A/N: Little note: Harry and Ron still have Divination, taught only by Professor Trewlaney. Divination is the most important part of the R/Hr story in here. This chapter explains a lot and foreshadows even more, I hope you like it, and I've been working on it for a long time.

Thanks for all the great reviews! Keep them coming.

Not as a Last Resort

Chapter 1: True Love

Harry woke up the next morning to a bright sun blazing though the mullein windows of his dormitory. Although it was rather late for everyone to be asleep, he could tell in an instant, by the sounds of low steady breathing, that he was the first one up.

For the last year Harry had in fact been sleeping rather late, so it was strange to him how he was the first one up. He hadn't had a very good night, but he hadn't had one in over a year either.

Every night archways and black veils invaded his dreams. He would watch Sirius fall through the veil to his death every night, and be awaken in a cold sweat.

Harry sat up and tried to push the memories from his mind. He reached over to his bedside table, put on his glasses, and got up to get ready for his first day back at Hogwarts.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked down to Hagrid's hut that morning for Care of Magical Creatures.

The first thing they saw upon arrival was the three backs of Harry's least favorite people at Hogwarts, well students anyway. They continued to walk down the sloping lawn, and past the Slytherins.

As the class gathered around Hagrid's hut, Harry looked back at Draco and saw, on his chest, a sliver badge with the letters 'HB' on it. Harry was stunned. Sure he knew Malfoy had been a prefect, and he knew that Malfoy did do very well in his classes - especially Potions, but for some reason (maybe the fact that his father was sent to Azkaban less than two years ago, before he broke out and was on the run from the ministry, or something) he just didn't expect this.

Malfoy must have noticed his gaze and looked up at Harry, down at his badge, and back up to Harry with an evil smirk on his face. This would certainly not be good.

Harry turned back around to look at the spot where Hagrid was walking around his hut from the pumpkin patch, looking exceptionally happy, and Harry knew why. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione got their book lists this summer, and read 'Dragons: A guide to the world's most magical creature', they knew this would be an interesting year.

"Mornin' class" said Hagrid cheerfully. "You all got your books."

Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked up at Hagrid and smiled, and he winked at them.

"Now, as you can tell, this year we will spend most of our class time studding-" he took a deep breath and smiled wide "-dragons." He finished dramatically.

"Now, we wont be studding real dragons until next term. Right now we will just be learning out of our books, but before we began, can anyone tell me how many breeds of dragons there are?"

Hermione's hand shot up in the air. "There are ten breeds of dragon, though these have been known to interbreed on occasion, producing rare hybrids."

"Correct, five points to Gryffindor, Hermione. Now open your books to the first chapter."

The class opened their books to the first chapter, 'An introduction to dragons, the most famous of all magical creatures' Ron scanned the first paragraph, and a phrase jumped out at him - There are ten breeds of dragon, though these have been known to interbreed on occasion, producing rare hybrids.

'Did Hermione memorize the text book?' he thought to himself.

That afternoon Harry and Ron had double Divination, and Hermione had Arithmancy.

Harry and Ron headed up to North Tower and found themselves facing a silver ladder ("after you" said Ron) and climbed up into the classroom.

The sight before him was startling. He was used to entering a room with small circular tables and poufs - certainly not desks and chairs, as were in the room now.

Ron soon joined him, looking around at the unusual sight, too. The rest of the class was already there, so they took their seats, as Professor Trelawney emerged from the shadows.

"Good Afternoon," she said, "I'm so glad that you have all decided to continue with the art of Divination.

"This year we will be studding the most common subject in Divination - Love. It is the most asked about and most studied field of Divination. But, it is also the most difficult, it is very hard to predict. I myself have studied it for many years and can never be certain what the future holds ("big surprise"). It is so imprecise and unreliable, but it is probably the most important thing you will learn in Divination. There are many different ways to predict love and we will be studding them this year."

Professor Trelawney paused for effect, and then continued, "We will also be able to predict all of your true loves"

Pavarti and Lavender, who were at the front of the class, hanging on Professor Trelawney's every word, burst in to hysterical giggles.

"...But young as you are, I don't want to get your hope's up, it is unlikely that we will find out much..."