Chapter 9 - First day classes
Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Potter universe… JKR owns all!
AN: Cheers Turnlach for the BETA work!
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Harry, Hermione and Ron entered the great hall for breakfast the next day. Harry could see Malfoy talking to a group of Slytherins, and acting like he was fainting before the group erupted in laughter. Harry found it quite funny, even if he hadn't fainted last time, Malfoy would have made it up.
"Don't faint during class today Potter." Malfoy sneered. The Slytherins behind him laughed again.
Harry just sent him his own little smirk, then with a little wandless magic, transfigured Malfoy's clothes into a pink frilly dress, "Didn't know that pink was your colour Malfoy." Harry said, smiling happily at him. The whole hall broke out in laughter at this.
Malfoy stormed out of the hall, while Harry, Hermione and Ron went and sat at the Gryffindor table, Ron was still laughing at the image of Draco Malfoy in a pink dress. Harry dropped down into a seat next to Hermione and George, who handed them some timetables.
"These are the third year time tables." George said looking at Harry, "Was that you Harry? How did you turn Malfoy's clothes into a dress?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh yes was it? Mighty good prank." Fred chipped in.
Harry for his part just shrugged his shoulders, giving the twins a little smirk before starting to eat his breakfast.
"Yes… I don't know why Malfoy's making a big thing like this; you should have seen him…"
"Yes when the dementors were down our side, the little piss ant came running into our compartment…"
"Nearly pissed himself when we threw him out he did."
"Sure did, and then ran into the compartment across from us." The twins said. Harry, Hermione and Ron's heads were going back and forth between them,
"But don't worry Harry…"
"Yep, we will wipe the smug grin off his face…"
"Especially after the first Quidditch match!"
"Can't wait to see the team's reaction to your new broom,"
"We haven't said a word to anyone, we promise." the twins finished, nodding to their words. Harry looked over at Hermione who was still studying her timetable.
"So Hermione, what class do we have first?" Harry asked. Hermione looked up at Harry for a second before looking at her timetable again.
"Divination… with Professor Trelawney, in the north tower…" she said, "We better get going… I have no idea where the north tower is."
"I know where it is, don't worry." Harry said, before going back to his meal. About ten minutes later, Harry and Hermione left the hall hand in hand which caused a lot of whispers. Along with Ron by their side, they headed off for their first Divination lesson.
They arrived and the students were standing around outside, having no idea how to get into the classroom. Harry walked closer to the sign and a trapdoor with a ladder appeared out of thin air. Harry, Hermione and Ron then quickly climbed up into the room.
When the trio entered their senses were bombarded by the smells of burning incense and perfume, making the air only barely breathable. There were tea cups all over the classroom… for the tea leaf reading, Harry already knew.
Once the rest of the class was in the room, they were all looking around for the teacher; Harry already knowing just sat back on one of the cushions and waited.
"It is good to see you in the physical world at last my students." Trelawney's voice said, coming from the shadows in the corner of the room. She emerged and she looked just as Harry remembered her, rather short and very skinny, her glasses were so thick that they made her eyes look three times their normal size and made her look even weirder. Hundreds of chains and beads were around her neck and arms, making her look like a homeless person, wearing everything that they had.
"Welcome to Divination, My name is Professor Trelawney… you most likely have not seen me around the school, I find that the amount of people clouds my inner eye, and it takes a while to get it re-focused." she said in a mysterious voice, Harry was finding it hard not to break out laughing.
"You have chosen to study the art of Divination… the hardest branch of magic there is…" Harry just rolled his eyes… hardest my ass, "You will find that books and knowledge will not help you much in this class… it's a matter of having the gift or not having it." Harry watched as Ron shot Hermione a smug look. Hermione just seemed to be surprised by the news… she also looked like she found the class rather boring so far.
Trelawney walked between the students, until she came to Neville's desk, "My boy is your Grandmother well?" she asked in a mysterious voice,
"I-I think so." Neville said, gulping a little.
"I wouldn't be sure of that." Trelawney said. Harry again just rolled his eyes.
"First we will be leaning the art of reading tea leaves, a very precise and honourable art… Then next term we will be moving onto Palmistry." she said, shooting a glance at Parvati but saying nothing.
"In our second semester we will be moving onto the Crystal Ball and also fire omens… unfortunately in February classes will be disrupted by a severe bout of the flu." She stopped and her face seemed to be sad… "We will… unfortunately lose one of our class members… to the afterlife this year I am afraid." the class gasped at this, Harry once again rolled his eyes.
"Now… if you will please break off into pairs and open your books to page five and six." she said. The class quickly broke off; Hermione was with Ron and Harry, since there were an uneven number of people in the class.
