Chapter Twelve

Year; 3

Divination? Why me?

Alice knew she shouldn't have picked Divination, she really shouldn't have. She had only chosen it because... Well, to be honest? Ron, Harry and Hermione were taking it. At the end of their second year, Alice hadn't really known what subjects to choose, she was twelve sue her. So instead she had picked the same ones as Ron and Harry, and she dearly regretted that fact now. She wondered if it too late to change classes? And what should she change to?

"Welcome, my children," said the odd Professor sitting at the head of the room. She was sitting calmly on a big red chair, her hair frizzing out around her like a halo and she wore this giant glasses that made her look like a bug to Alice. Alice wondered why she had to get the crazy teacher.

"In this room, you shall explore the noble art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess… the Sight," As the Professor stood; she stumbled into a table, nearly knocking over the kettle sitting on it. "Hello. I am Professor Trelawney. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. This term we shall be focusing on Tasseomancy, which is the art of reading tea leaves. So please, take the cup of the person sitting opposite you."

Hermione wasn't there yet, so they only had three people. But this didn't really matter in the slightest to any of them as they just shared it between the three of them. Alice took Ron's cup, while Ron took Harry's and Harry took hers.

"What do you see? The truth lies buried like a sentence within a book, waiting to be read," the Professor lectured them, climbing up on the next section of the stage that Seamus and Dean were sitting on before putting her hands on his head. "But first you must broaden your minds. First, you must look beyond," the Professor nearly yelled as she waved her arms 'beyond'. Alice almost died of having to suppress her laughter, honestly!

"What a load of rubbish," Alice heard Hermione say from absolutely no where. Alice jumped about three feet in the air and fell off of her seat, much to the humour of the rest of her class. Alice scowled at the people in her grade before getting up of the floor and roughly sitting on her seat again, her frown deeply etched on her face.

"Where'd you come from?" Ron asked before Alice could even manage to open her mouth to pose the question to the other Gryffindor.

"Me? I've been here all this time," Hermione said, putting something down her shirt. Alice's grey eyes narrowed at Hermione, not believing her for a second. What exactly was her friend up too? Alice knew full well Hermione hadn't been there because she would have given her the cup and not Harry.

"No you haven't, otherwise I would have traded cups with you," Alice said grumpily before she turned to Professor Trelawney who had spun on Neville.

"You, boy! Is your grandmother well?" she asked him, her voice was already grating on Alice's nerves, or maybe it was because she fell off her chair or maybe because she knew Hermione was lying to her.

"I- I think so," Neville stuttered slightly nervous. It was obvious to Alice why he was nervous and it was not because he was worried about his grandmother of that Alice was sure.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. Give me the cup," Trelawney said, as she took the cup from Neville before her face turned sad, setting the cup down and walking towards Alice, eyeing Parvati sitting on the table next to her. "By the way, dear, beware a red-haired man," Parvati eyed Ron before edging her seat away from him, making Alice chuckle and Ron glare at her.

"Broaden your minds," Trelawney called to the class, before she stopped before Ron, gasping and sputtering. "Your aura is pulsing, dear. Are you in the beyond. I think you are!"

"Sure," Ron says, looking over at Harry and Alice, giving them a look that Alice interpreted as, 'She's crazy, the teacher's crazy! Let's prank her! And get out of this class.' It might not have been what he meant, but it was what Alice was going to do. She really didn't care what Ron had actually meant, not in the slightest.

"Look at the cup. Tell me what you see," Trelawney encouraged as Ron furrowed his eyebrows and stared down into the cup. Alice felt like laughing again, honestly?

"Well. He's got a wonky sort of cross," Ron tried to say looking extremely awkward, looking through the book in front of him. "And that's trials and suffering. But this lot here could be the sun- that there's happiness," Ron then looked up at Harry, one of his eyebrows raised in confusion. "So, you're going to suffer… but you're gonna be happy about it."

Alice snored, not that anybody realised it.

"Give me the cup," The Professor demanded. Ron handed it to her, but almost a second later she dropped it onto the table, gasping and screeching as she jumped back.

"What is it, Professor?" Parvati asked in a quiet sort of voice. Alice knew what was wrong, the teacher was mental. Maybe, just maybe the teacher should have counselling sessions with Flitwick? Like she had the previous year?

Alice noticed that Trelawney had taken a few small steps forward as she regarded Harry with a mixture of pity and fear. "My dear boy… You have… the Grim."

