Chapter Text
When the boys finally said goodbye to Hermoine and parted ways for the next class, Harry didn't know how he was going to break the news to Dick.
They were about to use the stairs. Nearly all of them. This was serious.
Ron and Harry led the Slytherins back up the stairs. When they reached the first floor, Dick's head dropped and he turned off for the first floor again, bumping into Ron as he continued past the door for the next set of stairs. Dick blinked at the redhead.
"Wha- Aren't we heading out this way?" Dick's eyes widened in realisation "Wait. We're going up higher?"
Ron smirked, looking towards his fellow Gryffindor.
"Dick." Harry smiled "We'll have to use just about every staircase here to get to Divination." The boy's jaw dropped.
"It's in the highest tower after all." Ron added, trying not to laugh at his new friend while his eyes bulged out of his head on hearing the news.
"No. You're messing with me. The highest tower. Really?" Dick clutched onto Ron's sweater.
Ron answered unaware of what they were about to unleash "Yeah but I wouldn't get too excited, Trelawney has a few screws loose and can't predict a thing. Been predicting Harry's death for years now." He laughed. But the brothers ignored the last statement on their teacher. Dick was gone again and a small smirk appeared on Jason's face. They didn't know what they'd gotten themselves into by telling Dick about the long trip and Jason was looking forward to the show.
<Timebreak>
Never. Again.
Harry decided to never again tell Dick something he's excited about. Be it a party or even a game. Not him. It's too soon to see another death and by God it wasn't going to be him from absolute terror for his friends life.
Ron didn't seem to much better himself. A look of horror and amazement now seemingly stuck to his face. Jason on the other hand was looking between the two Gryffindors, shaking from trying not to burst into laughter. You'd think he'd be worried for his brother's life but maybe he was used to it. Somehow.
As the quartet made their way up the ladder to class, Harry and Ron had to pull their hands off of Dick. They didn't know how else to prevent the boy from falling over a banister as he peered over the edge while it moved. Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder, grabbing the boys attention as he made sure Dick didn't do any stunts going up the the final hurdle, they had worked too hard for it all to go down the drain now. Ron nodded his head, directing Harry's eyes to their hands, which were still stuck with fingers curled around the air, twitching from gripping the Slytherin so tight.
During the entire journey up the castle Dick had been toeing the line of physics itself, seeing how far he could push the boundaries of falling to death by splat. The fact that he could go so far and not fall was amazing. He was, like, at a forty-five degree angle and didn't fall.
If it wasn't for the fact he was a Slytherin, Harry would have asked him to join the quidditch team. There was also the fact that he'd try to kill himself while up in the air doing tricks.
Harry went up the ladder next. Jason and Dick were already seated at a table, two large beanbags as their chairs. Dick was talking to Jason, for some reason Dick didn't look right. He looked too tall in his seat for an old beanbag. Jason just sitting there, oddly enough he was actually smiling at Dick which could be because he caused the boy to give him a deadpan look.
Harry and Ron took the last table, not too far from the brothers. Then the whispering began. All the students around them had noticed the Gryffindors dishevelled appearance and pale faces, quick glances being thrown at them as theories were being made. Great. More rumours.
All conversations were then lost when Jason let out a loud, hearty laugh. Not even the other Slytherins had heard much more than the odd comment thrown in by the boy so even they were taken aback. When he had quietened down Jason didn't even seem to notice the silence, either that or he didn't care about all the eyes on him.
Harry could see some of the girls struggling to not swoon at the boy in the leather jacket. When was this even a thing? In all fairness it happened with Lockheart and Cedric and a lot of the Durmstrang boys from last year too but this was another level.
Jason was an odd one, Harry had to say. He was always quiet and dangerous looking and yet he seemed to just love to have the last word, to be with others. Jason could be a leader, shown by his air of power and how those reacted around him. He seemed to be the perfect description of someone who you would look out for, not wanting to cross their path and yet for whatever reason Harry was reminded of Hermoine when he looked at Jason. Maybe it was because he actually wanted to go to classes.
Just then Trelawney made her entrance.
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Dick didn't know what to expect when he climbed up the ladder but it was almost strange how at home he felt in the dark room. When he had been told of taking the Divination classes by Bruce, Dick had instantly been reminded of Haly's. Now and again a fortune teller would join the circus and set up a small tent just outside the main one that the performances his family would do took place in. Even though each one who joined was different, every one of them were the same. The same dress up, the same dark, smoky tent and the same tricks to get customers. To think that most of them weren't far off from the truth was very amusing. What If one of them actually was using magic? Oh irony aren't you so very clever, having everyone laugh and make fun of those crystal balls and weird smelling incense only for it being real as Tim having a coffee addiction.
