After the train attack, and professor Lupin's interference, Harry had fainted, and when he came to, his friends, and the professor himself, explained what had happened. Soon after, they were at Hogwarts. Exiting the train, the students rode the self-ridden carriages to the castle and made their ways into the Grand Hall.
Grand indeed. Floating candles illuminated the magnificent crafts across the walls. A chorus of students stood at the end, just across the high table, professor Flitwick as the conductor. Their angel-like voices echoing across the students hasting to their house tables. As the choir's song ends, Dumbledore rises, beaming over the sea of students, giving his usual greetings and introducing Lupin as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, followed by a great applaud.
"Of course! That's why he knew to give you the chocolate, Harry." Commented Hermione.
"Potter! Potter!" Draco called behind Harry and Melanie, they turned. "Is it true you fainted?!" He asked mockingly. Pike, another Slytherin next to him, placed the back of his hand on his forehead and feigned fainting himself.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Retorted Ron.
"Honestly, Draco. Grow up." Melanie commented, pushing Harry to look away, rolling her eyes at her frienemies silliness.
"Just forget what he says." Tried Hermione, Harry nodding in compliance. It wasn't new for Melanie and her group to be ridiculed by Draco, and though he bothered her least, she hoped he'd one day truly just grow up, his game got old a year ago.
Then, Dumbledore informed the retirement of professor Kettleburn, their previous Care of Magical Creatures teacher, whose place will be taken over by non-other than Rubeus Hagrid. An applaud even louder erupted, especially from the four: Harry, Melanie, Hermione, and Ron, whom all adored Hagrid, who shyly rose, nearly toppling over the water goblets on the staffs' table. "Finally, on a more disquieting note, Hogwarts, at the request of the Ministry of Magic, will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban." Last said Dumbledore, the crowd erupting into a fit of disturbed murmurs. Draco catches Harry's eyes and feigns another dead faint. Dumbledore continues to inform them of the Dementors' stations outside the castle, as they are not allowed to enter, and warns never to approach them.
….
After the feast, the students were to make their way to the dorms. Seamus Finnegan stood solely before the famous painting of the nick-named Fat Lady, offensive in Melanie's opinion. "Fortuna Major." He repeated to the determined woman attempting to shatter a glass with her unruly voice, the other Gryffindors soon following after. "She won't let me in." He complained. Harry attempted the password himself, but the woman dismissed him as she did Seamus, trying another, louder, ear-piercing scream, making the rest of the students and nearby portraits wince and clamp their hands over their ears. Eventually, the lady shattered the glass into a wall nearby as she continued to scream, feigning victory. Harry attempted the password yet again, the lady huffing in frustration. "Yes, alright! Go in." She beckoned impatiently.
The students made their ways inside, spending the rest of the night fooling around. Melanie and Hermione were to share rooms with Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil and several other girls. As the night went on with jokes, talks about boys, pillow fights, etc. The time had finally come for sleep.
….
The next morning, the students were to head to Deviation class with professor Trelawney. Harry and Ron left the dorms before Melanie and Hermione, who were separated on their way to the classroom, Hermione excusing herself, leaving a perplexed Melanie wondering the halls to the room alone. "Well, well. If it isn't raving Redwing? Lost your friends, have you?" An all too familiar voice called from behind her.
"Malfoy." She sighed, turning to face him, Crabbe and Goyle.
"I don't really blame them. Hanging around you must be irritating, with whatever world you seem to be living in." He mocked like he always did, his goons laughing behind him. She tried hard not to laugh as well, but for a different reason. She found it hilarious that he hadn't given up trying for so long.
"I prefer the term 'unique'. Not that I think I am, but, clearly, you do."
"I don't think you're 'unique'." He imitated her voice. "I think you're bloody mental." They laughed again.
Melanie did something he wouldn't have expected, like she always did. Melanie started walking backwards to her intended destination. "Funny, that's exactly what 'common' people would say." She joked before turning on her heel. He rushed after her, fuming for being called 'common', for having someone straight out ignore him and have the guts to walk away with it.
"Hey! Redwing! Don't bloody walk away from me!" He yelled, his two supposed friends following after. He walked beside her, awaiting an apology, or a comeback.
"I'm not, I'm walking with you, to Deviation class. Don't want to be late now do we." She last said, pushing the door to the classroom aside and entering, which was enough to shut Draco up as professor Trelawney over- enthusiastically greeted them.
The classroom turns to the late comers, eyeing them suspiciously. Melanie doesn't notice and hurries to sit beside her friends, Harry and Ron, Hermione still not in sight. She grabs an empty stool and seats herself next to the two boys. "What were you doing with Malfoy?" Ron asked.
"He was being Malfoy, I put him in place." She simply replied, catching on to Draco's glare from his far-off table, she ignores him. The professor begins introducing herself.
"Hello! I am professor Trelawney. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future!" She yells, looking all of them in the eyes with her large bug-like ones. "But, know this. One either has the gift…or not. It cannot be divined by the pages of a book. Books only cloud one's Inner Eye."
"What rubbish." Hermione comments under her breath, startling her three friends with her sudden appearance.
"Where'd you come from?!" Asked Ron.
"Me? I've been here all along." She replies innocently. Melanie was doubtful, but knew herself to be usually ignorant of her surroundings, and thought she probably hadn't noticed her bushy-haired friend come in.
Melanie didn't really have a problem with Deviation, she liked learning new things, even if she preferred venturing into a surprising future, where she neither knew the bad to fear it, nor knew the good to expect it.
The professor scares Neville by stating that his pet frog doesn't seem to be in good health. She looks to Parvati and warns her of a red-haired boy. Parvati turns to Ron, the only redhead in class and pushes her stool as far away from him as possible. Then she points to Melanie. "My dear!"
"Me?" Melanie asks, not quite sure where Trelawney was pointing.
"Yes, darling. Do you have enemies?" She asks worriedly, filling Melanie with concern as will.
"Um, not that I know of." She replies unsurely.
"No, no. Not to worry my dear." She smiles again. "Quite soon, they'll become your best of friends." She insists happily. Melanie furrows her eyebrows.
"Okay?" She responds, still confused. Maybe the class wouldn't be as easy as she thought, at least she got a good omen, if professor Trelawney was to be right, which, even that, Melanie doubted.
Draco was clearly listening in, interested in finding a way, anyway, to get on that girl's nerves. She had become his quest; boy was he obsessed.
...