On the first day of Divination, (Y/N) sat on her pouf across from Dean Thomas. He leaned over the table to hear (Y/N) as she spoke in a low voice about the things she'd heard about Professor Trelawney. At breakfast, Lee Jordan had told her she was an eccentric woman who hardly ever made sense. In the most excellent way he could, George had suggested that she was perhaps short of a few marbles. Fred said her class was good for a nap, but not much else.

(Y/N) supposed that made sense; Professor Trelawney was burning some sort of incense that made her eyes feel heavy. The large, floor-to-ceiling windows had their crimson curtains drawn shut, and over the lamps at each table, someone had draped scarves, casting the room in a cozy red glow. And, it was quite warm – almost too warm – thanks to the fire nestled in the corner where the incense burned.

When her professor spoke for the first time, her voice came from the shadows. "Welcome, my children," she'd said. (Y/N) and Dean stifled laughs.

Professor Trelawney was a thin and spindly woman. She wore glasses that magnified her eyes to be much larger than their natural size and a multicolored scarf that kept her frizzy hair out of her face. As she moved to her chair in the center of the room her countless beads and bangles clattered and the innumerous rings on her fingers caught the little light in the room to reflect in the students' eyes.

"In this room," she said. "You shall explore the noble art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess the Sight!" She stood and nearly knocked over the table beside her chair. (Y/N) covered her smile with her hand, trying hard to be polite, but she could hear Ron snickering behind her.

"Hello," she stepped around her table, smiling brightly. "I am Professor Trelawney. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future! This term we shall be focusing on Tasseomancy, which is the art of reading tea leaves. So please, take the cup of the person sitting opposite you."

(Y/N) and Dean reached for each other's teacups, sharing an amused look.

"What do you see? The truth lies buried like a sentence deep within a book, waiting to be read. But first," She climbed up a step and placed her hands on either side of Seamus' head. Neither (Y/N) nor Dean could hide their laughs. Professor Trelawney did not seem to notice. "You must broaden your minds. First, you must look beyond!"

She pointed across the classroom at nothing.

"Yours looks like a baseball bat," Dean whispered. "Or... an hourglass? I can't really tell."

"Yours just looks like a lump of tea leaves to me." (Y/N) shrugged.

Trelawney turned and pointed a long, thin finger at Neville. "You boy! Is your grandmother quite well?"

"Uh," Neville nodded. "I-I think so,"

She pressed her lips together and gently tapped his shoulder. "I wouldn't be so sure of that." Reaching a hand toward Seamus, she said, "The cup! Give me the cup!" No sooner than it was in her hands did Trelawney look incredibly sad. "Oh... hmm..." she set it down and walked away without any sort of explanation.

"Alright, I found out what a bat means." Dean set his book on the table. "It's a busy productive phase. So I guess you're going to be productive soon?" He tilted his head. "No, wait. That's the animal. Hold on." He flipped through the pages. "Any luck with mine?"

"I think... it's..." (Y/N) turned the cup in her hands. "A strange sort of circle...?"

"Broaden your minds," said Professor Trelawney as she passed their table.

Dean smiled in amusement, once again plopping his heavy book on the table. "Here, your bat means there's a situation calling for immense caution. And if it's an hourglass..." He went to the page he'd marked with his thumb. "Imminent danger."

"Oh, good."

"Don't worry – probably just Snape."

"Oh, oh!" Trelawney had reached Harry and Ron's table – and in between them sat Hermione, who (Y/N) could have sworn was not there when class began. Trelawney motioned excitedly towards Ron. "Your aura is pulsing, dear! Are you in the beyond? I think you are!"

He nodded. "Sure,"

"The cup! Tell me what you see."

He consulted his book, looking quite nervous. "Well, yeah, um... Well, Harry's got a sort of wonky cross — that's trials and suffering. But this lot here could be the sun — that's great happiness. So... He's going to suffer, but be very happy about it."

Even Hermione looked unimpressed as Trelawney held out her thin hand. "The cup," she prompted.

Ron handed it over. It only just brushed her fingertips when Professor Trelawney gave a great shout and backed away as though she were burned. The entire class fell into a hush, all eyes now on her as her hands trembled. "My dear..." she gazed tearfully at Harry. "You have... The Grim."

Dean only shrugged. Lavender Brown looked puzzled as Parvati started flipping through her book. From beside Neville, Seamus asked, "The grin? What's the grin?"

"Not the grin, you idiot, the Grim," said Bem.

But (Y/N) had heard of the Grim before, and such a proclamation had made her heart race. Only a few other students seemed to know what it meant, as they had gasped or rushed to cover their mouths. Hermione rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Bem was the first to find its definition in his book. "'Taking form of the giant spectral dog, it is among the darkest omens in our world.'" He read aloud. "'It's an omen of death.'"

