Divination was one of few classes that Valentine allowed herself a less than spectacular grade in. It was a very specialized area and if you didn't have a gift for it, well, then, that was that, and Valentine certainly did not have that gift among her many. It made her wonder why such a class would be compulsory when the vast majority of students would never get a real grip on it. Despite that, she didn't particularly dislike the class or the strange Professor Trelawney. Valentine rather considered her like apart of the scenery here at Hogwarts, just always wandering about, doing and saying strange things, weirding the hell out of everyone. Very odd but very harmless. Valentine could accept that Hogwarts wasn't known for normality. Draco didn't seem to feel as lax about this situation as Valentine did.

"What the hell are we even doing here?" Sitting across from Valentine, he picked up his teacup and squinted inside it. The first thing they had been told when they entered was to drink the tea set out for them, leaving only the tea leaves behind. "This class is pointless."

"My grandfather said most seers and prophets are frauds, anyway." Liam shrugged.

"You know, I think I had a premonition once?" Said Blaze.

"Oh, I've got to hear this." Draco turned around in his chair to talk the boys, Leah and Olivia at the table behind them leaning down also.

Valentine had chosen their seating as she usually did without intending to. She always sat where she could see Harry clearly and the others always followed. The same could usually beside with Ron and Hermione following Harry but today Hermione seemed to be absent. Valentine couldn't ever imagine her being late and assumed she must have been sick or something of the like.

"I dreamt that I would stub my toe on my trunk while getting dressed and then I woke up and I did!"

"Blaze, you stub your toe on that trunk at least once a week." Liam shot him an impressed look.

"Yeah, but the dream looked exactly like it had happened. Right down to me putting my pants on backwards and forgetting one of my socks!"

"Those are things you do all the time." Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'm telling you, I saw it and then it happened!"

"That's lame." Leah snickered.

"Shut up, Lovat or this tea is going on your head."

"Welcome, my children." Trelawney's voice cut them off before they could start with one of their regular arguments. "In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess..." As she stood she bumped into a table, sending a giggle about the room. "...the Sight."

Trelawney shot them all a sheepish smile as she stepped around the table.

"Only an old coot like Dumbledore would hire such an idiot." Draco scoffed under his breath.

"Hello. I am Professor Trelawney." She announced with a small flourish. "Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. But know this. One either has the Gift or not. It cannot be divined from the pages of a book. Books only cloud one's Inner Eye."

"What rubbish."

Harry, Ron and Valentine all twisted to stare at Hermione.

"Where'd you come from?" Ron exclaimed.

"Me?" Hermione huffed, straightening her collar. "I've been here all along."

No. No, she sure as hell hasn't.

Valentine narrowed her eyes at the back of the girls head in thought.

That...was definitely something.

"You, boy!" Trelawney suddenly lunged at Neville. "Is your grandmother well?

"I-I think so." Said Neville.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Trelawney hummed offhandedly and then floated along the first row. "The first term will be devoted to the reading of tea leaves. So, please exchange cups with the person sitting opposite of you. If all goes well, we will proceed to palmistry, fire omens, and finally the crystal ball."

Trelawney hovered beside Parvarti Patil, a Gryffindor and then said lowly;

"By the way, dear, beware a red-haired man."

Parvati eyes shot over to Ron, who stared back in confusion. Parvati quickly looked away, inching closer into her table. Ron blinked rapidly, mildly insulted and still very confused.

Trelawney seemed to notice none of this and drifted back towards the centre of the room.

"Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And in late spring, one of our numbers will...leave us forever."

That's...dubious.

The students exchanged bewildered and concerned whispers and glances but Trelawney just smiled without a care in the world.

"Well then. Shall we?"

"Here we go," Draco grumbled, although neither he or Valentine moved to take any action.

"Hmm. I think I'll sleep through this class." Blaze hummed decidedly.

"You already sleep through History and on occasion Charms and Herbology." Said Liam.

"So?"

"How are you still tried?"

As if on cue Leah took her teaspoon and used it as a catapult to fling a tea drenched wad of parchment at the back of Blaze's head. It stuck and Blaze grimaced as he used the table cloth to try and wipe it away.

"Never mind." Said Liam. "You sleep all you want buddy."

