A/N: I'd just like to thank my body double, my make-up artist, my scriptwriters, my stunt co-ordinaters, my mum, and everyone else who has helped me to win this award! Thank you!
What? What do you mean this isn't the Oscars??!!
Disclaimer: All hail J.K. Rowling!
Dedication: Everyone who reviews my fics nicely, luv yas! Especially to No name and hpfan1750- your lovely reviews have inspired me to churn out another chapter just for you guys!
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
"Is it me, or does Trelawney look more like an overgrown bat every time we see her?" Ron muttered during one particularly lacklustre Divination lesson. Harry snorted and Shannon grinned. Trelawney didn't even glance up from where she was talking with a rapt Parvati and Lavender, pretending to have taken Harry's snort of laughter as some noise of near death.
"D'you think there's some cosmic law that makes these fake Seers put on such an airy-fairy mood?" Shannon asked, twisting yet again to look at the orb in front of her at a different angle. "My old teacher, Professore Mystico, she was just the same."
"Probably," Harry said. "Was she death-prediction obsessed as well?"
Shannon considered, then shook her head. "Not really, unless you can count the number of times she looked ready to wring Dario's neck. I swear I've never seen anyone so mad about a few broken teacups...and a crystal ball or two...and then there was that big planetary globe...long story."
The fifth-years had been forced to revise their practical work with crystal balls, as the Professor had had 'the Fates inform me that the Orb shall concern a large part of your upcoming O.W.L.s, as well as several other aspects we have learnt in both your first and second years of this subject'. This equaled complete boredom for just about every student except Parvati, Lavender, and a couple of Hufflepuff girls.
By the time Shannon was half hanging off of her chair to get a decent look into the misty centre of the ball, Trelawney had swept over, jewellery clanking gently as she peered somewhat disapprovingly at Shannon's choice of position.
"Surely you cannot See like that, my child!" she said. Shannon glanced up and grinned lopsidedly.
"Sure I can, professor. No need to worry."
Trelawney appeared a little put out by this, but managed to keep her numinous aura cloaked around her. "Then perhaps you can tell me what it is that you See?"
The whole class was watching by now as Shannon squinted through the glass surface. Presently, she looked up, a grave expression present on her face, although Ron and Harry recognised a disguised sparkle in her eyes.
"It's gonna be one heck of a foggy day tomorrow."
All the boys and the non-obssessed Hufflepuff girls sniggered at this, although the others looked downright scandalised. Parvati and Lavender sent her simultaneous death glares. Shannon still managed to somehow keep her face completely serious, despite Trelawney's rather annoyed appearance. Even from this teacher, you could only go so far before you were facing extra homework- something Shannon definitely didn't want or need.
"Meaning," she continued. "That due to the damp weather, I may be quite susceptible to a severe cold or perhaps even the flu."
Trelawney's expression immediately cleared to its usual one. "Ah yes, my dear, that was also what I had perceived for you."
Shannon shot the boys a 'yeah, right' glance before sitting back more comfortably and began to let her mind drift onto other subjects as the class started to loose interest again. Trelawney stooped over Harry's shoulder, a string of her heavy blue beads banging against his face as she took his orb closer to her.
"Let me see, my dear," she said, shooting him a sad look before turning back to the ball. She frowned slightly, face illuminated by the light of the softly glowing fog within. "Ah yes, the mists began to part for us..."
Harry knew what would follow next. Coming up! Another way for Harry Potter to die before he turns sixteen! Brilliant.
"I see!" she cried suddenly, causing the rest of the class to look around once more. Shannon pulled a quick sympathetic face in Harry's direction as Trelawney launched into another of her 'prophecies'.
"I see...my dear, your fatal enemy returns." Harry rolled his eyes. "He is intent on destruction of all we hold precious, all we have worked for for the past fourteen years. There will be a battle, a great battle of such we have never seen before, but a battle of a great price. My dear, I am afraid you shall loose your life in such gallantry as you will show."
