So sorry it's been forever since I was able to write! My class has taken up most of my free time and I mostly focused on school than writing, not to mention I just got over a horrible case of the flu. But I'm so much better now and I'll be writing more as much as I can. Thank you for being patient.

Tea Leaves

"Hard to believe," Draco spoke from beside me, he was looking across the great lake, leaned back on the ground only being supported by his elbows.

"What is?"

He slowly turned to face me, a devious smirk on his lips.

It was like he didn't want me to know. He was toying with me again. Why was he always toying with me?

"Draco, what are you talking about?" he let out a sigh rolling his head back to stare at the sky. "Draco!"

He only laughed before sitting up straight beside me wrapping his arm around my waist pulling me close to him. "Don't worry about it love,"

"You make no sense whatsoever." I snapped a pout on my lips.

"Lizzy we need to talk about us," he said rather seriously now. His carefree expression was gone. Replaced with a blank look, shielding any to all emotions he was feeling.

"Us?" he nodded. I felt myself gulp in fear. "W-what about u-us?"

"I don't want to be seen with you anymore." My heart ached. I felt my body go ridged with fear.

"W-what?"

"I don't want to be near you anymore. I no longer wish to study with you, I don't even want to be in the same country with you. Honestly you are boring."

Hot tears fell freely as he stood up staring down at me with disgust. "They were right about you. You are worthless."

I shot up in my bed, hot tears falling down my face. Hermione was sitting on the side of my bed looking more concerned than she had been before.

"What happened?" I had to calm down. It was just a dream. Draco and I are friends. He would never stop being your friend...would he?

"I-I'm okay," I took a deep breath wiping my face free of tears. I didn't need to cry. It was just a stupid dream.

"Lizzy," Hermione didn't look convinced.

"I am, really. Just a bad dream." I whispered softly holding my head annoyed. I haven't been able to get a good night's rest since we arrived at the leaky cauldron. Now with the dementor attack on the Hogwarts express yesterday I doubt I'll get any sleep ever again!

"Want to talk about it?" I shook my head no. Hermione was great but she doesn't want to hear me talking about Draco.

She frowned, reaching over and placing her hand on my leg. "Well if you want to talk about it, I'm here." I nodded pulling her into a hug.

"I know. Thank you, Hermione for being my friend." Our hug lasted a little while before we pulled apart to get ready for classes.

Dressed and books at the ready we left to meet up with Harry and Ron. They were waiting by the entrance for Hermione and myself.

"Ready to go?" Harry asked smiling brightly at the two of us.

"You betcha," Harry and I linked arms before walking through the portrait hole behind Ron and Hermione as they argued over Scabbers and Crookshanks yet again.

"Good lord they fight like an old married couple." I muttered to Harry as we walked through the many halls.

"Tell me about it. Want to take the lead?" He asked referring to us to quicken our pace to get breakfast.

"Yes please," Harry and I shared a smile before separating for a moment to walk around Ron and Hermione and connecting a gain now in the lead.

But when we entered the Great Hall, the first thing I saw was Draco. He was entertaining a large group of Slytherin's with a very 'funny' story.

Just as Harry and I were passing them, Draco did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.

"I'm going to kill him." I growled out clenching my fist. Forget my dream. I could care less!

"Ignore him," Hermione said taking a break from the argument to keep either Harry or myself calm. I couldn't tell. Harry just as mad as I was. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it…"

"Hey, Potter!" Pansy shrieked. "Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!"

"Shove off Parkinson!" I snapped before plopping in my seat next to Fred and Ron. There was a noise of outrage coming from behind me. If I had to guess Pansy was being told to shut up (besides myself) by someone and she wasn't happy about it.

"New third-year course schedules," George said passes me my schedule. Neville was across from me looking over his nervously. "What's up with you, Harry?"

"Malfoy," Ron said glaring over at the Slytherin table. George looked over again. I could already tell what Draco was doing. He was probably pretending to faint with terror. Again.

"That little git," he said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"

"Nearly wet himself," Fred said with a contemptuous glance at Draco.

"I wasn't too happy myself," George sighed. "They're horrible things, those Dementors…"

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" Fred questioned.

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" Harry asked in a low voice. I frowned. Harry was getting all this negative attention being he protected me from the dementor.