Harry didn't even bother really looking into Ron's…he already knew what he thought it said, "You have a bent cross… which apparently means… Trials and suffering… you also have a sun which is happiness… so you're going to suffer but be happy about it… I already hate this class." Harry said; muttering the last bit. Ron and Hermione just chuckled.
Ron picked up Hermione's cup next and Harry watched in interest. In the future they would find out that Ron did actually have some real skills in divination… in fact he had gotten some of Harry tea leaves right, while Trelawney was wrong. He had in fact come into a large amount of money after the Tri-wizard tournament.
"Hmmm… this is funny… you have a book… apparently you're going to have stressful time this year… difficulties with school or work…" Ron said looking weird, "Wow… I must suck… if I predicted that Hermione is going to have a hard time at school work." Ron muttered, Hermione chuckled, while Harry grinned. Hermione was going to have a hard time… especially with all the work she had.
It was now Hermione's turn to look into Harry's cup… she stared at it for about a minute… "Well… it looks like an animal, a sheep or hippo… I don't know." she said in frustration. It was at this time that Trelawney was walking past and she quickly grabbed the cup and started to look at it. The whole class seemed to go quiet as she looked into the tea cup; she was slowly spinning it around, a frown on her face.
"The Falcon… I'm sorry my dear... you have a great enemy." she said sadly.
"But that obvious!" Hermione said, everyone looked at her in amazement, well everyone except Harry who looked at her in amusement, "Well it's true… Vol-Voldemort is Harry's enemy!" Everyone shuddered at the dark lord's name; Harry was surprised that she actually said it.
"You also have a club… the omen of an attack." she said shaking her head sadly, "A skull as well… danger is in you path… my dear this is an unlucky cup."
The professor then gasped and dropped the cup; it shattered on the ground, "My dear boy… I'm sorry… no, no! It's better not to say." she said.
"What is it!" came Dean's voice though the crowd that was now formed around, Harry, Hermione and Ron's table.
Trelawney looked at Harry for a bit, "My dear boy… you have… you have the grim!" she said sadly.
"The what?" someone in the crowd asked,
"The Grim, takes the form of a large black dog, it's one of the darkest omens of this world. It's the omen of death." Seamus said, reading it from his book. A gasp went out though the crowed and Harry couldn't help but snort at this, trying to stop himself from bursting out laughing.
Hermione who had been looking at the tea cup before, was now looking at the grim in her book, "I don't think it looked like the grim." she said flatly.
Trelawney looked at Hermione shaking her head in what appeared to be disappointment, "You will forgive me for saying so my dear, but I sense very little aura around you." Hermione just huffed at this, and sat back down. The sound of birds ran thought the castle, signalling it was time for the next class.
Hermione, Harry and Ron quickly left and headed towards their transfiguration class. When they arrived everyone that had been in divination was still muttering about what had happened.
"What doing on? What had happened now?" Professor McGonagall finally asked,
"We had divination." Harry said, as if it explained it all.
"Ah… I see… so, which one of you will be dieing this year?" McGonagall asked in an amused voice, Harry slowly raised his hand.
"Ah… you, is it Mr Potter… well don't worry about it, Divination is a… well there are not many true seers in the world. Professor Trelawney has predicted the death of one of her students every year that she has been here… so far none have died." McGonagall said. She then continued on with her lesson.
After transfiguration the trio made their way to the great hall for lunch. Ron still seemed a little shaken by Divination class, no matter what McGonagall said.
"Harry… you haven't seen any black dogs lately have you?" Ron asked softly.
"Oh for Merlin's sake Ron! Didn't you hear what Professor McGonagall said, she is a crack pot!" Hermione bristled.
Harry chose to answer Ron's question honestly, "Actually I have. When I left my aunt's… remember Hermione I told you about it."
Hermione knew Harry was talking about Sirius, "Oh yes, probably a stray" she said dismissing it. Ron had gone pale, and was looking at Hermione like she was mad.
"Hermione… if Harry has seen the grim… it's bad… my uncle saw one and he died like two days later!" Ron said seriously.
"You can't tell me that your uncle died because he saw a dog Ron. Honestly!" she said, getting annoyed, "Anyway… Divination seems like a very woolly subject… lots of guess work."
"There is nothing woolly about seeing the grim in that cup! I bet you Harry is going to die." Ron said.
Harry just raised an eyebrow at this, clearly amused.
"I can't believe you, saying Harry is going to die because of some wacko teacher!" Hermione hissed. Ron seemed to have the look of realization on his face.
"Oh… I get it… you don't like the subject because you don't have the right aura! You just don't like that you're bad at it!" Ron said, the sound of victory in his voice.
"Let's go to Hagrid's class!" Harry said, putting an end to their argument. Hermione instantly got up and walked hand in hand with Harry to Hagrid's first class, Ron was following them.