Most people turned away, having heard it so many times before- of course, there was the odd student or two who found this news as shocking and terrifying as they had done when they first did. Shannon looked a little intrigued, but was too used to having learned this in every Divination lesson she was in since September to be really interested. Ron snorted and looked back into his crystal ball.
Trelawney stood up properly, gazing sadly down at Harry with her seemingly abnormally large eyes. "I am so sorry, my child."
The bell signalling end of class rang just then, meaning that Harry didn't have to answer her. There was a scramble as people packed their books away, shoved the orbs back onto the shelves around the attic classroom, and quickly made their way to the ladder. Once the Gryffindor trio had made it safely away from the stuffy attic, they headed for lunch, none of them speaking because they didn't know quite what to say. Shannon broke the silence.
"Hey Harry," she joked. "Anyone been keeping count of Trelawney's fake predictions? Reckon she can make it to two million by the end of this year?" Raising her voice slightly, she called, "Place your bets now!"
Parvati and Lavender, who were passing, shot her dirty glares of hatred. She blinked innocently and raised her eyebrows in a 'who, me?' face. The other two girls didn't seem to notice that Harry and Ron hadn't minded the joke, but decided it was their place to stop her from saying any more.
"You know what?" Parvati hissed. "Keep that up and you might not have any friends left if you can make fun of such things."
"You know what?" Shannon mimicked almost perfectly. "Keep that up and everyone's gonna realise how weak you must be if you can't control your own life without hanging onto the every word of some fraud."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. It was unlike Shannon to be that scathing to anyone, even when someone like Parvati or Malfoy provoked her. Parvati looked just about ready to slap Shannon when Lavender dragged her off so that she could talk to Seamus, who was walking ahead of them with Dean.
They met with Hermione in the Entrance Hall and joined the rest of the students in sitting down for lunch at their house tables, chatting about their lessons. Harry didn't mention the death prophecy, and neither did Ron or Shannon- it wasn't important, just routine. As Harry, Ron and Hermione began to serve themselves from the dishes of hot food, Shannon sat fiddling with her wand and charming various objects.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Ron asked, eyebrows raising as she jinxed a jug of pumpkin juice to rise up on newly-grown legs and start belting out some wizard pop song at the top of its non-existent lungs.
"Nope. Not hungry." Another flick of her wand and the sausages on a nearby first years plate began to play a vicious game of rugby with a baked bean. Shannon grinned at their astonished looks. "Ah yeah, my Auntie Fiona taught me that one. Nice little thing, but it took practice."
Hermione was the first to return to the issue at hand- namely, Shannon's lack of appetite. "Shannon, eat something."
The girl pulled a face. "Don't. You sound like my Dad." She put on a heavy Irish accent almost iddentical to her father's. "You'd better eat something, Shannon Jade, or you'll waste away!" She thought for a moment. "Then there's always my Nanas..."
She was broken off as several whisperings broke out as two lone owls swept through the window- one tawny and one screech. The tawny landed on the back of Harry's chair, holding out its leg to Shannon, whilst the screech descended onto the Ravenclaw table. Shannon unbound the two envelopes on the owl's leg, occasionally returning the glances sent her way. The envelopes fell to her empty plate and the owl took off as she turned them over, a grin crossing her mouth.
"About time too!" she said. "I've been waiting ages for these letters!"
"Who wrote?" Harry asked, swallowing a mouthful of hot potato.
"Dad and my mates in Kilmare." Shannon hesitated and picked up the one adressed to her in large rounded letters, slipped it open and pulled out several sheets of paper, which she began to read avidly.
Hermione frowned in thought. "I've never heard of owls arriving at lunch before. 'Hogwarts, A History' mentions nothing of this."
Shannon didn't even glance up. "Maybe they got a payrise." She giggled at the letter. "Oh dear, Roxanne O'Rourke, what have you done?"
"What'd she do?" Ron asked through a mouth of mashed potato.
"Roxy's boy crazy and decided to play the old 'treat them mean' trick on this guy called Jamie." She gestured to the letter. "The whole story is related here in the gospel of Tess Sullivan."