There were a lot of gasps and many whispers following the Professors' statement but Alice was completely lost. What in Merlin's name was a Grim? It sounded like a pets name or something; actually it was she named her pet goldfish when she was five. She wondered what happen to that fish, she remembered that he had died because... Well, she didn't really remember. Was it because she forgot to feed it?

"What's the Grim?" Harry asked his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, he like Alice had no idea what anyone was on about.

"Grim is an omen, the very worst omen, the omen of... Death!" The Professor said in what Alice would say was a dramatic voice; however Alice was getting very annoyed.

Alice noticed that many of their class mates had looks of horror on their faces and their looks all directed at Harry, the teacher had a look for the most part of pity planted on her face, even Harry looked nervous! Alice wanted to throw something at somebody really badly!

"Well, we all know what happened last time, don't we?" Alice said in an annoyed tone, no one was allowed to tell Harry that he was going to die! Except maybe her, but it defeated the purpose because Harry was not under any circumstances allowed to die.

"Miss Cooper?"The misty eyed teacher asked with an unamused humour on her face, like death was not something to laugh about, which it wasn't but Harry wasn't going to die!

"Well last time Harry was meant to die, he was about hmm... one? And who died then?" Alice shot back, her eye twitching.

The class was speechless, they had all it seemed to Alice completely forgotten the fact that Harry was known as the boy-who-lived. Harry was just too stubborn to die.

"Miss Cooper, I see denial in your future. About the Grim, and perhaps in your name?"

The class was silent most likely trying to figure out what the Professor meant when she said, that Alice was in denial about her name. Alice was very annoyed with the Professor, this was just ridicules. Absolutely ridiculous.

"I'm leaving, this class is stupid!" Alice yelled picking up her textbook; Alice hoped her parents wouldn't mind too much that they had wasted their money on a text book that she wouldn't use, which they wouldn't. Her walking out on a class was like saying she didn't want to study magic to them, they would be ecstatic.

With these words she left the stunned classroom, and made her way quickly to McGonagall's office and knocked. Unfortunately for Alice the Professor wasn't there, it made sense to Alice that the Professor was still in class, but she was willing to wait till class had finished, so what if she was late to Care Of Magical Creatures?

Alice sat there for a few minutes in front of the Professor's office, she would wait. She wasn't going back to that useless class. Bloody idiot teacher, telling her she was in denial! She wasn't in denial! She just didn't want to know, although, she wouldn't mind knowing who Alyssia was. And Ally, who was Ally?

"Hey, Cooper!" Alice heard her name get called she looked up to see two sixth year, Hufflepuff boys. One of them happened to a Prefect badge on. And that happened to be Cedric Diggory.

"Yo, Diggory, how's it going? Hi, random kid that I don't know."

"Not bad, this is Matt Short," Cedric said grinning at the younger girl as he introduced his friend to her.

"Cool, hey Matt," Alice said smiling at the blonde haired, blue eyed, sixth year Hufflepuff. "I see you got Prefect, seems like I got another reason to hate you, Diggory."

The boy grinned at her again, "Or keep on my good side, you never know when that'll come in handy, like now for instance. Why aren't you in class? Trouble already?"

Alice looked up at him and said quite plainly. "I walked out of class; seriously that class is a joke."

Cedric and Matt just laughed at her. "Divination?" Matt asked her with a raised eyebrow, when Alice nodded her head in conformation, the two just laughed even harder.

"Yeah, well. I can see a Prefect that's not in class."

"Well, then this Prefect and his friend better get to class then, see you around Cooper." Matt said winking at Alice, as he pulled Cedric away presumably toward his next class.

"Good Bye, Alice!" Cedric called over his shoulder. "Good luck with Quidditch!"

"You'll be needing the luck Diggory! Not me!" Alice called out towards the retreating figures. Alice knew he had heard her because, she heard him laughing. Alice settled down again to wait for her Head of House.

It turned out Alice didn't have to wait for long for the Professor to turn up because she turned up not even five minutes later, for this Alice was grateful. To be completely honest Alice didn't partially fancy sitting on the floor in front of the Professors' room for half an hour.

"Miss Copper, why aren't you in class. Don't tell me you're in trouble already?"

What was with people and automatically assuming that she was in trouble?

"Ah, Professor, you think so low of me! I had divination and I was wondering... If I could change classes?" Alice asked the completely unamused teacher with a winning grin and a less than happy tone to her voice.

Professor McGonagall seemed to understand, she also seemed to have a very just hate of the art. All in all Alice was allowed to change classes, she changed to Ancient Runes, and she knew Hermione was in that class. Well she thought she was anyway, but it didn't matter any class was better than that one, she was just really saving herself from the trouble.


