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Chapter 2:Charmed

"...I thought it was alright," Hermione said, her usual, confident self, after coming out of the Potions classroom. They had just written essays on developments in invisibility potions.

A few weeks had passed since the start of classes, with no real danger in sight-but Harry was not comforted by this fact. Care of Magical Creatures was even moved into a large section in the dungeon, due to the restriction in outdoors time.
Harry, in fact, he was rather suspicious that they had not heard a thing. The Daily Prophet bore no stories, just the same wanted ads; not even Rita Skeeter had anything to write about. He was not relaxed at all. No Voldemort or any Death Eaters in sight didn't necessarily mean they weren't coming at all-or rather, soon. He proceeded to walk up the dungeon stairs with Ron and Hermione.

"Alright? I'd rather wear dress robes!" Ron scowled. He put an arm around Hermione. "Of course it was fine for you. You know everything." He kissed her on the cheek. "At least she doesn't seem as strict as...you know. Him." Ron looked down, refusing to speak the name of what he called "world's greatest betrayer".

Since the death of Dumbledore, no one, not a soul, had seen Severus Snape. Harry would have gone to Azkaban for using the almighty Unforgivable Curse if he even saw him at all. If he was with Voldemort and returned to the Death Eaters, so be it.

The trio made their way toward the Great Hall for lunch. After lunch, it was Divination for Ron and Harry, and Hermione tutored students in the library for Charms and Defense against the Dark Arts. It was a good idea that students other than the three of them grew prepared; they had only spoke to a select few about Dumbledore's Army, hoping to acquire new members. These days, they were unsure of whom they could trust.

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table, where Malfoy had used to sit, and at the seat now occupied by their new Potions professor, Madame Marona Noxford, on the left side of the professors' table. Trust was not a solid word in any sense. You could look a man in the eye for years, lying to to him, having him fooled forever.

"Honestly, do you think Divination will really help you, in any case?" Hermione looked up from her salad. "I know you think all of this is useful, but for once, I just, can't see how..."

Harry took a gulp of pumpkin juice. "Hermione, I want every bit of knowledge I can aquire. Even it if means taking something you find useful." He said flatly. "You, of all people would think no knowledge is useless." He raised his eyebrows at her.

She flushed lightly. "Although this is true, I just don't see what class that ultimately comes down to fortune-telling could really help. You can't accurately predict what Voldemort-" Ron cringed.
"Really, Ron? It's out in the open now, what does it matter?" She scolded. "Sorry," she said after a moment. She patted his leg.
"Anyway, Harry. While I agree that no knowledge is useless, Divination class is ulitimately...like having a mock psychic for a professor. I-"

"Hermione." Harry spoke over her, putting his fork down. "You said this when we compared all of our schedules a few weeks ago."

She sighed, exasperated, knowing that she in fact, had given them the same lecture. "If it helps you feel all the more ready, by all means."

"You might think it inaccurate, but you never know." Ron said, through a mouthful of potatoes. "We know it might just be a fortune-telling of sorts, but you never know what signs point to, or if it could help us track down signs."

"I'm just saying that their moves are unpredictable. I don't doubt that they probably have spells we don't even know about that could surpass even the Unforgivables."

"You're not wrong in saying that," Harry said. "But we're still taking Divination." Ron nodded in agreement. "I promise you, it's not taking away our attentions from Dumbledore's Army or Defense Against the Dark Arts, at all."

The discussion had ended right then and there. Hermione felt slightly defeated. Personally, she had felt Harry and Ron were both wasting their time with something
so trivial as Divination. But their defense spells, especially Harry's, were incredibly strong already.
"How on earth can reading tea leaves and incense clouds help us track Voldemort's moves?" She thought. But really, it was all up to Harry. She didn't hesitate for a moment to admit he knew more confidently what he was doing, more than her, and she admitted this to him fully. No textbook she had ever read, could aid or teach someone instinct.

