Disclaimer: I do not own any of J.K. Rowling's characters except Brooke Stevens and her family. I also don't own many of the places that the characters visit.

Chapter 6: Foretelling the Future

Morning arrives swiftly and the girls meet up with the boys in the common room and head down towards the Great Hall for breakfast. Hushed whispers surrounded the friends from the moment they started down the staircase.

"Have you seen that new girl with Potter?"

"How could anyone miss her?"

"Look at her face."

"Perfect."

Harry tried to talk loud enough so Brooke couldn't hear what everyone was saying. He knew what it felt like to have people whispering behind your back.

"It takes some time getting used to finding your way around here. Up ahead is the Great Hall where we were last night and where we eat every meal. Follow us… we're already a little late for breakfast."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione lead Brooke over to their normal spot at the Gryffindor table and the friends begin eating their porridge. Percy is passing out course schedules to the Gryffindors. Hermione is handed her schedule first while Ron and Harry look over her shoulder to see it.

"Hermione," said Ron, frowing as he looked over her shoulder, "Looks like they totally messed up your schedule. Ten subjects a day! That's bloody impossible!"

Harry nods his head in agreement, "Nine' o clock, Divination. And underneath nine o'clock, Muggle Studies… and underneath that Arithmacy is also at nine o'clock!"

"I have it covered," says Hermione.

"But-" says Ron.

"But nothing," declares Hermione firmly. "And stop worrying about me anyway. Look Percy's bringing over your schedules now."

Harry, Ron, and Brooke receive their schedules and are looking over them. The hall begins to empty as people head off toward their first lesson.

"Well.. we'd better go," says Harry. "Divination's at the top of the North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there."

They four friends finish their breakfast hastily and begin the long climb up the North Tower.

"There's… got… to… be… a… shortcut," pants Ron.

"We've gotto be close. Come on Ron, take my arm," offers Brooke.

Ron blushes and holds on to Brooke's arm. They finally reach the classroom full of circular tables and many lamps draped with red scarves. Harry, Ron, and Brooke sit down at an empty table.

Ron exclaims, "Where the heck did Hermione go? She was right with us?"

Harry opens his mouth to say he doesn't know, but quickly closes his lips when a misty voice enters from the shadows.

"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last. I am Professor Trelawney. My children, you have chosen to study Divination. Unveiling the mysteries of the future is a gift only very few of you actually posses. Today's lesson will be on the reading of tea leaves. You there," Trelawney gestures towards Hermione, " Pass me that silver teapot"

Hermione obliges and brings Trelawney the teapot.

Ron blurts out, "But how did she... when did she… she wasn't here a sec…"

"Thank you dear," says Professor Trelawney ignoring Ron's stutters about Hermione or just not hearing them at all.

"Now students, go grab a teacup from the shelf and then come to me. I will fill it for you then you must drink some of the tea until only the dregs remain. Swill these leavesaround the cup three times then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future."

The students do as they are told while Professor Trelawney glides around the room guiding and instructing the students as they try to decipher the meaning of the patterns.

Brooke and Ron exchange their teacups.

"So what do you see in mine?" asks Brooke.

"Looks like some kind of bag… but it's open… so umm let me see…" Ron consults his book then concludes, "It means you will get into some kind of danger… but because it is open you will narrowly escape. How about mine?"

"Yours… looks like a vase… which means… you will help a friend in need!"

At this, Professor Trelawney walked by their table and peered into both cups.

"Good job to both of you! You may have the Inner Eye!" she declared. Then the professor heads over towards Harry and Hermione who seemed to be having difficulty reading each other's teacups.

"It looks like absolutely nothing to me Harry. Just a bunch of soggy brown stuff," says Hermione.

"No my child, let me have a peek at that." Trelawney takes the cup from Hermione and looks in it. She immediately gasps very dramatically and drops the cup on the floor.

"You…. have... the… the… OSTRICH!" screams Trelawney. "THE OSTRICH REPRESENTS FATAL PERIL AND DEATH!"

"A...um… ostrich… represents death... Professor?" questions Harry.

"YES CHILD!"

The class erupts with laugher at the obscenity of an ostrich representing death.

"Oh this class is ridiculous! I quit!" yells Hermione as she storms out of the classroom.

"Can she do that?" asks Ron.

"I think she just did," says Brooke.

Class is dismissed soon after the outbreak of laughter. Brooke and her new friends go to all of their other morning classes together then eat lunch in the Great Hall. Right after lunch Brooke remembers her promise to meet up with Draco.

"I'll catch up with you guys in Care of Magical Creatures… I have to take care of something first," explains Brooke.

Harry and the others nod and Brooke goes in search of Draco.

Shannon: I really just couldnt help myself when it came to the part when the Professor is supposed to see the Grim... I just had to change things up a bit. I always saw Trelawney as a bit of a crazy lady anyways. Review please:) More soon.