act one: the girl in the bubble
chapter nine

Check mate. Daphne wasn't sure why that clicked in her mind as she got ready to leave the Great Hall. Finding herself ignoring the anxiety that tried to pull her down, trying to drown her within herself. It had kept a hold of her for many years, but now? Slowly she was taking more control of herself. Becoming more carefree.

Control was something that everyone struggled with in different aspects. People struggled to control themselves and people struggled to stop controlling. Daphne was one of the people who struggled to gain control of herself. Finding herself being a chess piece in her family's life. A simple play that could change everything for them.

Daphne and Atticus were chess pieces on their family's chess board. Rosalie being the one in control. It's sad how history seemed to repeat itself. Daphne rose from her seat as she walked over to the slytherin table, not giving any of the quartet time to stop her as she placed her hands down firmly at the table as she leaned in front of Caius.

"Oooh, little Ms. Black, how are you?" Theo held a smug grin from beside her cousin as he taunted her.

Daphne simply ignored the boy as her gaze met her cousin's, "Get ahold of Malfoy before I do something about it."

Caius simply raised an eyebrow as if passing off her words as false, in disbelief that she'd do anything, "I can't control my brother and we both know, you care too much to do anything."

"And it's gotten to the point that I care too much to do nothing," Daphne shot back as she shook her head, "Get ahold of him before I do."

"Is that a threat?" A smirk tugged at Caius lips as he tilted his head back, "Say, dear cousin?"

Daphne pushed herself off of the table, letting her hands fall to her hips as she ignored the eyes that began to wander onto her, "It appears that you must wait to find out, cousin."

"Maybe the fire of the lion resides within you after all," Caius lifted the goblet to his lips before smirking into the liquid.

Daphne couldn't help but roll her eyes at his words as she began to walk back over to the Gryffindor table. Ignoring the mutters of her name as she looked at all of her friends and watching as everyone slowly piled out of the Great Hall.

"You're finally coming out of your shell," Ron joked as he looked at Daphne, "Never thought I'd live to see the day."

Daphne rolled her eyes as she couldn't help but grin, "Oh, come on, Ronald. I'm still almost the exact same - I doubt that I'd ever truly do anything. My words are empty threats."

Harry couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he looked at the girl, "If that's an empty threat and you had that much emotion piled behind your words, I'd be scared to see a real threat."

"Let's just hope you never hurt me enough to see one," Daphne grinned as she motioned for the group to get up, "Now come on. We've got to go."

They finished their breakfast quickly, scarfing down the leftovers, bidding farewell to Fred and George and walked back through the hall. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall.

Daphne found herself growing rather annoyed, which caused Harry to make a face, "Daphne, it's fine."

"It's not," Daphne turned around as Harry grabbed her sleeve and held up both middle fingers at the platinum haired boy, "They've bullied us since our first year. I hate people bullying my friends."

Friends. Why did it sound so different than before?

The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one which resulted in a lot of cardio for the four teenagers. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside the North Tower before and they could see why. No first or second year could make it this far.

"There's – got – to – be – a – short – cut," Ron panted as small wheezes left his lips, as they climbed their seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.

"I think it's this way," Hermione made a conclusion while peering down the empty passage to the right.

"Can't be," Ron disagreed, "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake out of the window ..."

Daphne held onto Harry as she made a face, wiping off sweat from her forehead. This workout was worse than playing a match of quidditch. Daphne was sure that she was going to have abs of steel by the end of this course. There was no way she wouldn't with how much work they had to put into walking to Divination.

Then the two seemed to notice a painting. A fat, dapple-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. Daphne was used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moving around and leaving their frames to visit each other being raised as a witch and seeing the same portraits in her home but it was still odd. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armor had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off.

"Aha!" he yelled, causing Daphne to flinch and move behind Harry which made him frown, "What villains are these that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"

They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. It reminded Daphne of when she brushed through her hair, she was pretty violent with it. But unlike the knight, her brush wasn't too long for her and the sword was too long for the knight; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed face down in the grass.

"Are you all right?" asked Harry, moving closer to the picture as he kept Daphne behind him while holding onto her.

"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!" The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again.

Finally he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face. Daphne couldn't help but laugh softly as she peered over Harry's shoulder as she watched the mad knight. A small grin placing itself on her lips.

"Listen," Harry spoke slowly, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"

"A quest!" The knight's rage seemed to vanish instantly, as he became rather pleased, he clanked to his feet and shouted, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!" He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!" And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left-hand side of the frame and out of sight.

Daphne wished that running around the castle had been as easy as running through the portraits. It seemed like less work. The group hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead before losing him once again.

"Be of a stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow, spiral stair- case.

Daphne couldn't help but find herself frowning at his words before puffing loudly. It wasn't long after that the group that had now become a group of three, began to climb the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them, and knew they had reached the classroom.

"Farewell!" cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have a need for a noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

"Yeah, we'll call you," Ron snickered, as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental."

They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing; Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling where there was a circular trap door with a brass plaque on it. Daphne made a face as she peered up at the plaque.

