divination (a deleted scene)
Out of all his subjects, he and Ron were excelling at Divination, much to Hermione's displeasure. The happy result had sprung from a sudden and accidental realisation Harry had had one day, and not one Harry was going to argue against.
"I think Trewlaney's catching on that we're making stuff up," Harry figured, as he flew idly by Ron and dipped his broom closer. They'd finally finished an essay on yet another Goblin War, and despite the still large pile of remaining homework left, they'd both agreed that a little break would do no harm.
"That's because you said you'd fall into the Great Lake and get eaten by the bloody Loch Ness monster," Ron returned, "Everyone knows the Giant Squid hates Nessie."
"That sounds like Hagrid named it," Harry muttered off-handedly, and Ron snorted. "Besides, I didn't even know Nessie was real. Muggles have been faking photos for years."
Ron huffed a sigh, flying leisurely beside him. "Yeah, alright. But that's not going to help us with Trelawney." Harry barrel-rolled with practised ease as Ron pondered. "Maybe if we predict you dying in a really, really bloody way, she'll be fine again?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't think that will be enough."
He also didn't think they could top Trewlaney's favourite prediction of Harry getting thrown off one of the magical staircases, falling into the endless abyss of Hogwarts depths and being consumed by the Jabberwocky Harry claimed had been haunting his dreams of late.
Hermione had frowned at the blatant plagiarism of Alice In Wonderland. Harry called it inspiration.
"I think— hold on." Harry jerked to a halt. "What if we make some of them come true?"
Instead of looking at Harry like he was a genius, Ron was staring at him with unadulterated horror. "Mate," he said slowly, seriously, "have you read the stuff we've been turning in?"
"Yeah," Harry retorted, "but we don't need to do the ones where we die."
"Isn't that all of them," Ron muttered. Harry ignored him.
"We'll do the easy ones," he insisted. "The ones we survived in. And we don't even have to do them," he rambled, as the idea grew and grew in his mind, gaining a life of its own the more he thought about it. "As long as she hears about it she'll believe it."
Harry swerved excitedly closer to Ron, who looked a tad less horrified but a tad more doubtful, and leaped into an explanation with the eagerness of someone not discussing gruesome deaths and foreboding omens.
It had taken time for Ron to take to the idea, but once Harry had mentioned how they couldn't afford their Divination grade to slip, Ron readily agreed. And everything had fallen into place as though it was destined to be.
"If this idea gets me sent to Slytherin as well, I'm leaving Hogwarts," Ron threatened.
"You wouldn't," Harry said, sneaking a look out of the corner of his eye. "She's coming."
"Oh, bloody hell, here goes."
Abruptly, Ron dropped his head in his hands, just as Trelawney was standing by the table behind them.
"Four Galleons," Ron groaned loudly, and Harry tried not to laugh as Trelawney's bug eyes darted to them. He needed to look appropriately morose for this. "I can't believe I bet on you winning and lost four Galleons."
Hermione's eyebrows creased from a table away, and then her expression cleared. Harry had told her about it briefly beforehand, suffering under the displeasure wrought in her tightly pursed lips. She hadn't argued against it however, and Harry figured that was as good as a 'go ahead' as he was going to get.
"It's not my fault," Harry mumbled, rubbing his arm as though it was sore. "I really thought I'd win." Trelawney was edging closer, looking positively delighted.
"Yeah, and so did me and my four Galleons," Ron retorted, then glared at the crystal orb before them. "I'm sure we predicted this as well."
"Indeed you did, my dear boys!" Trelawney suddenly shrieked. Startled, Harry flinched, soundly banging his knee against the low table. Trelawney didn't seem troubled by that however. If anything, her large eyes were even larger, and glittering with joy. "You have the Inner Eye, my boys... the greatest gift bestowed upon you... you must use the Sight carefully..."
Hermione looked like she was going to scream.
"Of course, professor," Ron agreed, face contorting as he tried to hold in his laughter.
Trelawney clapped excitedly. "Come, come! You must be nurtured... the Inner Eye must be cultivated. Tell me, what do you see within the orb?"
"...Harry?"