Cassia yawned as she sat in the attic room. It wasn't just the fact that she got next to no sleep, but also that the room was covered in scarves and drapes, and heavily perfumed with nothing scent and cooking sherry.

As she let out her fifth yawn, Poppy giggled. "You must be really tired, Cass."

"It's not my fault, it was the boys and their stupid animal noises," Cassia complained, as their teacher, Professor Trelawney, emerged.

She looked quite crazy. She probably was quite crazy, Cassia reminded herself, to be a divination teacher, but this woman was on another level. She had wild, curly hair that was all around her face, a pink scarf tried round it. Her eyes were wide and covered over with huge round glasses. Her outfit choice was more than a little unusual.

"Good morning, children, my class," she said, and her voice was a bit strange. "In this room you shall study the noble art of divination... in this room, you will discover if you possess the sight... I am Professor Trlawney... and together we shall cast ourselves into the future!"

She held her hands up and waved them about. Cassia did the wrong thing by staring at Poppy, meaning that both girls lapsed into silent giggles, clearly both thinking that she was a complete nutcase.

"This term, we shall be focusing on the art of reading tea leaves, so please, take the cup of the person sitting opposite you," she continued. Cassia sighed, glad that she didn't have to drink the tea in the empty cup sitting in front of Poppy.

She sighed, opening her divination book called Unfogging the Future, and turning it to the relevant page where all the tea leave symbols.

"Perhaps the answer you seek lies deep inside a book, waiting to be read," Trelawney came forward and grabbed Ron's head. "But first, you must broaden your minds! First, you must look beyond!"

Cassia rolled her eyes, Poppy muttering to her. "I've never heard of more bullshit in my life."

Cassia shook her head. "I probably have, every time Draco opens his mouth..."

Poppy snorted.

"You, boy," Trelawney went up to Neville. "Is your grandmother quite well?"

"Um... yeah, I think so," Neville shrugged.

Trelawney shrugged. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, give me the cup."

Over with Cassia and Poppy, they weren't having that much joy, either.

"Okay, so I've got the symbol for an enemy here," Poppy shrugged. "But I've also got the symbol for love, so you're going to... love an enemy?" She looked up at her best friend.

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Well, you've got the symbol for suffering, Pop, and the one for-"

"Ooooh!" She was interrupted by a cry from Trelawney, who was looking at a startled Ron. "Your aura is pulsing, dear! Are you in the beyond? I think you are!"

Cassia snorted again.

"Give me the cup," Trelawney insisted to Harry.

But as soon as he did, she yelped, dropping the cup on the ground and taking several steps back from it.

Cassia frowned.

"My- my dear," she said, in barely more than a whisper. "You have... the grim."

There was a gasp from everyone in the room, except for a few people, Cassia included.

"The grin? What's the grin?" Seamus asked.

"Not the grin, you idiot, the grim!" Another student shouted at him.

"Well, what's that?" Cassia asked. She took one look at Poppy's wide eyes and slightly parted lips and decided she needed to know.

Someone started to read from their book. "Taking the form of a giant spectral dog, it's among the darkest omens in the world. It's the omen... of death."

There was a slight gasp from everyone but Cassia, who gave a small scoff. Still looking down, she muttered. "There we go, Potter. Even your tea leaves are playing to your ego."

Before she knew it, Harry was looking up at her, anger flashing across his face.

"He didn't ask for this!" It was Hermione that stood up for him this time. "And you of all people should know that, Cassia."

Cassia just rolled her eyes as Poppy rested a hand on her arm. "Cass didn't ask for him to pick on her every five seconds, you of all people should know that, Hermione."

The whole class just watched in shock as, for once, Harry Potter and Cassia Malfoy let their friends argue for them, rather than kicking each other's arses themselves.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

"I can't believe Hermione!" Poppy rolled her eyes as she and Cassia walked down the hill to Care of Magical Creatures. "It's not as though Potter didn't deserve that."

Cassia sighed as she heard Hermione imitate Trelawney to Harry and Ron behind her.

"Use your inner eye to see the future!" She giggled.

Cassia shrugged. "Pretty accurate," she smirked at Poppy. "I mean, is she the wackiest teacher in this whole place or what?"

Poppy snorted. "True."

"She's actually really interesting, Pop," Parvati came up to the two girls with Lavender behind her. "I mean, we could read our tea leaves perfectly. Professor Trelawney said we both have the potential of true sight! Isn't that amazing?"

Cassia knew that if she looked at Poppy, she would explode with laughter, so she avoided her best friend's gaze as Poppy bit her tongue and said. "Y-yeah, Par, that's great," she managed to get out.

Parvati and Lavender looked at the two friends strangely before turning around and walking ahead of them.

Sooner than later, they arrived at Hagrid's hut, where the half giant lived. Harry, Ron and Hermione often went to visit the man there, but Cassia had never been.

He met them all outside.

"Okay, come round now, come round, less talking if you don't mind!" Hagrid called them all round. "Now, I've got something really special to show you today, a real treat and a great lesson, so follow me!"