"Forget it, Harry," George said bracingly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking… They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," Fred smirked wrapping an arm around my shoulder pulling me closer to him. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"

After hearing that Harry started to help himself off with some food. I smile at him, I was just glad he was getting some food in him. I'll deal with Draco later.

Neville still very nervous. "Hey whats up?" He frowned, he obviously wasn't prepared for this year.

"What if I'm no good?"

I pull out some parchment and scribble the Gryffindor password down. "It'll be okay, besides we're taking the same class. We'll be study partners!" sliding it over he gave a grateful smile.

"Why is it you and Hermione take the most classes?" Ron moaned out slumping next to me.

"What are you talking about? Hermione, can I see your schedule?" I reach over and grab Hermione's schedule. My eyes widen in shock.

Ron wasn't kidding. Hermione was taking ten classes! Looking over shocked I stare at her like she was crazy. "You said you were only taking a few." She giggled looking away.

"You're taking nine." She smiled at me.

"Yeah but I may drop out of one! Maybe not I don't know." It was silent between the two of us before we broke out into laughing fits.

"Girls are insane." Ron muttered to the boys around us.

"Yup," George said smirking.

"It's not that bad…" Neville muttered more to himself.

"Oh, don't I know it." Harry muttered staring at Hermione and myself.

"I think it's cute that Brighteyes wants to be smart. She doesn't want to be like those dumb girls." Ron, Harry, George, and Neville shrugged nodding in agreement.

"Hermione…how are you going to be in Muggle Studies, Divination, and Arithmancy at the same time?"

Ron nodded in agreement. I felt the red head scooch closer till his chin was resting on my shoulder. "I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"

"Don't be silly," Hermione spoke shortly. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once."

"Well then…"

"Pass the marmalade," Hermione asked.

"But…"

"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?" Hermione snapped.

I shifted nervously being stuck in the middle of Hermione and Ron. Only problem was that Ron, he was still pressed against me. He was practically leaning on me.

"Hey Ron?" I muttered nervously.

His blue eyes locked onto mine. "Could you, um, scoot over some?" his eyes were as wide as saucers a large red blush spread across his face and he practically shoved himself on the other side of her looking down at his food and shoving it in his mouth.

"Sorry," he muttered mouth full of food.

"It's okay…"

Looking around I noticed Harry, Fred, and George staring at Ron suspiciously. Sure, what Ron did was slightly confusing but it's Ron!

Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.

"All righ'" he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting' everythin' ready…hope it's OK…me, a teacher…hones'ly…"

He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.

"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" Ron asked, a note of anxiety in his voice.

"I don't know but I'm excited!" Harry laughed doubling over clutching his gut. I haven't seen him laugh this much in a while.

Squinting my eyes in anger, I reach over snatching his glasses off his face.

"Hey!"

"Why are you laughing at me!" I whined holding his glasses out of his reach. He tried to get it back but I wouldn't.

"Lizzy! Come on, give me my glasses back."

"Why are you laughing at me?"

"Because it's funny watching you get excited for Hagrid's lesson." I roll my eyes before handing Harry his glasses back.

The hall was starting to empty as people headed off toward their first lesson. Ron checked over his schedule. My eyes widen in shock as I stare at my books. I forgot my Divination book! I feel like an idiot.

"We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there…" I quickly shoved a piece of toast in my mouth before shooting up from my seat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up confused.

"I forgot my book, I'll see you guys in class!" I called out rushing out of the hall to Gryffindor common room.

"Brighteyes!" Fred and George yelled from their spots. "I'll talk to you guys later!" I called out walking backwards a smile on my face.

"You better!" Fred yelled laughing.

Spinning around I almost ran straight into Draco. My eyes widen in shock, I didn't want to talk to him.

"Sorry." I mutter walking around him and out of the Great Hall.

"Wait Elizabeth!" I ignore him and walk out of the large double doors and practically ran to the Gryffindor Tower, up the girls side, searching through my trunk till I found my book.

"I can't believe I forgot you, I feel like such an idiot." I muttered looking it over as I walked to the North Tower. Thankfully being around Fred and George and our little exploring trips I was able to find the tower pretty easily. I wonder how Hermione, Harry, and Ron would do.

