Always knew it was you

The Grim

She told Lavender to give her a silver teapot and said that the thing she was dreading would happen on Friday, sixteenth of October.

Lavender trembled.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing".

She caught me by the arm and said, "After you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

I glared at her but proceeded to take a cup. The cup slipped out of my hand.

She tells me that my grandma was not well and expects me not to get disturbed by it. Do I have some superpowers or something?

"One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind...thank you...", she said.

I was starting to regret taking Divination. Muggle studies would have been better. The muggle studies professor Charity Burbage seemed so friendly.

Harry and Ron had partnered up and I asked Hermione if she could be my partner.

She agreed and we started drinking the tea.

Harry and Ron were talking and laughing.

"Neville what do you think of professor Trelawney? ", she asked.

"She is getting on my nerves ", I said.

Hermione laughed and we kept talking and predicting stupid things with the leaves.

"Let me see that, my dear," said professor Trelawney and snatched Harry's cup.

Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.

"The falcon...my dear, you have a deadly enemy."

"But everyone knows that," said Hermione in a loud whisper.

Professor Trelawney stared at her.

"Well, they do," said Hermione. "Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."

I stared at Hermione and she shrugged. Professor Trelawney didn't say anything and went on.

"The club...an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup..."

"I thought that was a bowler hat," said Ron.

"The skull...danger in your path, my dear..."

Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed.

"She is going to say something horrible ", I thought and broke my cup. I didn't do it on purpose, maybe I did.

Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, clutching her heart and her eyes closed.

"My dear boy -- my poor dear boy -- no -- it is kinder not to say -- no -- don't ask me...." , she kept mumbling

"What is it, Professor?" said Dean. It was evident in his tone that he was annoyed.

Hermione went to see the cup and the rest of us surrounded their table.

"My dear ,you have the Grim", she said.

"The what?" said Harry.

All of them gasped and covered their mouths. Dean, Lavender and I were the only ones standing without a clue.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim! The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen -- the worst omen -- of death!"

Harry looked pale and I stared at him.

Hermione, who had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney.

"I don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.

"Wow", I thought.

Professor Trelawney glared at Hermione.

"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future", she said.

I felt sorry for Trelawney. If she had known Hermione, she wouldn't have said what she just said. Knowing Hermione, she would probably 'accidentally kill Trelawney'.

"It looks like a Grim but it looks more like a donkey from here," Seamus said, leaning to the left.

I chuckled softly.

"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" said Harry.

"I think we will leave the lesson here for today," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice. "Yes...please pack away your things..."

I waited for Dean and Seamus to keep their teacups in the cupboard and we left.

"Until we meet again," said Professor Trelawney faintly, "fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear," -- she pointed at me, "you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up."

We went to the owlery and owled my grandmother.

"Do you really think Harry's gonna die? ", Dean asked.

" If he could survive you-know-who, the grim doesn't stand much of a chance", Seamus said.

Dean and I laughed, our laughter echoing through the corridor.