An hour later, Harry and Ron were sitting on squishy beanbags in the dark, decorated room of their Divinations classroom, while Hermione took a few students into an empty classroom on the first floor to strengthen their basic transfiguration spells.

"...and that was when Diagon Alley opened Ursula's Fabulous Fortunes..." Professor Trelawney said over her spectacles, sounding like her usual dreamy self, but weary.

Today's lesson would be using crystal globes. Professor Trelawney explained that the muggles who professed to psychics used similar things. crystal balls, but she believed they were all complete scandals of robbery. With the proper concentration, they were to look into the crystal globes and partially see what some of their destinies would be.

"Class, we're going to begin. Clear your minds..." She said, as usual. "Hover your hands on either side of the globe and stare directly into it. I'm now going to light incense of elderflowers, which will quiet the atmospheric spirits, and call to us our inner selves."

Emerald green and magenta smoke lightly filled the room, surrounding the students in the Divination classroom.

"Now, the further you concentrate, the more you will be able to see. The images should be coming into picture now. Some of them might be audible, but no worries, no one else can hear your fates, just you. " She coughed slightly, and leered around the classroom, hunched over, her face just visible through the hues of smoke.

Harry looked at his crystal ball; a silver orb appeared and began to swirl inside it, almost similar to what he had seen in Dumbledore's pensieve. The first images began. A moment later, he found himself sucked into a bird's eye view of the unoccurred; it was almost like what happened when he was able to read Voldemort's diary when he was trying to uncover mysteries regarding the Chamber of Secrets.

The first image he saw, he recognised. It was on the high floor of the Department of Mysteries. He could see the broken glass windows. It was clearly nighttime.
"Are you ready to meet your fate, Potter?" Voldemort's voice came eerily. He rounded the corner with his wand ready.

"It's both of our fates, Riddle." Red and green light emerged from their wands.

The image swirled again, and Harry found himself sucked into another image, this time, loud cheering and yelling, and on the massive field of the Quidditch Pitch. He saw himself flying on a Thunderbolt 7 broomstick, while Ron held keeper at the goal.
"Let's hear it for our heroes and graduating 7th years, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley!" Lee Jordan yelled over the loud cheering of the students in the posts.

The image swirled once more, this time it was a turquoise colour. Harry heard the music of the Weird Sisters and saw himself in what looked like a grand ballroom. He was wearing dark dress robes, and the room was adorned silver and scarlet decorations.

It appeared to be some sort of party or celebration. He scanned the room, and saw Hermione wearing a gown of ruby colour, her curly hair styled elaborately in a bun. She was stunning. He saw Ginny dancing, in a royal, whie, wedding-looking gown. She looked gorgeous, and Harry assumed he was seeing what would be their wedding reception someday. He scanned the room and saw Ron, dressed in royal blue robes, speaking to Dean Thomas in the corner, by the sign-in table. To his surprise, he saw himself walking to where Hermione was sitting. She looked dreamy-eyed at the dancing crowd. Why wasn't she dancing with Ron?
"Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?"

"When you picked me up, Harry." He brushed a curl from her face and sat down, facing her.

"I love you, Hermione. We've come such a long way. It's hard to believe."
She smiled at him and looked at him, her hazel eyes sparkling.

"Yes, we have."

"I've been an idiot. I can't live without you. You were always there. You're my best friend, Hermione." Harry stared down at his future self curiously, lost for words. He saw him kiss Hermione gently, before pulling a small velvet box out of his left inner pocket.

Harry then had a sensation of flying, as if he was traveling via fireplace with floo powder, before then tumbling backward off the bean bag chair. He was back in the Divination classroom. He looked around; no one had noticed, but some students, including Ron, were rubbing their temples as if they had a bad headache. The smoke had disappeared from the classroom.

Harry ran a hand through his already messy hair, feeling even more confused than the time Hermione had read him a passage about locking charms using muggle arithmetic... Hermione?

Hermione.