"You don't think that Grim thing's got anything to do with Sirius Black, do you?" Alice heard Ron ask as she came up to them on their way to Hagrid's hut, seems she wasn't going to be late to class...pity.

"Oh, honestly, Ron," she heard Hermione answer the boy. "If you ask me, Divination's a very woolly discipline. Now Ancient Runes. That's a fascinating subject," Hermione smiled.

"Oh, it better be," Alice called out to them, the three third years stopped imminently upon hearing Alice's voice. "Because, I just transferred to that class."

"Really?" Hermione asked with a delighted smile creeping across her face. "You haven't missed much! Oh you'll love it Alice! If you need any help, just ask!"

"You've really changed?" Harry asked Alice cutting off whatever Hermione was saying this causing the brown haired girl to glare at the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Yep, wasn't gonna stay in a class like that, its rubbish."

Harry looked like he wanted to say more but he was soon cut off by Hagrid, as they had finally manage d to get to Hagrid's hut.

"C'mon now, get a move on! Got a real treat for yeh. Great lesson comin' up. Follow me," Hagrid said before he led them all to a small paddock just by the side of the Forbidden Forest.

In the paddock, a freestanding iron rack with dead ferrets with flies buzzing about was propped up against a tree. "Right, you lot. Less chattering. Form a group over there and turn your books to page forty-nine," Hagrid announced to the growing crowd of students.

"Exactly how do we do that?" Malfoy bit out and as much as Alice hated siding with Malfoy about anything she found that he did in fact have a very valid point. When she had first gotten the book it had tried to eat her. To say the least her parent's weren't very impressed, but the two had been becoming less and less impressed with the witchcraft that was their daughter's whole world.

"You just stroke the spine of course," Hagrid sighed as if this should have been the most obvious thing in the word, all Alice wanted to do was throw her book at him. But Hagrid was her friend she didn't throw things at friends... Well most of the time she didn't anyway.

Alice was stroking the book like her life depended on it, it probably did, after all the last time she had opened it she almost died. Alice didn't fancy dying just yet; she had too many people to mock. Hermione on the other hand seemed very annoyed, as she slammed her book down against a boulder, probably thoroughly pissing the book off, Alice shuddered. That book was evil.

"I think their funny," she bit out randomly, making at least half the class raise their eyebrows at her. Alice just had a look of confusion on her face, the book tried to eat her. Didn't the monster book try to eat her as well?

"Yes, terribly funny. Very witty," Malfoy said sarcastically, causing Alice to glare at the blond boy. "God, this place is going to the dogs. Wait until my father hears Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes."

Alice realised why Hermione had spoken up, in defence of Hagrid. Alice would publicly defend Hagrid too, but in her mind she would always as much as it pained her, agree with Malfoy about that horrid, evil, foul book.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said in a threatening voice, what Harry was threatening them with? Alice would never know, but it was Harry, so he would have thought of something... Or he would have at least asked her for some help.

Malfoy and his other idiotic henchmen looked at each other before Malfoy sauntered forward. Suddenly his eyes widened and backed up with a girly scared look on his face before he cried; "Dementor! Dementor!"

Alice was very annoyed, very annoyed. "Wait until my father hears about this, I broke a nail, look Harry! Oh woe is me!" Alice cried out dramatically causing the Malfoy's cheeks to warm to a light pink, and all the Gryffindor's to laugh.

Even Harry smiled, but something else caught Alice's attention a bark? Alice glanced at the forest surrounding them, but there wasn't a dog there. Maybe she was imaging things?

"At least I know my parents," Malfoy called out causing every student to freeze, Alice did too. How in Merlin's name did he find out about that? How? The other Slytherins' made an ooh-ing sound.

Alice was even more lived but the black haired girl said nothing, she just remained in her spot frozen. No one knew about this, for Merlins sake her friends found out what? Two days ago? And now everyone knew? Alice wondered when Malfoy had found this information out.

Malfoy smirked, realising that he had obviously hit a nerve. "Didn't want anyone to know? That your parents did want you?"

It was pure luck that Hagrid got back then, or that Harry was holding Alice back. No one really ever found that part out, but one part was certain. Alice Jane Cooper was going to A) Kill Malfoy, that option wasn't really one she could consider due to the fact that she didn't really relish the idea of going to jail. Or B) Severely humiliate and prank and any and every possible opportunity. That latter idea seemed like the best one to young Alice, people should really learn not to piss off Alice Cooper.