No one dared to say a word. Trelawney gazed sadly at Harry, holding her hands to her chest.

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

Professor Trelawney seemed to forget she was upset. She gazed at Hermione disapprovingly. "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."

Hermione looked like she wanted to scream.

"It looks like a Grim if you do this," Seamus tilted his head and squinted one eye. "but it looks more like a donkey from here."

"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" Harry suddenly exclaimed. No one had the courage to look at him.

"I think we'll leave the lesson here for today," said Professor Trelawney. "Yes... pack up your things... Until we meet again."

Nobody spoke as they filed outside of the classroom. (Y/N) fell in line with Harry, trying her best to offer him a reassuring smile, but she could tell it was not convincing. They walked all the way to the edge of campus before Ron found it in him to ask, "You don't think that Grim's got anything to do with Sirius Black do you?"

(Y/N) almost gasped; she hadn't thought of that. Harry noticed and looked the slightest bit uneasy, if not annoyed.

"Oh, honestly, Ron!" Hermione huffed. "If you ask me, Divination's a very wooly discipline. Now, Ancient Runes, that's a fascinating subject."

"Ancient Runes? Exactly how many classes are you taking this term?"

"A fair few."

"Aren't Ancient Runes and Divination offered at the same time?" (Y/N) asked.

"You'd have to be in two classes at once!"

"Don't be silly. How can anyone be at two classes at once?" She playfully rolled her eyes. "Broaden your minds. Use your inner eye to see the future!"

Finally, they reached Hagrid's hut at the edge of the forest. (Y/N) realized Care for Magical Creatures would be shared with the Slytherins when she noticed Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle snickering in the corner. Hagrid hurried everyone along with a cheerful 'hello' and a bright smile.

(Y/N), Harry, Hermione and Ron followed the rest of the students through the sunny forest until they reached a small paddock.

"Right, you lot, less chattering," said Hagrid. "Form a group over there and open your books to page forty-nine."

"Exactly how do we do that?" Draco asked, holding his Monster Book of Monsters – which he had bound together with a belt – at arm's length.

"Well, just stroke the spine, o' course!" Hagrid said it as though it were obvious, though (Y/N) remembered fighting with hers for nearly an hour after she got it and she couldn't get it open once. Hagrid shook his head disapprovingly. "Goodness me,"

"Oh, how silly we've all been! " Draco exclaimed. "We should have stroked them. Why didn't we guess!"

Hermione gently set her book down. "I think they're funny," she said.

"Oh, yeah, terribly funny," said Draco. "Really witty. God, this place has gone to the dogs. Wait until my father hears that Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes!"

Crabbe and Goyle laughed obediently. And, from behind them, Parkinson gave a nasty smirk.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said, not seeming to notice the crowd of students who began to listen in.

Draco raised his eyebrows and shared an unimpressed look with his goons. "Ooh..." Draco met Harry in the center, trying to stand tall so he could look at him down his nose. Then, suddenly he looked up, and an expression of pure terror crossed his features. "Dementor! Dementor!"

Harry wheeled around at once – as did all of the other Gryffindor students with their backs to where he pointed. Draco laughed loudly, joining his friends pulling up the hood of their cloaks. They had just barely begun wiggling their fingers when (Y/N) dug in her robes for her wand and started forward. But Hermione had grabbed her with one hand and Harry with the other, turning them both away.

"Just leave them," she whispered.

It didn't stop (Y/N) from making a nasty gesture in Draco's direction.

By then, Hagrid had returned, and trotting behind him was the strangest animal (Y/N) had ever seen. It had the body and hind legs of a horse, but its wings and head belonged to what seemed to be a giant eagle. Its sharp front talons – which looked to be about a foot long – glimmered in the sunlight and its eyes were small and beady. (Y/N) hoped to all things good it wouldn't look at her.

"Isn't he beau'iful?" Hagrid was beaming. "Say hello to Buckbeak!"

But all of the students had taken a few cautious steps backward. Beautiful was not (Y/N)'s first thought, rather it was dangerous. And it seemed like her classmates had the same idea.

"Hagrid," Ron managed. "Exactly what is that?"

"That, Ron, is a Hippogriff," Hagrid said proudly. "The first thing you want to know about hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures; very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff. It may just be the last thing you ever do." He fixed all the students with a very serious stare that glued (Y/N) to her spot. Then, he clapped his hands together and she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Now, who would like to come and say hello?"

(Y/N) eyed Buckbeak; his long, dangerous talons that looked like they could rip her to shreds in an instant.

"Both o' yeh? Well done!"

She wheeled around to see who on earth would be crazy enough to approach, but found that all of her classmates had taken big steps back. And beside her only one person remained – Harry stood stiff as a board.

The people who would be crazy enough, it seemed, were them.

"Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves," whispered Lavender, and Parvati nodded hastily in agreement.

