Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter Six | Divination...

When Ariana found out her first class of the day was Divination, she felt the urge to put her head through a wall. She had always preferred focusing on books and facts rather than staring intently into a crystal ball and reading tea leaves. It was such an imprecise subject, one that the girl wished she didn't have to study, for the sake of her mental health. Nonetheless, she had to attend. Qualifications and working hard in school were her tickets to a better life and nothing was going to stand in her way. Having recognised the girl's dedication to learning, Professor McGonagall had offered Ariana and her just as studious friend Hermione a time-turner, enabling them to take more subjects than those abiding my normal laws of time could. It was a privilege to be offered such a powerful object and trusted to use it wisely - after all, one mistake in bending time could have devastating results. It felt good to be trusted.

Class had started five minutes ago and Ariana and Hermione were dashing towards the North Tower for Divination, however reluctantly. After climbing multiple flights of stairs and a shining silver ladder, they arrived at their destination. The smell of sickeningly sweet incense gave Ariana a small headache before she even pulled the heavy oak door open. She and Hermione shared a quick glance of dread before yanking on the iron doorknob and disappearing into the murky fog which inhabited the room. The girls found silently slid onto little pink pouffes beside Harry and Ron; the small circular table between them was covered in a satin-like purple fabric. The room reminded Ariana of an old exotic marketplace, covered in vibrant fabrics draping from the walls, silver swirls of smoke rising from incense sticks and the faint sweet smell of things Ariana couldn't quite recognise. Their teacher, Professor Trelawney, glided into the firelight, and took in her new year of young students; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a pink gauzy spangled shawl. She rather reminded Ariana of a massive rosy maple moth.

"Welcome, my children. How nice to see you in the physical world at last. In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess the Sight. Hello. I'm Professor Trelawney. 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," she stated, waltzing around the room.

As she sat down, Ariana, a complete and utter valuer of books, rolled her eyes and scoffed, completely disagreeing with their Professor. Her mind was not suited to any form of Divination, nor did she want it to be... the witch was much more suited to the precise science of Potions.

"What rubbish," Hermione said under her breath, alerting the boys to her and Ariana's presence.

"Where'd you come from?" Ron questioned, flabbergasted, as his head twirled towards them so fast that it might of flew off of his body.

"Us? We've been here all along," Hermione replied dismissively.

Trelawney suddenly spun around and stared at a fellow Gryffindor, Neville, who was quite rightly shocked at her abrupt actions.

"You, boy! Is your grandmother well?" she demanded, hovering uncomfortably by his face.

"I... I think so," Neville stuttered, his face turning as scarlet as the inside of Gryffindor robes.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Trelawney added.

Ariana's eyebrows raised at the Professor's bluntness and watched as Neville grew more and more concerned for his grandmother. The young witch knew Neville was like herself and Harry: an orphan. All he had was his grandmother and Ariana was angered by the Professor's complete lack of tact or consideration; even if she was unaware of the situation, you do not frighten someone like that.