Talons and Tea Leaves Part 1
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall... impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.
Lady Malfoy tutted. She would be talking to her son later.
"Ignore him,"... it's not worth it... "
"Easy for you to say," Harry said bitterly. "It's not you who hears..."
"Hey, Potter!"... The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!"
"I really loathe that girl," Lucius said. "I do not understand why you insisted on being her friend, Draco."
Harry dropped into a seat... Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"
Several gryffindors laughed at that, Malfoy went bright red, refusing to meet anyone's eye.
"Nearly wet himself," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.
Again they laughed, but Harry glared at them all, quickly silencing them.
"I wasn't too happy myself,"... "You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Harry in a low voice.
The pitying looks were back. Harry hated it.
Tom Riddle surprised him. "I don't like them either. The first time I came across a dementor, I blacked out. All I could hear was the bombs as they fell around me. I was convinced I was going to die. Of course, I'd already made a horcrux by that point so I wasn't in any danger, even if the bombs were real, but it was horrifying all the same. I learned the patronus charm pretty quickly after that."
"How old were you?" Harry asked.
"Twenty five," Riddle said.
"Forget it, Harry,"... Most of the prisoners go mad in there."
"It sounds like a very inhumane sort of prison to me," Mr Granger said.
"It is," Riddle said. "It was in my manifesto to remove the dementors from Azkaban."
"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks... first game of the season, remember?"
Several gryffindors glared at Malfoy at the mention of that match.
The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other... There isn't enough time."
"What were you doing looking at your timetable right there in the great hall?" Minerva huffed.
"Oh, were you given a timeturner?" Riddle asked the muggleborn girl. "I was too. Got twelve OWLs - all outstanding of course."
"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."... How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"
"This is why you were supposed to keep your schedule a secret," Minerva huffed.
"You could have told your friends," Bill said. "I did. Dumbledore said it was okay to tell them so long as I didn't use it outside of the contracted agreement."
"Don't be silly," said Hermione shortly. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once. "
"That's very dismissive," Bill said. "He's literally just seen your schedule. Even Ron isn't stupid enough to believe that."
"Well then -"... "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."
"Don't snap at your friends, Hermione," Mrs Granger said sharply. "If you don't want to tell him, fine, but be polite about it. And you, young man, she clearly didn't want to talk about it, so you should have dropped it."
"Yes, Mrs Granger," Ron said with a sigh.
Hermione huffed out an apology too. She was not enjoying having her every action criticised. The only consolation was that she wasn't alone. Both Harry and Ron had been criticised repeatedly. And even Neville had been told off by his gran. And Malfoy had been repeatedly forced to apologise.
Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall... hones'ly..."
Hagrid frowned, remembering just how badly that first lesson had turned out.
He grinned broadly at them... a note of anxiety in his voice.
Ron grimaced. "Sorry, Hagrid."
But Hagrid merely smiled.
The Hall was starting to empty... The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall.
Lucius, Narcissa and Severus all glared at Draco.
The journey through the castle... peering down the empty passage to the right.
"Aren't you in the completely wrong part of the castle?" Sirius asked with a smirk.
"Yeah," Harry admitted.
"Can't be,"... Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"
"Sir Cadogan," the Gryffindors all groaned.
They watched in astonishment... and he landed facedown in the grass.
Several people laughed.
"Are you all right?"... or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"
"He changed his tune pretty quickly," Remus laughed.
"I don't remember him," Sirius said.
"Me neither," Remus admitted.
He gave the sword another fruitless tug... "On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!"
More laughter. Harry was just grateful they were no longer talking about him fainting.
And he ran... knew they had reached the classroom.
"Never going to remember how you got there," Draco said with a smirk.
"Farewell!"... "if we ever need someone mental. "
Mrs Weasley looked like she wanted to tell Ron off again, but she didn't say anything.
They climbed the last few steps... so Harry climbed the ladder first.
"Where's your Gryffindor bravery," George teased Ron.
He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom... and a huge array of teacups.
"Now I remember why I hated divination," Riddle said.
Ron appeared at Harry's shoulder... a soft, misty sort of voice.
