~*Chapter Ten*~

The Depths of the Orb

            "Today we will begin looking into the crystalline depths of the mysterious and compelling Orb," Professor Trelawney announced, stepping out of the shadows. She sank down into her chair in front of the fire, her many bracelets clicking on her arm. Fred and George sniggered and whispered to each other. "To See you must relax the eyes and the conscience. That will relax the Inner Eye and possibly allow you to See. Now, look into the Orb…"

             Angelina stared into the Orb, trying to keep her mind clear. That was hard, when you were in the same class as Fred and George Weasley, though. Their snickers and whispered jokes made her laugh and 'clouded her Inner Eye,' as Trelawney would say.

            Alicia tapped her painted fingernails on the table as she bent over her Orb. "Nothing!" she said, exasperated. Katie raised her brows as she read a novel under the table.

            The room went quiet, in a strange sort of way- Fred's mouth moved but there was no sound, the pages of Katie's book were silent, and the tapping of fingernails on the table ceased. Angelina stared intently into the Orb. Her mind was void of all thought. Shadows began to penetrate the milky mists inside the Orb. One figure sharpened at the edges and then went out of focus again. Angelina leaned forward slightly. The figure came into focus once more. Cedric! Angelina realized, her heart beginning its dance again. Cedric spun into the center of the Orb and then stopped. He was waving something- his wand! Fire covered him and when it went out, there were two different objects- a cauldron and a strange figure. The strange figure was in the cauldron. Far in the distance, someone screamed. Then the image disappeared. She saw herself kissing Cedric in Hogsmeade, and then she saw Oliver's face, and then Fred's. She saw herself dancing- dancing? - With Fred, somewhere. She saw the smoky figures of a Quidditch game.

            Someone was tapping her shoulder. Angelina shook her head. The classroom was empty, except for a concerned looking Alicia. "What's up, Angelina?" her friend asked. "You were in some kind of trance!"

            "She Saw," pronounced Professor Trelawney as she materialized by the fire. "Few your age can See, Miss Johnson. I believe that we can expect good things from you in the future. I will not ask you what you Saw, for what you See is for yourself."

            "Oh," Angelina said, easing off the chair and hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. "Thanks, Professor," she said as she walked over to the shining silver ladder that descended out of the classroom. Alicia scooped her copy of Unfogging the Future off the wooden table and followed Angelina down the ladder. 

            "Did you see anything good?" Alicia asked as she climbed down.

            "I saw a Quidditch game, but I don't really remember anything else," Angelina lied.

            "We're we winning?"

            "I don't know, Alicia!" Angelina said, a bit exasperated. Seeing wasn't that big of a deal.

            Fred and George were waiting for them around the corner. "So, did you See?" George asked as they fell into step beside the two girls.

            "Of course she Saw," Fred said, adapting Professor Trelawney's misty voice. "She saw great things, as the Gryffindor House winning the Quidditch Cup, and Gryffindor House winning the House Cup, and Filch getting fired, and Mrs. Norris dying, and Cedric Diggory dying"-

            "Fred!" Angelina cried, insulted.

             "Face it, Angel," Fred said, returning to his regular tone, "Your boyfriend is an airhead."

            "Someone sounds jealous," Alicia teased. Fred turned redder than usual.

            "Don't call me Angel," Angelina ordered as she climbed through the portrait hole.

            Katie was waiting in the common room. "Sorry I didn't wait for you, Angelina, but I really had to finish this damned Potions essay. Three feet long!" Katie got out her ruler and placed it on the parchment, flipping it over twice. "I'm still twelve inches short!" Katie complained.

            "That's a whole foot!" realized Alicia.

            "Here," George said, pulling a wrinkled old parchment out of his bag. "I finished mine ages ago."

            "Look at all the spelling mistakes!" Alicia said, leaning over Katie to look at the parchment.

            "Hey, look what I picked up in Charms," Fred smirked and pulled out his wand, pointing it at George's paper. "Spellium Correctius!" Fred waved the wand and purple sparks shot out and ignited the parchment.

            "FRED!" Katie and George cried simultaneously.

            "Never fear," Fred said, pulling an equally old and wrinkled parchment out of his own bag. "Always have a backup copy."

            George pulled out his wand and ignited the paper. Fred yelped and dropped the paper. Angelina stamped it out with her foot.

            "Smart," she said sarcastically. "Now you both have to do it over. Better get to work!" she added with a sly smile.

            "Will you let me copy? I'll love you forever!" Fred pleaded.

            "No."

            "Please?"

            "Don't sing!"

            "I…will always love you!" Fred sang loudly, bending down on one knee. Katie clamped her hands over her ears. Alicia tried to keep from laughing. Angelina sighed.

            "Angel baby, will you marry me?" Fred asked.

            "No," Angelina said.

            "Cooties!" Katie cried.

            "Don't worry!" Fred shouted, standing back up and planting a sloppy kiss on Angelina's cheek. "I'll love you anyway."

            "Oh no." Fred swept Angelina up into his arms and pranced around the common room. Hermione even stopped working to stare at them.

            "Put me down, Fred!" Angelina squealed, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

            "Only if you give me a kiss, my lady!" Fred said.

            "Ooh," Katie said.

            "Wait till Cedric finds out!" Alicia said.

            "Don't tell him," Angelina said, looking at her friends. Then she squeezed her eyes shut and kissed Fred quickly. He dropped her onto a chair by the fire and sighed.

            "Now, I will be happy forever!" he said dreamily.

            "Great," Angelina said sarcastically, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'll never kiss you again, you brute!"

            "I'll take that as a compliment," Fred said gallantly. Angelina smiled.

            The portrait hole swung open and a very tired looking Oliver Wood climbed in. He hoisted his bag onto a table and dropped into the chair next to Angelina's. "Damn Divination." He mumbled. "I'll never get it."

            "What's going on, Oliver?" Angelina asked, pushing Fred away from her.

            "Trelawney says I don't have clairvoyant vibrations or whatever," Oliver said, putting a hand on his forehead.

            "Feel sick?" Angelina asked.

            "I have a cure for that," said Fred, pulling out a Dungbomb.

            "That's not funny, Fred," Angelina warned. Fred put the bomb back in his pocket and slouched away. Angelina turned back to Oliver. "Are you not feeling well, Oliver?" she put her hand on his forehead. "Maybe it's just too much work you're doing," Angelina suggested, leaning back into her chair. "You don't have a fever. Maybe you should go to bed." Angelina said.    

            "No!" Oliver shouted, jumping up. "There's Quidditch practice tonight!"
            Angelina sighed.