That night, at the welcome feast, all anyone can talk about is the fact that there were Dementors on the train.
Draco catches Harry's eye and mimes a dead faint - then his eyes dart to Bloom and find her glaring at him.
Suddenly, he's jerked down under the table for a second and then sits up after a moment and looks around and under the table.
Harry high-fives her under the table, knowing she must have done that.
Bloom shares a grin with him, messing with Draco is actually really fun.
They learn the Dementors are going to be staying at Hogwarts until Sirius Black is caught again, not what anyone was expecting or hoping to hear.
Hagrid has also been appointed Professor for Care of Magical Creatures - a class all four friends are taking.
And Lupin is going to be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor - that gives Bloom a sense of relief for some reason, she trusts that sense more than she trusts her sight.
She learned a while ago that sight can be tricked, but her gut instinct is always right.
Later that night, the students all look out their windows and see the Dementors taking up their stations - Harry gets a feeling of unease from Bloom at the sight, but even she doesn't know why.
In Divination class, Professor Trelawny tells them that either they have a natural gift called the 'Sight' or they don't - if they do, divining things happens naturally, if not then it's extremely frustrating.
Trelawny herself seems to be only half present, and tells the class that halfway through classes will be interrupted by a nasty case of the flu that will go around, Neville will break a cup and to please take a blue one as she likes the pinks, and tells Parvati Patil to beware a red-haired man.
Parvati edges away from Ron slightly, as Trelawny says "If all goes well, we will proceed onto palmistry, fire-omens, and finally the crystal ball."
Hermione doesn't give Trelawny's speech about books clouding one's inner eye much credit, but Ron, Harry, and Hermione didn't even know she was there.
Harry's cup has the Grim in it, a death omen.
Bloom's has multiple omens all at once, the leaves arranging and rearranging in different shapes - her partner is really confused.
"Professor, can you check Bloom's cup? I swear it's like its alive or something."
Trelawny comes over and peers into Bloom's cup for several minutes. "Aura…Incense…Ladder…"
Nobody knows what this means for Bloom, and everyone is staring at her expectantly - no doubt remembering what the Sorting Hat said about her having an immense power.
Suddenly, the class ends and it's time to leave.
Trelawny keeps Bloom back a few minutes, likely talking about what her cup was telling the professor. S
he catches up to them as they're walking to Hagrid's class, but she won't say a word about what she got in her cup.
They all get to Hagrid's hut on time, and Hagrid shows them how to open their books without getting their hands bitten off: stroke the spine.
Everyone was using whatever they could to restrain the wild tomes - ropes, belts, Spellotape, anything.
Once all the books are quiet and open, Hagrid goes to get the magical creature they'll be working with today.
After everyone has their books open, Bloom is immediately fascinated and starts flipping through pages, stopping at Phoenixes and dragons.
Bloom loves both, she's always had a thing for dragons, the Dragon Flame might have just a little bit to do with that, and she fell in love with Phoenixes after meeting Fawkes.
Draco says "Gods, this place is going to the dogs. Just wait until my father hears Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes."
Harry says "Listen you stupid prat-"
Harry pauses when he sees Draco's eyes widening in fear, and he says "Potter, there's a Dementor behind you!"
Harry jumps a foot in the air and whirls around - only to find nothing there.
The Slytherins start laughing, and Harry goes bright red - until Bloom suddenly says "Draco, there's smoke behind you!"
Now it's Draco's turn to jump, even higher than Harry did, and whirls around to find the tiniest fire ever.
He goes to stamp it out, only for his feet to suddenly fly out under him and he lands flat on his back.
Now everyone laughs at him, and he's sure Bloom's the one who did all that.
There's no way he can prove it though, she never moved an inch and her wand wasn't even in her hand - and nobody else unconnected to her knows she doesn't need a wand to control fire.
Everybody knows she's a bad person to make an enemy of, nobody knows exactly why - though he did hear an interesting story about a cup of tea leaves and Bloom from a friend sharing that class with her.
Potter got a death omen, Bloom got a mystery series of symbols.
Suddenly, Hagrid comes back with a large grey creature with the torso, hind legs, and tail of a horse but the wings and front legs of an eagle.
Hagrid gets the creature into the middle of the paddock, and says "Beautiful, ain't he?"
There's no consensus on this, but Bloom's staring at it in wonder and awe - everyone else is warier about it.
Hagrid explains how this is a Hippogriff, and his name is Buckbeak. Hippogriffs are prideful and easily offended - you have to be humble and never injure or insult one.
To touch it, you must bow to it and have it bow back.