The book stopped suddenly and with a flash of white light two versions of Professor Trelawney appeared in the middle of the chamber. "Oh, what's this? Am I in the beyond?" the younger of the two asked.
"Ah, Sybil," Albus smiled. "I wondered if you would be joining us. Take a seat, we're just listening to the story of young Harry Potter's life."
"Harry Potter, you say?" the younger professor asked, accepting the seat. She scrutinised Harry through her large glasses. "You'll live a long life, child. I can see it clearly."
Everyone stared at her in surprise. No one could imagine her saying such a thing. She'd certainly said much the opposite in the previous timeline.
"Oh, good, I'm so glad," Harry muttered, before glaring at Tom Riddle when he actually laughed.
The older professor followed her younger self, taking a seat beside her. Perhaps this was a dream?
"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."
Several people tried to mask their laughter with coughing fits.
Harry's immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect... and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.
"That's not very kind, Harry," Mrs Weasley said.
"I didn't say it out loud," Harry huffed.
Professor Trelawney laughed, not at all offended.
"Sit, my children, sit,"... the most difficult of all magical arts.
"It's not difficult," Minerva grumbled. "It's impossible if you don't have the gift."
I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you...
"Well, that's true enough," Minerva nodded. She was happy that the teacher had at least admitted that. She herself thought the students should only be allowed to take divination at OWL if they did in fact have the gift, otherwise you were setting them up to fail. Dumbledore had disagreed though, telling her that they could at least understand the theory and still get an Exceeds Expectations.
Books can take you only so far in this field..."
"Granger won't like that," Theo said.
At these words,... wouldn't be much help in this subject.
There was a round of laughter as Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Many witches and wizards... unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,"
Minerva and Filius both frowned. There was a lot more to their subjects than loud noises, bangs and smells.
Professor Trelawney went on... "Is your grandmother well?"
Augusta glared at the professor.
"I think so,"... Neville gulped.
Augusta tutted.
Professor Trelawney continued placidly... edged her chair away from him.
"She wasn't talking about me!" Ron said crossly.
"Wasn't I?" Trelawney asked. "You went on a date with her to the yule ball, it ended badly I believe?"
"That was her sister!"
"Her twin sister," the younger Trelawney said, surprising them all.
"In the second term,"... And around Easter, one of our number will leave us for ever. "
"Well, that sounds morbid," Sirius said.
A very tense silence followed this pronouncement... it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."
"What was Brown dreading?" Theo asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.
Trelawney frowned. "I saw a fox."
Hermione huffed.
Lavender trembled... I'm rather attached to the pink."
"Why not just ask him to take a blue one the first time?" Hermione demanded somewhat rudely.
"Hermione!" Mr Granger looked completely flabbergasted that his daughter would speak this way to a teacher.
Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups... thank you. . . "
"Parlor tricks," Augusta muttered angrily.
When Harry and Ron... "A load of soggy brown stuff," said Harry.
Tom Riddle snorted. Harry's eyes widened. Voldemort had snorted.
The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid.
"Sage," Trelawney said. "It's supposed to help you see into the beyond."
"Broaden your minds, my dears... "That means you're going to have 'trials and suffering' - sorry about that
Several people laughed but Harry and Ron glanced at each other. It wasn't exactly wrong.
but there's a thing that could be the sun... so you're going to suffer but be very happy..."
The laughter only grew at this pronouncement.
Trelawney tutted. She hated the way people saw her subject. They never took it seriously.
"You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me," said Ron,
"I'm not sure I have an Inner Eye," Harry muttered. He'd never been any good at divination.
and they both had to stifle their laughs... "Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic... "
"We did see an awful lot of Fudge that year," Harry said with a chuckle.
He turned the teacup the other way up... "'A windfall, unexpected gold.
"Well, you did get a ridiculously expensive broomstick," Draco said.
Excellent, you can lend me some... Everyone went quiet to watch.
Minerva grew tense. She knew what was coming. And she was looking forward to not being on the receiving end of Sirius's anger for once.
Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup... you have a deadly enemy. "
"But everyone knows that," Riddle said with a smirk.
"But everyone knows that,"... "Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who. "
"Hermione, why are you talking back to your teacher?" Mrs Granger whispered harshly.
