DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. As usual.
A/N: Anybody want to review? Any takers? Please? I know. Begging doesn't become me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Slytherin's Secret Weapon
A crowd had gathered around the parchment posted against the wall in the entranceway. Most of the students were first-years, nervously chatting to one another. Ron hung back. "I don't want to see. Somebody else look."
"Oh, get out of the way," Hermione grumbled, and made her way through the crowd.
Ron smiled. "She's so aggressive. That's why I love her." Harry laughed.
"Ron!" Hermione called from somewhere in the crowd. "You made it! Congratulations!" She ran over to him and threw her arms around him. "You're a chaser!"
"That's great!" Harry exclaimed. "Welcome to the team!" He patted Ron on the back.
"Wow. I can't believe I made it. Wait until Fred and George hear." He paused. "I bet if I hurried, I could send an owl and make it to the North Tower in time for divination."
"'Arry!"
Harry turned to see Hagrid walking towards them. "Hello, Hagrid," Harry waved. "Ron's just made the house team."
"Great job there, Ron." He grinned. "Say 'Arry, I don't have much time to talk, but I hope you'll have some free time tonight to head down ter my hut. I've still got the other half of yer birthday gift."
"Oh yeah." Harry had forgotten all about the other part of his birthday present. "Say, Hagrid, what is it?"
"I can't tell ya that. It's a surprise." He winked. "But she'll be waitin'." He turned on his heel and headed inside the Great Hall.
"Oh no." Harry sighed.
"I wonder what it is?" Hermione questioned. "It can't be too dangerous if he keeps it on the grounds." She paused. "Well, I guess that's not entirely true. There was the dragon. And the hippogriff."
"And the blast-ended skrits," Ron added. "I still have a few burn scars."
"Well, there's only one way to find out. I guess I'll take a trip down there tonight." Harry sighed and tried to block out mental images of a pet blast-ended skrit of his own.
"Well, Captain Potter, I see you've got your pathetic little team put together." Malfoy had joined the crowd at the postings. He was looking smug and glowing with arrogance. "Looks like McGonagall's letting anyone make the team this year. Even losers like Weasley."
"Shove it, Malfoy," Harry said. "Ron made the team fair and square, and he'll out-fly your chasers, hands down."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that Potter," Malfoy grinned. "I'm a chaser this year, and Weasley will be eating my dust if I have anything to do with it."
"You're a chaser?" Ron questioned. "But… why?"
"We found a new seeker," Malfoy replied. "I hate to admit it, but she's better than I am. She's faster. More accurate. More precise."
"She?" Harry asked. It was general knowledge that the Slytherin's house team had never had a girl on it before – much less as a seeker.
"Go look for yourself, Potter."
Confused, Harry made his way through the thinning crowd and found the Slytherin team list. At the very top, next to Seeker, was a very familiar name.
"Potter, I'd like you to meet our new seeker, Makana Nane." He draped his arm around her shoulders, his sly grin stretching from ear to ear. "She's our secret weapon."
Harry felt his knees grow weak. Had he slipped into some alternate dimension? How could this be happening? There was no way Kana could be a seeker – he didn't even think that she'd been on a broom before. How could she be Slytherin's new seeker?
A sickening feeling overwhelmed him as he realized that it all did make sense. Maybe Kana had always been a witch. She'd just transferred to Hogwarts. She didn't remember him from the memory charm. And that's why she was so interested in him this morning – because she saw his broomstick and she played quidditch. But why did she run away from him so suddenly?
"I don't believe it," Ginny muttered behind them. "Malfoy, are you crazy? How could you ever give up your position?"
"I recognize talent when I see it," Malfoy replied. "And she's got it."
There was a hint of rose in Kana's dark cheeks as she stood next to Malfoy. "I… I'm not that good," she said. "Really." She looked fearfully up at Harry.
Was it really fear that he saw in her eyes? It didn't make any sense.
"This is the enemy," Malofy said, pointing at Harry. "You don't have to make small talk with him. Or his fan club." He brushed past Harry, bumping his shoulder. "Let's go." He dragged her down the hallway and up the stairs towards the North Tower.
"I don't believe it," Ginny said. "I never thought I'd see the day that Malfoy would actually admit there was someone better than himself at quidditch." Ginny didn't know whether to be dazed or impressed.
"I can't believe she's a seeker," Harry said. "I can't believe that she even knows what quidditch is." He turned to Ron and Hermione. "Do you think she's been a witch this whole time? I mean, even in Hawaii?"