A strange creature emerged from the trees behind Hagrid, but Alice couldn't bring it in herself to care much, she had bigger and more important fish to fry.

Its torso, hind legs, and tail like a horse, while the front legs, wings and head of a giant eagle. Everyone in the class toke a step back from it, except Alice as she wasn't really paying too much attention to the creature or the class, this much was evident to anyone looking at her, if they saw the far-away look in her eyes. Alice was pondering; this was a cause to scare many people, because Alice never pondered.

"Isn't he beau'iful? Say hello to Buckbeak!" Hagrid announced to the mixture of Slytherins' and Gryffindors', as he coaxed the creature into the centre of the paddock using a dead ferret as bait, he should have used Malfoy saved all of them the trouble.

"Hagrid. Exactly what is that?" Ron asked the half-giant slightly nervously, Ron had always disliked troublesome things, this... animal, was to Alice going to be very troublesome indeed.

"That, Ron, is a hippogriff. Firs' thing yeh gotta know about hippogriffs, is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff are. It may be the las' thing yeh ever do," Hagrid told them in a serious voice before smiling. "Now, who wants ter come an' say hello?" Hagrid asked the group as he turned to check on Buckbeak.

When Hagrid turned back to the class, he smiled hugely for some reason very happy. "Well done, Harry, Alice," Alice blinked looking around, she didn't want to go near the... uh, animal. What if it killed her? Alice had a small adversity to being killed and she didn't fancy dying today.

She glanced back at the class; it seemed that they had all taken a step back except Harry. But Alice knew he like her, was probably not paying attention for one reason or another, he didn't feel like dying today either.

"Come on, who's coming up first?" Hagrid asked the two black-haired friends eagerly. Alice hated that look, he looked so happy; she would hate to tear that down... Harry would have to do it.

"Ladies first," Harry smiled, and gestured Alice to go first. Alice was not fooled though she narrowed her eyes at her best friend; he just didn't want to go up to Buckbeak. He was just sacrificing her – for what? So he didn't die? Alice would not lose this challenge.

"Major celebrities always get things first though, who am I but a mere student to get in the way of that?" Alice grinned and locked eyes with Harry, the challenge was set. The question was, who was going to win?

"You're a superior student," Harry replied with a charming grin. No she wasn't and he knew that! They both failed in classes!

"You lie," Alice said in the most accusing tone she could muster up.

"Would I lie to you?" Harry asked with the most fake sincerity that Alice had ever seen. She had to hand it to him; the boy was a good actor.

"Yes! Yes you would, you did just yesterday!"

"No you lie! About what, have I lied?"

"You said you ran out of chocolate frogs and then ate one not ten seconds later!"

"I wanted it!" He cried.

"See you lied, so you first,"

"You…" Harry said trailing off before he sighed in defeat. No one could really beat Alice; it was the best idea for him really just to give up. Ron stepped up and gently pushed him forward until he walked on his own.

"Now, yeh have to let him make the first move. It's only poli'e. So, step up. Give him a nice bow. Then you wait and see if he bows back. If he does, you can go and touch him. If not… well we'll get to that later."

Alice felt momentarily bad, but as she watched Harry as he inched forward and then bowed low, she felt slightly better. He was Harry Potter he'd be fine, her on the other hand?

Buckbeak looked down at Harry before flapping his wings angrily and squawking at Harry.

"Back off, Harry! Back off!" Harry starts to back off but breaks a twig on his way backwards, and then stops. "Keep still," Slowly, Buckbeak bowed low to Harry, making Hagrid laugh relieved. "Well done, Harry! Well done," Hagrid then threw a dead ferret to Buckbeak who ate it quickly. "Right. I think you can go and pat him now," Harry nods before taking small steps toward Buckbeak.

Suddenly, Buckbeak snapped at Harry's hand for going too fast, making Harry jerk back fiercely, leaving no doubt in anyone's minds that Harry Potter had good survival instincts.

"Now let him come to you," Hagrid said quickly before Buckbeak stepped forward and rubbed his beak against Harry's hand. "Well done!" Hagrid yelled, beginning to clap. Everyone clapped as they let out the breath they had been holding. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride 'im now," Alice heard Hagrid say as he lifted up Harry.

"Whoa! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hagrid!" Harry yelled as he was plopped down onto Buckbeak's back.

"Don' pull out any of his feathers. He won' thank yeh for that," With that, Hagrid smacked Buckbeak on the butt and sent him rearing before he took off into the air, Harry was shouting on his back. Alice heard some of what Harry was shouting and it wasn't PG13+ and should never find its self in polite conversation. Alice wondered slightly how Harry had learnt that kind of language, he was only thirteen.