Hermione frowned. She'd never really considered Professor Trelawney as a real teacher.
Harry and Ron stared at her... this is not a happy cup. . . "
"An attack?" Seamus asked. "Were you attacked that year, Potter?"
"Well, sort of. I had several run ins with the dementors."
"I thought that was a bowler hat," said Ron sheepishly.
"Personally, I find that more likely," Hermione huffed.
"The skull... and then screamed.
Everyone was leaning forward now, eager to hear what was coming next.
There was another tinkle of breaking china... don't ask me... "
Minerva frowned, folding her arms.
"What is it, Professor?"... "you have the Grim. "
"She saw me in your cup?" Sirius asked almost excitably.
"The what?"... the worst omen - of death!"
"Well, people have said a lot about me in the past but that takes the biscuit," Sirius said, trying to make light of the situation. He didn't want to lose his temper with another of Hogwart's teachers. His reasons for home schooling were growing with every chapter.
Harry's stomach lurched... Everyone was looking at Harry,
"I hated that," Harry muttered.
everyone except Hermione... "I don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.
"Hermione," Mrs Granger said quietly. "While your teacher was certainly behaving inappropriately, you do not get a free pass to be disrespectful."
Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione... Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."
"Well, she's not wrong," Luna said in an airy voice.
Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head... "When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" said Harry, taking even himself by surprise.
Everyone hushed. They were all looking a little ashamed. And Harry groaned aloud because the pitying looks were back again.
Now nobody seemed to want to look at him.
"Good," Harry muttered.
"I think we will leave the lesson here for today,"... Even Ron was avoiding Harry's eyes.
"Bloody hell," Sirius groaned. "Some friend. Where's the reassurance? Don't worry, mate. I'm sure she's just a crackpot old fool. I didn't see the grim."
"Until we meet again,"... so mind you work extra-hard to catch up."
"Were you late?" Augusta asked.
"I don't remember."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione descended Professor Trelawney's ladder... as though he were about to drop dead at any moment.
His classmates looked a little guilty at that.
He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall... spectacle markings around her eyes.
"A lesson on animagi and you weren't even paying attention?" Sirius groaned.
"Really, what has got into you all today?"... Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"
Professor Trelawney glared at Professor McGonagall.
Everyone stared at her... one student a year since she arrived at this school.
"Not true!" Sibyll declared angrily. "The slander!"
None of them has died yet... True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney..."
"Professor Trelawney what, Minerva?" Sibyll asked pointedly.
Minerva didn't say anything.
She stopped again... I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in. "
Harry smiled at the professor.
Hermione laughed... "But what about Neville's cup?"
"Parlor tricks!" Augusta stated coolly.
When the Transfiguration class had finished... "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'. "
"I'm not a grim," Sirius laughed.
Ron let his fork fall with a clatter... she had gone mad.
"Should you really be so dismissive of your friend's fears?" the younger Mrs Granger asked sternly.
"He was being silly," Hermione argued.
"Fear is always irrational," her mother continued, "That doesn't mean we get to belittle it."
"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim... "Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.
"HERMIONE!" Mrs Granger looked angry now. "You're talking about the death of his uncle. Where is your compassion?"
Hermione didn't say anything.
"You don't know what you're talking about!"... right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"
"Are you calling my brother stupid?" Arthur asked, the usually stoic man suddenly looking furious.
"N-no. Of course, not."
"That's what it sounds like," Arthur said with a calm that wasn't in his expression. "It sounds to me like you think you know better, just because what? You don't believe in divination? It's real. Sure, some of it is pretty foolish but that doesn't mean you get to talk about my brother's death so callously."
"I'm really sorry, Mr Weasley," Hermione said, looking suddenly sad.
Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione... "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."
"No one did," Trelawney muttered.
"There was nothing woolly... You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"
"He's probably right about that," Draco said to Theo.
Arthur sighed. "Ron, I appreciate you were angry but you really shouldn't argue about this. Talk it out reasonably."
He had touched a nerve... That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"
Sirius whistled. He really wondered how those two stayed friends.
She snatched up her bag... "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet."
"Honestly, that is no way for friends to treat one another," Mrs Weasley said to both of them. "Neither one of you came out of that looking good, I hope you realise that."