`I.did,..said.Dumbledore..`On.a.cold,.wet.night.sixteen.years.ago,.in.a.room.above.the.bar.at.the.Hog.s.Head.inn..I.had.gone.there.to.see.an.applicant.for.the.post.of.Divination.teacher,.though.it.was.against.my.inclination.to.allow.the.subject.of.Divination.to.continue.at.all..The.applicant,.however,.was.the.great‐
great‐granddaughter.of.a.very.famous,.very.gifted.Seer.and.I.thought.it.common.politeness.to.meet.her..I.was.disappointed..It.seemed.to.me.that.she.had.not.
a.trace.of.the.gift.herself..I.told.her,.courteously.I.hope,.that.I.did.not.think.she.would.be.suitable.for.the.post..I.turned.to.leave...
Dumbledore.got.to.his.feet.and.walked.past.Harry.to.the.black.cabinet.that.stood.beside.Fawkes.s.perch..He.bent.down,.slid.back.a.catch.and.took.from.inside.it.the.shallow.stone.basin,.carved.with.runes.around.the.edges,.in.which.Harry.had.seen.his.father.tormenting.Snape..Dumbledore.walked.back.to.the.desk,.placed.the.Pensieve.upon.it,.and.raised.his.wand.to.his.own.temple..From.it,.he.withdrew.silvery,.gossamer‐fine.strands.of.thought.clinging.to.the.wand.and.deposited.them.into.the.basin..He.sat.back.down.behind.his.desk.and.watched.his.thoughts.swirl.and.drift.inside.the.Pensieve.for.a.moment..Then,.with.a.sigh,
.he.raised.his.wand.and.prodded.the.silvery.substance.with.its.tip..
A.figure.rose.out.of.it,.draped.in.shawls,.her.eyes.magnified.to.
enormous.size.behind.her.glasses,.and.she.revolved.slowly;.her.feet.in.the.basin.
.But.when.Sybill.Trelawney.spoke,.it.was.not.in.her.usual.ethereal,.mystic.voice,
.but.in.the.harsh,.hoarse.tones.Harry.had.heard.her.use.once.before:.
`The.one.with.the.power.to.vanquish.th.e‐.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.havc
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.…..
The.slowly.revolving.Professor.Trelawney.sank.back.into.the.silver.mass.below.and.vanished..
The.silence.within.the.office.was.absolute..Neither.Dumbledore.nor.Harry.nor.any.of.the.portraits.made.a.sound..Even.Fawkes.had.fallen.silent..
`Professor.Dumbledore?..Harry.said.very.quietly,.for.Dumbledore,.still.staring.at.the.Pensieve,.seemed.completely.lost.in.thought..It....did.that.mean.….what.did.that.mean?T.
.It.meant,..said.Dumbledore,.`that.the.person.who.has.the.only.chance.of.conquering.Lord.Voldemort.for.good.was.born.at.the.end.of.July,.nearly.sixteen.years.ago..This.boy.would.be.born.to.parents.who.had.already.defied.Voldemort.three.times...
Harry.felt.as.though.something.was.closing.in.on.him..His.breathing.seemed.difficult.again..
`It.means.‐.me?.
.Dumbledore.surveyed.him.for.a.moment.through.his.glasses..
`The.odd.thing,.Harry,..he.said.softly,.`is.that.it.may.not.have.meant.you.at.all.
.Sybill.s.prophecy.could.have.applied.to.two.wizard.boys,.both.born.at.the.end.of.July.that.year,.both.of.whom.had.parents.in.the.Order.of.the.Phoenix,.both.sets.of.parents.having.narrowly.escaped.Voldemort.three.times..One,.of.course,.was.you..The.other.was.Neville.Longbottom...