Chapter Three – Stop! Rewind!

When Harry entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing he saw was Draco and Myari knelt between Haiden and Hermione (with Ron across from them looking ready to explode) whispering and gesturing. It felt weird to see Draco and Haiden talking without him there to encourage them. Luna, who seemed to have been waiting for him beside the door, instantly latched onto his arm with a whimsical sigh.

"Just ignore her." She told him confusing Harry, and before he could even open his mouth to ask who he was supposed to ignore, Pansy Parkinson (a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug) stood up and shrieked like a banshee.

"Hey, Potter!" Harry instinctively looked over towards the girl as Luna quickly began to pull him towards the Gryffindor table. Everyone's attention was now on Pansy as Draco shot up, and if looks could kill, Pansy would have been already six feet under.

"Parkinson! I warned you! If you don't stop right now, you will regret it!" Draco roared out at her. Pansy just smirked at him before she pulled her hood over her head. Harry knew what she was doing and turned away from her, he would not give her the attention she wanted. He sped him and Luna up so that he could get to Draco to stop him from giving her exactly what she wanted.

"The Dementors are coming, Potter! Wooooo~!" Pansy shrieked out causing a very small portion of the Slytherins to laugh awkwardly, as if not knowing if it was safe to laugh or not. Harry got to Draco in time to stop him from rushing over to Pansy.

"Don't." Harry hissed forcing Draco to look at him. Pansy wanted attention, the best thing to do in this situation was to ignore her.

"I told her," Draco growled out, his body shaking from his rage (and residual fear), "I told them all," Harry pulled Draco into a tight, calming hug, "not to say anything about – I ordered it!" Draco finished as he wrapped his arms around Harry.

"She'll learn tonight…" Myari let her threat trail off as Luna forced her to sit down at the Gryffindor table.

"She just wants attention." Hermione growled out as she glared at Pansy before turning her attention to Harry.

"It's okay, don't let her know she got to you." Harry whispered as Draco finally began to calm down enough for Harry to pull away from him.

"'Don't allow those weaker than you to know they got to you.'" Draco quoted with a nod. "Father would always tell me that." Draco took a moment to take a few deep breaths as he slipped on a calm mask.

"'Put them in their place, but don't allow your emotions to take over.'" Harry quoted with a small smirk earning a shocked look from the boy. "He gave me that advice as well." He said as he took Draco's hand and took a seat at the Gryffindor table only to be quickly scooped up by Fred.

"Here," Myari said handing a piece of paper to Harry, "your third-year course schedule." She informed him at his curious look.

"This year is going to be a bit different for you all." George informed them as both him and Draco each tried to hand Harry a plate full of roughly the same food causing Harry to laugh.

"What do you mean by that?" Haiden asked, an amused look in his eyes having also seen what had just happened as Harry took Draco's plate of food which caused the boy to playfully stick his tongue out at George.

"This year your classes won't be filled with just one or two houses; they will be comprised of all the houses." Fred told them as George threw a grape at Draco, shocking the boy as it bounced off his nose.

"Why?" Hermione asked as she glanced over her own schedule as Draco retaliated against George by throwing a handful of grapes at the older boy.

"Well, the last two years the school chose what classes you had, this year you got to choose." Fred continued to explain as Draco and George had a mini food fight, Fred making sure that neither he nor Harry got hit seeing as they were sitting in between the two boys. "So, some classes would only have one or two students if they didn't combine the houses."

"That makes sense." Hermione muttered as she studied her schedule and began to absent mindedly play with a golden chain necklace that fell under her shirt. Harry, tired of being in the middle of the still ongoing mini food fight, quickly slipped off of Fred's lap and moved to stand behind Hermione to see how many classes they shared.

"Hermione, love, they've messed up your schedule." Harry informed her, quickly reaching around her to take her schedule from her, shocking her. "Look – They've got you down for about ten subjects a day." Hermione shot up from her seat. "There isn't enough time." Harry easily danced away from Hermione as she attempted to take her schedule back, a hint of fear and worry in her eyes.

"I'll manage." Hermione said as Harry quickly dodged away from her. "Me and Professor McGonagall already figured out the schedule issue." She told them as George, who had finally stopped the mini food fight, stole the schedule from Harry.

"Oh really? Then how are you going to get to not only your nine o'clock Divination, but your nine o'clock Muggle Studies and your nine o'clock Arithmancy?" George asked as he now began to dance away from Hermione.

"Jesus Hermione, I know you're good, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?" Haiden said, it was clear that he was concerned for his girlfriend and the stress that she would no doubt be under from all of her classes.

"Don't be silly." Hermione said shortly as she trapped George against the wall. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once." She growled as she snatched her schedule back from George who quickly ran back over to Fred and hid behind him.

