It's not about status, we know it never was
'Cause what good is the kingdom when you're missing the love
This is not a goodbye now, I'm not going away
No, I don't have the answers but I do have the faith

And it's keeping me up at night
Worried it's not alright
Holding back things you don't know
And it's keeping me up at night
Worried it's not alright
You're not gonna like where this goes

And they'll tell you I don't care anymore
And I hope you'll know that's a lie
'Cause I've found what I have been waiting for
But to get there means crossing a line
So I'm crossing a line

"Crossing a Line"
Mike Shinoda

~

HENRY:

The morning after Professor Trelawney was sacked, there was a piece of parchment on the notice board announcing that Divination classes would be taking place in Classroom 11 from that point forward. I knew it was one of the classrooms on the first floor that was more of a storage cabinet than an actual place of learning, so I was surprised when I headed inside for our first Divination lesson with Firenze and it had been converted into a small forest, complete with moss on the ground and trees that obscured the stone walls.

Once we had all filtered in — "all" meaning the five of us N.E.W.T. students — Firenze nodded in acknowledgement of what we were undoubtedly wondering.

"Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was — until Monday — my home, but this is not possible. I can no longer return to the forest. My herd has banished me because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore. They see this as a betrayal of our kind." He sighed softly. "Nevertheless, let us begin."

He raised his hand toward the ceiling, and as he lowered it, the trees parted to reveal the fact that the ceiling was now dotted with stars.

Firenze half-smiled when he saw our awed reactions. "Lie back upon the floor, and observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our races."

We all did as he said and waited for his explanation.

"I know that you have learned the names of the planets and their moons in Astronomy, and that you have mapped the stars' progress through the heavens. Centaurs have unraveled the mysteries of these movements over centuries. Our findings teach us that the future may be glimpsed in the sky above us. In the past decade, the indications have been that wizardkind is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must break out again soon. How soon, centaurs may attempt to divine by the burning of certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume and flame. I will distribute sage and mallowsweet now for you all to burn. Do not worry, though, if you do not see any shapes or signs in the smoke. Humans rarely have the gifts necessary for this task, and it takes even centaurs decades to perfect."

I had been dreading the return to Divination after the storm of emotions I'd experienced after Professor Trelawney's sacking. I'd tried to put on a brave face for Lucy, but as soon as I was left alone with my thoughts, I'd fallen apart. But the new Divination with Firenze was something far more enjoyable than I ever thought Divination could be. I preferred the vague, sweeping predictions about the fate of wizardkind to the day-to-day "Beware of open flames" or "Seek out a new creative venture" omens from Professor Trelawney. I had grown to like her over the years, and I had learned to take her more seriously after Cedric's death, but the centaurs' brand of Divination was much more my speed.

After Divination, I had a free period, so I made my way down to the Hufflepuff common room with the intent to spend the time revising for N.E.W.T.s. I had the room to myself, since the majority of my housemates preferred to study in the library. I didn't mind the solitude, but I wasn't terribly disappointed when George Weasley tumbled through the barrel. Surprised, sure, but not entirely disappointed.

"I should have realized that showing you how to get in here would be a mistake," I said with a snort. "I didn't realize you had a free period, too."

"Who said I had a free period?" he asked, waving at Cedric's portrait before dropping into a chair across from me.

"You're skiving off classes?"

"I'm not sure why you sound so surprised."

"I mean — you're you, but — it's N.E.W.T. year. Even the great George Weasley has N.E.W.T. exams to pass, last I checked?"

George merely smiled, as if that was a perfect reasonable and well-rounded response to my question. When he spoke again, he had dodged the topic entirely. "I do have plans for my free period that's not really a free period, but I wanted to check on your first, see if you were okay after last night."

"Oh, I, er... yeah, I'm fine," I stammered.

George raised an eyebrow at me.

I sighed. "Just a bit rattled is all, same as Lucy. How's she doing, by the way?"

