The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 51: Cloaks, Claws, and Crystal Balls

Harry was having a difficult week.

It had taken him some time to get back into the swing of things.  He felt like he was constantly on edge.  Despite the Dementors being kept on the boundaries of the school, he imagined he could feel their presence no matter where he was.  He knew he could not, he was not freezing cold nor was he filled with despair.  Yet he felt like his head was always buzzing, a low tingle that never really went away.

Coupled with the fact that everyone kept talking about Sirius Black, it made for an atmosphere that he felt he could not escape from.  People talked about what got him sent to Azkaban all the time, debating on how he was able to escape Azkaban, talked about his ties with You-Know-Who.

Harry wished he could just escape somewhere where people did not talk about either Dementors or Sirius Black.

Luckily his friends provided that solace.  Ron, Angelina, and Oliver were always happy to talk about Quidditch.  Hermione needed the barest prompting when it came to school work for her to discuss that.  Alicia was always helpful with potions and to hear stories of her family and their potion work.  Not to mention she was incredibly talented at causing a bit of fun with her comments.  Katie was always happy to talk about her family and to just chat with Harry.  The twins never failed to regale Harry with stories of their misdeeds and misadventures.

Despite being very busy as Head Boy, Percy popped by the common room every now and again to lecture his brothers and to check on Ginny and Harry.  He had to stop doing the tutoring sessions with Harry and had apologized for it.  He was too busy with his duties.

Harry did not mind.  He was touched that Percy made time to just check on his well-being.

Angelina and Alicia had become very busy too.  This was their O.W.L.s year and had a lot more homework and review to do.  It was also the twins' O.W.L.s year as well, but they did not seem to acknowledge it much to the annoyance of Percy.  They certainly did not let its existence hold them back from their escapades. 

Harry was happy enough to just spend time with them while they worked.  He did his own work and did not ask them to help often.  Consequently, he was keeping up rather well because he worked diligently alongside them, much to Hermione's delight and Ron's disgust.

Harry sighed deeply as he set his quill down.  He looked morosely out of the window; the grounds bathed in moonlight under the half moon.

"What's wrong Harry?" Katie asked, concerned.

He shrugged.  "It's silly," he murmured.

"Doesn't seem like it to me.  Go on, tell me."

He smiled wanly.  "Divination isn't as cool as I thought it would be."

"You mean not as easy as you thought it would be," Alicia amended as she continued to read her textbook.

Harry snorted.  "Okay, maybe that too."

"What's so bad about it?" Katie asked.  "Leeanne likes it."

Harry flushed and felt shy.  "Never mind, it's silly."

"Professor Trelawney predicted his death," Hermione said waspishly from his side.  She punched the parchment hard with her quill.

The three older girls looked up at that.  "She did what?" Alicia asked, appalled.

"She said Harry is fated to die soon," Hermione said with a sniff.  "Something dodgy about his tea leaves and something called a Grim."

Katie snorted.  "A Grim?  Bollocks."

Angelina looked worried.  "I'm not saying I believe in that sort of thing, but isn't Professor Trelawney a Seer?"

"No, she's a child of someone who was a true seer," Alicia said.  "There's never been a record of her making an accurate prediction.  Teachers predicting their students' death.  I thought only Defense professors were supposed to be terrible."