Celandine's Chronicle (celandineb) wrote in cels_fic_haven, @ 2009-03-03 09:03:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | hp fic albus, hp fic harry |
HP fic: In the Cards [Harry, Dumbledore, adult]
Title: In the Cards
Author: celandineb
Fandom: HP
Characters: Harry, Dumbledore, plus a number of implied het and slash pairings [highlight between Xs to see pairings list, which has spoilers] X Harry/Percy, Harry/Ginny, Harry/Neville, Harry/Hermione/Ron, Harry/Luna, Harry/Snape, Harry/Draco X, but not Harry/Dumbledore *g*
Rating: adult
Length: 1896 words
Warnings: [highlight between Xs to see warnings] X brief mention of rimming and anal sex X
Summary: Harry reads the cards for his future.
Note: Hobbits give presents to other people on their birthdays, and therefore I offer this fic today.
"This can't be real."
Harry looked around. A large dark polished table stood before him, with a deck of cards on it, just within his reach. On the far side of the table was Albus Dumbledore, looking exactly as Harry remembered him,: twinkling eyes under half-moon spectacles, long white beard, colourful robes, and all. Harry shook his head to clear it.
"It's not real," he repeated stubbornly.
"What is reality, Harry?" asked Dumbledore gently. "In one sense, of course, you are correct. But in another this is very real indeed. What you see is merely your brain's attempt to grasp a reality beyond its usual ken. Do you know what those are?" He nodded at the cards.
"Er. Tarot cards?" The pattern on the back of the deck looked exactly like the cards that had been in Professor Trelawney's classroom.
"Very good. And for what are they used?"
"For telling the future. But Firenze said that human methods of divination were all just foolishness," Harry protested, "and Hermione agreed."
Dumbledore shook his head. "You know better than that. You and I each once heard Sibyll Trelawney make a true foretelling prophecy. The traditional forms of divination may only occasionally produce genuine results, but that does not mean that they are not sometimes valid, if only as a guide."
"So I'm supposed to read the cards?" Harry struggled to understand. "How? We always had books to consult in Divination classes."
"Turn one of them over and see."
"The top one?"
"It doesn't matter at the moment. Perhaps you should look at several, in fact." Dumbledore smiled. "It might be easier to explain."
Harry picked up the deck and pulled out three cards, flipping them over one by one onto the shining wood.
"It's me," he said, leaning closer to look. "They're all pictures of me with different people."
"Different futures. You have a rare chance, Harry. There are many possible futures in store for almost everyone, but very few ever have the opportunity to glimpse what lies ahead of them and make a choice. Perhaps that is just as well. Doing so is as much burden as blessing."
"Burden?"
"Each card will show you only one scenes, or at most two or three, from that possible future. You cannot know all of the consequences of your choice; you'll have to make it based on imperfect information. Moreover the cards may not always show you the best or the worst moments of that future."
"What good is all this then?" asked Harry, a little irritated. "It doesn't sound much better than not knowing at all."
"Browsing through your futures opens up possibilities you might not have been able or willing to recognise otherwise," said Dumbledore. "Isn't that worthwhile?"
"Oh." Harry looked down. "I suppose so. So I have to look at all of these cards?" The words came out in a near-wail; it was a substantial stack that lay before him, more than a single deck's worth, now that he looked more closely.
"No, you can look at however many you want before choosing. If you see a possible future that you are certain is the one you want, you can select it right then without looking at any other alternatives. Or you could pick a card at random and not think about it at all. The choice is entirely yours. Once you have chosen, however, the decision is irrevocable."
"Can I take as long as I like to decide?"
"Time has no real meaning here. But you will have to reach a decision eventually; you cannot postpone it forever." Dumbledore looked grave. "Perhaps you should simply begin and see what it is you see, and not worry about choosing just yet."
"All right." Harry gathered up the cards again and shuffled them a few times. After tapping them into a neat stack, he turned over the top card and looked at it.