Chapter 8- Predictions

Harry spent the next few lessons in a daze. He was having trouble getting used to the fact that he was attracted to Ginny. Little Ginny Weasley. Not that she was so little anymore. She was curvier than most girls he knew, and a lot prettier. Of course, Harry hadn't told Ron that, nor Hermione for that matter.

Harry's new found thoughts kept him thinking all through to lunch, when his brain finally started to kick in.

'Well I have Arithmancy.' Said Hermione, checking her timetable. 'So you two much have Divination.'

'Great.' Ron moaned.

'You didn't have to take Divination, you know?' Hermione said.

'Yea.' Ron answered. 'But me and Harry got E's on our OWLs in it. Apparently examiners are very gullible.'

'You still didn't have to take it.' Hermione argued. 'You know it's a load of rubbish.'

'But if I can get a NEWT in it, who cares!' Ron exclaimed.

'You ought to care!'

'What's it to you?'

'Shut up, both of you!' Harry bellowed. 'You sound like an old married couple.'

'We do not!' Ron and Hermione chorused.

'Lets talk about me.' Harry said. 'Do you reckon Trelawney will predict my death in this world?'

'Only one way to find out.' Ron said, steering Harry off towards the North Tower.

They emerged in the classroom, about 10 minutes later. They chose a table to sit at, and were soon in deep conversation.

'Good day.' Trelawney said, in her usual mystical tones. 'I'm glad to see you are all well, as I knew you would be. It's a shame you won't be for long, as I'm afraid a nasty batch of flu will cause most of you to fall sick by the end of the month. But don't worry, it'll be gone by Christmas.'

Lavender and Parvati pulled their scarves up over their faces, trying to block out unwanted germs.

'Now let us begin.' Trelawney smiled. 'Today we will be continuing our work on crystal balls. Divide into pairs, and tell each other what you can see. I suggest we all work hard today, as I'm afraid our lesson will be interrupted towards the end, and we will have to evacuate the room.'

Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks, before getting a crystal ball, and beginning.

'I can see...' Ron began, staring into the ball and rubbing his temples. 'I see...fog. No, smoke. Yea, smoke, I'm sure.'

'Ron.' Harry said. 'I hate to burst your bubble, but the whole ball is filled with smoke.'

'You try then.' Ron said, pushing the ball in front of Harry.

'I'm not in the mood.' Harry yawned. The warm fire and darkness of the room, was making him drowsy.

'Go on.' Ron encouraged. 'I tried.'

Harry stared into the smoky ball, and before he knew it, his mind started to wander. He saw images floating across his mind. Images of Ginny.

First he saw her with Molly, showing him through the entrance to platform 9 3/4, on his first day of school. The next image was of the Chamber of secrets. Ginny's almost lifeless body, lying on the floor. Then she was happily flying on a broom, in a quidditch match. Then he saw her giving him a hug, like she had last summer.

The next image was of her dancing. Dancing with him. They waltzed across his mind. Or was it in his mind? He wasn't so sure anymore. Was it even Ginny and him? They were dancing so fast.

'Harry?' A voice asked.

'Huh?' Harry said, and started to notice his surroundings.

Still looking in front of him, he was surprised to see the image was not in his mind, but in the crystal ball. Harry jumped, and lost focus. The image was gone.

'What do you want?' Harry asked Ron.

'Trelawney was right about the disturbance in the class.' Ron explained. 'Someone's dungbombed the place, if you hadn't noticed.

For the first time, Harry noticed that the room around him was filled with smelly smoke, and dungbombs littered the ground. They quickly evacuated, and ran outside for some fresh air.

'That's better.' Ron smiled, as he took in the fresh cool air. 'And you thought I was mad when I predicted smoke. I was right! There was tones of smoke everywhere in there. I just made my first prediction. Wait until I tell Hermione!'

Harry laughed half heartedly.

'Hey!' Chorused two friendly voices.

'Hey Moony, Wormtail.' Ron grinned. 'Guess what! I made a prediction in Divination.'

'Oh my goodness!' Seamus mocked, in a voice strangely like Trelawney's. 'You have the markings of a true seer.'

'Funny.' Ron moaned. 'Wait a minute. What are you two doing out here?'

'Oh, we were the ones who dungbombed your class.' Seamus explained. 'You can thank us later.'

'That was you!' Ron grinned. 'Lav and Pav are going kill you when they find out. They were midway through predicting themselves getting the flu, when the dungbombs appeared.'

'What's the matter with you, Prongsie?' Dean asked.

'Just Divination.' Harry muttered, and was given three bemused faces in return. 'Lets just say you weren't the only one to have a prediction, Ron.'

'Ohhhhhh.' Dean and Seamus said, looking strangely like Lavender and Parvati.

'It doesn't matter.' Harry mumbled. 'Now we'd better head back to class. History of magic now, isn't it?'

The others muttered a reply, and the Marauders headed up to the castle.

They met Hermione outside the classroom, and started discussing dung bombing Divination. Harry let his mind wander. He'd never predicted anything in Divination before, and he couldn't quite get his head round it.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when he heard two hushed voices.

'I don't know what's happened.'

'Do you think they've broken up?'

It was Lavender and Parvati.

'No.' Parvati said, scrunching up her nose. 'They're still talking to each other.'

'Have you asked her about it?' Lavender asked.

'No.' Parvati said. 'They're just acting so normal. Maybe it's just a mid relationship break or something.'

'That's what Hannah thinks it is.' Lavender gossiped. 'But most people seem to think they're just going through a rough patch.'

Harry rolled his eyes at the girls gossiping. He wished they'd be quiet and let him have some thinking time to himself .

Just then, the teacher called for them to enter. Harry cleared his mind, before following his class inside.

The classroom was different to how Harry remembered. In the old world, the classroom was dusty and unwelcoming, but this room was formal and clean. It looked like a room you could do lots of work in.

Harry chose a seat between Hermione and Ron, and took his book out, before taking a look at his teacher.

He looked to be in about his sixties by appearance, yet the way he wrote vigorously showed that he still had it left in him. He looked like quite a respectable and powerful person, yet there was something Harry disliked about him. He wasn't sure if it was his graying hair, or his pointed nose, he just couldn't place it. Harry also knew recognized him from somewhere.

Harry looked to the suit case which was laid on the desk, to the right of the new teacher, and dropped his ink pot, in shock. Across the top of the suit case, printed in clear silver letters, were the words: Tom M Riddle