They were the first to the class, though the rest soon came, "Alright, c'mon now, follow me." Hagrid voice boomed out. The class followed, none of them had any idea where they were going except Harry. Harry was already making a plan on how to stop Draco getting hurt… not because Draco being hurt was a bad thing, but Buckbeak shouldn't have to suffer because of Draco's stupidity.
The class came up to a fenced off field where Hagrid stopped, "Well yeh will need ter open yer books…"
"How." Malfoy cut him off rudely.
Hagrid looked around the class in surprise, his eyes finally came to Harry who had his book open, "'Arry, tell em how you open'd yeh book." Hagrid said,
"Er… you have to stroke the spine." Harry said.
"Oh smart Potty and how did you discover this?" Malfoy drawled,
"I asked the person in the book shop you idiot." Harry said, this seemed to shut Malfoy up.
Hagrid seemed happy that Harry knew how to open the books he had assigned, "Er, well righ' then, yeh have signed up for Care of Magical Creatures. Today, we will be lookin' at…well I'll go an' get em first, hang on." Hagrid then opened the gate and walked off around the corner behind the trees.
"Gods… this place has gone to the dogs. What was Dumbledore thinking hiring that oaf…? I think the man's getting senile." Malfoy said arrogantly.
"Shut up Malfoy." Harry said,
"What are you going to do Potter!?" Malfoy sneered,
"You know… instead of changing you clothes into a dress, I could simply make them disappear…" Harry said offhandedly. Malfoy didn't have time to say anything else because Lavender let out a squeal as she pointed to Hagrid. Behind him was a herd of about six hippogriffs.
Hippogriffs! Beau'iful aren' they!?" Hagrid said happily, "Now if yeh come in a bit closer, I can point out some of 'is marks."
No one seemed to want to move, though Harry walked casually up to the fence. Hermione followed him, knowing that it must be safe. The rest of the class soon came to the same conclusion as both Harry and Hermione were not ripped into tiny pieces.
"Now, there is a lot of things yeh gotta know about Hippogriffs, firs' is that they're very proud." Hagrid said in his most serious voice, "Yeh never want to insult one, 'cause it might be the very last thing yeh do."
Harry noticed that Draco wasn't listening… again…; he was talking with his two gorillas Crabbe and Goyle.
"Now… when yeh approach a hippogriff, you have ter wait for 'im to make the firs' move, yeh have ter bow, an' if he bow's back yeh can touch 'im. If he don', slowly back away." Hagrid explained.
"Ok then, who wants ter 'ave the first go with Buckbeak 'ere?" Hagrid asked a large grin on his face.
Malfoy arrogantly pushed his way though the group, "I'll go…" he said, sneering at Harry as he passed, Harry knew this was different, and that he would have to put his plan in motion earlier.
Since Malfoy hadn't been listening, he didn't even bow. Buckbeak took this as an insult and in a matter of seconds Buckbeak let out a cry, and jumped back on his hind legs.
"Accio Bloody Malfoy!" Harry yelled, and Malfoy was flung backwards, Buckbeak's hoof just missing Draco. Draco landed on the ground near Harry but Buckbeak wasn't finished and came running after Draco. With another quick flick of his wand, Buckbeak ran into an invisible barrier and Hagrid now had time to shoo Buckbeak off.
Harry looked down at Malfoy who was panting on the ground, "Bloody idiot Malfoy." Harry said before walking back to Hermione and Ron. Most of the class seemed to be staring at Harry in awe; none of them had even seen the stuff Harry had just done before.
Hagrid dismissed the class, saying that next lesson they would be learning more about the hippogriffs. The trio started walking back to the castle, when Ron let out a happy sound.
"One good thing about third year… the free period! So what do you want to do Harry?" Ron asked a large grin on his face, "Told ya you shouldn't have taken so many classes Hermione."
"Sorry Ron… I've got Ancient Runes." Harry said. Both Hermione and Ron's head shot to him in surprise, "What? I signed up for it over the summer… just forgot to tell you two."
"Oh, well ok then… I guess I'll go to the common room then." Ron said a little disappointed before he turned down the corridor to the Gryffindor tower.
"Well come on then Hermione." Harry said happily. Hermione seemed to be thinking fast, Harry knew what she was thinking about and pulled her into the nearest classroom.
"You know that I know about your time turner right?" Harry asked. Hermione let out a sigh of relief.
"I didn't know… obviously some things will change… and I didn't know if you knew about this." Hermione confessed.
"Well I do… so then let's head to Ancient Runes shall we. Hermione just nodded and they both left, heading hand in hand for their Ancient Runes class.
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AN: There you go another chapter I hope you enjoyed it! R/R!