The Past and the Future
Danny flipped through the text-book as the quartet walked towards History of Magic. Hannah started leading him by the arm as he nearly walked into a wall.
"What are you even doing?" Danny assumed Ernie was rolling his eyes at him.
"History back home focused on America. I don't want to make an idiot of myself in class."
Justin started giggling, and was quickly joined in by Hannah.
"What?"
"No, no. Nothing. Just that... Binns..." Ernie struggled with the words, before apparently changing tracks. "There aren't any discussions during class. You'll be fine."
"Oh." Danny closed the book. "Why didn't you just say so?"
This time Danny saw Ernie roll his eyes.
They filed into the classroom and took their seats, Danny picked up his quill and prepared to take notes. He didn't notice that nobody else did.
Danny leaned back in his seat when a chill went down his spine. Then the chill reversed and travelled up again, through his lungs and exiting as a very visible breath of cold air.
A ghost walked through the blackboard and started lecturing about giant wars.
"Oh." Danny couldn't help but let the word pass his lips as he realised what Ernie had been trying to tell him earlier. Professor Binns didn't even notice the students.
"Quiet, Mr Fenton."
OK, so much for that theory.
Every single Hufflepuff turned around to look at Danny.
"Sorry?" He sunk down in his seat, uncomfortable.
Professor Binns droned on.
It felt like forever before the lecture ended. There seemed to be more eyes on Danny than on Binns. He kept his mouth quiet and took notes, which was surprisingly easy considering how Binns spoke in a very monotone voice.
Focusing on a ghost wasn't that hard, the energy that flowed through Danny to send waves of cold down his spine demanded that he paid attention.
Finally, class was dismissed and Danny could get away from the stares of his classmates.
"What was that?" Ernie's eyes were narrowed, his gaze completely focused on Danny.
"I was surprised!" Danny defended himself while gesturing widely. Nothing put him on edge like being stared at. (Names like Freaky Fenton echoed through his head.) "I didn't mean to interrupt class, okay?"
"Not that part."
"Then what is it!?"
Hannah stepped between them, holding up her hands in a pacifying way. "Professor Binns doesn't remember anybody's name. He keeps confusing us for students he had when he was alive."
"Maybe he had someone named Fenton before. Maybe even Binns can't confuse an American for a Brit. How am I supposed to know!?"
Ernie's hand rested on his chin as he thought about it. "I'll look it up. See if Binns has had any Fentons before."
"You do that." Danny's voice was cold. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew what was going on.
After all, focusing on a ghost wasn't that hard.
"In any case, I've got to get to Divination. Laters." Danny waved as he figuratively and literally ran away.
None of his friends took the class, so Danny was alone as he took off in the direction he hoped the tower was in.
It took him a couple of minutes, but he managed to get hopelessly lost.
'I don't even know which floor I'm on'.
Danny sighed and looked around. He was completely alone in a corridor without any portraits. Because of course he was.
He couldn't even hear- No, that was wrong. Footsteps echoed from behind him. When he turned around, two students stepped around the corner. Oddly enough, Danny recognized them both.
"Ron!" Danny couldn't help the relieved smile that appeared on his face. "Do you know where the Divination classroom is? I'm lost."
Ron grinned widely under the undivided attention. "Yeah, we were going there. You could join us."
His black-haired companion nodded. "I remember when we first started, got lost all the time."
"Thanks. Jerry, right?"
"Harry."
"Sorry."
"It's fine."
If anything, Harry seemed a little bit pleased with the mix-up. (Maybe he really liked the name Jerry?) Danny decided to not think about it too hard.
"So, you took Divination back in the states?" Ron didn't look like he cared, more like making conversation.
"I guess you could say that. A little bit." Danny thought about his irregular lessons with Work. They had been more about the nature of Time than actually foretelling it. "How is the class in Hogwarts? My teacher gave me a vague warning about it and it seemed like he was having fun at my expense."
Ron and Harry gave each other a look that seemed to hold an entire conversation.
"This teacher of yours can really tell the future?"
"Yes..." Danny side-eyed the two Gryffindors. "Of course. Why else would he be teaching Divination?"
The foreboding feeling (that Work claimed wasn't actually a premonition, because Danny wasn't a Seer) was back.
(Danny really wanted to see Work again.)
(How could he be more homesick for a different dimension than for his actual home?)
(Danny's mother had once claimed that Death didn't easily let go. She'd been telling him the Tale of the Three Brothers at the time, and was referring to the use of the Resurrection Stone. Maybe she'd been more right than he'd though.)
The three of them walked into the classroom. The room was a study in mismatching fabrics. Curtains and pillows and a lit fireplace made it too warm. It reminded Danny of the carnival version of future-telling, rather than Work's uncluttered tower room.
Professor Trelawney hid poorly in the shadows behind a curtain. Her eyes widened in surprise behind thick glasses when she saw Danny.
The foreboding feeling increased. (Maybe it deserved capitalisation. The Foreboding Feeling... No, that would give it too much credit. He shouldn't trust it, he wasn't a Seer.)
(By all accounts, neither was his new Divination teacher.)
Hermione spent her free period in the library.
As such, she noticed Ernie MacMillan, Justin Finch-Fletchey and Hannah Abbott look though old school records.
It didn't take much needling to get them to admit to what they were looking for.
Gossip spread quickly in Hogwarts.
AN: At this point in the books, the Prophet is spreading mean rumours about Harry. Not being immediately recognized by someone would be refreshing. Danny is sort of an outsider and plenty clueless, he wouldn't have picked up on any of the rumours going around Hogwarts. Conversely, Ron is always looking for recognition. (Especially when Harry isn't getting it.)
Another short (mostly) filler chapter. Sorry about that. I figured I could get away with writing one since reviews don't work right now. As far as this fic goes, it's planned to be 25 chapters.