"Well, when she and Harry both skipped dinner, Fred and I made our way to the common room to investigate, only to find Lucy sound asleep in Harry's arms with the Walkman you gave her playing nearby. She woke up all embarrassed as soon as we walked in, light sleeper that she's become, but Harry said something later about Trelawney making the same prediction about both him and Cedric. So—" He leaned forward. "Nice attempt to dodge me, Furls, but are you sure you're alright? I don't bite, you know."

"The difference is that Lucy didn't remember the prediction until yesterday," I replied lightly. "I haven't been able to forget it. It's the reason I picked Divination back up this year."

George nodded slowly. "I see. Lucy's never taken the class, so I suppose it would be easier for her to forget about it."

"Sounds like she's got enough on her plate," I added.

"I know. Trust me, I know." He looked at my stack of books and grinned. "Well, if you're sure you're alright, I ought to go follow through on my plans for the period. See you in Herbology later?"

I nodded. "See you then."

He got up and headed toward the barrels, but just before he left, I called out again.

"Oh, and George?"

"Yeah?"

I raised my eyebrows. "I don't know what exactly you have planned, but don't get caught. We both know that the Pink Venomous Tentacula would love to wrap her vines around you and Fred and strangle you if she gets the chance."

I expected a quick retort and a wink, but George was oddly serious. He smiled, but there was a certain determination in his eyes as he nodded. "Don't worry," he said. "Soon enough, we'll be out of reach. Bye!"

"Well, that wasn't ominous at all," I muttered to Cedric's portrait as soon as George disappeared.

"He certainly looks like he's up to something," the portrait agreed. "You reckon Lucy's alright? You know I'd love to talk to her if it would help."

"I'll find her at lunch and see if that sounds good to her," I said with a nod.

As it turned out, though, I didn't have to wait that long to see Lucy. Only about five minutes after George left, Lucy, Neville, and Hannah stumbled through the barrels.

I jumped up and helped Neville and Lucy get a hysterically-crying Hannah to the nearest sofa.

"What happened?" I asked. "Hannah, are you alright?"

"O.W.L. anxiety. I'm going to go fetch Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey, since you two are here with her. I'll be right back," Lucy said softly, sprinting from the room.

I got down on a knee in front of her and drew my wand, moving it slowly in a square pattern. "Hey, hey, it's alright. You're going to be perfectly okay. Follow my wand and focus on taking deep breaths, in when I go up or down and out when I go side to side."

"You can hold my hands if you want," Neville said shyly. "Squeeze as hard as you need. You won't hurt me."

She listened to both of us as best as she could, but panic still raged in her eyes.

Lucy returned far sooner than I was expecting, breathless but clutching the vial in one hand and a mug in the other. Neville and I both cleared out of the way so Lucy had control over the situation.

"This is Calming Draught," she said as she pressed it into Hannah's hand. "You'll feel better once you drink it. It doesn't taste the best, though, so I brought chamomile tea from the kitchens too to wash it down. Go on now, drink the Calming Draught."

Hannah's hand was trembling violently, so Lucy helped her guide the vial to her mouth. Surely enough, once a bit of the potion disappeared from the glass, Hannah was able to take a proper deep breath.

"You were right," she managed, "that tastes awful."

Lucy nodded. "I know. Here." She pressed the chamomile tea into Hannah's other hand and smiled. "The peppermint and the lavender aren't that bad on their own, but together with the crocodile heart? Nasty potion."

"It does help, though," I said. "Your brother's was particularly powerful."

"It's because he tested every potion himself first," she replied with a rueful grin as she turned to me, "and we both know that Cedric was one of the most anxious people in this school."

"He was?" Hannah asked in a small voice.

Lucy immediately snapped her attention back to Hannah and nodded. "He was careful to hide it, but he struggled with high expectations of himself. He would know exactly how you feel right now, Hannah, and he wouldn't want you feeling this way. You're a brilliant witch, and you'll be perfectly fine on your O.W.L.s, I just know it."

