Chapter Text
It was just another day in what was the dull class of Divination. The dimly lit classroom was filled with the usual scent of burning incense, and Professor Trelawney was once again drifting around the room, peering into students' tea leaves and making her vague, dramatic predictions about their futures. Draco Malfoy sighed heavily, trying to think of something that he could do to alleviate the boredom.
Harry Potter was in his usual seat next to Ron Weasley, who was already eyeing his own tea leaves with a resigned look, clearly not excited about whatever fortune Trelawney would come up with for him. Draco began to focus in on Harry and a mischievous glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. It wasn't long before Draco couldn't resist any longer. He put his hand up, getting the attention of the Professor, who then called on him.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco leaned forward, putting on his best serious face, but the slight grin gave him away.
"I feel like I should share something with you, Professor. Before class today, Potter told me something rather...interesting."
Harry, who had been quietly scribbling on a piece of parchment, immediately looked up with furrowed brows.
"What?"
Draco ignored Harry's reaction and turned back to Trelawney, his expression mockingly sincere.
"He said, and I quote, 'I've never felt this way before, but I think Professor Trelawney is...very hot and sexy. I wonder if she has a boyfriend.'"
The class froze for a moment, and then all hell broke loose.
A ripple of laughter erupted from the students, some of them trying to stifle their snickers while others openly burst into hysterics. Ron doubled over in his chair, clutching his stomach as tears of laughter streamed down his face. Even Hermione, usually unamused by Malfoy's antics, couldn't stop the small smirk that appeared on her face.
Harry, red-faced, now wore an expression of pure horror and disbelief.
"What?!" He shouted again, now glaring daggers at Malfoy. "I never said that!"
"Don't be shy, Potter. It's okay to be honest with your feelings." Draco smirked, clearly enjoying the chaos he had caused.
Professor Trelawney, who had been frozen in shock, blinked several times, her wide eyes even more magnified behind her glasses. Her face flushed a shade of pink, and she brought a hand to her chest as though deeply flustered by the very idea.
"Mr. Potter!" She gasped, her voice high-pitched and trembling with a mix of embarrassment and...was that delight? "I...I had no idea you held such...feelings."
"I don't!" Harry insisted as his face went from red to crimson, his voice rising in frustration as the laughter around him only grew louder. "Malfoy's making it up!"
"I'm just the messenger, Potter." Draco raised his hands in mock innocence. "I just thought our dear Professor should know."
Professor Trelawney gave Harry a look of affection.
"You mustn't be embarrassed by your feelings, dear," she spoke full of dramatic empathy. "The heart sees what the mind often tries to deny. Perhaps there is some...connection between us that you are only now coming to understand."
"For Merlin's sake, Professor." Harry groaned, burying his face in his hands as the class continued to roar with laughter. "I do not think you're hot!" He exclaimed, mortified beyond belief. "Or sexy!"
Ron, still laughing uncontrollably, slapped the table, gasping for air. "Bloody hell, Harry... I can't...I can't breathe!"
Harry glared at him, not believing that his best friend of all people was laughing so hard at Malfoy's idiotic prank. Trelawney, still flustered, seemed to still be processing what Draco had said. She gave Harry a soft, almost pitying smile, clearly interpreting Draco's prank as something deeper.
Draco, meanwhile, was absolutely basking in the chaos he had caused. He leaned back in his chair, casually crossing his arms, looking as though he had just pulled off the most brilliant prank in Hogwarts history. "Honestly, Potter, you should really own up to your feelings," he said with a smirk. "There's no shame in it."
Trelawney, still misreading the entire situation, gave another soft, dreamy smile as she turned away, clearly overwhelmed by the "revelation." She murmured something about "young love" dramatically, moving toward the front of the room, leaving Harry to his utter humiliation.
As the laughter finally started to die down, Harry glared at Draco, who was still grinning like a Chesire Cat. He then growled, "You're a git, Malfoy."
Draco simply winked at him in return.
"You're welcome, Potter."
