Pale Ghosts Ascend

Taught Me False Prophecies, In Vain

I woke up the next day earlier than the others and headed down to breakfast alone. I was mid bite of an english muffin when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I spun around to find a small boy who couldn't have been an inch over four feet tall. He was wearing green Slytherin robes and seemed terribly nervous.

"You good man? You need something? I don't know if you missed it last night, but I'm new here, so I'm afraid if you need directions I might not be much help."

He let out a small yelp and took a deep breath. "M...my friends w...want to know if the rumors are true."

I frowned, slightly concerned that somehow we'd been found out. "I... what rumors?"

The boy danced nervously on the tips of his feet as he spoke. "Th... that you attacked Malfoy on the train and tried to k...kill him."

I frowned again, this time more out of annoyance than concern. "Uh, no. Did he tell you guys that?"

The boy let out a deep breath, seemingly relieved. I scooted over and offered him a seat. "He told everyone, in the common room last night. Said you used some freakish magic."

I groaned slightly. "If he considers second year defense freakish, sure. He attacked me first, for the record. He just wants to sound tough, trust me. An even if I did attack him, he was being a bit of... how do you guys put it over here? A prat?"

The boy nodded, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, that. So you have nothing to worry about. I've been here less than a day and he already seems the most insufferable person in this castle. So just don't be like that and you'll be fine. Promise."

The boy laughed softly and went back to his friends, who were looking on with faces of both fascination and morbid curiosity. I gave them a quick salute and went back to my breakfast. I was joined soon enough by Hermione and Andromeda, who were talking about healing magic. Eventually, Hermione turned to me, staring for a moment before speaking.

"You look weird."

I frowned, confused. "Uh, excuse me?"

Hermione blushed profusely. "Not in a bad way! Just... different. I'm not sure what it is. I think its your eyes. They look like they're glowing sometimes."

I glanced over towards Andromeda. "'Meda, what..."

She nodded. "It usually happens when you do magic. Have you really never noticed?"

I shook my head. "I mean, usually I'm not looking in a mirror when I do magic, so..." I paused for a second. "Is this a recent thing, or..."

She shook her head. "Nah, been like that as long as I've known you."

I shrugged, turning my head back towards Hermione. "Huh. Weird you're the first to point it out."

"It's not just that. You and Andromeda look, like, perfect. Like a sculpture of a Greek god or something."

I glanced over to Andromeda, the both of us trying and failing to suppress laughter.

"I uh, thanks Hermione? Where are you going with this exactly?"

She shrugged. "Nowhere. It's just odd."

I sighed. "Well, fair enough I suppose. Are Harry and Ron normally this late to breakfast?"

Hermione nodded, sighing. "Those two are late to everything. I swear, even if they had a time turner they would find a way to be late."

As if on cue, the doors to the great hall burst open, and who else but Ron and Harry rushed in, taking a moment to scan the table before making their way towards us.

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The rest of breakfast was thankfully free of Hermione's keen observations and scarily accurate analogies, and eventually McGonagall got around to handing out the schedules.

"You guys took bloody Divination? Seriously?"

Andromeda looked at Ron with a glare that could cut glass.

"What's wrong with Divination, huh?"

Ron leaned back a bit, surprised by Andromeda's sudden anger. "It's just... prophecies and all that? They're nonsense, right?"

I put a hand on Ron's shoulder, silently begging for him to retract his statement. Insulting the art of prophecies to the daughter of the god of prophecies wasn't the smartest move. Not that he knew who her father was or anything, of course.

"You... you little..."

"'Meda, I'm sure Ron didn't meed it that way. Right Ron?"

Ron looked at me for a moment and understood my meaning.

"I... of course not, not like that. I'm just not good with them is all."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "For once, Ron is right. They're nonsense, Professor Trelawney said Harry was going to die last year and he seems quite alive to me."

Andromeda got up with a huff. "Then she must have misinterpreted the prophecies. Or she simply doesn't have the gift for them. Come on, Y/N, we'll be late if we sit around any longer."

I knew full well we still had another hour, but also knew better than to force Andromeda to sit around two people who had royally pissed her off. I said a quick goodbye and followed her out the door, listening to her grumble about "insufferable Brits" the whole way to Trelawney's classroom.

Harry POV

"Well they're a bit strange, aren't they?" Exclaimed Hermione, her jaw nearly on the floor.

"Bloody terrifying, more like." Replied Ron, who was still shrunken in his seat. "I thought she was about to turn me into a rodent or something."

"Two of the brightest students in the world, and they take Divination? What's wrong with them?" Said Hermione, ignoring Ron.

"Maybe they teach it better over in America?" I offered, somewhat unconvincingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You could go all the way to Delphi itself and not find a convincing example of a prophecy proving true. Those two are odd. Just plain odd."

"Please don't make us investigate them or something, 'Mione. Just let us have a normal year for once." Said Ron, finally emerging from his state of terror.

Hermione frowned at him. "Investigate them? When have I ever..."

"Flamel. And the Chamber." I said, counting on my fingers. "And Buckbeak."

"Are you saying you weren't interested in any of those?"

I shook my head. "No, just pointing out a trend is all."

Hermione sighed and stood. "Come on. We're going to the library."