With Harry:

The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside North Tower before.

"There's, got, to be, a short, cut," Ron panted, as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.

"I think it's this way," Hermione said peering down the empty passage to the right.

"Can't be," Ron said. "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of lake outside that window…"

Harry was watching the painting. A fat, dappled gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. Harry used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moved around and leaving their frames to visit each other, but he always enjoyed watching them. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armor had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off.

"Aha!" He yelled, seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione. "What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"

They watched astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in a rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed face down in the grass.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked moving closer to the picture.

"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!"

The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his vison to mop his sweating face.

"Listen," Harry said, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"

"A quest!" The knight's rage seemed to vanish instantly. He clanked to his feet and shouted, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"

He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!"

And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight.

They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead.

"Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.

Puffing loudly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at least they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom.

"Farewell!" cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades in arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

"Yeah, we'll call you," Ron muttered as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental."

They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. Harry automatically saw Lizzy reading one of her books waiting for her three friends. There were no doors off this landing, but Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it.

"How did she get here so fast?" Harry asked in disbelief. Breathlessly Ron looked over at the oblivious red head and shook his head in annoyance.

"Fred and George. That has to be it."

Hermione walked over to Lizzy and the two automatically got into a conversation, Harry assumed it was how the three of them got here.

"Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher," Ron read. "How're we supposed to get up there?"

As though in answer to his question, the trap door suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet. Everyone grew quiet.

"After you," Ron said grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first.

Harry had emerged into the strangest looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs.

Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.

Lizzy's POV:

As soon as I climbed the ladder to the classroom I could tell it was a bit strange, it didn't really make me think it was a classroom. But this is Divination, a place to see into the future. It doesn't have to look like a classroom…does it?

A voice suddenly came out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.

"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and I was finally able to see what she looked like. She was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

"Sit, my children, sit," she said.

We all awkwardly climbed into the armchairs, a few sank onto poufs. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and myself found a round table to share.

"Welcome to Divination," Professor Trelawney said, she had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name if Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

No one said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued. "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is a very little I will be able to teach you…Books can take you only so far in this field…"

Glancing over at Hermione, she looked startled at the news. Everyone knew that Hermione was as smart as she was from all the books she read. Harry and Ron were grinning, probably thinking Hermione couldn't possible pass this class.

"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearing, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. "Is your grandmother well?"

"I think so," Neville said tremulously.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," Professor Trelawney said, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly to Parvati Patil, "beware a red-haired man."

Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him. Ron stared wide eyed confused. I only raised an eyebrow at that, what was she talking about?

"In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball. If we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever."

A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it. Was she able to see into the future?

"I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, she was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"

Lavender looked relieved. She stood up and took the enormous teapot from the shelf, placing it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.

"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you were dreading, it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."

Lavender started to tremble.

What was she dreading? What was up with this class so far?!

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill those around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear," she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

It wasn't much of a surprise when Neville did break his cup. He was clumsy. But it wasn't like he meant to, he can't help it sometimes and no one can really blame him.

But sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind…thank you…"

Hermione and I sipped our tea while watching Ron and Harry try to drink their tea as quickly as they could. It was kind of funny to watch.

It took a minute but Hermione and I finished our tea, swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and switched.

Looking down at her tea leaves I looked through the pages and tried to guess.

"Well, lets see…"

"What can you see in mine?" Ron asked loudly.

"A load of soggy brown stuff," Harry said.

"Um I think yours means…" I was interrupted by Professor Trelawney this time. I huffed annoyed. I cant concentrate. It's this stupid smoke. I'd rather be in Hagrid's class right now.

"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the room.

"Lizzy?" I laugh at Hermione and shake my head. Lets just get this over with.

"Um lets see, alright it has this sort of triangles in this…that means unexpected good fortune. So that's good something good should happen soon for you!" Hermione giggled and looked down at mine, she never answered though. Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as she looked down at the text.

"Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross…" Harry spoke, looking down at Unfogging the Future. "That means you're going to have trials and suffering, sorry about that, but there's a thing that could be the sun. Hang on…that means great happiness…so you're going to suffer but be very happy…"

"You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me," Ron said. I giggle at this. Unfortunately, Professor Trelawney gazed in our direction at that. Gotta keep our voices down.