With that, the class continued, but the ripple of Draco's joke lingered throughout the lesson. Harry remained red-faced and utterly humiliated, making a mental note to get Malfoy back somehow. All he could do for now was endure the relentless teasing from Ron and the knowing smirks from his classmates, all while Draco sat smugly at his desk, thoroughly pleased with himself.
The Great Hall was bustling with students enjoying their lunch, the usual chatter filling the air. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together at the Gryffindor table, casually discussing their upcoming classes. Harry was still embarrassed over Malfoy's antics from Trelawney's class, and while Hermione tried to soothe him, Harry remained a bit quieter than usual and focused more on his food than anything else. Suddenly, a small, enchanted piece of parchment floated through the air, landing directly in front of Harry.
He glanced up, confused, and noticed Malfoy smirking from the Slytherin table. His gut tightened as this couldn't be good.
"What's that?" Ron asked, his mouth full of food as he looked over at the parchment. Hermione, sensing trouble, sighed heavily and leaned in as well.
Reluctantly, Harry unfolded the parchment. His eyes widened in horror as he saw what Draco had sent him. It was a crude drawing, clearly done by Draco himself, showing Harry flying on his broomstick with a giant, goofy smile on his face.
That wasn't the worst part.
Seated behind Harry on the broomstick was none other than Professor Trelawney, clinging onto him with wide, romantic eyes. Hearts were drawn everywhere on the paper, as if they were floating through the sky in a love-filled fantasy. Trelawney's large glasses were exaggerated, making her look even more ridiculous, and Harry looked equally horrified in the drawing, which only added to the embarrassment. Ron looked over Harry's shoulder and snorted with laughter as soon as he saw it.
"Merlin's beard! Look at her! She's holding on for dear life!" He laughed so hard that he nearly fell off the bench, clutching at his sides.
Hermione, though trying to keep her composure, couldn't help but let out a small giggle.
"Oh no...that's terrible, Harry," she said, though the amusement was clear when she spoke. Harry groaned, his face flushing with embarrassment once again as he crumpled the drawing up in his hands.
"I'm going to kill him," he muttered darkly, glaring across the hall at Malfoy, who was now watching Harry's reaction with a smug expression, clearly pleased with himself. Draco, ever the master of pushing buttons, gave Harry a mocking smile, which only widening as he saw the fury in Harry's eyes.
Ron, still laughing, wiped away tears from his eyes.
"I hate Malfoy, but I've got to hand it to him. He's really committed to this whole Trelawney thing."
"Go soak your head, Ron." Harry muttered, though even he couldn't completely hide the small, begrudging smile forming at the corners of his mouth. As much as he hated Malfoy's relentless teasing, he had to admit, the drawing was ridiculously well-done.
"Just ignore him." Hermione told him while shaking her head, still slightly chuckling. "The more you react, the more he enjoys it."
Harry sighed, crumpling the paper even tighter.
"Yeah, I know." Harry sighed while crumbling the paper even tighter. "I swear though, if he keeps this up, I'm hexing him with the worst curse I can think of."
As they continued their lunch, the laughter from the drawing still echoed in their group, but Harry was determined not to give Malfoy the satisfaction of knowing how much it bothered him. He'd figure out a way to get back at the Slytherin eventually, something that would wipe that smug smirk off his face for good. He just had to survive the endless teasing first.
By the next day, word of Draco's prank had spread like wildfire throughout the school. Everywhere Harry went, he could feel the curious stares of his fellow students, and the whispers behind his back were almost as bad as the direct questions. It seemed that everyone had heard about the ridiculous rumor Draco had started in Professor Trelawney's class, and now, Harry was left dealing with the fallout.
As he entered the Great Hall for breakfast, a group of younger Gryffindors eyed him with interest, whispering among themselves. One of them, Dennis Creevey, a third-year, worked up the nerve to approach him.
"Hey, Harry." The younger boy began, trying to suppress a smile, "is it true that you think Professor Trelawney is, uh…you know, sexy?"
Harry nearly dropped his plate in disbelief. "No! No, damn it!" He sputtered, quickly agitated as Ron and Hermione, who had walked in with him, exchanged knowing glances. "That's not true at all!"