(Y/N) had just thought of her own tea leaves and how Dean told her they meant imminent danger when she felt someone push her forward. She shot a vicious glare over her shoulder at whoever it was (it was Ron), but she couldn't afford to be angry long. She hardly trusted Buckbeak enough to take her eyes off him.

"Now, yeh have to let him make the first move. It's only polite," Hagrid explained. "So, step up. Come on, (Y/N), he won't hurt yeh – that's it. Give him a nice bow, then yeh wait, and see if he bows back. If he does, yeh can go and touch him. And if not..." (Y/N) and Harry both looked at him with wide eyes. "Well... we'll get to that later."

(Y/N) did not feel too badly about letting Harry take the lead, and she would have let him keep it the whole way if it weren't for Hagrid urging her to keep up. They were finally allowed to stop a safe distance away.

"Now, just give your bow,"

(Y/N) shot Hagrid a pleading look, but he only gave her a nod of encouragement. Slowly, she sunk into a bow, trying not to think about how the back of her neck was exposed to its sharp steel-colored beak.

At the sound of ruffling feathers and a rather displeased sounding squawk, (Y/N) and Harry both looked up. Hagrid hurriedly waved them away. "Back off, back off!"

There was a loud snap and (Y/N) nearly yelped like Lavender and Parvati.

"Keep still," whispered Hagrid at once.

(Y/N) hardly dared to breathe. She kept her eyes on her shoes just so she wouldn't see Buckbeak's talons. And then, finally, "Well done, you two, well done!"

(Y/N) ventured a glance up and saw that Buckbeak had bent his front legs to dip into a deep bow. She gave a great sigh and looked at once to Harry, who looked to be just as relieved as she felt.

"Right. Now I think you can go and pat him now," said Hagrid, tossing Buckbeak a dead ferret that he devoured in a second. When neither one of them moved, Hagrid nodded towards the hippogriff. "Go on. Don't be shy,"

I'm alright, (Y/N) had wanted to say, but she saw how excited Hagrid looked, and she wanted his very first lesson to be a success just as badly as he did. So, swallowing her nerves, (Y/N) cautiously started forward with Harry right beside her.

She hesitantly trailed her fingers along his feathers, and when Buckbeak didn't snap at her, (Y/N) gathered more courage. Soon she and Harry both had Buckbeak nestling into their hands and squawking happily.

"Well done!" boomed Hagrid, clapping loudly. "Well done, you two!"

(Y/N) met Harry's proud emerald eyes over the hippogriff's beak as their classmates joined Hagrid in cheering them on. Draco, all the way on the other side of the paddock, had his arms crossed and a mean sneer on his face, and when (Y/N) nodded towards him, Harry only laughed brightly.

"I think he might let yeh ride him now!"

"Sorry?" said (Y/N), the same instant Harry had asked, "What?"

But Hagrid had already lifted Harry up from the ground and placed him on Buckbeak's back. He was reaching for (Y/N) next, though she had started to protest, and plopped her down right behind Harry.

She barely even heard Hagrid telling them to be careful of pulling out Buckbeak's feathers. All she could focus on was the way her legs brushed Harry's, and how if she leaned forward just the slightest bit, she'd be resting on his back. Her face burned, and she had just tried to scoot away when Buckbeak took off and she and Harry both lurched forward.

"Sorry," (Y/N) sounded breathless as she attempted to sit up, but Buckbeak had stretched his brilliant wings and was soaring towards the sky. And (Y/N), terrified that she would fall, did not care that she and Harry were so close anymore. Her arms had latched around his waist as though he were a lifeline in an instant, and Harry had grunted and said, "Ouch, (Y/N)!" but she did not care. Not when Buckbeak was taking them high over the trees and towards the castle.

Flying on a broomstick was one thing, but on the back of a hippogriff was something (Y/N) desperately hoped she would never have to do again. Buckbeak's great wings flapped on either side of her, and she felt as though she'd be thrown off at any moment. And she had never gone quite so high on her broomstick – not as high as the tallest points of the castle, past the Gryffindor Tower windows.

She was relieved when Buckbeack flew lower over the lake, but even still, she did not dare to loosen her hold on Harry. She felt him push himself up, and when she saw him lift his hands from Buckbeak's feathers, (Y/N) shouted, "What are you doing?" as loudly as she could.

But Harry only looked over his shoulder with a smile as he stretched his arms out bravely.

(Y/N) only gripped him tighter, certain he would fall off. She could feel him laugh at her, and barely heard him promise "It's okay!" over the wind. "Look!" he'd said.

She allowed herself to open her eyes for longer than a moment.

She took in the glittering water, the mountains on either side of them, Buckbeak and his stormy gray coat that was – just as Hagrid had said – beautiful. And Harry, sitting up tall with his arms outstretched; his raven-colored hair blowing wildly in the wind. When he laughed, she could feel it against her chest and her cheek. She noticed, for the first time, the scent of cinnamon and smoke from the common room on his robes.