"Well, then –" Haiden started only to be cut off by Hermione.

"Pass the marmalade." She said stiffly as she angrily sat back in her seat, Harry, feeling that he and George had teased her a little too much quickly made his way back over to Fred who quickly pulled him back onto his lap.

"But –" Haiden tried again only to have Hermione slam her hands down on the table in annoyance, gaining the attention of the other students around them.

"What's it to you if my schedule's a bit full?" Hermione snapped causing Haiden to flinch away in both fear and confusion, at seeing this Hermione's anger and annoyance quickly melted away to guilt. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, but I already told you that me and Professor McGonagall have already figured everything out." She told him and before anyone could continue to question Hermione about her schedule, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin over coat and was absentmindedly swinging a dead polecat in one enormous hand.

"All righ'?" He asked eagerly, pausing on the way to the staff table. Harry quickly kicked Draco when the boy (who had been sneering at the giant) opened his mouth to more then likely insult the man. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson!" Righ' after lunch! Been up since five getting' e'erythin' ready… Hope it's okay… Me, a teacher… Honestly…" He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.

"Can't wait." Draco said sarcastically glaring at his schedule, Harry could tell that he was trying to decide if he wanted to go to his Care of Magical Creatures after lunch or not.

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

"We'll just have to wait and see." Harry quickly said as Draco opened his mouth to make a smart ass answer, he wasn't in the mood for Ron and Draco to fight at the moment.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion." Ron snapped at him earning a few glares from Harry's friends, however, before any of them could snap back at Ron, Harry did it for them.

"And if I wanted to hear from an asshole, I'd fart." Harry countered without skipping a beat before he casually sipped his orange juice causing Haiden to spit out his drink in laughter and to earn proud looks from Draco and the Weasley twins and shocked looks from everyone else. It was silent for a minute as Ron tried to wrap his mind around the fact the Harry just snapped back at him.

"Right, well, we'd better go." Haiden said once he noticed that Ron was opening his mouth to reply to Harry. "Look, Divination is at the top of the North Tower. It'll take us about ten or so minutes to get there." Haiden said before quickly ushering Ron away as Myari reached around Draco to high five Harry.

– Lock Me In Your Heart

The Divination classroom was the strangest looking classroom Harry had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, it looked 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 gat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains on the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves.

It was stiffly 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.

Harry covered his nose to try and block out the perfume and started to follow Draco to a seat in the back when something brushed up against his mental wards. He spun around and found Professor Trelawney watching them with foggy eyes. Harry's immediate impression was that this was someone not to mess with. His second impression was that of a large, glittering insect.

Once she had taken note that she had been noticed, Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight and they saw that 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." Professor Trelawney said her voice an odd mix of both raspy and airy that seemed to somehow suit her. They all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank into poufs. Draco, Harry, and Neville shared a round table next to Hermione, Haiden, and Ron. "Welcome to Divination." Professor Trelawney said after she had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Sybill Trelawney; you may call me Professor Trelawney. Few of you have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye." Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement as Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl before fixing them all a stare.

"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 then there is very little I will be able to teach you." Professor Trelawney reached out her right hand and caught a teacup that fell from the mantelpiece. "For there is only so much you can learn from books in this field…" She said as she sat the teacup on the round table next to her.

"You hear that, Harry, best leave now." Ron hissed at him seconds before he grunted in pain.

"Oops. Sorry. My foot slipped." Hermione whispered with a smirk, clearly showing that she kicked Ron on purpose.

"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearances, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future." Professor Trelawney carried on, a strange twinkle in her eyes as she turned her attention to their group, and Hermione shifted in her seat. "It is a gift granted to a few. You, boy," she said pointing at Neville who would have toppled off his pouf had Harry not caught him, "is your grandmother well?"

"I – I, um, I think so?" Neville said nervously.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you." Professor Trelawney said mysteriously as the firelight glinted on her long, emerald earring. Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly as her eyes scanned them all. "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 at Harry, "Beware the dog." Harry tried to play off her words as Hermione and Haiden shared a look.

"In the third 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 numbers will leave us forever." A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unfazed.

"I wonder, dear," She said to Lavender Brown (who was nearest and shrank back in her chair), "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot." Lavender, looking relieved, stood up and took an enormous silver teapot from the shelf before placing it down on the table next to Professor Trelawney. "Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading – it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October." Lavender sat back down, trembling.

The rest of the class went that way. Professor Trelawney would have them read each other's tea leaves before picking a random student and warn them of a terrible fate. Both Haiden and Harry got what Professor Trelawney called the 'Grim' in their tea leaves, causing the Professor to freak out. And from what Harry's Divination book had told him about what the 'Grim' was, she had every right.