About ten minutes later, Harry and Buckbeak came back into view, landing in the paddock at a run until Buckbeak could slow. Hagrid then pulled Harry from his back and the two smiled at each other as they started talking quietly.

Unfortunately or rather fortunately if you asked Alice, neither noticed Draco Malfoy, strutting toward Buckbeak, not even bothering to give a bow.

"Yeah, you're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute," Malfoy bit to the very obviously dangerous and proud creature. Alice hoped he got his head bit off, she was in perfect position to save the prat everyone in the clearing knew this. But Alice chose to stay still; she chose not to help the insulting idiot.

"Malfoy! No!"

In a flash, Buckbeak reared back, swiping it's talons at Malfoy's arm, making him fall back.

Hagrid started pushing Buckbeak off and away from the class almost immediately after the arrogant Malfoy had been hurt. Hagrid tied the... thing up and rushed forward to help Malfoy, who was yelling bloody murder.

"Calm yerself! Yer fine… jus'-"

"Hagrid!" Hermione cried. "He's got to be taken to the hospital."

"I'm the teacher. I'll do it," Hagrid murmured more to himself then to anyone else, he picked up the Malfoy in a bridle style and then started walking off with him. "Class dismissed!"


They were all sitting in the great hall, studying. Oh, how Alice loathed studying, she would much rather be pranking someone. But as fate had decided it, Alice wasn't allowed to not study that day. She felt sorry for herself.

Alice noticed that Malfoy had just waltzed into the hall, his arm in a sling. The great bastard, he would be pranked and very soon. He could have gotten Hagrid fired! The bloody prat! Then again it might have been her fault too, she could have helpt him or stopped him, but she didn't. She wanted him to get hurt but she didn't think out how much trouble Hagrid would get into... She felt bad, so she was going to continue on blaming Malfoy.

"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" Pansy Parkerson, said to the blond attention seeking idiot.

"It comes and goes. Still… I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two and… I could've lost the arm."

Alice had to resist the urge to throw herself of a bridge, or push Malfoy of a bridge, and that sounded like the much more appealing option too.

"The little git, he's really laying it on thick, isn't he?" Ron said bitingly, he was obviously very annoyed.

"At least Hagrid didn't get fired," Harry said as he sighed.

There was that at least.

"Yes. But I hear Malfoy's father's furious," Hermione said, looking at them all. "I don't think we've heard the end of this."

"Of course we haven't, want to prank him?" Alice said tiredly.

"Alice!" Hermione said her voice gaining three more octaves.

"What?" Alice asked raising an eyebrow at her friend. Hermione went to respond to her but she soon got cut off by Seamus.

"He's been sighted! He's been sighted!" Seamus suddenly yelled, throwing a newspaper down on the table in front of Alice and Harry.

"Who?" Ron asked him, confused.

"Sirius Black," Everyone scooted over toward the paper and stared down at the article and the crazy picture of the man that had escaped from prison to kill Harry. Alice made a promise to herself right then and there; she would not let Harry die this year because of a manic killer. She would do her best to protect the young Potter, the best she could.

"Dufftown? That's not far from here," Hermione exclaimed loudly, her eyes going wide and flickering over to Harry.

Harry looked absolutely bored with the entire ordeal, but Alice knew Harry enough to know that he was nervous. He was nervous about getting killed by a random physio killer, Alice didn't blame him.

"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" Neville asked. "I mean, with the Dementors at every entrance?"

"Dementors? He's already slipped by them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he can't do it again?" Seamus challenged the clumsy boy. "That's right. Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands," Dean said dramatically, making Alice roll her eyes at him.

Sure, catching Black would be hard. But Harry was a very stubborn person he wouldn't just let anyone kill him, and they had Dumbledore. The strongest wizard alive, in Alice's opinion. He would protect all of his students; Alice knew they were all safe. But that didn't mean she would stop worrying about Harry.

"Don't be over dramatic," Alice said primly, focusing on the Runes on her page. Why didn't they make a lick of sense?

"You're one to talk," Ron muttered under his breath. "Over dramatic? Heh..."

Alice's eye twitched and hit Ron over the head with her quill. "Shut up, Weasley."

"Ow!"

"That didn't hurt, Ronald, honestly," Hermione smiled, rolling her eyes.

Harry just bit his lip, looking out into the distance. "Work, Harry, work," Alice said, trying to get his mind off whatever he was thinking of. Harry nodded his head distractedly, Alice just sighed.