Next to you

Chapter 19

Yetao had never liked the Divination class. It wasn't that he wasn't good at it, but he just didn't believe so much in this branch of magic. It was an inexact science after all. He liked the Professor who taught this subject though. Professor Nene, a cheerful and very enthusiastic young woman. It was clear that she liked interacting with students and exchanging ideas with them. That's why Yetao bothered to come to this class.

That day the Professor had decided to pair up students for crystal-gazing. Yetao paired up with Zhang Jiayuan. They were both intensely staring at the crystal ball when Professor Nene approached them.

"So boys, how is it going?" She asked with her clear voice.

"Not so well. I can see only a bunch of white fog." Jiayuan answered unenthusiastically.

"Maybe you should change your approach. Relax your mind and focus on your inner eye." Nene said with a bright smile, encouraging him.

Jiayuan nodded, then tried to follow the Professor's suggestion, narrowing his eyes in concentration. "Oh, I'm starting to see something." He said in excitement. Both Nene and Yetao came closer to the crystal ball, anticipating Jiayuan's insight. "Nah, it's just the light from the window. There is only fog in here." Jiayuan said eventually with a laugh knocking on the crystal. Nene and Yetao both groaned in disappointment.

"What about you, Hu Yetao? Do you want to give it a shot?" The Professor asked Yetao. He wasn't sure it would have worked, seen his little faith in Divination, but he couldn't refuse Nene's suggestion. "Come on, relax. Open your mind. I know you can do it." She said.

Yetao did as he was told and looked at the crystal ball in deep concentration. The fog inside it was starting to take a different shape. It was a person, someone he knew very well. Oscar. But there was something wrong. Oscar's mouth was open in a silent desperate scream and around him chains started to wrap around his limbs. He was trying to escape from them, but he couldn't. Yetao abruptly stood up from his chair, getting away from the ball and refusing to see more.

"Taotao? What did you see?" Jiayuan asked, concerned by Yetao's reaction.

Yetao recovered from his shock and turned to look at the Professor. "How accurate are the insights shown by the ball?" He asked her, ignoring Jiayuan's question.

"You saw something, right?" Yetao nodded at her question. "Crystal-gazing is a particularly refined art. If you really saw something in the crystal ball, then that event will eventually happen." Nene explained.

"When? When will it happen?" He asked. He still had Oscar's desperate face printed behind his eyes. Yetao didn't believe in divination, but his insight was about Oscar, not about himself. He couldn't just ignore it.

"It could happen today, tomorrow, in the near future or in one year. We can't know for sure." She answered.

Yetao wanted to curse at that damn crystal ball. What if that event would actually happen? Panic started to grow in him. He needed to see Oscar right away and make sure he was okay. He stormed out of the room, ignoring Jiayuan's attempts to call his name and ask him what was the matter. Yetao knew that Oscar was training on the Quidditch field since the match against Hufflepuffs was approaching. Once he arrived at the field, he immediately saw Oscar who was giving detailed instructions to his teammates from the ground.

Yetao ran towards him screaming his name. Oscar noticed him and confusedly started walking in his direction. Yetao didn't stop once they were close enough and knocked into him, making the both of them fall on the grass of the field, Yetao pinning Oscar to the ground. "Taotao? What's the matter?" Oscar asked with a puzzled expression.

"You're okay, right? No chains in sight?" Yetao asked vehemently.

Oscar's confusion was turning into worry. "Chains? What are you talking about?"

"I saw you in the crystal ball, wrapped in chains desperately trying to free yourself." Yetao explained.

Oscar raised his eyebrows in realization. "Ah, I get it. But as you can see, I'm fine. And there are no chains here. It must be some vision of the future." Oscar said with a smile to calm Yetao down.

"But it's something that will happen eventually." Yetao responded nervously.

"But we don't know when. It's no use overreacting now, right?" Oscar said, extending a hand to cup Yetao's cheek.

Yetao nodded. Oscar's calm voice had the power to get rid of the anxiety that clouded Yetao's mind. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? And tell me if something strange happens."

"I will, I promise." Oscar answered looking at his eyes. Then he gave him a shy smile. "Now can you please move? We are kinda in a compromising position here."

Yetao realized that Oscar was right. His whole body was caging Oscar on the ground, his hands were placed on both sides of his head, his legs on both sides of his hips. He saw with the corner of his eyes Oscar's teammates watching them in amusement on their brooms. Of course they couldn't have heard their conversation from afar. Yetao quickly stood up, followed by Oscar. "I'll leave you to your training." Yetao said, embarrassed.

"I'll see you later."

"Remember your promise." Yetao said. Then he left.

"You're distracted today." Professor Zhennan said when Yetao failed once again in controlling a spell.

"I'm sorry." Yetao answered panting.

"What happened?" Zhennan asked. He could read Yetao like an open book by now.

Yetao sighed. It was pointless hiding things from the Professor. "I saw Oscar in danger in the crystal ball this morning."

"I thought you didn't believe in divination."

"I still don't. But this is not about me. What if something happens to Oscar just because I was careless and ignored my vision? I could never forgive myself." Yetao answered.

"The future can still change, you know? Divination is an inexact science after all."

"I know. But still."

Zhennan patted his head. "Don't think too much." Yetao nodded. "Come on, let's go back to business." The Professor said.

Professor Zhennan was right. He didn't know if or when that vision would come true. Thinking too much would only affect his studies, his training and his social life. And he couldn't allow it.

For the next week Yetao tried to relax and don't think about the crystal ball insight. Everyday he would ask Oscar if he was alright or if something strange happened, but he would always receive a flick on the forehead and a bright smile, a sign that everything was fine.

On the day of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, Yetao went to watch it together with Jiayuan. Before the match they went to wish good luck to both teams. Of course Oscar asked Yetao to cheer for him, but he had answered that he couldn't do that otherwise Fu Sichao would have beaten him up. Oscar was disappointed by this answer, but Yetao had promised him to make it up to him somehow after the match.

The match started as soon as Yetao and Jiayuan came back to the benches. Gryffindor was leading right away thanks to Keyu and Caelan's skillful teamwork. Oscar was brilliantly directing them from his Keeper position, while Patrick was competing with Wu Yuheng in the chasing of the Golden Snitch.

Yetao and Jiayuan were cheering for both teams, screaming the name of their friends or exulting when one of them scored a goal. When Lin Mo sent the Quaffle against one of the goalposts Oscar was guarding, Yetao nervously held his breath anticipating Oscar's action.

Luckily he managed to repel the Quaffle. Just at that moment Patrick was having head-to-head with Wu Yuheng, since the both of them were so close to the Golden Snitch. All the focus of the players and of the audience was on them.

That's why nobody noticed the spell that hit Oscar in his right arm, making him fall from 20 meters high.