"Leah, you shouldn't do that." Olivia scolded quietly.

"But it was funny."

"Not for me." Blaze glare over his shoulder at her.

"It wasn't supposed to be." Leah just shrugged.

"Broaden your minds, my dears." Trelawney caravaned about the room, peering over students shoulders. "And allow your eyes to see beyond!"

Trelawney picked up Pansy's cup and peeked inside expectantly.

"A five-leaf clover..." She clicked her tongue and set it back down. "You can expect to wake with a horrible rash tomorrow morning, dear."

Pansy looked positively mortified and both Blaze and Liam shared a meaningful look of joy.

"Mr. Longbottom," Trelawney floated back over to Neville next. "after you've broken your first cup-"

There was a loud clatter and then the sound of smashing china echoing throughout the room.

Neville flushed bright red as the room burst into laughter. Trelawney seemed none the wiser, muttering and waving her wand to clean up the mess.

"-would you be so kind as to select one of the blue ones? I'm rather partial to the pink."

Then as Trelawney continued past, she stopped at Ron's side, something Ron seemed less than thrilled about.

"Your aura is pulsing, my dear!" Trelawney shifted from foot to foot, seemingly excited and anxious at the same time. "Are you in the beyond? I think you are."

"Uh...sure."

"Look at Mr Potter's cup." She instructed urgently. "Tell me, what do you see Mr Weasley?"

Ron did as he was told, flicking open the textbook in front of him for assistance.

"Well. He's got a wonky sort of cross...that's trials and suffering."

Oh, goody.

"That there could be the sun and that's happiness." Ron glanced over at Harry unsurely. "So...you're going to suffer but you're going to be happy about it."

Oh, please tell me more. This is just what I wanted to hear.

"Give me the cup." Then as Ron passed it over to Trewlaney, she took in a single peek inside and yelped. "Ah!"

She dropped the cup, sending it smashing against the stone floor just like Neville's.

"What is it, Professor?" Asked Parvarti.

Trelawney gaped down at the broken china at her feet, hands shaking. She slowly raised her head to stare at Harry with wide, pitying eyes.

"My dear boy...You have the Grim."

"The Grin?" Seamus asked aloud from across the class. "What's the Grin?"

"The Grim." Corrected Parvarti. "Not The Grin, you idiot."

"But what does it mean, Professor?" Asked Dean from Seamus's side.

"The Grim..." Neville had his textbook in his lap, scanning the words frantically. "Taking the form of a giant spectral dog, it is among the darkest omens in our world. It is an omen...of death."

Neville looked over at Harry, almost apologetically.

You know what? I don't like Divination anymore.

-----Pretending To Hate-----

"I can't believe they're going to make us walk all this way just for a damn class." Draco huffed. "And they have that bloody oaf teaching too. I bet Potter's overjoyed."

"Oh, come on Draco." Leah ruffled his hair as she skipped past. "The sunshine is good for you."

"Hands off," Draco growled and glared after her, quickly arranging his hair back into place.

Valentine rolled her eyes and wondered how many hours a day he spent doing that. They trudged down the hill towards Hagrid's house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest for their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson. To Valentine, it sounded like an accident waiting to happen. Hagrid may have been very kind and never meant any harm to anyone but things had a habit of turning to chaos in his wake. This was the man that wanted to raise a dragon on the grounds of Hogwarts, after all.

Well, at least he hasn't caused anyone's death. Yet.

"What I want to know is what's up with these books?" Liam frowned, holding up the growling, fur bound book away from his face.

"I'd be careful with that." Blaze warned him, electing to keep his book safe in his bag. "My brother let mine loose around the house as a joke. No one was laughing. Not even him."

"I think they're almost cute." Said Olivia, cocking her head to one side and staring down at the book in her arms.

"Almost being the keyword here." Draco scoffed.

"I named mine Winifred." Leah smiled.

"That's nice," Olivia replied. Everyone else rolled their eyes.

"All this walking is going to get real old, real fast." Blaze sighed. "And isn't the forest out of bounds anyway?"

"Oh, do you think we'll see a unicorn?" Leah jumped about enthusiastically, tugging on Olivia's arm.

