Harry Potter and the Legend of the Twelve

Gifts, Part II

Harry wasn't sure what was going on around him. He was looking up, as though he was lying on the ground. He saw two men wielding swords, dueling. They seemed slightly fuzzy, as if he was looking through the lens of a camera that was not quite focused. Few wizards used swords, as wands were far more effective. As he watched the fierce duel before him, he recognized one of them. The snakelike red eyes were unmistakable. It was Voldemort, wielding an ebony blade. As he watched the swords clang, he realized who it was who was battling Voldemort. It was James, at least it looked like James, but older. James was battling Voldemort with the Sword of Gryffindor. He saw another figure, not far away from Voldemort and James, a girl with red hair. It was Lily, but older as was James. Then swords were silenced, as Voldemort's blade found James' chest, and an instant later, a green flash erupted from where Lily's wand.

Just then, Harry woke up. It had been a dream. Harry sat up. Ginny wasn't in bed, he could hear the water turn off in the shower. He just sat there. The dream seemed so real. A moment later, the door to the bathroom opened, and Ginny walked in wearing her bathrobe.

"Harry, what is it?" asked Ginny, concerned by Harry's slightly shocked expression.

"I just had the strangest dream," Harry murmured.

"Was it a nightmare, like you used to have?" asked Ginny, coming over and sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.

"No. It was more like the dreams I used to get when Voldemort was in my head, but not quite," said Harry. "My scar didn't hurt though, so it couldn't have been Voldemort. I didn't feel anything, like I was completely numb. I think I was lying on the ground. Voldemort was dueling someone with a sword."

"Who was it?" asked Ginny.

"It was James, but he was older. He was at least sixteen or seventeen, possibly older," said Harry. "Lily was there too, she was also older. It was just so real."

Ginny swallowed hard. "What do you think it means?" asked Ginny, trying to hide the fear from her voice.

"I don't know. It couldn't have been the past or present. Maybe it is the future, or maybe it was just a dream," said Harry. He took a deep breath. "I've certainly never seen the future before."

"Well, as much as I wish it were just a dream, it wouldn't be the first time a wizard had a prophetic dream," said Ginny apprehensively. "Wizarding history is full of them. Who knows, maybe you are even descended from a Seer, and you don't know it." Ginny was quiet for a moment, as she tried to stay calm. "Voldemort is coming back...isn't he?"

"I don't know," said Harry, with a shake of his head. "Maybe he is, maybe not. Whatever the dream meant, if it meant anything, it's a long way off, so let's not worry about it right now."

Harry had left out how the scene ended. He didn't tell her he had awoken when the ebony blade wielded by Voldemort had pierced his son's chest, and that the unmistakable green light of the killing curse erupted from his daughter's wand. He watched James die, and his daughter use an Unforgivable Curse, the worst Unforgivable Curse. He could not tell Ginny how the dream ended. Not ever.

Ginny nodded and she continued to get dressed. Harry couldn't stop thinking about the dream.

James didn't know how to fight with a sword, but he wielded the sword in his dream as if he'd had years of practice. Harry had become adept at fighting with a sword during Auror training, though he had rarely had to use that skill. Killing the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets was the most he had ever used a sword, and that was mostly luck. Harry decided to file it away for later, but even as he went about getting ready for the day, it was hard for him to push it from his thoughts.