I'm Still Standing!~ Book 3

See You again!

~With Jade~

Jade who sat in the very back part of the room watched as Harry and his friends entered the room. "I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term," Jade barely heard as Ron whispered it to Harry, casting a wary eye around for Professor Trelawney. 

"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry," Harry whispered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands." 

"Good day to you!" said the familiar, misty voice of Professor Trelawney as she made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows. Parvati and Lavender quivered with excitement, their faces lit by the milky glow of their crystal ball. 

"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," said Professor Trelawney, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice." 

Jade just rolled her eyes at the idiotic words coming out of Trelawney's mouth. Hermione snorted. "Well, honestly... 'the fates have informed her.' Who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" she said, not troubled enough to keep her voice low. 

Jade, Harry, and Ron choked back laughs. It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard them as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not. 

"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," she said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to see when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes..." Ron began to snigger uncontrollably and had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the noise. "so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will see before the end of the class." And so they began. 

Jade felt extremely foolish, staring blankly at the crystal ball, trying to keep her mind empty when thoughts such as "this is stupid" kept drifting across it. It didn't help that she could hear several people giggling around her and Hermione kept cutting. 

"Seen anything yet?" Harry asked Ron. 

"Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Ron, pointing. "Someone's spilled their candle." 

"This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. "I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms..." 

Professor Trelawney rustled past the trio. "Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles. 

"I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight." Both Harry and Hermione burst out laughing. 

"Now, really!" said Professor Trelawney as everyone's heads turned in their direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalized. 

"You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" She approached the Trio's table and peered into their crystal ball. Harry looked like his heart sank in his chest. As if he knew what was coming. 

"There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving... but what is it?"  Seeing the look on his face Jade was sure she also knew what was going to be spewing from the crazy witch's mouth. 

And sure enough... "My dear," Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. "It is here, plainer than ever before... my dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer... the Gr..."