The Other Potter Book Three.

Chapter Seven

Feeling totally unworried about the whole 'grim' thing, I set off with Harry, Ron, and Hermione for Transfiguration.

Everyone else seemed to think that Harry would drop dead at any moment.

I was simply enjoying myself as I listened to professor McGonagall talk about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals.) I thought it was pretty wicked, though difficult. Either way, I'm gonna learn how to do it, illegally. Cause I'm a rebel.

Rebel without a cause...

Professor McGonagall transformed herself in front of us into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.

"YEAH!" I shouted starting to clap. No one else did, so I sat.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."

"What am I chopped liver?" I said dramatically.

"Shut up Tree." She snapped.

"I'm your biggest fan Professor."

"Willow-"McGonagall's voice was so frustrated. I loved it, but shut up. "So, what has gotten into you today?" she asked my class. "If Willow speaks, you all get a detention." She added realising I was about to speak.

I put my hand up and Professor McGonagall glared.

"You are banished from speaking."

"We've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and-"Hermione said hurriedly.

"Ah, of course," said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

We all stared at her. I had a sudden need to tell her that she must be a physic, but I stopped myself...And I fell off my chair.

Everyone ignored me. Just because this happens almost every lesson, doesn't give anyone the right to ignore me.

I would have complained but I was banished.

I talk too much.

"Me," said Harry, finally.

"I see," said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sybil Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues --" Professor McGonagall broke off. I saw that her nostrils had gone white. Reminds me of the look she gives me. She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney..." She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione laughed and I smiled. I usually smile and talk. And I realised that my thoughts run through my head really quickly, so it sounds really high pitched and fast.

When the Transfiguration class had finished, we joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch.

"Ron, cheer up," said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew toward him. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said."

Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start.

"Harry," he said, in a low, serious voice, "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, I have," said Harry. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."

Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.

"Probably a stray," said Hermione calmly.

Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad.

"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's -- that's bad," he said. "My -- my uncle Bilious saw one and -- and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" said Ron, starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then," said Hermione in a superior tone. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"

Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly.

"ha ha. Wool." I said thumping my head down on the table.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"

She snatched up her bag and stalked away.

Ron frowned after her.

"What's she talking about?" he said. "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet."

"Well, Hermione has a giant mushroom of time travel, and she-" Quoted I

"What is it with you and mushrooms?" Harry said looking intently into my eyes.

"They're cool. AND STOP STARING INTO MY SOUL!" I screamed and ran away.

Wow. I think thats even a bit weird for me!

Maybe I should see a therapist.

Aha! That. Would. Be. Epic.

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