Hermione decided to try to discuss the matter with Harry. "But it's never happened before in all the time we've been here! Something seems...weird."
"Cremare!"
The noise of the Hall was shattered by the shout and everyone turned to the Ravenclaw table. A curly-haired girl pulled herself as the parchment in front of her burned to nothing, and staggered from the room. As soon as she had left, low pitched murmurs spread across the hall like wildfire.
"Students!" They turned to see Dumbledore on his feet, grave and powerful. The talking died at once. "I ask that you leave Miss Matterson alone today so that she has the time alone that she will need. Please obey my wishes." He sat back down again.
A moment of confusion later, a girl came over from the Raenclaw table and slipped into the seat next to Dean Thomas, her face heavy with sympathy. Harry recognised her as Shadella Tolkien, the fourth year Dean had gone to the Winter Dance with.
"Poor Alyson," she sighed as Dean squeezed her hand.
"What happened?" Harry questioned apprehensively, noticing Shannon stuffing the letters intio her pocket. Shadella turned her eyes to him and shrugged.
"It's already going around the other House tables." She sighed again. "Alyson's parents were killed by You-Know-Who when they were on holiday in France. It must've happened a few days ago, but she's only just found out..."
The bench scraped as Shannon got to her feet. Harry, Ron and Hermione all turned to look at her.
"Shannon, sit down." Hermione whispered. "Everyone'll think you've got one too."
Shannon shrugged, voice a tiny bit choked as she said, "Let them. Not my problem."
She walked out of the door without even a backward glance, probably heading for her dormitory. They knew she had to go alone- it was enough to make anyone feel guilty, receiving happy letters at the same time somebody else got news that could destroy their world.
Maybe it was the utter bleakness of that day or maybe it was something else, but that night Harry dreamed of his parents' deaths again.
*****
Once again, review whilst I attempt (and probably fail) to churn out another chapter within the week. To prior warn you- I'm away next weekend at a camp (with archery! Heehee, LOTR fan that I am!) so I won't be writing then of course. Back on Sunday night though...don't think it'll affect anything, just in case though. See ya and thanx for reading!
What? What do you mean this isn't the Oscars??!!
Disclaimer: All hail J.K. Rowling!
Dedication: Everyone who reviews my fics nicely, luv yas! Especially to No name and hpfan1750- your lovely reviews have inspired me to churn out another chapter just for you guys!
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
"Is it me, or does Trelawney look more like an overgrown bat every time we see her?" Ron muttered during one particularly lacklustre Divination lesson. Harry snorted and Shannon grinned. Trelawney didn't even glance up from where she was talking with a rapt Parvati and Lavender, pretending to have taken Harry's snort of laughter as some noise of near death.
"D'you think there's some cosmic law that makes these fake Seers put on such an airy-fairy mood?" Shannon asked, twisting yet again to look at the orb in front of her at a different angle. "My old teacher, Professore Mystico, she was just the same."
"Probably," Harry said. "Was she death-prediction obsessed as well?"
Shannon considered, then shook her head. "Not really, unless you can count the number of times she looked ready to wring Dario's neck. I swear I've never seen anyone so mad about a few broken teacups...and a crystal ball or two...and then there was that big planetary globe...long story."
The fifth-years had been forced to revise their practical work with crystal balls, as the Professor had had 'the Fates inform me that the Orb shall concern a large part of your upcoming O.W.L.s, as well as several other aspects we have learnt in both your first and second years of this subject'. This equaled complete boredom for just about every student except Parvati, Lavender, and a couple of Hufflepuff girls.
By the time Shannon was half hanging off of her chair to get a decent look into the misty centre of the ball, Trelawney had swept over, jewellery clanking gently as she peered somewhat disapprovingly at Shannon's choice of position.
"Surely you cannot See like that, my child!" she said. Shannon glanced up and grinned lopsidedly.
"Sure I can, professor. No need to worry."
Trelawney appeared a little put out by this, but managed to keep her numinous aura cloaked around her. "Then perhaps you can tell me what it is that you See?"