Dennis snickered, backing away to rejoin his friends, who were now snickering too. "Really? Her of all people?" Another student asked as they passed by, barely able to contain their laughter. Ron, still trying to hold back his own laughter, gave Harry a pat on the back.
"Looks like Malfoy's little joke has taken on a life of its own, mate."
"Brilliant," Harry muttered, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Just what I need. Now everyone thinks I've got a crush on Trelawney."
Hermione, always trying to be the voice of reason, sighed as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"This is why you should have ignored him in the first place, Harry. You know Malfoy loves stirring up trouble."
Harry groaned, shaking his head as yet another student passed by, giving him a look that was half-amused, half-curious.
"It's like it's never going to stop."
As they started eating, more students approached, pretending to be casual but clearly unable to resist asking about the rumor. One of the Ravenclaws, Michael Corner, came up to Harry and raised an eyebrow. "So, is it true, Potter? Do you have a thing for Trelawney? I mean, I get that she's…unique, but seriously?"
Harry gave him an exasperated look.
"No." He snapped, his frustration clear. "I don't have a thing for Trelawney. Malfoy made that up."
"Hey, just checking." Michael held up his hands in surrender. "Heard the rumors going around."
Ron, still amused by the entire situation, leaned over to Harry.
"Maybe you should just embrace it, mate. Could be worse, it could've been Snape."
Harry shot him a glare. "Not funny, Ron."
Hermione, clearly done with the teasing, gave Ron a disapproving look. "Honestly, this is getting ridiculous. Malfoy's probably just sitting there, watching you squirm."
The next day in Professor Trelawney's class, things had finally settled down. At least on the surface. Draco, for once, was keeping to himself, perhaps plotting his next prank or simply basking in the chaos he had already caused. Harry, however, was on edge, dreading that someone might bring up the ridiculous rumor again. As Trelawney drifted around the room, her usual dramatic air intact, the students were trying to focus on their tea leaves. Everything seemed normal until the flutter of wings caught everyone's attention. An owl swooped into the classroom, gliding toward Professor Trelawney.
She looked up, surprised, and reached out her hand as the owl dropped a letter into her palm.
The class fell silent, every eye on the letter. Trelawney, always one for theatrics, gently opened it with a delicate flourish, her wide eyes skimming over the words. Suddenly, her face flushed and her cheeks turning a shade of pink no one had ever seen before.
Clearing her throat, she began to read aloud.
"If my heart could speak…then it would tell you…how I feel about you. It's not that I don't care, but my lips won't dare."
The class gasped, barely containing their shock. The silence that followed was thick with tension. Everyone turned to look at Harry, who was now frozen in place, his face going pale.
Trelawney, her hands trembling slightly, looked up from the letter, her wide, heavily magnified eyes now focused on Harry.
"Signed…Harry Potter," she whispered, her voice filled with a strange mix of awe and confusion.
Harry's heart dropped into his stomach.
"Are you kidding me!? I didn't write that!" He blurted out, standing up so quickly that he knocked over the crystal ball on his desk. "I-I didn't write that!" He shouted again. "That's not from me!"
The class erupted into giggles and whispers, with several students exchanging knowing glances. Ron, sitting next to Harry, looked like he was about to choke from laughing so hard, while Hermione simply buried her face in her hands in disbelief. Draco, who had been sitting quietly up until this point, suddenly raised his hands in mock innocence, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Hey, don't look at me. I had nothing to do with this one."
Harry glared at him, knowing full well that Draco was somehow involved.
"You expect me to believe you didn't send that, Malfoy!?"
Draco shrugged casually, his smirk never faltering. "It's not even my handwriting. It's your handwriting, Potter. Clearly, you're the secret poet here." He gestured toward the letter, as if to emphasize that he had nothing to do with it.
Trelawney, still holding the letter delicately between her fingers, blinked at Harry, her expression one of disbelief and…a hint of flattery?
"Mr. Potter," she began slowly, "While I am deeply touched by your...sentiments, I must remind you, I am your teacher."
