- Chapter Three –

The Dreadful Divination Lesson


10th September, 1976.

"Well, this smudge here looks a bit like a penguin to me," I murmured, peering curiously at the black shape. "But if I turn it this way, it looks like a smiley-face. So that means you will be attacked by a penguin, but you'll be really happy about it, Sirius."

Sirius snorted with laughter and took the bowl of tea leaves from me, grinning. "Gee, thanks Eleanor, I'll keep that prediction in mind next time I visit the zoo and see a bunch of angry penguins waddling towards me."

"If I were you I'd avoid zoos altogether," I laughed, abandoning my useless attempt at reading tea leaves to decipher the future, which always seems too be filled with depressing and ominous predictions.

When she was not busy predicting doom and death, Professor Trelawney reminded me of my dear old Gran. Both had a tendency to stare off into space midway through a conversation and both had a dangerous habit of bumping into furniture on a regular basis. Today was no different. She drifted dreamily around the room, her hands raised in front of her as if she were trying to find her way through the dark, a mystified look on her face. Sirius sat beside me, scowling and slumped in his chair. He rolled his eyes as Professor Trelawney gasped and clutched my bowl of tea leaves dramatically.

"My dear boy, you are in grave danger!"

Sirius sighed. "I've been in grave danger ever since the day of my bloody birth, you crazy bat," he muttered beneath his breath. I held a hand over my mouth and tried to cover my laugh as a cough, since I didn't think Professor Trelawney would appreciate me laughing at her useless predictions. She gripped her shawl tightly, swaying back and forth. I wonder if she know she's insane. I always wondered how she didn't notice, but then again maybe the fumes from her burning incense sticks and candles blocked her mind a little. Either that or she really is just off her rocker.

"What's in the bowl, Professor?"

I glanced at my brother, who was lounging like a King on his little cushion, watching with bored eyes. Noah and Sirius got along quite well, which was very good, and he gave me a small smile. My brother seems to be so impressed by my new-found friendship-making skills that he feels the need to encourage me. In fact, just last night after dinner, he cornered me on my way out of the Great Hall and told me to keep acting cool around the Marauders because this was my 'one-shot at actually becoming something other than a freak'. I love my brother. He means well. He's just a bit of a twat is all.

"I see a werewolf!"

The class instantly hushed. You could hear a pin drop. Sirius sat up slightly, looking a little shaken.

"My dear, you must be careful! I see a lot of pain in your future, and disorder! You must beware!"

And then, he did something entirely surprising. He stood up suddenly, knocking my bowl to the ground. "What a load of rubbish," he growled, storming off. We watched him in awe. Sirius has never walked out of a class before. Sure, he's skipped them, but never just left half-way through. I watched Professor Trelawney's bewildered eyes settle on the door for a few moments, before she turned slowly to look at me.

"You must watch him, Eleanor. He is in deep trouble. A werewolf is never a good sign to find in your tea leaves. Sirius Black is going to be hurt if he does not heed my warning."

She drifted away again, seemingly forgetting about Sirius's impending doom as if it had never been predicted. Well. All I had predicted was penguins, so you can only imagine how baffled I felt.


Lily was very quiet at dinner later that day. I shuffled into the seat beside her, glancing around in an attempt to find Sirius. I could see Remus and Peter, sitting beside one another at the opposite end of the table. I don't think they knew about what had happened with Sirius. Yes, everyone was whispering about it, but I think they mustn't know just yet. I saw my brother, using his wand to imitate being a unicorn. He was even neighing loudly and stomping his 'hooves' on the ground. Despite being twins, I'm quite sure I took all of the brains when we were conceived. In fact, I'm almost positive I did.

I nudged Lily, and she smiled at me. "Hello Eleanor. How are you?"

I shrugged. "I'm more concerned about you."

"You always are," she giggled, smiling. Lily has a lovely smile. It makes you smile, too, even if you're not sure what you're smiling about.

"Are you going to tell me what has you so upset?"

"How do you notice such small things Eleanor?"

I shrugged again. "I don't know. I guess I'm not as loud as Noah. I'm the quiet one. And when you're silent for a while, you tend to see a lot of things. And I can see that you're unhappy."

She sighed. "It's Severus."