The whole class was watching by now as Shannon squinted through the glass surface. Presently, she looked up, a grave expression present on her face, although Ron and Harry recognised a disguised sparkle in her eyes.
"It's gonna be one heck of a foggy day tomorrow."
All the boys and the non-obssessed Hufflepuff girls sniggered at this, although the others looked downright scandalised. Parvati and Lavender sent her simultaneous death glares. Shannon still managed to somehow keep her face completely serious, despite Trelawney's rather annoyed appearance. Even from this teacher, you could only go so far before you were facing extra homework- something Shannon definitely didn't want or need.
"Meaning," she continued. "That due to the damp weather, I may be quite susceptible to a severe cold or perhaps even the flu."
Trelawney's expression immediately cleared to its usual one. "Ah yes, my dear, that was also what I had perceived for you."
Shannon shot the boys a 'yeah, right' glance before sitting back more comfortably and began to let her mind drift onto other subjects as the class started to loose interest again. Trelawney stooped over Harry's shoulder, a string of her heavy blue beads banging against his face as she took his orb closer to her.
"Let me see, my dear," she said, shooting him a sad look before turning back to the ball. She frowned slightly, face illuminated by the light of the softly glowing fog within. "Ah yes, the mists began to part for us..."
Harry knew what would follow next. Coming up! Another way for Harry Potter to die before he turns sixteen! Brilliant.
"I see!" she cried suddenly, causing the rest of the class to look around once more. Shannon pulled a quick sympathetic face in Harry's direction as Trelawney launched into another of her 'prophecies'.
"I see...my dear, your fatal enemy returns." Harry rolled his eyes. "He is intent on destruction of all we hold precious, all we have worked for for the past fourteen years. There will be a battle, a great battle of such we have never seen before, but a battle of a great price. My dear, I am afraid you shall loose your life in such gallantry as you will show."
Most people turned away, having heard it so many times before- of course, there was the odd student or two who found this news as shocking and terrifying as they had done when they first did. Shannon looked a little intrigued, but was too used to having learned this in every Divination lesson she was in since September to be really interested. Ron snorted and looked back into his crystal ball.
Trelawney stood up properly, gazing sadly down at Harry with her seemingly abnormally large eyes. "I am so sorry, my child."
The bell signalling end of class rang just then, meaning that Harry didn't have to answer her. There was a scramble as people packed their books away, shoved the orbs back onto the shelves around the attic classroom, and quickly made their way to the ladder. Once the Gryffindor trio had made it safely away from the stuffy attic, they headed for lunch, none of them speaking because they didn't know quite what to say. Shannon broke the silence.
"Hey Harry," she joked. "Anyone been keeping count of Trelawney's fake predictions? Reckon she can make it to two million by the end of this year?" Raising her voice slightly, she called, "Place your bets now!"
Parvati and Lavender, who were passing, shot her dirty glares of hatred. She blinked innocently and raised her eyebrows in a 'who, me?' face. The other two girls didn't seem to notice that Harry and Ron hadn't minded the joke, but decided it was their place to stop her from saying any more.
"You know what?" Parvati hissed. "Keep that up and you might not have any friends left if you can make fun of such things."
"You know what?" Shannon mimicked almost perfectly. "Keep that up and everyone's gonna realise how weak you must be if you can't control your own life without hanging onto the every word of some fraud."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. It was unlike Shannon to be that scathing to anyone, even when someone like Parvati or Malfoy provoked her. Parvati looked just about ready to slap Shannon when Lavender dragged her off so that she could talk to Seamus, who was walking ahead of them with Dean.
They met with Hermione in the Entrance Hall and joined the rest of the students in sitting down for lunch at their house tables, chatting about their lessons. Harry didn't mention the death prophecy, and neither did Ron or Shannon- it wasn't important, just routine. As Harry, Ron and Hermione began to serve themselves from the dishes of hot food, Shannon sat fiddling with her wand and charming various objects.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Ron asked, eyebrows raising as she jinxed a jug of pumpkin juice to rise up on newly-grown legs and start belting out some wizard pop song at the top of its non-existent lungs.
