Good Enough | hp

37| First Class

Estella's eyes widened, her chest pounding suddenly very loudly in her chest, echoing in her ears.

In an attempt to help Harry, she tried to pull herself together.

"I don't think it looks like a Grim," Hermione said flatly. She had moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair.

Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike. "You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."

"It's alright Harry," Estella said, slightly shakily. "I mean, everyone dies eventually. Maybe you'll be old and bony before it happens."

He gave her a grateful smile which(she thought) made it all worth it.

Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side.

"It looks like a Grim if you do this," he said, with his eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said, leaning to the left.

"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" said Harry, taking Estella by surprise.

Nobody seemed to want to look at him, but Estella stared straight at him, silently willing him to turn and see that she didn't believe anything of what Trelawney had just said.

He wouldn't die - at least not until he was a respectable old age.

"I think we'll leave the lesson here for today," said Professor Trelawney, in her mistiest voice. "Yes... please pack away your things..."

Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books and closed their bags.

Estella wanted to say something to Charlotte but Charlotte's mouth was glued shut.

"Until we meet again," said Professor Trelawney faintly, "fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear-" she pointed at Neville, "you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra hard to catch up."

Estella and Charlotte descended Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding staircase in silence, then set off for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson.

They reached the classroom with a few minutes to spare and sat down near the front(by request of Estella).

She gave her teacher a warm smile and started taking out her quill and ink.

Estella had almost finished unpacking her stuff for the lesson when she realised that Charlotte hadn't moved.

She nudged the brown-haired girl gently and said in a low voice as more Gryffindors streamed into the classroom, "You alright?"

Charlotte stared forward blankly before she blinked, seeming to have noticed Estella. "What? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just... worried."

"About Harry's cup?" Estella said knowingly. Charlotte nodded.

"I know it looks bad but I mean, surely he's not going to die anytime soon. The grim's just a superstition, like how black cats are said to give you bad luck. Right?" she added when Charlotte didn't respond.

"Yes, just a superstition. Of course..." she trailed off and Estella could tell that she was not fully convinced.

At that moment, Harry, Ron and Hermione walked in and sat down at the back of the room.

Estella noticed the rest of the class shooting furtive glances at him. She had half a mind to turn back herself, but as she was sitting at the front of the classroom and was rather interested in the lesson Professor McGonagall had planned on Animagi, decided against this.