Fred and George are inventing more products, so we'll need some ammunition!"

Harry grinned back at Ron. Sometimes he didn't know what he'd do without Ron and Hermione. They were the only ones who kept him sane.