Erin sat down next to Harry at one of the tables for their first lesson in the Divination room. She took out her copy of Unfogging the Future and set down in front of her. The teacher was a batty woman probably in her later 30's or early 40's with huge glasses that made her look like an insect. This was Sybil Trelawney. "Before we begin I would ask all of you to pour tea and drink what is in your cups." Erin took the pot in the middle of the table not trusting Ron to pour it at all. She set it back down stirred it with some sugar and milk that was also on the table. Erin carefully sipped the tea and almost choked when Ron burned himself.

"Milk, Ron, you put milk in tea!" Erin laughed at him as she finished off the tea and only the dregs were left in the cup.

Professor Trelawney was in front of them. "Welcome to the noble art of Divination! In this room you will learn how to see-" She had gotten up and ran into her own table. She smiled and continued. "In this room we will transporting ourselves into the future." Ok, she was as nutty as a fruitcake. "Take the cup of the person sitting opposite and try to see past the mundane."

Erin handed her cup to Harry and took Ron's. Hermione sat down and Ron looked up. "Where have you been?"

"Me?" Hermione asked. "I've been here the entire time." She bent her head so only Erin could hear her. "How did you manage to get to class on time?"

"I haven't gone to Ancient Runes yet…" Erin whispered. "Did we have fun?"

"Loads." Hermione assured her.

Erin looked into Ron's cup. "Ok, Ron, you've got a sort of broken heart here…that means you like someone but are afraid to tell them. You also have a crescent moon that means you're gaining in power or strength over something…oh, here it is, the cat, you are gaining in wisdom. Hmm, how 'bout that?" Hermione smiled as Erin read the cup. "I see that you are going to lose a treasured object in the near future, but worry not it will come back…oh, but when it does you won't want it back. You will have a fight with a friend and have it turn out all right. You are also going to face your greatest fear."

"My dear," A whispery voice said. They all looked up to see Trelawney in front of them. "You have an eye for this art…"

Erin blushed. "Oh, I don't know…"

She looked at Ron and gasped. "My boy your aura is positively pulsing! Are you in the beyond?"

"Uh, sure." Ron said glancing at the others.

"Read the cup."

"Oh, yeah." Ron said looking in Harry's cup. "Well, there's something that looks like a wonky cross here," He looked at his book. "Oh, that's trials and suffering."

"Mhhmmm, mhhmmm." Trelawney said urging him on.

"Then there's something that could be the sun…that's happiness. So you're going to suffer but you'll be happy about it." Hermione rolled her eyes while she listened to Ron.

Trelawney took the cup from Ron and dropped it immediately almost screaming. "My dear, you have the Grim."

"Grin? What's the Grin?" Someone called out.

"Not the Grin, the Grim, you idiot. The Grim takes the form of a giant spectral dog. It is among the most evil omens in our world, the omen of death."

"Bully!" Erin said. "That me see that cup!" She told Harry after Trelawney left and she looked into it. "I see a dog…but not necessarily the Grim." Erin said. "A dog could mean anything. It isn't even in our book because it has so many meanings. I also see something hunting you, Harry…a dark shadow, a nameless fear that drives you to do something you would never do. I also see happiness and suffering. You are going to suffer but you will find happiness amongst the suffering… Don't worry about the Grim, Harry, even teachers can be wrong."

Harry swallowed not sure whom to believe. Erin had said some different things that Trelawney but it was almost the same…wasn't it?

As they headed to their next class after Divination, Ron said something about the Grim, wondering if it had anything to do with Sirius Black. "Oh, honestly, Ron! If you ask me Divination is a very wooly discipline! Now Ancient Runes, that's a fascinating subject!"

Erin rolled her eyes. "Hermione, just because you don't see the use in Divination doesn't mean it doesn't have one! Although I agree Ancient Runes was very stimulating." She paused. "And Ron, you can leave well enough alone with Sirius Black and the Grim."

"You don't know anything about it!" Ron said. "My uncle saw the Grim! And he was dead two days later!"