Harry, now in full panic mode, shook his head furiously.
"No, no, no! Professor, I swear I didn't write that! Someone, Malfoy, is playing a prank on me!"
The class, thoroughly entertained by the unfolding drama, burst into laughter again. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were doubled over in their seats, while Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil exchanged wide-eyed glances, clearly shocked but unable to suppress their amusement. Ron, still struggling to catch his breath between fits of laughter, slapped Harry on the back.
"I told you, mate, Trelawney's got a fan!"
Hermione, on the other hand, shot Draco a disapproving glare, clearly suspecting him despite his denials. "This is getting ridiculous, Malfoy. You need to stop."
Draco feigned innocence, putting on his best hurt expression.
"Granger, I'm wounded. I told you that I didn't do it this time. You can see for yourself, that's Potter's handwriting, isn't it?"
Harry, still mortified beyond belief, took a deep breath and faced Trelawney, determined to put an end to the madness.
"Professor, please believe me, I have no idea where that letter came from. I didn't write it, I swear."
Trelawney, her cheeks still flushed, hesitated for a moment, looking between Harry and the letter as though trying to decide whether to believe him. Finally, she folded the letter and tucked it away with a small, awkward smile. "Very well, Mr. Potter," she said softly, though it lacked its usual mystical confidence. "Let us keep our minds focused on the lesson at hand, shall we?"
The laughter died down, though the amused whispers persisted. Harry sat back down, his face still burning with embarrassment. Ron, now mostly recovered, leaned over and muttered, "I don't know, Harry. Seems like you've got a real admirer there."
"Shut up, Ron," Harry muttered, burying his face in his hands. He could feel Malfoy's eyes on him, and though Draco was no longer smirking openly, Harry knew that the Slytherin had gotten exactly what he wanted. Another day of tormenting him.
As the class slowly returned to their tea leaves, Harry vowed to himself that this would be the last time Draco Malfoy got the better of him. He'd find a way to get back at him, somehow. For now, he had to survive the relentless teasing that was sure to follow him for the rest of the week.
The Great Hall was as lively as ever, students enjoying their dinner and conversations echoing across the room. At the Gryffindor table, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were seated together, but this time, Harry had a plan. After days of relentless teasing from Draco, the moment had finally come for Harry to get his revenge.
Draco, as usual, was sitting at the Slytherin table, surrounded by his friends and basking in the attention he always seemed to crave. He had been riding high on the success of his prank about Trelawney, and now Harry was about to turn the tables.
Taking a deep breath, Harry stood up from his seat, catching the attention of those around him. Ron raised an eyebrow, sensing something was about to happen.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked, but Harry didn't answer.
Instead, he tapped his goblet with his fork, drawing the attention of the entire hall.
"Excuse me, everyone," Harry began, loud enough to cut through the chatter. The hall slowly quieted as more and more students turned to look at him, curiosity piqued. Draco, now noticing that all eyes were on Harry, narrowed his eyes suspiciously from across the hall. He had no idea what was about to happen, but the way Harry was looking at him made him uneasy.
"I've been thinking about something for a while now," Harry continued, his tone calm but with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "And I think it's time I admit something I've kept hidden for too long."
The room was now silent, everyone's attention fully on Harry. Draco shifted uncomfortably in his seat, already sensing that something was wrong. He exchanged a quick glance with Blaise Zabini, who shrugged, equally confused.
"Draco Malfoy once told me that he had feelings for me," Harry said, pausing dramatically as gasps rippled through the room. "But at the time, I rejected him."
The entire Great Hall erupted into shocked murmurs, students turning to look at Draco with wide eyes. Draco's face immediately drained of what little color it did have, his usual cocky expression replaced with one of horror.
"You little codswallop!" Draco shouted, standing up so fast his chair nearly toppled over. "That's a lie, Potter!"
Harry wasn't finished. Ignoring Draco's outburst, he continued, now looking directly at Draco with a faux-serious expression.
"At the time, I didn't understand my own feelings. Now...I realize that I was wrong. I…I have feelings for Malfoy too."