He quickly crossed the room to where Jason was sinking into a large beanbags with a low table. Plopping down into the second beanbag, Dick watched as the table was suddenly a foot too high for him to use. Struggling to look over the table even in it's shortened state, he pouted. Jason smirked at his trouble.
"What's wrong shorty, wanna ask to trade tables?" Dick gave an annoyed look.
"You picked this on purpose, didn't you Jay?" A toothy grin was given as a resonse. Dick huffed and awkwardly pulled himself up out of the chair. He looked at it for a moment before deciding that kneeling was the best answer to the height problem and fell back into the chair again. "I am so getting pins and needles in my legs after this." He said giving Jason a blank look. "Do you think they'll notice if I go down the ladder on my hands?"
Jason laughed. "I don't think you'll go unnoticed at this place for a long time Dickybird."
Chairs screeched as the last table was taken. Dick looked over, doing a double take. Harry and Ron looked like they'd had a run in with a couple of thugs. They were pale skinned and wide eyed. Their hair and clothes were ruffled up as if they had been in a fight. Their hands were shaking and curled up from lack of blood flow. "What happened to them? We only left them for a minute."
"No. They've let you go for a minute."
"Ooooohh," Dick blinked. "Well it's not my fault they wouldn't let me look over the stairs. I was perfectly fine, especially in a school full of people who could flick their wrist and save me if I actually somehow fell. I could even save myself!"
"You really think people who barely know Bruce or even Bats would know about your gravity defying powers. We're lucky enough no one has realised that one kid is legally dead thanks to the lack of international "muggle" news."
Dick's face lit up. "Can you imagine someone in the Great Hall freaking out over a zombie suddenly being their housemate."
Jason threw back his head laughing, drawing a few stares. It'd take Jason to laugh at a joke about his own death. "Why are these magic people so God damn oblivious to the world around them.
A woman then made her appearance. Professor Trelawney. The woman did not surprise Dick at all, seemingly to also be fairly similar to those from the circus. She was thin and had big, bulging eyes thanks to her small, round glasses and frizzy hair to match. Colourful shawls and cloaks covered her body and were lined with shimmery sequins and beads, only being outdone by all the bangles that she wore. Dick swore he'd seen her on the train at one point, if not then it was some time before he was born.
"You cannot be serious..." Jason muttered in disbelief, coming to the same line of thought as Dick he turned to the boy whispering "Do you know her?"
He held his tongue, trying not to laugh. "Nope." The word making a pop at the "p".
Trelawney's entrance concluded of the hippy like woman making her way to and fro from each students table, telling them the importance of getting a good O.W.L.S. (Oh yeah. Something Bruce failed to mention was that besides looking out for Harry, keeping up their grades, trying not to get too much attention and not get caught or detention (A lot was expected of them) they also had to pass exams with years of catch up to do! There isnt enough time in the day with the night included!) score and what the students will be doing for the year ahead.
As the professor made her way towards Harry and Ron, the two visibly tried to shrink down into their seats, trying to get away from the woman. Other students seemed to grow anxious as well as she neared them. What's going on?
Then it happened. Trelawney froze mid-step, one hand gripped her head while the other wavered side to side out in front of her.
"I'm sensing..." She wailed, wandering forward till she stood at Harry's table. "Death." The entire room instantly sagged, Sighing at the declaration. Then Dick remembered what the Gryffindors had said earlier, this was a common event. But then Trelawney frowned and turned from Harry.
"I sense the dead are with us." Judging by the confused looks this wasn't what usually happened.
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Um what?
The class exchanged looks at Trelawney's news. Since when could she even do that? Harry thought of all those shows his Aunt Petunia would watch about those mediums who could supposedly speak to the dead, for the price of a show ticket office course. Everyone knows that they're only making it up but for some reason Petunia enjoys it, even though she hates actual magical things. Maybe Trelawney picked up a few things watching TV?
Trelawney spun, facing some other tables, and meandered forward again.
"YOU!!" She declared pointing at a student. Harry and half the class stood, trying to see who was this year's new death victim.
It was Jason.