Harry rushed on passed them a little faster, stomping his feet bit. It wasn't like him to have a temper, but the subject the Grim and Sirius was really starting to irritate him, couldn't they all just leave well enough alone? "Harry! Slow down!" Hermione said. She looked at Ron. "Now see what you've done?"

"I've done?" Ron argued. "It was this Divination-lover that started it."

"Shut up, Ron!" Erin said and hurried after Harry.

Harry ignored their arguing in the background it wasn't that he was mad at his friends; he just didn't want to hear anymore of it. All he wanted was to get down to Hagrid's shack for the beginning of class. He glanced over his shoulder as he heard someone catching up. It was Erin.

"I'm sorry, Harry." She said quietly. "I just don't want any of this to happen. Everything just seems to happen to us doesn't?"

Harry looked from her back to the path. "Don't be sorry, Erin... it's not as if any of it's your fault. It's just... the way things are." He said looking back to her as they walked.

Erin paused and said under her breath. "It might be more my fault that you think..."

Hagrid stood in front of his hut. "Ok? Everyone here? All right then follow me, I've got something to show yeh."

Hagrid led them down through the trees. "Now wait here a moment and take out your books and turn them to page 39."

"How do we do that exactly?" Draco asked, eyeing Hagrid uneasily.

"Yeh just stroke the spine, of course. Goodness me." Hagrid said leaving them there.

Draco did as he was told, almost surprised that it worked. Hermione and Ron were rejoining them, saying something to Ron. "I think they're funny." She started and everyone's favorite Malfoy butted in at that moment.

"Oh yeah terribly funny. Really witty! God, this place has gone to the dogs! Just wait until my father hears Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes!" Draco sneered.

Harry started back towards him. "Shut up, Malfoy."

"Ooooooh." Draco and his friends teased. Draco stepped towards Harry looking ready to say something truly awful, but just as he got to him a look of fear washed over him and he pointed frantically in the air. "Dementor! Dementor!" he cried. Harry turned suddenly, startled and the Slytherin students laughed, throwing up their hoods and began waving their hands wickedly at Harry and laughing even harder.

Erin snorted. "Oh, real funny." She practically leapt at Malfoy and punched him hard in the face. She smiled. "Too stupid for your own good, Malfoy." She turned from him then.

Draco reeled back covering his face, not wanting to lose respect around his own kind he started towards her a second after. "Why you little-!" He fumed. But Hagrid called their attention again and Draco was forced into doing nothing, not that he even knew what he had planned to do in the first place. "I'll see you later." He promised as if his threat meant something truly horrible.

"Not if I see you first." Erin glared at him.

Hagrid was talking again. "Ok, today we have a truly wonderful class. I'd like you all to meet Buckbeak." He threw his arm back and they all saw a creature standing there.

Ron stared at the creature. "Hagrid, what is that?"

"That, Ron is a hippogriff...Now what you need to know about Hippogriffs is that they are proud creatures, never, never insult a hippogriff. Ready then? Ok does anyone want to meet Buckbeak?"

Hagrid turned his back a moment to throw Buckbeak a dead ferret.

All the students seemed to step back except for Harry who was still watching the Hippogriff when Hagrid turned back around for volunteers.

"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid said.

Harry looked around suddenly realizing he had been unknowingly volunteered he glanced at Ron who shrugged. When Hagrid told him to come forward Ron even gave him a little shove in the shoulder 'Gee thanks,' Harry thought to himself as he cautiously stepped forward, worriedly glancing from Hagrid to Buckbeak and back again.

"Ok. Harry bow, if he likes you he will bow back if he doesn't well, we'll get to that when the time comes." Hagrid watched as Harry bowed to Buckbeak. It didn't seem to go to well and Buckbeak seemed agitated. "Back up, Harry, back up!" Harry stepped back and stepped onto to a broken branch. It snapped. "Don't move, Harry."

Buckbeak watched him for a moment and then bowed back.