The second class ended, Hermione disappeared leaving Harry and the rest of their group confused and slightly worried. The group left Divination laughing and trying to put the constant danger that everyone now felt they were in behind them. Harry's foot slipped off the step and he began to fall over the side of the stairs. He reached out to Draco, who tried to catch him, only to just barely miss as Harry fell off the spiral stairs. Harry, terrified he was going to hit the ground and either die or be terribly injured, allowed his magic to lash out to either stop or slow his descent. Harry felt a weird sensation in his mind, as if a taut string had been plucked, just as the world slowly came to a stop before suddenly going backwards, as if a video tape was being rewound. Harry blinked only to now find himself back inside the Divination classroom. Panting, Harry spun around, his mind racing to try and figure out what had just happened as his eyes landed on Professor Trelawney.

"Welcome." She called softly from the shadows. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last." Harry began to back away, eyes flying from person to person. Was someone pulling a cruel prank on him? Was he loosing his mind? Was this a dream? Had he fallen into a coma when he hit the ground? "Sit, my children, sit." Harry's breaths began to come quicker now as everyone moved to take the seats that they had taken the first time. Draco, who quickly took note of Harry panicking, rushed over to him.

"Something wrong, my dear?" Professor Trelawney asked as she, too, made her way to him.

"I – we just had Divination, didn't we?" Harry asked clinging on to Draco.

"Class has only just started, young one." Trelawney told him, as she began to watch him.

"No – that can't – no. I remember. I was there." Harry pointed at the chair next to Neville. "And you – you alluded to Neville that his grandmother was not well, told me to… – Informed Lavender that the thing she's dreading will happen October sixteenth. Me and Haiden both received Grims in our tea leaves." Harry told her as his mind raced, what was happening? Professor Trelawney flung herself away from him with a loud gasp before rushing over and grabbing his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"Could it be?" She whispered as her eyes examined his. "Has your Inner Eye already opened that much in such a short amount of time? It was closed when you stepped through the door." Professor Trelawney carefully and skillfully removed Draco's arms from around Harry and quickly drug him from the protesting boy. She gently forced Harry into her chair, dragging the circle table from beside the chair to in front of him. Harry, suddenly remembering the falling teacup, quickly threw his arm out and caught the teacup as it fell, causing Trelawney to gasp. "Quickly, before your eye closes." Professor Trelawney cried as she rushed over to her crystal ball and placed it in front of him. "Look into the crystal ball."

Harry, not knowing what else to do, looked into the crystal ball. At first all he saw was his distorted reflection looking back at him. However, slowly the image shifted and changed until he was watching what appeared to be an older version of himself wearing a long, dark cloak walking along a long, dark, and winding path. He didn't know how, but he could tell that the older version of himself was on a mission to do something that had either the potential to destroy the world or save it. And it was not up to him which outcome he would get.

"What do you see?" Professor Trelawney's voice called out to him, sounding both far away and close to him. Something inside him whispered to not tell her about what he just saw as the scene changed to an older Neville, bloodied and bruised, using Gryffindor's sword to slice the head off of a snake.

"Neville, protecting his friends and loved ones." Harry found himself saying as the image changed once more. This time it was of Luna, slightly older than she was now, curled up in her room crying.

"What do you see now?"

"Luna, alone and terrified as she blames herself for something that has happened to her and her friends." Harry told her as the image changed once more. Now he was watching an older version of Myari glaring at him as she stood protectively between him and Hermione who looked as if she was begging him for something.

"What do you see now?"

"Myari, angry with a decision I will make years from now." Harry whispered.

The rest of the class went that way. With Harry gaining glimpses of the future as Professor Trelawney and the rest of the class hung on everything he told them. He was brought out of the trance he placed himself in by the bell ringing, signaling the end of class. Harry, ready to leave and hopefully have his Inner Eye close some, shot up from the seat intending to rush out of the room. However, Professor Trelawney had other ideas as her hand shot out to stop him, knocking over not only her tea set but also her crystal ball. And before either of them could catch the falling objects, Harry felt that strange sensation in his mind and once more the world came to a slow stop before quickly rewinding. Harry blinked and once again he found himself standing in the group of students, having just entered the Divination classroom.

"Oh, god damn it, not again!" Harry cried as he grabbed his hair in fear filled annoyance.

"I knew Dumbledore shouldn't have let him come back, not even one day in and he's already having a mental breakdown. Should have stayed in that coma, if you ask me." Harry caught Ron muttering to Haiden. And, before Haiden or anyone else could react to what Ron had just said, Harry (who was already fed up with Ron and everything that was happening) spun around to glare at the boy who took a half step back in shocked fear.

"I'd slap you, but that'd be animal abuse." Harry growled out at him before storming over to the seat he had sat in the first time around, and just mentally tuned everything out as he allowed his mind to race to try and figure out what was happening to him.