"Maybe." Olivia gave her a warm smile. "Val, you saw a unicorn when you served detention that time in first year, didn't you?"

"I did," Valentine remembered that night full well whether she wanted to or not.

"OH! OH! OH!" Leah bounced from Olivia's arm to Valentine's. "Tell me everything about it! How tall was it? What colour was its eyes? Did it have bad breath? OH! Did you get to name it?"

"It was dead, Leah." Valentine shouldered her away.

"...What?"

"I said, it was dead." Valentine rolled her eyes irritably. "It had been killed before we got there. Our detention was to find the body."

"Wow." Liam frowned. "That sounds totally age-appropriate."

"Noooooo! Olivia!" Leah howled and threw herself to Olivia's arms once more. "Did you hear what she just said? Poor Gerald!"

"Gerald?" Blaze scrunched up his nose.

"Yeah," Leah sniffled, peering up from Olivia's shoulder. "that's what I decided to call the unicorn."

"You named a unicorn that died almost two years ago? And you named it Gerald?"

"Yeah!" Leah narrowed her glistening eyes. "Got a problem with that!"

"No, no. No problem." Blaze shook his head. "You clearly enjoy being insane."

"Um, guys," Olivia spoke up meekly.
"We're going into the forest now."

"Oh." Leah and Blaze mumbled in unison. They both turned to see the other students following after Hagrid. They quickly followed to join.

"Oi, Draco." Blaze came up between the two of them.

"What is it?"

"Methinks I have a plan to make this class a little more interesting."

"Does it involve pushing Potter into a vat of lava."

"No, but we can do that tomorrow. For the moment, I have a much less permanent plan."

"You're losing me, Blaze."

"Just come on," Blaze grumbled, grabbing Draco's arm and gesturing to Liam.

Can't imagine this being a good thing.

"What are you to up to?" Valentine arched a brow at Blaze.

"Don't worry, Val." He grinned. "Just sit back and enjoy."

Nope. Not good.

As they trampled their way through the trees they reached a clearing. Hagrid stopped and turned to them all.

"Right you lot! Less chattering! Form a group over there." He instructed with a vague gesture. "And open your books to page forty-nine."

"Um..." Leah looked down at the book in her arms worriedly.

"Beware." Blaze hummed. "I'm not kidding."

"Exactly how do we do that?" Draco demanded loudly so that Hagrid would hear.

"You just stoke the spine, of course." Hagrid shook his head like the answer had been obvious. "Goodness me."

Valentine frowned, watching the man disappear off into the trees. She felt eyes burning into her and looked around at her friends, still giving their books questionable looks. One by one they turned to look at Valentine sheepishly.

"Oh, for crying out loud." Valentine snapped.

She turned her own book around in her hands and stroked her fingers along the spine. The book gave a contented growl and Valentine proceeded to easily open the book without resistance. The others, now assured there books wouldn't maul their faces off, opened their own their accordingly.

Someone needs a lesson in independent thinking.

The boys headed to the back of the group which Valentine quickly knew wouldn't work at all. She preferred to be believed tween Harry and whatever danger Hagrid was about to expose them too. Not a mention she and Blaze would never be able to see from all the way back here.

Leah had been cooing and talking to her book like it was a small child when Liam tapped on Olivia's shoulder and whispered in her ear. Valentine watched Olivia turn a little pale, but nod none the less.

"Olivia." Valentine approached when Liam turned away to talk to Crabbe and Goyle. "What was that about?"

"Oh, uh..." Olivia glanced over at the boys. "It was a warning."

Why don't I like the sound of that?

"I think they're funny." Another voice cut through the chatter in the crowd and Draco scoffed loudly.

"Oh, yeah. Terribly funny. Quite witty really."

Harry, Ron and Hermione all shot him withering glares, the other students watching the growing situation with apprehension.

"God, this place is going to the dogs. Wait until my father hears Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes."

Liam, Blaze, Goyle and Crabbe had drifted to stand at Draco's side in support but Valentine got the sense it was far more than that.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry stepped forward boldly.

"Ohhhhhh." Draco and the other boys laughed, not finding Harry intimidating in the least.

