The Past Meets the Future at Hogwarts: Part 3

Chapter 9: Zagan

Okay, hear me out. Imagine yourself finding out that your accident prone, currently being hunted down by a wizard, and constantly in trouble girlfriend is predicted to die. Yeah, not the greatest way to start off a year.

I caught up with her outside of Professor McGonagall's room. I could see it in the way that she was standing that she was putting up a front for the entirety of the last class. "Hey," I said, standing next to her.

"Hey," She said weakly. "I promise I'm not going to die this year."

"Don't make promises you don't know if you can keep," I told her, locking eyes with her. She frowned but stood up straighter with a smile as Bianca walked over. I wished she was more willing to open up to people, but I understood why she wasn't. Believe me, her past made it extraordinary that she even trusted anyone.

Professor McGonagall let us into the classroom where we had a new seating chart. Victoria and I sat next to each other in the front. She began to lecture us on Animagi, ending by changing into a cat. The mood in the room though stayed very dull. Apparently Divination had bothered a lot of people.

Victoria leaned into my ear and whispered. "You should say you're one and make it a cocker spaniel puppy."

"What so you could cuddle with me?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing," She said, scrunching up her nose and making me blush.

Professor McGonagall changed back into a human with a look of disappointment on her face. "Really, what has got into you all today?" Professor McGonagall asked. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."

Every head turned toward Harry and Victoria as Hermione offered to explain.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and --"

"Ah, of course," Professor McGonagall said, frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

Everyone stared at her.

"Me," Harry said, finally.

"And me," Victoria groaned.

"I see," Professor McGonagall said, glancing between Harry and Victoria before her eyes fixed on Harry. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues --"

Professor McGonagall paused, shifting her focus to Victoria, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney --"

She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

That caused a few people to chuckle, and Victoria whined out, "But Professor."

More people laughed as Professor McGonagall shot her a soft smile, her eyes twinkling as she looked between us.

Transfiguration finished soon after that. "Eat at lunch then we'll talk more during Hagrid's class, okay?" I said as Victoria and I parted ways for lunch. Victoria nodded and waved goodbye to me before crossing the great hall.

I smiled and went to my table, forgetting just a little of the incident in Divination. Professor McGonagall was right. Victoria would be fine. Trelawny was a fraud anyway. The only true oracle was in New York right now and was technically a mummy, not some teacher at a wizarding school.