The hall burst into chaotic laughter, gasps, and whispers. Students from all houses were staring in disbelief, some grinning, others looking utterly bewildered. The Slytherins were completely taken aback as they were looking up at Draco, their faces aghast. The Gryffindors on the other hand were barely able to contain their amusement.
Draco's pale face turned a deep shade of red, his mouth hanging open as he tried to process what was happening.
"Potter, you're insane!" He sputtered as he was now shaking with fury and embarrassment. "I hate you! I don't have a crush on you! This is a sick joke!"
Harry wasn't done just yet. He held out his hands in mock sincerity.
"Draco, if you have the heart to forgive me…I think we could have something special."
The laughter in the hall grew even louder, with students pointing and laughing at Draco, who was now fully mortified. He looked around desperately, his usual confidence shattered. Even his Slytherin friends were trying, and failing, not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.
"Shut up!" Draco shouted at his housemates, his voice cracking as he glared daggers at Harry. "Potter, you're lying! I've never had feelings for you, you insufferable prat!"
The damage was done. The hall was in complete uproar, students from all houses reveling in Draco's discomfort. Harry stood there, calmly watching Malfoy's reaction with a satisfied smirk. Ron, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard, muttered between gasps, "Good going, Harry, you really got him this time!"
Hermione, though trying to stay composed, couldn't help but smile.
"That might have been a little over the top, Harry."
Still fuming, Draco suddenly turned and stormed out of the Great Hall, his robes billowing behind him. "You're going to regret this, Potter!" He shouted over his shoulder, but he was drowned out by the laughter echoing through the hall.
As Draco disappeared from view, Harry finally sat back down, a triumphant grin on his face. The students around him were still buzzing with excitement, and for once, Harry felt like he had turned the tables on Malfoy.
Ron, still chuckling, patted Harry on the back.
"Blimey, that was brilliant. Malfoy didn't know what hit him."
Harry shrugged, the satisfied smile never leaving his face. "He had it coming."
Though Harry knew Draco would eventually try to get back at him, for now, he had won the day, and the entire school was in on the joke.
Harry sat back at the Gryffindor table, a rare sense of triumph settling over him. It wasn’t often that he outmaneuvered Malfoy in their endless game of pranks and taunts but tonight was different. Tonight, he had won, and in front of the whole school no less.
Ron was still beside himself, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes as he recounted Draco’s horrified expression.
"You should’ve seen his face, Harry! He looked like he’d just swallowed a dungbomb! Absolutely priceless."
"Yeah, well, he had it coming," Harry said, trying to play it cool, but his own grin betrayed the satisfaction he felt. He stole a glance at Hermione, who was nibbling thoughtfully on a piece of bread, her eyes twinkling with barely concealed amusement.
"You do realize this means war, right?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Draco Malfoy’s not the type to take this lying down. He’s going to come after you twice as hard now."
Harry shrugged, unfazed. "I’ll deal with it when it happens. He’s had me on edge for days, I was owed a little payback."
Hermione smiled, but there was a knowing look in her eyes.
"Just don’t say I didn’t warn you."
Across the hall, students from all houses were still throwing glances at Harry, their expressions ranging from disbelief to admiration. Even some of the Slytherins seemed grudgingly impressed by the boldness of Harry’s prank, though none of them dared show it too openly.
"Oi, Harry!" Seamus called from a few seats down. "That was bloody brilliant! I didn't think Malfoy's face was capable of turning into a shade of red!" He clapped his hands together in glee, and Dean nodded in agreement, a wide grin on his face.
"Think you might’ve just dethroned him as the king of pranks," Dean added. "He’ll never live this down."
Harry laughed, feeling lighter than he had in days. After the relentless teasing about Trelawney, it felt good to be the one dishing it out for a change.
As dinner continued, the atmosphere in the Great Hall returned to its usual lively chatter, and Harry could still feel the occasional glance in his direction, accompanied by muffled giggles and whispered retellings of the prank. Harry was sure that Malfoy would be coming back at him for this, but for now, the tables had indeed turned.