Erased and Replaced

Part 7~The Dress

Harry semi-collapsed into his seat, he was not in the mood for Divinations. Running a hand through his messy hair, he tried to shake off the feeling of unease as Umbridge entered the room.

Trelawney tried to ignore the presence of the toad. "Greetings my children. I sense even now that many of you have already made the transition into the beyond! Today we will be continuing our interpretation of prophetic dreams. Please divide into your groups and discuss your recent night time visions using the text as a guide."

Harry opened his book, only just noticing that for the first time since he arrived, there was someone sitting beside him. Ron offered up an awkward smile, opening his own textbook with a thud. "Had any weird dreams lately?"

Harry froze slightly. That's one way of putting it. Harry was about to answer when Umbridge started her integration of the poor teacher. "How long have you been at this post?"

Trelawney was put off a bit, not liking the interruption. "Near to sixteen years, I have been the guide to young seers possessed of the Inner sight." Trelawney turned back to the class, fully ready to continue the lesson.

Umbridge wasn't. "I understand you are the descendent of the famous seer Cassandra Trelawney?" No, she just stole the name.

"I am."

"And you are the first since Cassandra to have the Second Sight."

"These things tend to skip... several... generations." Wait, did she steal the name? That sounded very suspicious.

"Of course. Now, if you would kindly make a prediction for me?" Trelawney seemed to freeze, she could not see a prophecy. "The inner eye does not see upon command?" Umbridge seemed pleased with herself, making an annoying long note.

Trelawney stepped up to Harry who was still pondering the fact that Trelawney might have stolen the surname. "My dear boy, your dream diary, if you please." Harry snapped out of his thoughts and nervously handed his diary to her. There was some weird stuff in there and Harry wasn't sure if this was a good idea.

It wasn't. Trelawney screamed, dropping the dairy and practically shooting away. If this had been a different teacher, Harry might have been concerned but this has been the norm for the last three years since choosing the subject. He wonders which evil entity Trelawney was assaulted with this time.

"My dear boy! My poor boy! These dreams are evil portends!"

Harry- preferring to know which person was coming for him this time- read out the passage he wrote. "'I dreamt Tom Riddle was in a dress.'" Harry remembered that dream. That was disturbing but not what Trelawney was looking for- or at least, not in this world.

The class seemed bemused by the strange dream, laughing in little chuckles. Umbridge was smirking.

Trelawney- trying to recover- was not letting this go. "Yes, yes, a dress! Are you telling me you cannot see the signs? The foretelling of suffering and death?"

"Maybe last year, or the year before that, but so far this year has been pretty peaceful," Harry answered confusedly. Other than the nightly torture and being in a different reality, things were less... deathy than usual.

"Perhaps you are not as in the beyond as the others." Trelawney swept away as Harry sighed. He didn't fancy any more death.

"Well, if that's the best you can do, Professor, I will be going."

Harry sighed as he left class. Ironically, the next page in his dream dairy did foretell death and suffering but he wasn't going to tell the others that. One page off and Trelawney might have gotten away with that.

Harry let his mind rest, moving on muscle memory until something- or rather someone- got in his way. "Ow, sorry." Harry offered out a hand, he may have knocked over a Slytherin but he was still polite.

"Potter?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry had to push away the scowl. "Malfoy. Are you alright?"

"Fine. You're not going to shout at me again?"

"No. I should be going." Harry turned, trying to leave but he felt Malfoy grabbing onto his wrist. "What are you doing?"

Malfoy retracted his hand, for a moment, his pureblood mask fell but was quickly picked back up as he cleared his throat. "There is a meeting. We are going to be... studying. Elijah wants you there."

"You know how dodgy this sounds right?" Harry let out a sigh, it wasn't as if he had anywhere to be. "Fine but if I come back out as a toad I'm turning you back into a ferret." Harry walked in the direction Malfoy must have been coming in for them to have crashed.

"...How do you know about that?" Malfoy was sure what to make of Harry. The Gryffindor seemed to hate them- that wasn't that unusual- but he had a strange fondness over the twins which was weird. And he seemed to know things from previous years. And he claimed to know them. And he knew all their names. He was just weird.

"Hey, are you going to lead the way! I don't know where I'm going!"

Malfoy sped up, catching up easily. "So, how do you know Elijah? Other than the detention of course."

Harry raised an eyebrow. He knew the Malfoy heir was so awkward. "We met on the train. And I'm friends with Neville and Luna so I guess that something."

"Just something? Elijah is so helpless when it comes to Neville I'm pretty sure he would break into Gringotts for him. Probably get away with it too."

Harry stopped. Did Malfoy just suggest that... Elijah liked Neville? Harry saw it, it just seemed very out of the blue. And Malfoy is making a joke! This world was strange.

"Um, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I didn't know Elijah liked Neville."

Draco snorted. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't either. Shame, I'm pretty sure Neville likes him back. It's not everyday someone is brave enough to break into Sev's private store for a supply of Gillyweed. I'm pretty sure if it hadn't been for Elijah, Neville would have been in detention for the rest of his life."

Harry let a small smile come to his life, before a little chuckle and then a full out laugh.

"Like seriously! How can those two not realise?! They literally break every rule in the universe for each other. Once, Neville got Ron's brother Charlie to sneak out a dragon because Elijah didn't want to see the dragon hurt. Charlie lives in Romania! And he arrived in an hour!"

"You came!" Elijah jumped up, the loud noise being shushed by Madam Prince.

Harry took a deep breath, nodding and sitting down by the table. Luna, Neville, Elijah, Hermione, Ron and now Draco and him were all there, secretly whispering how to actually pass their exams.