The night fell into morning without occasion. Holly dressed in herself in
the new robes her aunt had bought her over the summer. She looked in the
mirror and straightened her silver and emerald tie, and brushed her long
brown hair out of her face. Perhaps the most striking feature of Holly's
was her clear blue eyes. They always seemed to show her emotions better
than even words could. When she was happy, they seemed to dance with light.
When she was sad, they seemed like deep pools, ready to overflow with
tears. Today, they were steely, full of confidence and determination.
She shoved a pair of dragonhide gloves in her bag, and headed out towards the greenhouses.
***
"Today," Professor Sprout began, "we will be making habitats," she paused, her eyes sweeping over the class of seventh-year Slytherins and Gryffindors, "for gnomes."
The class gave a groan as one. Sprout frowned slightly. Gnomes were some of everyone's least favorite pests. Holly happened to have some in her backyard, and had received a nasty scratch from one while gardening last summer. She still had the scars to prove it.
"Pair yourselves up, and I will hand out your habitat bases, and the supplies you will need for them." She paused, sweeping her eyes around the class once more, before barking, "Get moving!"
Holly looked around the room, searching for a friendly face, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find herself staring into the handsome face of Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain.
"Wanna pair up?" He asked her.
Holly only nodded as she took the supplies from Sprout. Oliver grabbed a base and found them an empty table.
"Are you going to try out for Quidditch this year?" Oliver asked.
Holly chuckled to herself. Of course he's going to ask you about Quidditch, she thought. After all, he eats, sleeps, and breathes Quidditch. "I might, but I dunno, Slytherin's team is pretty good already."
Oliver raised his eyebrows as he pulled a fern out of it's pot and placed it upon the base. "If you say so," he said, trailing off.
Holly shook her head. Oliver acted so pompous at times. I guess he's just so great, just because he's the captain of the Gryffindor team, the best keeper the school had seen in years, and not to mention extremely good looking, she thought to herself with a chuckle.
The rest of the hour passed quickly as the students finished off their gnome habitats. As the bell signaling the end of the hour rang, Professor Sprout called "Next lesson, we're adding the gnomes!"
***
Holly ascended the silver ladder into Professor Trelawney's north tower room, coughing from the heavily perfumed atmosphere. She plopped herself down one on of the poufs surrounding a small wooden table. Anna Macnair, her fellow seventh-ear Slytherin, situated her herself on the pouf next to Holly, occasionally throwing haughty looks over her shoulder at Theodore Boyd, another Slytherin seventh-year.
"Welcome," came Trelawney's voice came out of the shadows, causing everyone in the classroom to jump, "to another year of Divination. Today, we will be reading tea leaves. I expect that by now you will know what to do."
The class stood up, as if one, and headed over to the shelf to grab one of the mismatched teacups. Holly grabbed a green china cup, and headed to the front of the classroom to get tea.
Anna kept staring intently at Ted as she and Holly finished the last of their tea. They quickly flipped their cups over atop the saucers and passed their cups around the table to each other.
Holly picked up the cup off of Anna's saucer, and stared at the brown lump of leaves. Imitating Professor Trelawney's mystical voice, she whispered, "I see a man in your future. tall, dark," She paused to let this sink in as Anna threw an excited glance at Theodore, "And soggy," she finished dramatically.
Anna glared at her, and laughed, "Ooh, just wait til you see your future," Anna paused to pull the cup off of Holly's saucer, and said, imitating Trelawney, "I see. I see. a circle?" She finished, not in the mystical whisper, but in a confused voice.
Professor Trelawney swooped down upon them, "It is not a circle, my child, but the full moon!" She cried, "how curious.. there's also a rose." She paused, studying the saucer, "My dear," she paused, now looking directly into Holly's eyes and abandoning her ethereal voice, "You will find passion by the full moon!"
She shoved a pair of dragonhide gloves in her bag, and headed out towards the greenhouses.
***
"Today," Professor Sprout began, "we will be making habitats," she paused, her eyes sweeping over the class of seventh-year Slytherins and Gryffindors, "for gnomes."
The class gave a groan as one. Sprout frowned slightly. Gnomes were some of everyone's least favorite pests. Holly happened to have some in her backyard, and had received a nasty scratch from one while gardening last summer. She still had the scars to prove it.
"Pair yourselves up, and I will hand out your habitat bases, and the supplies you will need for them." She paused, sweeping her eyes around the class once more, before barking, "Get moving!"
Holly looked around the room, searching for a friendly face, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find herself staring into the handsome face of Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain.
"Wanna pair up?" He asked her.
Holly only nodded as she took the supplies from Sprout. Oliver grabbed a base and found them an empty table.
"Are you going to try out for Quidditch this year?" Oliver asked.
Holly chuckled to herself. Of course he's going to ask you about Quidditch, she thought. After all, he eats, sleeps, and breathes Quidditch. "I might, but I dunno, Slytherin's team is pretty good already."
Oliver raised his eyebrows as he pulled a fern out of it's pot and placed it upon the base. "If you say so," he said, trailing off.
Holly shook her head. Oliver acted so pompous at times. I guess he's just so great, just because he's the captain of the Gryffindor team, the best keeper the school had seen in years, and not to mention extremely good looking, she thought to herself with a chuckle.
The rest of the hour passed quickly as the students finished off their gnome habitats. As the bell signaling the end of the hour rang, Professor Sprout called "Next lesson, we're adding the gnomes!"
***
Holly ascended the silver ladder into Professor Trelawney's north tower room, coughing from the heavily perfumed atmosphere. She plopped herself down one on of the poufs surrounding a small wooden table. Anna Macnair, her fellow seventh-ear Slytherin, situated her herself on the pouf next to Holly, occasionally throwing haughty looks over her shoulder at Theodore Boyd, another Slytherin seventh-year.
"Welcome," came Trelawney's voice came out of the shadows, causing everyone in the classroom to jump, "to another year of Divination. Today, we will be reading tea leaves. I expect that by now you will know what to do."
The class stood up, as if one, and headed over to the shelf to grab one of the mismatched teacups. Holly grabbed a green china cup, and headed to the front of the classroom to get tea.
Anna kept staring intently at Ted as she and Holly finished the last of their tea. They quickly flipped their cups over atop the saucers and passed their cups around the table to each other.
Holly picked up the cup off of Anna's saucer, and stared at the brown lump of leaves. Imitating Professor Trelawney's mystical voice, she whispered, "I see a man in your future. tall, dark," She paused to let this sink in as Anna threw an excited glance at Theodore, "And soggy," she finished dramatically.
Anna glared at her, and laughed, "Ooh, just wait til you see your future," Anna paused to pull the cup off of Holly's saucer, and said, imitating Trelawney, "I see. I see. a circle?" She finished, not in the mystical whisper, but in a confused voice.
Professor Trelawney swooped down upon them, "It is not a circle, my child, but the full moon!" She cried, "how curious.. there's also a rose." She paused, studying the saucer, "My dear," she paused, now looking directly into Holly's eyes and abandoning her ethereal voice, "You will find passion by the full moon!"