He led them to a sort of paddock thing on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. Cassia had been into the forest before, in first year detention, so she wasn't scared in the slightest. She did laugh at her brother, who was unfortunately in this class with her, as he winced even looking at the tall, unforgiving trees.

A gentle breeze blew the trees around and Cassia smiled as it cooled her down in the burning heat. She had no robes on today, and her shirt rolled up with her skirt swishing around her legs. Nevertheless, the September sun was warm, shining down on her neck.

"Okay, less chattering from that group over there, and open your books to page forty nine!" Hagrid called to the group.

Cassia heard her brother shout. "Excuse me, but exactly how do we open them?"

Monster Book of Monsters was the book third years had been instructed to get for Hagrid's class. It was a furry novel with four eyes and, as Cassia and Poppy quickly found out with many screams in their Leaky Cauldron room, a murderous instinct. It commonly bit hands that tried to open it, and everyone, Cassia saw, including her, had bound theirs with a heavy leather belt over the summer.

Hagrid, meanwhile, looked at them in confusion. "Stroke the spine, of course!"

Cassia sighed, smiling slightly, as she stroked the spine and the book, which was previously growling at her, calmed, and let out a purr.

As Neville fell over with his and Draco, Theo and Blaise laughed mercilessly at him, Hermione said loudly. "I think they're funny."

"Oh, yeah, terribly funny. Really witty," Draco shrugged, looking around before muttering. "God this place is going to the dogs. Just wait until my father finds out Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes!"

Before Cassia knew it, Harry was stepping forward, saying. "Shut up, Malfoy!"

Blaise, Theo and Draco all smirked and went. "Ooooooohhh."

Draco stepped forward and for a second, he and Harry faced each other. Then Draco faltered, stumbling backwards and pointing to something above Harry's head that didn't exist. "Dementor, dementor!"

Harry swivelled on his heel, his face paling. Cassia smiled slightly as Draco, Blaise and Theo then put their hoods up, joking being dementors.

She had to force the smile off her face, though, being reminded again that she did not like her brother.

As everyone else "oohed" and "aahed" Hermione dragged Harry away, giving Draco a dirty look.

But before anyone could question anything, Hagrid was back, making a fanfare with his hands. Cassia frowned slightly at him. Then he turned. "Tah-dah!"

Behind him was a creature Cassia could only describe as beautiful.

It wad sort of like a cross between a bird and a horse. It had a horse's body, but the head of a bird and a bird's feathers.

She was instantly drawn to it. It just looked so... majestic. So beautiful.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid asked the class.

Cassia was the only one who nodded.

"Say hello to Buckbeak!" Hagrid called out again, throwing a dead ferret at the creature which he caught in his mouth and gobbled up.

"Hagrid, what exactly is that?" Ron frowned behind Cassia, a scared expression on his face.

"That, Ron, is a hippogriff!" Hagrid smiled. "First thing you wanna know is that they're very proud creatures, very easily offended. You do not wanna insult a hippogriff. It may be the last thing you ever do."

Poppy nudged Cassia. "Sounds like you."

"Hey!" Cassia nudged Poppy back.

"Now," Hagrid clapped his hands together. "Who'd like to come and say hello?"

Cassia stepped forward immediately, Harry stayed where he was, and the rest of the class took several steps back.

Hagrid looked up, a smile lighting up his face. "Well done, Harry, well done! It's you, and- sorry, what was your name again?"

He was looking at her with a bright smile. Cassia knew she was going to crush his happiness as she told him.

"Oh, I'm Cassia," she said, withholding her last name. Hopefully, if she could make a good impression, he wouldn't judge her when she told him she was the daughter of the man that tried to get him sacked and arrested last year.

Harry wasn't letting her have that, though.

"Cassia Malfoy," he stepped forward in line with Cassia, speaking her last name with malice on his tongue.

The smiled on Hagrid's face dropped slightly.

"Shut up, Potter," Cassia muttered as she looked down.

"No, I don't think I will," Harry said to her.

"Oh, well," Hagrid interrupted them, scratching the back of his neck. "Harry, Cassia, if you'd like to come forward."

Cassia felt just about ready to punch Harry Potter as she stepped forward. She was here because she had a genuine interest in the creature before her, meanwhile, he was here because he was too much of a dunderhead and he didn't notice that the class had² stepped backwards.

It was just unfair, because at that moment, Hagrid thought Harry was amazing. And he was already going off of Cassia.

All because of her name.

The name she wished to get rid of, the name she hated with all her heart.

"Now," Hagrid said to the two teens that were now glaring at each other. "You have to let him make the first move, it's only polite. So, step up, give us a nice low bow, and then you wait and see if he bows back. If he does, you can go and touch him."

"And if he doesn't?" Cassia asked, a slight smile on her face.

"Well, we'll get to that later, Cassia," Hagrid replied briskly.

Cassia sighed, clenching her fists together as she and Harry slowly advanced forwards.

"Now, make your bow," Hagrid instructed them. "Nice and low."

Buckbeak looked at the two teens, who both dropped into low bows, and instantly took a small step towards Cassia.

"Be careful, Cassia, careful," Hagrid warned the girl.