Hermione shrugged. "It's possible."
"She did have some sort of… mysterious quality about her," Ginny muttered. "But why would she come to Hogwarts for her sixth year?" she questioned. "That doesn't make any sense."
"And if she has been a witch this whole time, she would have recognized you while we were in Hawaii," Ron added.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you're famous, Harry," Ron said. "You're a legend. There really isn't a witch or wizard alive who doesn't know your story. That wouldn't recognize your scar. If Kana didn't say anything about it, then her mother would have. Somebody would have."
Harry frowned. "I… I suppose you're right." He was so confused. He didn't understand what was going on. This was all some amazing coincidence. But Sirius did say that the islands had their own magic.
"C'mon," Ron said. "We'd better get moving or we'll late for divination."
Cho resisted the urge to plug her nose. Professor Trelawney's tower was more fragrant that usual. She couldn't see any evidence of the burning incenses, but the classroom still reeked something powerful.
Cho adored Professor Trelawney. In fact, the professor was one of the people who had inspired her to study divination, besides everything that had happened with Cedric's death. But sometimes Cho thought she was an absolute head case. It was only the first day of the term, and she was already losing her mind. She had rushed Cho out of her office so quickly that she had barely had time to introduce herself or what she was doing there.
"I know who you are and what you are doing, dear," Professor Trelawney had said. "But you are clouding my aura. I feel a premonition coming on." And with a flick of her hand, she had sent Cho away.
I suppose she was right, Cho thought. There was no reason for Cho to introduce herself. The woman was psychic. She was just hoping to feel a little more camaraderie with the professor because she was going to be her intern. Cho would be observing the sixth year Advanced Divination classes twice a week for the entire first term.
And that meant she would be observing Draco Malfoy twice a week for the entire first term.
A group of chattering girls was the first to climb up the ladder to the classroom. They all sat together in one corner of the room. Some Hufflepuff boys were next, looking like they wanted to be someplace else, followed by some Gryffindors who were grumbling about the class. One of them began to sneeze from the heavy perfume.
Finally, Draco Malfoy's head popped out of the trapdoor. He was looking very attractive with his pale blonde hair slicked back. He had grown over the summer, mostly in muscle mass. As he climbed off the ladder, she watched as he offered his hand to the next person coming up the ladder.
Cho frowned. Why was he smiling like that? He shouldn't be smiling at anyone like that. Not after she had gotten rid of that annoying Pansy Parkinson who constantly followed him around like a little puppy. She had been easy to get rid of. A few rumors of promiscuity with Draco's two sidekicks was more than enough to take her out of the picture.
A dark, elegant had reached up and clasped onto Draco's wrist, and he gently pulled up a girl who she didn't recognize. Cho felt the heat of jealousy on her face.
"Thanks," the girl replied. "I don't know how I would have found my way around without your help Draco. I really appreciate it."
"It's my pleasure," Draco replied. He gestured over to a table with a crystal ball. They sat across from one another, knees touching.
More students began to pile into the cramped classroom. Cho was scarcely paying attention. Who was the new girl? She had to be a sixth year, because only sixth years were required to take Advanced Divination. Maybe she was a transfer student. An exchange student, like they had in muggle schools. Maybe she was from Beaubaxtons. Maybe she was part Veela, and that's why Draco couldn't seem to take his eyes off her.
No, she's not that pretty.
Cho sighed. She didn't have the accent that Professor Delacour had either. No, she wasn't an exchange student. Maybe she was just a new student, though Cho had never heard of such a thing.
The tower was now overwhelmed with students. Due to the addition of the new Dark Arts Studies program, classes meant for two houses were being held with all four. Cho hoped that Professor Trelawney would be able to handle so many students at once.
Suddenly, the door from her office burst open. The breeze from it caused nearby candles to go out. Professor Trelawney's eyes were lit up as she entered the classroom, her many necklaces and bracelets clanging together with each step.
"I have just had a premonition."
"Oh great," Harry mumbled, putting his head down at his table. Ron nudged him, grinning.
Sure, it was all a good laugh for Ron. But every year the first day of divination was mortifying for Harry. He did not feel like hearing about his untimely and unusually gruesome death today. He didn't want Professor Trelawney to say a word about it in front all of the houses, not to mention Kana and Cho Chang, whose appearance in the class only set him up for immediate humiliation.
And it wasn't that Professor Trelawney was always a total quack; there was one time during his third year where she predicted something that came true. Of course, she had no recollection of this prophecy, which meant that today's foreseeing of his death was total bull…