(Y/N) tried sitting up taller and she allowed herself to loosen her grip, but that was just about as brave as she was feeling. But even still, feeling the wind through her hair and her robes billowing behind her – for a moment, she felt magnificent.

Buckbeak rose toward the sky again, and at once (Y/N) yelped and latched onto Harry again. He laughed, and though he was laughing at her, she didn't find it annoying at all. By the time Buckbeak circled back to the paddock, both she and Harry were giddy with laughter, and Hagrid had to help them both down.

"How am I doin' me first day?" Hagrid asked them.

(Y/N), still grinning, motioned to her classmates, most of whom were cheering or staring with awe. "You're doing amazing,"

"Professor," added Harry, and Hagrid went red in the face as he gazed at them both thankfully.

But Draco was pushing his way through his classmates and marching straight up to Buckbeak without any caution. "Yes, you're not dangerous at all, are you? You great ugly brute!"

No sooner than Hagrid had said, "No, Malfoy!" there was a flash of silver talons and Draco was on the ground. Harry had grabbed (Y/N)'s arm and moved her out of the way just as Buckbeak reared and the other students screamed and raced all the way to the edge of the clearing. Hagrid bravely stepped between Draco and Buckbeak, shouting "Whoa! Whoa! Buckbeak! Away you silly creature," and he obeyed, but not before Hagrid offered him another ferret to snack on.

"Oh!" wailed Draco, rolling around in the dirt. "It's killed me! It's killed me!"

"Calm down," Hagrid said. "It's just a scratch!"

Hermione raced forward, but she still stopped a safe distance away. "Hagrid! He has to be taken to the hospital!"

And though he looked nervous, Hagrid nodded. "I'm the teacher; I'll do it." He picked up Draco as though he were nothing, and Draco, of course, made a big show of it, wailing pathetically all the way.

"You're gonna regret this," he whimpered.

"Class dismissed!" called Hagrid.

"You and your bloody chicken..."

As the shaken students gathered their things, Buckbeak quietly trotted over to (Y/N) and Harry, nudging at their faces until they gave in and pat him.

(Y/N) scratched at Buckbeak's feathers, silently praising him for a job well done.

Draco was out of the hospital wing by dinnertime, looking perfectly fine save for the sling on his arm. Parkinson, who had spent the last bit of class crying about how Hagrid should be sacked, stared at his arm now as though she were bored. "Does it hurt terribly, Draco?"

"It comes and it goes. Still, I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two and I, uh... could've lost my arm. I couldn't possibly do any homework for weeks..."

(Y/N) wasn't buying it for a second. And apparently, neither was Ron.

"Listen to the idiot. He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?"

"Madam Pomfrey regrew Harry's bones last year," said (Y/N). "Of course she mended his scratch in an instant. I'll bet she didn't even put him in that sling,"

"Yeah," said Harry. "But at least Hagrid didn't get fired."

"But I heard Draco's father's furious," whispered Hermione. "We haven't heard the last of this."

"He's been sighted!" exclaimed Seamus, racing down the aisle to where (Y/N) and her friends sat. He slammed his issue of the Daily Prophet onto the table and pointed to the longest article. "He's been sighted!"

"Who?" asked Ron, who looked quite startled.

"Sirius Black!"

At this, all the Gryffindor students who were within earshot came over to listen. Fred and George stood over the table next to Ginny, who looked quite frightened. Lavender, Parvati, and Padma, all stopped their conversation to listen. Poor Neville had been so startled he dropped his spoon.

(Y/N) peered over Seamus' shoulder to read what he was pointing at, but Hermione had pulled the paper away.

"Dufftown?" she exclaimed, looking nervously at Harry. "That's not far from here!"

"Y-You don't think he'd come do Hogwarts do you?"

Noticing Ginny Weasley's watery brown eyes, (Y/N) said, "Go on, Nev, not with Dementors guarding every entrance."

"Dementors?" Seamus looked at her as though she had gone mad. "He slipped past them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he won't do it again?"

"That's right. Black could be anywhere," said Bem, doing nothing for Ginny's nerves. "It's like trying to catch smoke... Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands..."

"Oh, really!" (Y/N) snatched up the paper to read it for herself.

It said everything they already knew – that the notorious mass murderer, Sirius Black, had escaped from Azkaban. That he'd indeed been spotted in Dufftown, and that his whereabouts were once again unknown.

It was the passage at the end of the paper that made (Y/N) lose her nerve; a recounting of his crimes.

On the first of November, 1981, Sirius Black had killed twelve Muggles. He had killed a wizard named Peter Pettigrew.

And he had killed one witch.

A woman named Catherine (L/N).