"But I confused the purposes of puffapod and aconite!" she said, looking panicked again. "Imagine if someone put puffapod seeds in wolfsbane instead of aconite flowers! It could be a disaster!"

"Drink a bit more of the Calming Draught, Hannah," Lucy replied, her face suddenly a bit pale.

Neville shuffled away and returned with a blanket. He gently draped it over Hannah's shoulders.

"I could, er, I could help you study, i-if you wanted," he said. "I've got fully-illustrated Herbology guides that I've gotten as birthday presents. One of those books even reads itself to you, you could borrow it for when it's too dark to read, I've already got it memorized."

Hannah gazed up at Neville with wonder. "That's really neat. You're sure you wouldn't mind lending it to me?"

"I'll go fetch it right now!" With that, he hurried from the common room.

Lucy studied Hannah closely. "D'you want a minute to yourself before Neville comes back? Are you feeling better?"

"A bit," she replied, nodding. "Thank you for coming with me. I'm glad you and Neville were already done repotting the aconite."

"We're glad too," Lucy said with a smile. "His book is really neat, he's shown me before. You're in good hands with Nev."

To my surprise, Hannah turned bright red and suddenly looked like she had to suppress a smile. "I know."

"I don't feel much like heading back to class," Lucy said as she followed me back over to where my stack of textbooks was still sitting, untouched. She grinned. "Looks like you've been productive."

"Well, George was in here just before you three arrived, so I haven't had much chance." I glanced at my watch. "You know, there's a lot of time left in the period. If you don't want to go back to class, do you want to hit the Pitch? I only got to play against you as a Chaser once in a proper match, and I reckon it would be good practice for me to get my arse kicked by you."

Lucy laughed. "Henry, I haven't properly played Chaser since that match last January against the Beauxbatons/Durmstrang team, I bet I'd be rubbish."

"You, a rubbish Quidditch player? You've gone mad. You scored most of the goals in that one match I played against you despite being tossed around like a rag doll on the wind in that storm."

"Yes, well, you can expect that same performance even in these perfect conditions," she retorted, "because I will be rubbish, but alright, I'll humor you as soon as Neville's back."

I glanced at Cedric's portrait. "Have you heard about that particular match, Ced? It was quite eventful. Harry fell fifty feet or so off his broom."

The portrait's eyes widened. "What? How on earth did he survive that?"

"Professor Dumbledore, I guess," Lucy said with a shrug. "I didn't see it. I sort of fell, too, but the twins made sure I didn't snap my neck or anything."

"That match was scary," I said. "Honestly, I'd say it's a miracle only you two fell. I was worried I'd fall, and I was two years older than you. I forgot about the twins stopping your fall. They were right there. Cedric nearly fainted when he saw you on the ground, though, you sort of toppled off your broom as soon as your feet hit the grass."

She smiled a bit. "Quite the eventful match."

Neville returned shortly, and as he and Hannah got comfortable together on the sofa with the book on their laps, Lucy and I headed down to the Quidditch Pitch.

"Like I said, I haven't properly played Chaser in over a year," she said as she grabbed her broom from her locker.

"You don't have to humor me," I replied. "I'd understand if you changed your mind."

"No, no, it's alright." Lucy grabbed a Quaffle from her locker and tossed it back and forth between her hands a couple of times. "I've been wanting to give it a shot because I'm curious, but I just haven't found the chance yet. Every time I play now, it's Beater with Gin. Which is great, I've been enjoying it a lot, but..." She sighed wistfully. "Chaser was all I knew for so long. Guess it's time to see how well muscle memory holds up."

"You might not have ever heard this, since no one would dare mention it around a Gryffindor, but word on the street around here for years was that you would be the next big thing for Hogwarts Quidditch. I mean, Merlin, you were. Are? Will be? Point is, you don't seem to realize how good you are. Were. Are?"

Lucy laughed, face flushing. "Any tense is fine. You're right, I have never once heard that from anyone except maybe Skye a time or two. I guess the other houses have an unspoken agreement not to inflate Gryffindorian egos, huh?"