Ron was watching Harry intently scared for his friend...

Harry relaxed just a little as Hagrid told him he could pet him now. Harry started forward, raising his hand uncertainly towards Buckbeak. The hippogriff didn't seem to like this either. His agitated movements made Hermione gasp and thoughtlessly grab onto the nearest hand, which happened to be Ron's. They stared at each other a second and immediately let go.

Erin had happened to look down at that precise moment. She giggled and then looked back at Harry.

"Oh, well done, Harry! I think he may let you ride him now." Hagrid picked Harry up.

"What?" Harry asked, helpless as Hagrid picked him up off the ground. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hagrid!" He cried, squirming as he was placed on the animal's back. After a quick reminder not to ruffle any of Buckbeak's feathers he lightly smacked the animal to get him going and before Harry could breathe Buckbeak was galloping towards the crowd of other students. All he could do was hold on for dear life as the animal spread its wings and left the ground soaring away from the trees and high into the open skies.

Hermione looked up trying to keep her eyes on them as they flew off. She couldn't believe it!

"Oh man, Harry always gets to have all the fun." Erin breathed as she watched them.

"Erin and Harry sitting on a hippogriff..." Ron said under his breath.

Erin looked at Ron scathingly. "If you breathe one word I swear Fred and George are going to have to take you home in Scabbers cage!"

Ron looked like he was about to say something back but Hermione just touched Ron's arm, silencing him before he even had a chance. Meanwhile Harry was soaring over the tops of the trees and over Hogwarts, around and between the high standing towers and then out over the great lake beyond. Buckbeak flew steady and low over the water, grazing the surface with a claw and Harry watched his reflection it the water, beginning to smile. He even let go of Buckbeak's neck enough to raise his arms and let out a whoop of excitement and joy! He did this until Buckbeak made a sudden climb in elevation and turn in the air causing him to grab back a hold of the animal as it flew back towards Hagrid and the class, circling once before floating down and landing in a swift gallop much to the delight of the group. What a rush! Harry could hardly believe he just did that and actually lived to tell of it.

Hagrid helped Harry down. "How'm I doin'?"

"Brilliant! … Professor." Harry said with a grin as he stood on the ground once more. The crowd still cheered on in the background.

"Oh please!" Malfoy hissed, shoving his way through the crowd. "Move!" He sauntered cockily towards the Hippogriff. "Yeah... you're not dangerous at all are you? You big dumb brute." He said, walking right up to it clearly offending the animal.

"Malfoy, no!" Hagrid shouted as Buckbeak reared back the look on Malfoy's face was priceless! His blue eyes were as wide as pie plates. It was a miracle he raised his arm in time and all that got scratched was his arm! He immediately dropped to the ground as if on his deathbed.

"What an idiot." Erin said about Malfoy as Hagrid stopped Buckbeak.

"Away, you silly creature." Hagrid turned back to Malfoy. "You'll be all right, it's only a scratch now!"

"Ah! It's killin' me! It's killin' me!" Malfoy moaned feebly in pain.

Hermione looked concerned, stepping forward. "Hagrid! He has to go to the hospital!" Even though she didn't buy Malfoy's act, he still needed his wound treated and something like this could get their friend in seriously trouble as the new professor.

"I'm the teacher, I'll do it." He picked Malfoy up. "Class dismissed!"

Erin looked at Hermione. "You know he is going to milk this for all it's worth. I wish I'd knocked him out, now."

"Yeah and be in even more trouble." Ron said snorting.

Hermione stared off at the direction in which Hagrid left carrying a moaning Draco. "Serves him right! Stupid Malfoy! If he gets Hagrid in trouble for this there will be the devil to pay!" She seethed, although she had kind of enjoyed watching the boy go down as much as it was wrong to enjoy something like that. Harry looked off after them too. He was nudged hard in the shoulder only to see it was Buckbeak looking for some attention. He looked up and patted the creature's neck as he watched the new professor disappear. It was certainly turning out to be an interesting day of classes.