Draco passed his bag off to Blaze and swaggered towards Harry, looking him up and down as if it was ridiculous that this skinny, messy-haired boy was confronting him. Draco stood a good inch or two above Harry but the boy didn't flinch. He found Draco about just as impressive as Draco found him.

Valentine crept forward, pushing past the other boys. If a fight broke out then Valentine was going to have to stop it before things got serious.

"Wow, Draco really has gotten tall hasn't he?" Valentine almost rolled her eyes when she heard Pansy somewhere behind her whispering not as quietly as she should have been. "It must not run in the family though. With how short Lestrange is-"

"Shush!" Leah hissed. "Some things should never be said aloud."

Harry met her eyes briefly and she saw a small glimmer of worry. It was no secret that she was much more intimidating, impressive and dangerous than three of her cousin could ever be.

Valentine was actually surprised. Usually, Draco would be either spitting venom or eating dirt by now. Then his shoulders went ridged and he half stumbled backwards. He pointed up beyond Harry's shoulder and gave a fearful shout.

"Dementor! Dementor!"

Harry and the rest of the class all whipped around but found only the clearing behind them.

The boys laughed again, pulled the hoods of their robes up over their heads. As the students turned back to them, their all held up their arms, wiggling their fingers and moaning like ghosts.

This is what all that whispering was about? Are you kidding me? When did we all suddenly revert back to six-year-olds?

Harry just stared at them all blankly, expression torn somewhere between indifferent and solemn.

This is indeed the saddest thing I have ever seen.

The boys all found this terribly funny, still giggling as Hermione grabbed Harry and pulled him away, shooting Draco, in particular, a dirty look.

Blaze and Liam shared a triumphant high five and Valentine fought the urge to roll her eyes. She then heard Hagrid clearing his voice but couldn't see him over the crowd.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Said Hagrid. "Say hello to Buckbeak."

Eyes forward, all Valentine could see was the backside of the other students.

Okay. This is not fair. Is there some unspoken rule stating that I can't be smart, magically talented and of reasonable height?

"What the hell is that?" Draco made a face.

"Well, its no unicorn." Leah grinned, creeping forward to see more. "But it'll do."

"Yeah." Blaze gave both the infinitely taller Draco and Liam at his sides a saucy glare. "It'll do alright."

Valentine growled lowly and smacked at Blaze's shoulder before she set off to push through the crowd forcefully.

"Oh." She heard him stumbling to follow her.

"Hagrid...exactly what is that?" Asked Ron as Valentine broke through to the front of the group.

She frowned. Buckbeak stood a bit further back in the clearing, watching them with sharp golden eyes. The creature seemed to be the byproduct of two with the head, wings and grey feathers of an eagle but the four legs and hooves of a horse. It was a rather bizarre-looking to be sure and she knew immediately what it was.

"Eh?" Blaze blinked as he arrived at her elbow, now able to see as well. "A bird horse?"

"It's a hippogriff." She shot him a terse look.

She could feel eyes burning into her from all directions but ignored them.

"Ah, right." Blaze nodded and then paused. "A what?"

"Aye, as Lestrange says, this here is a hippogriff. First thing you wanna know about hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended, you do not want to insult a hippogriff. It may just be the last thing you ever do." Hagrid clapped his large hands with an excited toothy grin. "Now, who'd like to come to say hello?"

As if all of one mind, the students, including Valentine and Blaze took a prompt step back. Valentine wasn't known for class participation and didn't want to be caught as an accidental volunteer. Harry wasn't so lucky.

"Well, done Harry! Well, done!"

Valentine stuck her hands in her pockets so she could clench them to her hearts, bitter, frustrated content.

Is he asleep standing up? What the hell is he doing?

Harry stood there, stupified for a moment. He looked back at the others and then to Hagrid again, realising what had just happened.

"Come on." Hagrid motioned for him to step up as Ron snuck forward and nudged Harry a little.

"Now, you have to let him make the first move. It's only polite." Harris instructed as Harry moved forward slowly. "So, step up, give him a nice bow. Then you wait and see if he bows back. If you do, you can go and touch him, if not...well, we'll get to that later."

I'm sorry, what?

Harry did as he was told, creeping towards the hippogriff and bowing.