chosen - harry potter

Chapter 4 - The Queen of England

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

The next day, the quartet made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast, passing by a gleeful Draco Malfoy recounting a story to a large group of Slytherins. As they passed near him, he did an impression of apparently Harry passing out.

"Hey, Potter!" Pansy Parkinson screamed. "Potter! The dementors are coming, Potter! Wooooo!"

The group sat down at the Gryffindor table, Cassia sitting next to Harry.

"New third-year course schedules," George said, passing them over. "What's up with you, Harry?"

"Malfoy," Harry said.

George looked at the Slytherin table, seeing Malfoy pretend to faint once again.

"That little git," George said. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"

"Nearly wet himself," Fred said.

"Anyway, Harry, I'm sure Malfoy won't be so happy after the first Quidditch match," Cassia said. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin."

"Right, I forgot about that," Harry said, perking up a bit.

"And," she said, spreading some jam on toast, "I can do some magic with no incantation, so if you ever need him to get hexed...you know who to call."

"You're going to abuse that power," Harry smiled. "I already know."

"I am not!" she said, feigning offense. 

"Right," Harry said. "If the Slytherin team starts falling off their broom, I'll know who it was."

"We'd better go," Ron said. "Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there."

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

The class had all been divided into pairs, Cassia sitting across from Hermione on a squashy armchair. After Professor Trelawney had given her opening speech to the class, they were all to read each other's tea leaves. Hermione already seemed generally annoyed by the class, clearly not impressed with Divination as a whole, or specifically Professor Trelawney. Cassia was beginning to get a headache from the heavily perfumed room, but she was having fun with the almost comical mystique of Professor Trelawney. She was not taking the class seriously.

Professor Trelawney poured the two of them their cup of tea, and they both drank the hot tea until only the dregs were left, swilled them around, and turned their cup over. Cassia and Hermione swapped cups, Hermione pursing her lips as she took it.

"Here, I'll go first," Cassia smiled, waving her fingers and speaking in an airy voice. "I see...a crown. According to my notes...you will be the queen of England very soon."

"Amazing!" Hermione said, lightening up.

"Wait, there actually is a crown in here," Cassia said, dropping her act. "It means 'success and honor.' Lucky you."

"That's less fun," Hermione said. "I'll read your's"

She looked in the cup, turning her head and glancing at her copy of Unfogging the Future.

"It looks like a clover," Hermione said. "Which means luck, as you'd expect."

"Easy enough."

"It can also mean happiness in love," Hermione added, raising her eyebrows. 

"I'll stick with luck."

Suddenly, Professor Trelawney screamed, making everyone in the class turn. She had sank into an armchair near Harry and Ron, her hand clutched to her chest. Cassia and Hermione got to their feet, standing near Harry and Ron's small table. Most of the class had gotten to their feet, peering over Professor Trelawney's shoulder to look into the cup.