Twenty minutes.
That was how long I had until Divination was over. I was counting down the seconds, staring at the clock, only glancing back at Professor Trelawney occasionally so she thought I was listening. This was such a waste of my time. Why did I even sign up for this? Everyone knows her predictions mean nothing, and are just nonsense.
"Now that you have read about palm reading, it is now time to try it for yourself," she said in her light and airy voice, "Go on, with your partners now." Seamus groaned.
"Come on mate, cheer up," I said, "Maybe we'll get lucky and she won't come over here."
"Dean, we never have luck with that. She always does. It's like she doesn't bloody trust us!" Seamus retorted.
"Why should she? We waste our time talking about luck when we should be doing the stupid assignment," I pointed out, "I wouldn't trust us either."
"Fair point, mate," Seamus admitted, "Let's make up some nonsense now, yeah?"
"Sure," I grinned, "Hand over your palm." He laid his hand on the table and I took it, pretending to study it.
"Let's see," I said, "You're got two lines here, which means you'll have good luck for the rest of the day, but, oh no, you have three lines here, which means…which means you'll get lit on fire by the end of the week." Seamus howled with laughter. It was a bit too loud because Professor Trelawney walked over immediately.
"Everything all right boys?" she asked airily.
"Brilliant, Professor," I put in quickly.
"Do you boys need any help with your palm reading?" she asked.
"Oh no we're-" Seamus started.
"Alright then. Mr. Thomas, give me your hand," she requested.
"Fine," Seamus muttered under his breath. I handed her my palm. She contemplated it for a second, then clutched her hand to her heart and started to fall back.
"Professor-" I started.
"What is it?" Parvati asked, "What did you see Professor?" she and Lavender looked on interestedly, though I can't imagine why they'd care about anything she had to say.
"It's, it's horrible," she wailed, "You have horrible luck, dear, horrible luck indeed."
"What did you see?" Seamus asked and he looked at me. I knew we were going to have a good long chuckle about this later. She sat up straighter, and got this crazed look in her eye, like she was being possessed.
"It will happen," she said, but not in the usual voice she talked with. It was a deeper, raspier, voice "It will happen in two years hence…you shall be hunted…for crimes you had no control over…you will prevail, but only by the aid of friends…it will happen two years hence…" Everyone was scared now, myself included. We were all backing away from her, while she spewed nonsense.
"Dean," Parvati hissed from next to me, "What in the name of Merlin is she babbling about?"
"I don't know Parvati," I whispered back, "But it's probably just nonsense and rubbish, like it usually is."
"Whatever," she said, "Make her stop. It's creeping me out." I looked at her incredulously.
"I can't make her stop!" I said, "I have as much control over her as you do."
"But…" she stuttered over absolutely nothing. Suddenly, Professor Trelawney stopped. The crazed, deranged look in her eyes diminished.
"What are you all standing?" she asked curiously.
"Professor," Parvati said, "You just…"
"Told us too," I finished quickly, "Told us to stand up Professor. Don't you remember? It was just a minute ago." I shot Parvati a look. If she really was possessed, I did not want to be anywhere near her when she found out.
"Oh, is that right dear?" she asked, looking at Parvati.
"Yes Professor," she squeaked, moving closer to me.
"Alright then, back to work dears," she said, and Seamus and I continued palm reading, but the whole time I was wondering, what had just happened?
Insert line here
Two Years Later
I threw some wood into the fire that was already fuming, hoping to make it warmer. Once I was satisfied, I sat down next to, hoping to warm myself. I didn't know the date, but it was starting to get colder, so it was probably around September or October. The date didn't really matter anyone. Nothing really mattered anymore.
Except staying alive. Running away had been the right decision, it protected my family and I from Voldemort and the Death Eaters. I moved my hand closer to the fire, hoping to warm it. Instead I got burned. I swore. I bent down closer to the palm, to inspect the damage. It looked fine, not perfect, but fine to me. I leaned closer into the fire, thinking. All around me, images started to swell out. There was Seamus, and Parvati, and my Mum, and the rest of my family. Running away had been the right decision.
Then why was I trying to convince myself?
I remembered the prediction that Professor Trelawney had given me, two years ago.
"It will happen in two years hence…you shall be hunted…for crimes you had no control over…you will prevail, but only by the aid of friends," What scared me the most was that her predictions had come true. I was being hunted down right this second. I had to be on the lookout, constantly on guard.
"You will prevail, but only with aid of friends," Did that mean I would succeed? And where we these so called friends, anyway? How could I succeed if I had no friends to help me? I was being foolish. I was clinging onto hopes, and only fools cling onto hopes. I could not afford to be a fool.
I cast a charm on the fire, and it diminished, diminishing my hopes with it.
A/N-I'm not sure how I feel about this. I don't really love it. Anyway, this was for themiddleofsomewhere's Quidditch European Cup Round One, where I had the prompts fire, palm, and