"Oh, that's just brilliant, isn't it? Divination first thing. What a wonderful start to a new term." Moaned Ron, when the trio received their new timetables at breakfast.
"Well, you should've chosen something worthwhile, like I did, instead of moaning about it, Ronald." Replied Hermione haughtily.
Ron scowled at her. "My name, is NOT Ronald!"
"Well I hate to - " Hermione was about to reply abruptly, but was cut off by a boy who recognised this kind of situation all too well.
"We better get going then, we have to get right up to the tower. See you later, Hermione." Said Harry, breaking into what looked liked turning into another bickering match between Ron and Hermione.
Twenty minutes later, the boys were climbing the stairs to the divination tower with relevant books weighing their arms down.
"Fred and George reckon the Chudley Canons have a really good chance this Quidditch season." Ron puffed as they came to a stop outside the door.
"That's a little optimistic of you, isn't it Ron?" Cut in Seamus.
"No! I mean, I know they didn't do so well last season … but that wasn't their fault!"
"Oh yeah? Who's fault was it then?" Seamus replied cheekily.
Ron's expression scanned through a few emotions and settled on "somewhat disgruntled" as Seamus went back to laughing with Dean about something.
"I predict that in the next week your pet penguin will learn how to morph into a giant lizard and eat you." Said Ron, amongst the quiet chatter of fortune telling going on in the classroom.
Harry, rousing from his delightfully enjoyable nap, looked up at Ron.
"Well, it'll make a nice change from duelling with dark lords. And I could do with a change of scenery."
Ron was just about to burst out laughing when he felt an authoritarian presence behind him. On realising it was in fact Professor Trelawney, he quickly changed his laughing into a sudden outburst of extreme coughing. Harry hid his smile as Professor Trelawney sat down at their table and looked at Harry's tealeaves.
"Oh my!", she began at once. "Oh how wonderfully exciting!"
Harry frowned. Predictions of his demise didn't usually come accompanied with obvious excitement and a smile from his personal death-calendar.
"Professor, what - " He began.
"My dear, in the next month," she paused in an attempt to make what she next said seem terribly exciting, "Venus will be moving into its second orbit!" She squealed.
"Right. Er. I mean … that's, er …really good?" Harry was stumped.
"My dear, really good doesn't do this justice! This means that in the next month, the love of your life will reveal itself to you. Your soulmate. The one you are destined to be with for the rest of you life!" Professor Trelawney giggled girlishly.
Harry didn't know what to do. He just sat. And stared. In utter, hideous embarrassment. The rest of the class had gone silent some minutes back, and while Ron pained himself to hide his fits of laughter opposite Harry, the rest of the class was listening attentively to predictions about his love life. The girls all had dreamy looks on their faces, as if that was the kind of prediction they wanted to hear every lesson, and the boys smirked, thanking Merlin that it was Harry and not one of them.