When Hagrid asks for volunteers, everybody but Bloom and Harry step backwards.
"Good Bloom! Good Harry! Who's first?"
Bloom doesn't answer, but walks forward a few paces.
Everyone thinks she's insane now, until she gives a deep bow to the creature and waits patiently.
Buckbeak sizes her up for a moment, then almost immediately bows back.
Hagrid whistles, and says "That has to be the fastest acceptance I've ever heard of!"
Bloom immediately runs her hands along Buckbeak's side, and the class claps politely.
She might be mysterious and have secrets and strange powers surrounding her, but nobody can deny that has to be the bravest thing they've seen so far this year.
Hagrid says "I reckon he might let you ride him!"
"Really?!"
Bloom doesn't need any further opportunity, and climbs on excitedly.
Now the class's respect shifts back into worry - she might be brave, but she also has a penchant for strange hobbies that would get most people killed.
Buckbeak takes off, and they can all hear her shouts of delight and excitement.
Harry, this is amazing!
Bloom, what are you doing?
You have to try this!
Bloom quickly moves out of range, but Harry could feel her exhilaration even from here.
Draco mutters "Girl's gone looney. She likes getting high enough to fall to her death?"
Draco doesn't know that Bloom has wings on her back when she wants to, and enjoys the rush of flying.
Harry asks "Is it safe Hagrid?"
"Don't ya worry Harry. Bloom's completely safe until she does some damage to Buckbeak - and, knowing Bloom, it'll never happen."
Harry nods, relieved, and soon Bloom and Buckbeak land with a loud thud.
Bloom's hair is wildly messed up, but she looks like she had the time of her life.
They can all see this is just going to be another class Bloom will excel in naturally, just from Buckbeak accepting her so quickly.
Hagrid says "Well done, Bloom!"
As he helps her down, he asks "How'm I doing for my first day?"
Bloom gives him the hugest grin and two thumbs up he's ever seen, and smiles relievedly.
Draco suddenly pushes through the crowd and towards Buckbeak angrily.
"Give me a go at this thing. If mystery-girl Bloom here can do it, it must be easy! You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute-!"
Buckbeak suddenly rears up when Draco gets to close, and Bloom whips out her wand and hits Draco with a Repulso spell that knocks him out of the way fast.
Hagrid gets in front of Buckbeak, and calms him immediately - and Bloom helps immensely with that.
Draco cries "Oh, she's killed me. She's killed me!"
Hermione yells "She just saved you, you bloody idiot! Hagrid says you should never insult a Hippogriff, and never approach it until it accepts you - and what do you do?"
Draco's covered in dirt, grass, and there's a cut on his face - but he's still got all his fingers and toes, and he's alive.
Bloom says "Quit whining, you big baby. You screwed around, playing the tough, so-much-better-than-everyone-else game again, and this time your rich little daddy wouldn't have been able to save you. So quit whining about a little grass and dirt already!"
Draco glares at her, until she says "Or would you rather I didn't knock you out of the way of talons as sharp as knives? Because I could throw you right back under them."
Draco swallows, and looks away.
He mutters "Big oaf should learn to control his beasts."
Bloom coldly says "No, you should learn to control your spoiled streak, Malfoy."
He glares at her, even though she's right.
His pride nearly got him hurt, badly - Bloom's fast reflexes only got him bruised a little, and he could tell she was trying to knock him back and not knock him out.
After they leave the class Harry asks "Why'd you save Malfoy?"
Harry's feeling a bit jealous, until Bloom says "Because I didn't want Hagrid getting in trouble for the spoiled brat's arrogance. His big, bad Daddy wouldn't have been able to save him from that, but he would certainly take retribution for it. You know he would Harry, Hagrid would be sacked as soon as Malfoy Sr. got to the school."
Harry nods in agreement, then asks about the flight.
Bloom's face lights up as she describes the experience - it was exhilarating and wild beyond belief.
She's just sorry Draco butted in before he could get the chance.
AN: You'd think Draco would be a little more grateful to Bloom for saving him from sharp talons like knives - especially since he got himself in that mess. No, he just complains - I'd have let him get sliced and diced, except Lucius would take retribution and have Hagrid sacked for sure. Honestly, are all Malfoys, at this point in time, utter garbage in terms of who they are? PS. The Dragon Flame makes it incredibly easy for Bloom in most classes - not something she does consciously, promise - and that applies to Divination and CoMC as well; and she's got a destiny like Harry's, so Divination class is interesting for her to say the least. Her Tea Leaves were forming many omens at once, had to look them up because so many things apply to Bloom.