Cassia felt every muscle in her body tense as the hippogriff advanced on her slowly. She took a small step back, her foot breaking a twig behind her.

She jumped, trying to get away.

But not before Buckbeak nuzzled his head into her outstretched hand.

She watched in shock as the hippogriff's eyes softened and smiled slightly, looking sideways at a shocked Harry Potter.

Hagrid, meanwhile, had an undeniable smile on his face. "Well done, Cassia! I haven't seen anyone tame a hippogriff that fast in my life!"

Cassia heard a couple of people clapping for her, and a couple of scoffs, but she had ideas where they came from.

She straightened up, her breath shaky, as Buckbeak turned to Harry, then back to Cassia.

"I wouldn't," she smirked at it. "But it's up to you."

Slowly, Harry ducked into a bow, and then Buckbeak started to come round to him, bowing too, but not going over to him like he had with Cassia.

Hagrid was beyond proud as he said. "Well done, Harry and Cassia! Right, well, I'm gonna let you ride him now."

Harry frowned. "Wait, what? Hagrid-" He shouted as Hagrid siezed him and chucked him up on Buckbeak.

Cassia laughed. "See ya, Potter, I'm sure Buckbeak'll have a great time with you, but he'll have an even better one with me."

Hagrid frowned at her. "What? No, you're riding him with Harry."

Cassia's eyes widened. "No! Hagrid, no, please don't, don't put me in a close space with Potter-"

But Hagrid ignored her protests, lifting her up and sitting her on Buckbeak's back, just behind Harry, who was staring at her in disgust.

"Now don't pull out any of his feathers, because he won't thank you for that!" Hagrid exclaimed, kicking Buckbeak and sending him flying.

Cassia was not afraid of heights. In fact, last year, she and the Weasley Twins had held a competition during quidditch practice to see who could go the highest without Oliver Wood, their captain, spotting them. He did, of course.

But anyway, Cassia felt heights kind of thrilling, and so, even though she was sitting right behind Harry Potter, she felt herself kidney of relax.

Buckbeak flew up through the trees and over the forest, around the top turrets of the castle and the grounds before dipping low over the Black Lake.

Cassia was determinedly holding onto Buckbeak's back, not wanting to make any physical contact with Harry.

However, this all changed when Buckbeak lurched forwards at a gust of wind, and Cassia was thrown forwards, thowing her arms round Harry to gain support.

She instantly tried to get away, but Harry was quicker, saying disgustedly. "You do realise you just willingly hugged me, right?"

"There was nothing willing about it," Cassia snapped. "And you better watch out, Potter, because I can and I will chuck you off this hippogriff if you cross me again."

"Not if I shove you off first," Harry snarled back.

"Can't, Buckbeak'll not like that, and, as previously established, he likes me better," Cassia smirked. "I mean, who wouldn't?"

"Me," Harry snapped.

"You and no one else," Cassia muttered, leaning back, so she could, for once, not let arguing with Potter ruin this moment as Buckbeak flew up, up, away from the water.

As they flew back over the paddock, Cassia heard Hagrid whistle and felt Buckbeak start to fly towards him. She braced herself for the landing.

Buckbeak dropped down into the paddock and Cassia lurched forward again, this time managing not to hold onto Harry.

She was too distracted by the sheer amount of clapping going on around her.

"Well done, Cassia! Well done Harry!" Hagrid grinned, clapping his hands together as Buckbeak slowed and the whole class followed his lead.

Well, except Draco and his friends, Cassia noticed. Her brother was rolling his eyes, Blaise and Theo too.

"Brilliant!" Hagrid smiled, lifting Harry off Buckbeak and smiling at him, whispering. "Er- how am I doing me first day?"

Harry grinned. "Brilliant, professor."

Cassia couldn't help but give a small smile away.

"Oh, Cassia," Hagrid looked back up at her, carefully taking her off. "Um... I'm sorry, Cassia. I should've known that family isn't everything, eh?"

"Don't worry," Cassia said to the man, trying to smile genuinely. "I'm used to it by-"

"Yes, you're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute!"

Draco was walking fast towards Buckbeak, an expression of anger and malice on his face.

The next thing she knew, Buckbeak was rearing, shrieking, and Draco was yelling, lifting one arm up to shield his face. The hippogriff slashed his claws into his arm and he screamed, collapsing onto the floor.

"Buckbeak!" Hagrid was shouting, in front of the hippogriff, eventually getting it to calm down. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Buckbeak!"

Eventually, he got him down and chucked a dead ferret at him. "Away, you sill creature..."

"Oh, it's killed me! It's killed me!" Draco was rolling about on the ground, clutching his injured arm.

"Calm down! It's- it's just a scratch!" Hagrid shouted hurriedly.

"Hagrid!" Cassia didn't know why she found herself shouting, but she did. "He has to be taken to the hospital!"

"I'm the teacher, I'll do it!" Hagrid shouted, picking up Draco and shouting behind him. "Class dismissed!"

"You're gonna regret this!" Draco groaned. "You and your bloody chicken!"

Cassia rolled her eyes.

She couldn't believe she had almost felt sorry for him a few minutes ago.