I glanced over at the Slytherin table. He wasn't there. Both Sirius and Severus were missing today, along with James. "What about him?"

"He seems so…distant. Whenever I try to speak with him, he's surrounded by his 'friends'. I don't like them. Has he seemed odd to you, Ellie?"

"Yes. In the library he warned me about the Marauders."

She laughed softly. "I can't blame him for that."

"They aren't that bad."

"You always see the best in people Eleanor. If the Devil himself appeared in front of us, you'd probably find a reason to like him. You're just a nice person."

"Naïve person," I corrected. "Severus says I'm naïve."

Lily's eyes softened as she smiled again. "I am glad that you're making friends Eleanor. I never thought I'd see the day where you'd hang out with Sirius Black, though."

"Severus hates Sirius. I'm starting to worry that if I hang out with them, he'll start to hate me, too."

"Don't be silly, Eleanor. Severus is just a very complicated guy. He hates Sirius for a reason. Sirius is a bully."

I didn't answer her. We continued chatting about our worries for Severus, and when I had finished, I offered to walk back to Gryffindor Tower with Lily, but she wanted to stay a little while longer in the Great Hall. I decided to go for a walk, all by myself, and think about Severus for a while. As I walked through the grounds, without an aim, I thought about his friends. I didn't like any of them either. They were into Dark Arts. James hated them for this. Rumours went around the school that most of their parents were Death-Eaters.

Death-Eaters. With a name like that, I doubt you'd be inviting them around for tea anytime soon.

"Snivellus, where are you going?"

I jumped in surprise, turning a corner to find James and Sirius standing in front of Severus. They had their backs to me, which allowed me to sneak a little closer. Severus caught my eye, but he didn't say anything. He wanted me to see this. I knew it just by his gaze.

"I don't think that is any of your business, Black."

"He's acting brave," James observed. "That's a change."

"You would know nothing of bravery, Potter," Severus snapped, a look of utter loathing on his face. "You are the one who pretends to be something he is not."

"Oh yeah? How so, Snivellus? Enlighten me," James grinned. I didn't like Sirius and James's grins.

"You are a coward, Potter."

"Shut up," Sirius growled, clearly defensive of his friend. James waved him off, allowing Severus to continue.

"You bully and torment people. Like I said, you're a coward. I bet Lily thinks so too."

"That's it," James snarled. I watched as Sirius shoved Severus into the wall, and James pulled up his sleeves. I didn't know if he was going to grab his wand or just punch Severus, because I stepped forward.

"Sirius!"

They all froze at once. Severus, though he knew I was there, had been looking very pale and shaken when Sirius had grabbed him. When he heard me, a big grin broke out on his face as he stared into Sirius's eyes. Sirius let go of him. Severus rubbed his chest where he had been grabbed, but that didn't stop him looking quite happy that I had witnessed this. I felt sick. I knew they were doing this to Severus, but I had never thought it was so bad. That makes me just as awful as they were for not stopping them in the first place. Even if I wasn't friends with them, I should have done something.

"Eleanor, this-…" Sirius began, taking a cautious step towards me with his hands raised in defence.

"Shut up!" I barked, and he actually jumped in surprise. I have never raised my voice before. The grin on Severus's face vanished, replaced with shock. I don't think anyone other than Lily has defended him before. James's cheeks were flushed pink as he avoided my eyes. "What the Hell do you think you are doing, Sirius? James?"

"You don't understand," James started.

"Don't understand?" I repeated furiously, clenching my fists and storming up to them. Sirius looked utterly bewildered by me. I was bewildered by me. I've never gotten that mad before, and I'm almost slightly embarrassed now. I felt like punching one of them. I wasn't even this angry when my Gran accidentally set my favourite teddy on fire when I was six. Or when my dad missed Noah and I's eighth birthday because he was working. And then our ninth. And our tenth. "You're both bullies."

Sirius looked hurt. "Eleanor, Snivellus-…"

"Don't call him that! His name is Severus. Not Snivellus. You disgust me, Sirius," I growled, taking Severus by his arm and pulling him with me. Sirius called out to me, but I didn't look back at him. I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. My first class is Divination, in which I sit with him. Why couldn't Professor Trelawney tell me about this, instead of babbling about werewolves and bumping into furniture all the time?