"Something like that. Now come on, do your worst."

We kicked up into the sky, and the impromptu training exercise was on.

Everything about Lucy's posture once in the sky seemed to scream "This is wrong." Her throws were slow, weak, tentative. I blocked three shots with ease, then, on impulse, I let the fourth one in.

It worked.

A fire lit in Lucy's eyes. "Hey! Don't just let me score! I need to earn the goal."

"I would never just let you score!" I protested as innocently as I could muster. "Go on, then, earn it!"

When Lucy wound up again, she looked more like herself. She let the Quaffle fly. I was half a second too slow, and it soared through the hoop.

"Now there's the Lucy Diggory I remember!" I tightened my helmet. "Game on."

We heard the bell ring signaling the end of class and the start of lunch, but we both pretended we didn't. We didn't ignore the bell that meant the end of lunch, though, so we descended, our school robes disheveled and sweaty. In the end, we achieved an almost-perfect 50/50 balance of saves versus scores.

"Honestly, I still think I'm better suited to Beater," Lucy panted as we put our brooms in our lockers, "but that was fun."

"If you and Ginny want to switch to Chaser once Angelina and Alicia graduate, I think you'd be just fine," I replied. "That was fun, thank you for taking me up on my crazy offer."

"No, thank you for getting me out of my comfort zone again. The thought of playing Chaser was too much, since he was the one who taught me to play it growing up."

"I played Chaser growing up, too."

Lucy turned to look at me as we headed back up to the castle. "You did?"

I nodded. "I did, but the Keeper spot opened up first. I wasn't going to try out for it, but Cedric was able to convince me to give Keeper a shot because he wanted me to be on the team with him."

"I would ask how he managed that, but I know Cedric could always give anyone confidence about anything."

"Oh, you bet. 'You know Chaser strategies so well you'd be able to thwart every one! You're unbelievably fast on a broom, mate, and a quick thinker!'" I shoved my hands in my pockets. "He tried to be you for me. He'd tell me about all of the tricks and throws you had taught yourself while he was at school his first year and how you'd taught him over summer, so he was certainly a good person to train me. He kept it up, you know, even after we were on the team and we had three perfectly capable Chasers at our disposal. Sometimes we'd come out here and do exactly this."

"Sounds like today was a big deal for both of us, sort of like crossing a line," Lucy said with a small smile. Just before we were about to go our separate ways, we spied two flashes of red hair zip out of sight. "Merlin's beard, what now?"

"What do you mean, what now?" I inquired.

"The twins've been... odd, lately."

"Odd how?"

"Fidgety. Restless. Spacey. Preoccupied, almost. More so than usual, I mean."

"Do you have an idea of why? I reckon you're the closest to the twins of everyone at this school."

She shrugged. "Only idea I've had is that they're planning a massive prank for their birthday, since it'll be their last one at school."

"Oh Merlin," I said, suddenly wheezing with laughter. "That would really be something. Thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to wear a helmet all day on the first of April."

"You know their birthday?" she asked.

I nodded. "Of course. Have a good class!"

"You too!" Lucy hurried down the corridor, and I just watched her go for a second. She was one resilient witch, that was for sure. After a moment, I was glad I had watched her that extra second, because she slipped the Walkman headphones over her ears just before ducking around the corner.

I smiled to myself. It was nice to know that she was finding so much comfort in that little machine. The charms had been a bit difficult, with all of the ambient magic swirling around Hogwarts determined to thwart even the simplest Muggle devices, but I'd managed to do the same on my own Walkman so it was easy enough doing it for her.

I was still thinking of the twins' birthday as I headed off to Charms, laughing to myself as I tried to imagine what those two might have in store for the day. Just before I approached the classroom door, though, it hit me. The best idea I'd ever had in my seventeen, almost eighteen years of life.

I was going to prank the Weasley twins on their birthday, and I was going to do it in a way that was unique to Henry Benjamin Furls.

I was going to make their birthday one they'd never forget.