The Rising of Merlin

The One About the Prophecy

Chapter 5 The One About the Prophecy

Harry woke up the next morning feeling rested for the first time this week. The grief still hanged over him like a cloud but it was more manageable and he hadn't had a nightmare during the night.

He sat up in bed and noticed that all the others were still asleep, so he decided to dress quietly and head downstairs to eat breakfast alone. He still wasn't sure if he preferred to be alone or in company with others. He figured that it would probably take a few weeks before he felt normal again.

He hadn't told Ron and Hermione about the prophecy yet and he wasn't entirely sure that he should. The burden was big enough on him; could he really place that burden on them to?

Eventually he made it down to the common room without waking anybody. The common room was empty and the fire had long since burned out. He climbed out of the portrait hole and headed down to the great hall.

Except for a few ghosts and a distant sound from Peeves, Harry didn't meet anyone on the way. He thought he would be alone in the great hall, but when he walked in he saw Marcus sitting at the Gryffindor table reading the Daily Prophet.

"Anything interesting?" He asked when he sat down opposite him.

"Nothing worth mentioning," Marcus mumbled back, before he looked up at Harry and smiled.

"Good morning Harry." He said. "You're up early."

"I could say the same thing for you." Harry pointed out. Marcus chuckled a little before answering.

"Yeah well, I always get up at dawn. It's a habit of mine from when I lived with my uncle. What's your excuse?"

"I guess I couldn't sleep any longer that's all. I just feel so... I don't know how I feel to be honest." Harry didn't know why it felt so easy to talk to Marcus. It was just something about him that made Harry trust him and open up. But he still felt that he was keeping secrets from them.

"Is it about the prophecy?" Marcus asked.

"H-how do you know about the prophecy?" Harry stuttered out. He was shocked. That was the last thing he thought he would hear.

"The crystal." Marcus said silently. "When I saw the vision of the ministry, I also saw the prophecy."

He gave Harry a look of; was it sympathy and understanding? It was like he knew exactly what Harry was going through. Then it looked like he was having an inner dialogue in his head, like he was trying to decide something.

"I'm going to tell you something that I once told a friend of mine." Marcus said eventually. "Destinies... are troublesome things. You feel trapped, like your whole life has been planned out for you, and you've got no control over anything. And sometimes you don't even know if what destiny has decided is... really the best thing at all." He ended the small speech and looked at Harry with a pained and sad look.

"I know what you're going through, more than you can ever understand. And I'm telling you that the best thing is not to shut yourself of from others. Your friends are the most important thing for you right now. Without them, you will drown in your own despair. Trust me I know."

And with that he stood up and began to walk away but after a few steps he turned around to a stunned and speechless Harry. "It was nice talking to you Harry, even if I did most of the talking." He added with a small grin. "See you around Harry."

Harry wasn't sure what to think anymore. He had only known Marcus for a few days but he could already feel that he could trust him with everything. It was like he gave out an aura of wisdom and comfort at the same time. And the speech he had given Harry was like it was taken from his own experience.