"My turn…" Ron peered into Harry's teacup, leaning over I stared at all the tea leaves, it looked like a bunch of tea leaves clumped together.

"There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat," he said. "Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic…" Ron turned the teacup the other way up.

"But this way it looks more like an acorn…whats that?" he scanned his copy of Unfogging the Future. "A windfall, unexpected gold. Excellent, you can lend me some. And there's a thing here," he turned the cup again, "that looks like an animal…yeah, if that was it's head…it looks like a hippo…no, a sheep…"

Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter.

"Let me see that, my dear," she said reprovingly to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch.

Professor Trelawney was staring into the cup, rotating it counterclockwise.

"The falcon…my dear, you have a deadly enemy."

"But everyone knows that," Hermione said in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her.

"Well, they do," Hermione said. "Everyone knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."

Reaching over I place a hand on Hermione's shoulder giving a small smile. I could tell that she wasn't happy about Trelawney.

It was amazing actually. I've never heard Hermione speak out like that to a teacher before. Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. She lowered her huge eyes to Harry's cup again and continued to turn it.

"The club…an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup…"

"I thought that was a bowler hat," Ron said sheepishly.

"The skull…danger in your path, my dear…"

Professor Trelawney gave the cup a final turn, gasping and then screamed.

There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville dropped his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed.

"My dear boy, my poor dear boy, no, it is kinder not to say, no, don't ask me…"

"What is it, Professor?" Dean Thomas said all at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly crowded around our table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Harry's cup.

"My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim."

"The what?" Harry asked confused.

"What." I spoke up staring her down willing her to continue.

I know I wasn't the only one who didn't understand; Dean Thomas shrugged at him and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that some of us didn't understand. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen…the worst omen… of death!"

I frown. The dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent…maybe that was just a coincidence. It has to be. Nothing was going to happen to Harry this year. We were safe at Hogwarts. So she had to be making crap up. She knew that Sirius Black was on the loose and that she could get a scare in.

Hermione had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair.

"I don't think it looks like a Grim." She said flatly.

Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike.

"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."

I growl from my spot, insulting Hermione like that. Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side.

"It looks like a Grim if you do this," he said, with his eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said leaning to the left.

"This is all so stupid!" I snapped. Harry let out a sigh of annoyance. All eyes were on me. I didn't care I was beyond angry.

"Excuse me my dear but…" I cut off Professor Trelawney I didn't want to hear what she had to say.

"You had to have gotten it wrong because my brother isn't going to die." I snapped.

Harry reached over to grab my hand probably to comfort me. I didn't care. I was pissed. This lady just randomly decides to say 'Oh hello children, you Harry Potter are going to die and you all must believe me because I'm the teacher.' What a crock of bull.

"You must forgive me dear, I was only reading his cup the correct way." Trelawney spoke.

"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" He sounded somewhat surprised by his statement. No one in the class seemed to want to look at him. It was pathetic.

Leaning over I rest my head on his shoulder.

"I think we will leave the lesson here for today," Professor Trelawney said in her mistiest voice. "Yes…please pack away your things…"

Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, closed their bags.

I watched as everyone basically avoided Harry, even Ron did. His own best friend. Frowning I link arms with Harry.

"You okay?" Harry let out a grunt of annoyance.

"I'll be fine," I sighed, this was one way to start off the school year. First Sirius Black is out trying to kill us, next the Dementors attack, and now Harry was just told he had some death omen. Good lord what would happen next? Is a hippopotamus going to fall out of the sky and kill five people?

"Until we meet again," Professor Trelawney said faintly "fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear," she pointed at Neville again. "you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra hard to catch up."

At least class was over.

Setting off down the ladder and down the winding staircase Hermione, Ron, Harry and I walked in silence. We set off for Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Following the three of them I was beyond lost. I didn't know where I was. So given the amount of time we had since we left Divination, we made it just in time.

When entering the classroom, Harry chose a seat right at the back of the room, many of the students would shoot glances toward Harry's direction. Waiting to see if he would drop dead at any second. It was pathetic.

