Harry and Hermione were ready for this question as well. "Sir, we have been staying up late studying for OWLs and when we finished the last one yesterday I was exhausted. After dinner I took a little nap and wasn't prepared for him. Then again had someone told me that Riddle might have been trying to trick me..." His glare at the Headmaster was very genuine. "I might have been more prepared. I am actually hoping that when he realized he got a fake prophecy that he will think he was tricked and won't bother me again."
"Possibly," Dumbledore agreed. "Though if you do have any of the visions again, please let me know."
Harry shrugged his shoulders again. "Why? Why should I tell you everything when you want to leave me in the dark? You KNEW that Voldemort was trying to trick me to come to the Ministry. You KNEW, but your only answer to was to have the one person who hates me more than Voldemort try to teach me something. So tell me again exactly why I should tell you anything? And then when you finish explaining that, you can explain what you think you've done for me."
"Harry..." Dumbledore started but then realized he had no arguments. Finally he sighed. "It appears I have no choice," He admitted. The Headmaster looked over and saw the mirror still in Harry's hand. "At least turn the mirror off please. The fewer the people who know what I am to say the better."
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Harry replied. "I am not in a particularly trusting mood at the moment."
"I would never hurt you, either of you," Dumbledore insisted.
Harry glanced at Hermione and then down at the mirror. "Check back in a few minutes."
"Are you sure?" Sirius asked and at the nod from Harry he spoke louder. "Just remember what I said Albus. You harm either of those kids and you'll be enjoying my old cell," The mirror went blank when he finished speaking.
Dumbledore sat back in his chair and gathered his thoughts before he started. "I guess I the explanation starts sixteen years ago when I met with an applicant for the post of Divination teacher. Though I was more inclined to allow the class to not continue, the applicant was the great-granddaughter of a very gifted Seer and it is was only common courtesy for me to meet with her. The interview occurred in room above the bar at the Hogs Head."
Harry wanted to see if Dumbledore would mention his brother. "Why the Hog's Head?" He asked.
"It was a rainy night and instead of making the poor lady walk all the way up to the castle, I met her there. It's where she had a room," Dumbledore explained. "I also know the owner. The applicant was nice enough but it was soon obvious she didn't have a trace of the gift. I informed her as nicely as possible that I didn't think she would be suitable for the position and turned to leave."
"What does this have to do with anything sir?" Harry asked, knowing what was coming next.
"Will you please take out the blue orb you have and tap it with your wand?" Dumbledore requested. "I'm sure you're going to listen to it, and it's best to do it here where I can explain."
When Harry did as had been requested, a misty figure of Sybill Trelawney rose above the globe as it once did above the Pensive. Draped in the numerous shawls she wore she spoke in the same words and in the same voice Harry had etched into his mind.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."
Dumbledore looked up when the ethereal projection of Trelawney had disappeared expecting to see terror in Harry's eyes but only saw thoughtfulness. It was Hermione who broke the silence. "This is the reason the Potters died? This rubbish from a fake? You had just told her she wasn't getting a job, and she obviously made up some crap about Voldemort since she knew you were fighting him," They wanted Dumbledore to defend the prophecy in hopes of getting more information from him.
"Oh how I wished that had been true, but unfortunately it is quite real."
"Given that, and I am not sure it's a given, how can you be sure that it applies to Harry?"
"It actually could have been either of two children. Both had parents who had defied Voldemort three times and were born at the end of July. At the time the prophecy was made it could have been either Harry or Neville Longbottom."
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