"YOU HAVE BATHED IN THE POOL OF THE DEAD AND COME BACK." Trelawney drew her hands to her chest turning away from him as if he was about to jump up and take her hand off. "Such a curse for one so young to have such a soul. Parts of death itself now cling to you for eternity, corrupting you even more."
Jason hadn't moved but his once neutral face now looked surprised at the outburst; his eyebrows raised an mouth slightly agape.
Dick, who had looked intrigued before, now had his brows furrowed, squinting at the woman.
The brothers looked at each other for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. Jason fell forward onto his knees, keeled over the table as he clutched his stomach. Dick had fallen as well.... backwards. By the sheer force of throwing his head back, Dick had toppled the beanbag back and hit the ground with a loud "thud" causing a few spluttered laughter throughout the class. He looked as if he was in physical pain as he clawed at his stomach with tears in his eyes, his legs propped up into the air by the beanbag. Maybe an actual hex had been put on them? Would explain a few things.
At the continued laughing, a few random students began to laugh as well. The contagious laughter passed on to Ron and soon Harry followed suit. Soon even the Slytherins were laughing and eventually Trelawney herself by the time Dick and Jason were collapsed from where they were previously dying, panting with massive smiles on their faces.
By the time the entire class had calmed down (Trelawney. It was Trelawney that took forever to calm down. Her laugh is worse than Luna's) there were fifteen minutes left of class. Trelawney didn't bother do anything but ask for seven inches about a new dream that everyone had during the Summer. Seven inches. About something that could be made up on the spot. What is even happening to the school anymore? Easy homework? That sort of thing was unheard of. What's up with these transfers, breaking things from arms to gravity and now to personalities? Now this was true magic.
<Timebreak>
The entire way to the next class, Dick had a large toothy smile. Everyone who had been in Divination were in brilliant moods, a few smiling as well. Strolling into the final class for the day next to Jason, the two of them went to the front row, waiting for class to begin. Chattering commenced throughout the room as students from the other class were informed of the events of Divination. Looking back, he could see people were glancing at them, some with utter disbelief on their faces. Hermoine looked absolutely shocked, wide eyed she stared at the two, she hated Trelawney and her weird ways but hearing about this total one-eighty on her personality was kinda weird.
They seemed to be getting a lot of attention....
"We're really failing at laying low aren't we?" He realised, turning back to Jason.
Jason chucked "Well aren't you a bright spark Dickhead. Using those detective instincts like that."
"I can't belief how right that Trelawney woman was." Dick said remembering what had caused the whole incident. "She really was on the dot with the whole "pool of the dead" thing."
"I'm not sure if I should be complemented by being called corrupted? I mean, it's not as if I kill everyone now, just couple every now and then for anger relief...." Jason looked away in thought, "Which might be a bit too common to be healthy. Who am I gonna kill now though? It's too noticeable if a kid dies, also it goes against one of my few actual morals."
"Does that mean you were never actually going to kill Tim or Damian?" Dick asked hopefully.
Jason laughed in reply "Oh no, they're dead. So's you and B. It'll just be me and Alfred in the mansion, living the good life."
The two could only laugh, unaware that it would be their only happy memory of being in DADA.
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Harry and Ron watched as Hermoine, along with the half of the class who hadn't been in Divination, perfected their goldfish impressions on Dick and Jason. Since she had been told of what had transpired Hermoine was bug eyed and in shock, Harry truly felt worried, this was very out of character for her.
The brothers laughter seemed to shake the witch back into focus. Her head snapped back to Ron and Harry "What did Trelawney say exactly. Don't leave anything out."
The boys shrugged at her. "I don't remember, but it had something to do with death too. I think that must be all Trelawney can predict at this stage, it's all I hear from her." Ron replied. Hermoine frowned at Ron but before she could say a word to scold him, Harry spoke up.
"The dead is with us." Harry said, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember. The other two Gryffindors turned to Harry.
"What did you say Harry?" The witch asked.
Harry looked up at his friends "It's what Trelawney said: The dead are with us, you have bathed in the pool of the dead," his brow furrowed once more as he looked away, "I can't remember what was said exactly but it was something about his soul. She said it was corrupt, a curse.... What could that mean? The pool of the dead?" Harry's eyes returned to the witch, the last line being directed at her. The brightest witch of their age looked towards the two Slytherins in the front of the class, a confused look on her face.
"I don't know."
The boys were chilled to the bone at her announcement.