Today's lesson Professor McGonagall taught us about Animagi, wizards who could transform at will into animals, to demonstrate what an animagi was she herself turned into a tabby cat with spectacle marking around her eyes. She was quite a beautiful kitty.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" Professor McGonagall said, turning back into herself with a faint pop, staring at us all.

"Not that is matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from class."

Everyone turned toward Harry again. I raised my hand with Hermione.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and…" Hermione started.

"Everyone's waiting for Harry to drop dead." I finished not too kindly.

Professor McGonagall frowned shaking her head.

"I see," Professor McGonagall fixed Harry with her own stare. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them have died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues…" she broke off, her nostrils had gone white. She went on more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney…"

Ha! I knew it! She wasn't a True Seer after all! I remember she told Fred that he was going to die. It was my first year when Fred told me that. It wasn't going to happen.

Professor McGonagall stopped again and then said in a matter of fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

I giggle with Hermione. I loved Professor McGonagall she was one of the best teachers in this school. Ron still looked worried as well as Lavender.

"Professor, how does one become an Animagus?" I ask going back to the lesson.

"The process of becoming an Animagus is holding the lead of a mandrake in your mouth for an entire month, you use that leaf for the cration of a potion, and reciting an incantation on a daily basis. After the initial training is over, an Animagus can change at will, with or without a wand. But I warn you Miss Potter, it is required to register at The Ministry of Magic at the Animagus registry. Fail to do so the Ministry will sentence you to Azkaban."

I gulped. What did she think I was going to do? Become an unregistered animagus?

"Can you choose what your Animagus will be?" Dean questioned from his seat looking somewhat interested in the subject.

"Animagi can only take on the form of one specific animal. The animals form is not chosen by the wizard, but is determined by their personality and inner traits." She answered walking back to her seat.

"Professor, are animagi popular among the wizarding world?" I question leaning forward, very curious about the subject.

"No, in fact because of the long training period most students or witches tend to just give up. You will find most wizards to be knowledgeable when it comes to Transfiguration rather than completing the rigorous test of being an animagi."

When Transfiguration had finished, we joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch. I was so excited! Next was Hagrid's class! I wonder what he has in store for us?

"Ron, cheer up," Hermione said pushing a dish of stew toward him. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said."

Ron spooned his stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start.

"Harry," he said in a low, serious voice. "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah,"

"I have."

Harry and I both answered. I knew I wasn't asked but I felt the need to speak up. Harry wasn't going to die.

"We saw one the night we left the Dursley's. It was just a dog though." I said biting into a piece of bread soaked in the stew juice.

Ron's fork fell and made a clatter onto the table.

"Probably a stray," Hermione said calmly.

"Exactly. There are tons of strays in the muggle world." I explained smiling at the boy beside me.

"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's… that's bad." He said. "My uncle Bilius saw one and, and he died twenty four hours later!"

"Coincidence," Hermione said airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron said starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then," Hermione spoke in a superior tone. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and thing, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"

Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.

"I think Divination seems very wooly," she said searching for her page. "A lot of guess work, if you ask me."

"There was nothing wooly about the Grim in that cup!" Ron said hotly.

I already could feel my eye starting to twitch.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," Hermione said coolly.

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

He touched a nerve there. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"

She snatched up her bag and stalked away.

Ron frowned after her.

"What's she talking about?" he said to Harry and I. "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet."

"Ron you're an idiot." I muttered pinching the bridge of my nose annoyed.

"What I do?!" he yelled clearly confused.

"You keep talking about how Harry is going to die and then insult Hermione! What do you think you did?! Hermione at least isn't talking about my brother dropping dead!" I snapped.

Harry laughed nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm not scared. And I know I'm not going to die." Harry said softly reaching over grabbing my hand. I love my brother.

I know that Harry isn't going to die but it still makes me upset with that stupid class.

I think I'm going to drop out of Divination. It's not my class.

"Sorry Lizzy, sorry Harry..." Ron muttered looking down at his food.

"It's fine, I know you're worried." Harry shrugged it off.

"It's okay...Please just don't talk about Harry dying on me anymore." I snapped.

"...alright," he gave a weak smile.

"Well now that, that's over with we should figure out how to get Hermione not mad at you anymore."

So sorry for not updating in so long. Here is part one of chapter chapter 6. Hope you liked it! Also sorry it's so short!