"Nope. Not hungry." Another flick of her wand and the sausages on a nearby first years plate began to play a vicious game of rugby with a baked bean. Shannon grinned at their astonished looks. "Ah yeah, my Auntie Fiona taught me that one. Nice little thing, but it took practice."
Hermione was the first to return to the issue at hand- namely, Shannon's lack of appetite. "Shannon, eat something."
The girl pulled a face. "Don't. You sound like my Dad." She put on a heavy Irish accent almost iddentical to her father's. "You'd better eat something, Shannon Jade, or you'll waste away!" She thought for a moment. "Then there's always my Nanas..."
She was broken off as several whisperings broke out as two lone owls swept through the window- one tawny and one screech. The tawny landed on the back of Harry's chair, holding out its leg to Shannon, whilst the screech descended onto the Ravenclaw table. Shannon unbound the two envelopes on the owl's leg, occasionally returning the glances sent her way. The envelopes fell to her empty plate and the owl took off as she turned them over, a grin crossing her mouth.
"About time too!" she said. "I've been waiting ages for these letters!"
"Who wrote?" Harry asked, swallowing a mouthful of hot potato.
"Dad and my mates in Kilmare." Shannon hesitated and picked up the one adressed to her in large rounded letters, slipped it open and pulled out several sheets of paper, which she began to read avidly.
Hermione frowned in thought. "I've never heard of owls arriving at lunch before. 'Hogwarts, A History' mentions nothing of this."
Shannon didn't even glance up. "Maybe they got a payrise." She giggled at the letter. "Oh dear, Roxanne O'Rourke, what have you done?"
"What'd she do?" Ron asked through a mouth of mashed potato.
"Roxy's boy crazy and decided to play the old 'treat them mean' trick on this guy called Jamie." She gestured to the letter. "The whole story is related here in the gospel of Tess Sullivan."
Hermione decided to try to discuss the matter with Harry. "But it's never happened before in all the time we've been here! Something seems...weird."
"Cremare!"
The noise of the Hall was shattered by the shout and everyone turned to the Ravenclaw table. A curly-haired girl pulled herself as the parchment in front of her burned to nothing, and staggered from the room. As soon as she had left, low pitched murmurs spread across the hall like wildfire.
"Students!" They turned to see Dumbledore on his feet, grave and powerful. The talking died at once. "I ask that you leave Miss Matterson alone today so that she has the time alone that she will need. Please obey my wishes." He sat back down again.
A moment of confusion later, a girl came over from the Raenclaw table and slipped into the seat next to Dean Thomas, her face heavy with sympathy. Harry recognised her as Shadella Tolkien, the fourth year Dean had gone to the Winter Dance with.
"Poor Alyson," she sighed as Dean squeezed her hand.
"What happened?" Harry questioned apprehensively, noticing Shannon stuffing the letters intio her pocket. Shadella turned her eyes to him and shrugged.
"It's already going around the other House tables." She sighed again. "Alyson's parents were killed by You-Know-Who when they were on holiday in France. It must've happened a few days ago, but she's only just found out..."
The bench scraped as Shannon got to her feet. Harry, Ron and Hermione all turned to look at her.
"Shannon, sit down." Hermione whispered. "Everyone'll think you've got one too."
Shannon shrugged, voice a tiny bit choked as she said, "Let them. Not my problem."
She walked out of the door without even a backward glance, probably heading for her dormitory. They knew she had to go alone- it was enough to make anyone feel guilty, receiving happy letters at the same time somebody else got news that could destroy their world.
Maybe it was the utter bleakness of that day or maybe it was something else, but that night Harry dreamed of his parents' deaths again.
*****
Once again, review whilst I attempt (and probably fail) to churn out another chapter within the week. To prior warn you- I'm away next weekend at a camp (with archery! Heehee, LOTR fan that I am!) so I won't be writing then of course. Back on Sunday night though...don't think it'll affect anything, just in case though. See ya and thanx for reading!