"Sybill Trelawney, Divination teacher," Harry read aloud while looking as confused as the rest, "How're we supposed to get up there?"

"Fly?" Daphne questioned as she squinted her eyes, moving to try and jump up.

"That's not flying," Ron couldn't help but laugh at what the girl was trying to do, "Did the knight's mental state rub off on you?"

"Of course!" Daphne joked as she grinned before tripping herself, but she managed to catch herself and remain standing.

Daphne let out a squeal as the trap door suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right under Daphne's feet, if it weren't for both boys managing to grab ahold of her quickly she would've fallen right through.

"Blimey," Ron looked as if someone had slapped him across his face as he helped Harry in moving Daphne back slightly, "Are you alright, Daph?"

Daphne sighed thankfully as she calmed herself down from the momentary fear, "Never better. Thanks."

It took a moment before anyone else spoke. Everyone in the room stayed quiet as they stared down at the trap door. A few guys tried to shove forward the girls but the trio that stood near the trap door stopped them all.

"After you," Ron was quick to say, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first.

Harry stayed down there for a moment before Daphne began to descend down as well. Nearly slipping due to one of the steps being wet but Harry grabbed ahold of her and helped her down onto the floor. Both shared an uneasy smile while Daphne ignored something burning within her.

They emerged into the strangest-looking classroom they had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all; more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop that resided in Hogsmeade. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. This woman really had some sort of taste.

Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. Part of Daphne couldn't help but be reminded of Snape's classroom, is she as depressed as Snape? It was stiflingly warm, and the fire which was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large, copper kettle.

The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls and a huge array of teacups. Ron dropped at Harry's shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers. Ron nodded at Daphne who muttered something about it being dark.

"Where is she?" Ron asked as he looked around.

A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice while Ron looked absolutely terrified, "Welcome," it said, "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Daphne quirked an eyebrow as the woman practically shined in the lack of candlelight. Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

"She reminds me of you," Daphne muttered to Harry as she motioned around her eyes.

"Ha ha," Harry shook his head at the girl's words as he hid a smile.

"Sit, my children, sit," she spoke urgently, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs.

Daphne, Harry, and Ron sat themselves around the same round table. Daphne sitting in between the two boys. The girl winced momentarily as she placed a hand on her head, suddenly being reminded of the strange things that had been happening but ignoring it.

"Welcome to Divination," Professor Trelawney boomed loudly, she had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire, "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

Nobody said anything in answer to this extraordinary pronouncement, the only person who even made a sound was Daphne. The girl letting out a soft scoff as she rubbed her temples before adjusting her posture and acting as if nothing had just happened.

Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field ..."

At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, Daphne knew they were thinking about Hermione who they just realized was missing.

"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sud- den disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face, "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she stopped suddenly at Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf, "is your grandmother well?"

"I think so," Neville spoke tremulously.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," Professor Trelawney spoke as she made a face, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings, Neville gulped, Professor Trelawney continued placidly, "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, "beware a red-haired man," Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her, and edged her chair away from him.

"In the summer term"' Professor Trelawney went on before taking a long pause in front of Daphne as she seemed to know something about the girl that she didn't, "we shall progress to the crystal ball – if we have finished with fire-omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever," A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.

Daphne found herself growing a bit uncomfortable at the sight of the Professor looking back at her every few minutes. It seemed that everyone had started to pick up on it as well. She wondered if the woman somehow knew about her visions or the fact that she was related to Sirius Black. She tried to dismiss her thoughts knowing that the woman was insane.

A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it. What has she meant by her words one number will leave us forever? Will someone die? Or will someone just leave the class? The crowd of students wanted to know.

"I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"

Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney. Daphne knew that internally the girl must've thought that Trelawney would have something to say about her and her future as well, but she didn't.

"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading – it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."Lavender trembled and Daphne bit down on her lips, well, I thought that too soon.

"Please, take a cup of the person sitting opposite of you..." Trelawney ordered while Ron and Harry switched cups and Daphne sat with nothing, "What do you see? The truth lies buried like a sentence deep within a book, waiting to be read."

Harry and Ron looked into each other's cups while Daphne just sat playing with her fingers. Finding herself already bored by whatever seemed to be happening within the class. Slightly grateful she had nothing to do because she'd rather not hurt her eyes staring at tea leaves.

"Broaden your minds... first, you must look... beyond!" Trelawney turned and held her arms out as she grinned widely.

"What a load of rubbish," Hermione now sat in front of Daphne which caused the girl to look around confused.

Ron and Harry seemed to jump as well as Ron's voice went high, "Where did you come from?!"

"Me? I've been here all this time," Hermione seemed to push off Ron's words as she situated herself.

"Not bloody likely," Daphne placed her hand over her heart as she sighed before switching their tea cups.

Daphne looked down at the cup in her hand. Narrowing her eyebrows as she tried to figure out what any of this meant. Something in her mind clicked which caused her to look slightly confused. She'll fight in a war? Daphne scoffed at this thought.

A war would not happen, right?