Bella and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter Thirty-Nine

I sighed as I looked at Trelawney. I wish this lesson would just hurry up and end. 

"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.

"I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight"

Me, Harry and Hermione burst out laughing. Ron always knows what to say.

"Now, really!" Trelawney said as everyone's heads turned in our direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalised. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" She approached our table and peered into our crystal ball. I felt my heart sinking. I was sure I knew what was coming...

"There is something here!" Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something's moving...but what is it?"

I was prepared to bet everything I owned, including my Firebolt, that it wasn't good news, whatever it was. And sure enough...

"My dear..." Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry and throwing an occasional glance at me. "It is here, plainer than ever before....my dear, stalking towards you, growing ever closer...the Gr-"

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" Hermione cried, loudly. "Not that ridiculous Grim again!"

Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glard at Hermione, too. I glared back and they dropped their gazes in fear. Good. Trelawney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakeable anger.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly Mundane."

There was a moment's silence, I stared at Trelawney in shock. She just didn't do that? Then - 

"Fine!" Hermione said, suddenly getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. "Fine!" she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair. "I give up! I'm leaving!"

And to everyone's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight. It took a few moments for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelawney seemed to have forgotten all about the Grim. She turned abruptly from our table, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her.

"Ooooo!" Lavender said suddenly, making everyone in the room jump. "Ooooo, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? 'Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!'  You said it ages ago, Professor!"

"Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs...the Inner Eye can be a burden, you know..."

Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed and moved over so that Trelawney could join their table instead.

"Some day Hermione's having, eh?" Ron muttered to me and Harry looking awed.

"Yeah..." Harry muttered, shocked. 

I glanced into the crystal ball but saw nothing but swirling white mist. Had Professor Trelawney really seen the Grim again? Would I? The last thing myself and Harry needed was another near-fatal accident, with the Quidditch final drawing ever nearer.

*

The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The third-years had never had so much homework. Neville Longbottom seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one.