We emerged in quite possibly the strangest classroom ever. In fact, it didn't look like the classrooms in my books at all; it was more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned teashop.

At least twenty small tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by an assortment of chintz armchairs and fat little pouffes. The curtains at the window were pulled shut, not a sliver of light shining through them, and the room was lit by a dim, crimson light, the same colour as blood. The perfumed smell coming from the fire was so sickly, it was making my head spin, and it was stiflingly hot.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I all sat down around the same table, and the others in the class settled themselves down too.

"Where is she?" Ron asked.

Suddenly, a soft, misty voice came out of the shadows.

"Welcome," the voice said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

But before I could get a good look at the owner of the voice, I was finally overcome by the scent in the room, and my hunger-fuelled exhaustion from the trek we'd made to get to the classroom. Resting my head on the table, I gave a quiet yawn, and fell sound asleep.

***

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

I woke with a jump as Harry yelled at everyone, apparently angry about something. Nobody seemed to be able to bring themselves to look at him.

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

Everyone took their teacups back to her in silence, packed away their books, and closed their bags.

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

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I climbed down Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding staircase, then set off to Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson. It took us so long to find our way down to the classroom that, early as we had left Divination, we were only just in time.

We sat at the back of the class, and I listened eagerly to what Professor McGonagall was telling us about Animagi (witches and wizards who could transform at will into animals), hardly noticing the furtive glances the rest of the class kept shooting at Harry. When Professor McGonagall transformed herself into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes, Hermione and I were the only two in the class who seemed to be paying attention.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" she said, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at everyone. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."

Everyone's heads turned toward Harry, but nobody spoke. Then, Hermione raised her hand.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and-"

"Ah, of course," Professor McGonagall said, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

Everyone stared at her.

"Me," Harry eventually said.

"I see," Professor McGonagall said, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues-" Professor McGonagall broke off, and I saw that she looked irritated.

After a brief pause, she went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney..."

She stopped again, then said in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione laughed, and I gave a slight smile, but not everyone seemed to be convinced; Ron still looked worried, and someone whispered, "But what about Neville's cup?"

Then we had Herbology, where nothing much happened, except for the fact Ron and Hermione were arguing about whether the Grim was real or not. Harry must have told them both to shut up at least fifty times that lesson.

I skipped lunch, not wanting anyone to ask why I wasn't eating again. I couldn't tell them that Father had forbidden me to eat for two weeks, especially as today was the last day of my ban, and I would be able to eat again as normal tomorrow.

After about half an hour of wandering around the grounds, I came across a rather curious willow tree. I started to walk closer to it, but as soon as I was within the reach of its thick, gnarled branches, it started to try and attack me. I stepped back quickly, searching my mind for information about Whomping Willows, then pointed my hand at a knot on the trunk, and cast an Immobilising Charm. The tree stopped moving immediately.

I leaned against its trunk, looking up into the canopy of leaves, noticing the way the sunlight shone through. A moment later, Professor Lupin came over.

"How did you do that?" he asked, clearly impressed. "How did you know what to do?"

"Whomping Willows always have some way of immobilising them, sir," I said. "Usually, it's an obvious point on the tree, such as a knot on the trunk, or a hole somewhere."

My stomach made a growling noise as I spoke, and I quickly wrapped my arms around it, silently willing it to be quiet. Professor Lupin looked worriedly at me.

"Why aren't you at lunch?" he asked. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"No, sir," I said, staring down at the ground. "I - I'm not hungry."

"Ivory, look at me."

I obeyed instantly, looking into his tired eyes with fear. Normally, if someone told me to look at them, it was because they wanted to see my pain as they tortured me.

"Tell the truth," he said, firmly but kindly.

I hesitated for a moment, then softly said, "I'm not allowed to eat, sir."

"Not allowed?" He gave me another concerned look. "Who told you that?"

"I... I can't say, sir. The consequences would be too great - I've said too much already, sir."

Professor Lupin nodded sadly.

"I understand. But if you ever want to talk to me about anything, Ivory, I will be happy to listen."

For just a moment, I actually believed he was worried for me - that he genuinely cared. But then my training kicked in, and I remembered what had happened to me before when I'd allowed myself to be fooled by some of the Death Eaters' kind and caring facades.

He just wants me to lower my defences so he can hurt me.

As relieved as I was when he walked away without saying anything more, I was also terrified. I'd said too much; that was the second time I'd almost given away the fact I wasn't treated kindly in front of him. I needed to be more careful - the truth could hurt everyone badly.