Lydia's Story

After the conversation in the Owlery, Harry's mind was very full. He made his way down to the Great Hall, thinking about what Lydia had said. It all made sense to him, and only backed up what his instincts had told him earlier. Now he wondered how he was going to explain this to the others.

He soon made his way along the Gryffindor table, sitting in a space next to Ron.

"What took you so long?" Ron asked through a mouthful of food.

"I stopped to talk to someone along the way," Harry said evasively. This answer seemed to satisfy Ron, who went back to his food. Hermione shot him a suspicious glance from her seat next to Ron, but said nothing.

Harry was half way through his first plate of food when he saw Lydia enter the Great Hall. He watched with compassion as she determinedly ignored the staring eyes that followed her, making her way to the Gryffindor table.

Suddenly, Harry knew what he had to do.

Waiting until Lydia had almost passed, Harry reached out to grab her arm. He felt Ron jab him hard in the ribs, but ignored him. Turning his eyes to Lydia's surprised face, Harry smiled warmly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I noticed you were alone, and I was wondering if you wanted to sit with us!" Harry gestured to the empty space beside him, ignoring Ron's renewed choking fit.

"Er - Harry, isn't that seat taken?" Hermione asked, looking pointedly at Harry as she pounded Ron on the back.

"No, I don't think it is," Harry said innocently. "I haven't seen anyone sit there yet."

Lydia smiled gratefully at him, and slid into the empty space, keeping her eyes away from Ron and Hermione. The people on her other side scuffled further away, but Lydia took no notice as she piled her plate with food.

Lunch passed in a awkward silence, Harry soon giving up on trying to initiate conversation between his divided friends. Lydia had tried to speak politely to the others, but they continued to eat in a stony silence. Any answers they gave were brief and to the point.

Oh well, Harry thought to himself, pushing the food around on his plate. What did I expect? Getting her here was the easy part, getting them to talk wasn't.

*~*~*~*~*

When Lydia had finished her plate of food, she rose to her feet, checking her watch.

"Sorry guys, but I'll have to go now," she said. Hermione and Ron didn't look the least bit disappointed. "Maybe we can get together later. I have to go see Professor Trelawney right now."

Hermione gave a derisive snort, which she made no effort to conceal. Lydia looked at her, her brow furrowed.

"What? Do you have a problem with me going to see Professor Trelawney?" she said, her voice hard.

"Oh no, of course not," Hermione answered coolly, still not looking at Lydia. "One fraud for another, I guess."

Lydia felt her face flush a deep red, and her hand twitched towards her wand hidden in her pocket. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked coldly, her hand closing around the wand.

"I think it's pretty obvious," Hermione replied, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. "One of you is trying to look like a Seer, the other is trying to act like a good little witch, both of which are lies."

Lydia had just whipped out her wand, thinking of the most painful curse she knew, when her wand went flying out of her hand.

"Miss Meliflua, attacking another student is a serious offence. Even someone of your background should know that," a cold voice said behind her. She didn't have to turn around to know that it was Snape. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, and I suggest that you learn to control your emotions."

Lydia looked at him irritably, his wand still drawn from disarming her and a sneer across his pale face. "Yes, sir," she said quietly, hating every cell in his body.

As Snape walked away, Lydia was anxious to get back to Trelawney's class, perfumed or not. She needed to get away from the sea of staring eyes that surrounded her. At the sound of Snape's voice, everyone at the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables had turned to watch her.

Accio wand, Lydia thought silently, and the wand returned to her hand. She hurried out of the Great Hall, her eyes on the floor. In what seemed like no time at all, Lydia arrived on the landing below Professor Trelawney's class. Her wand was still clutched tightly in her hand, which was shaking slightly out of anger. Taking a few deep breaths, Lydia tried to calm herself before climbing the silver ladder.

Up in the perfumed room, Professor Trelawney was already sitting at a table, teacup in hand. A steaming cup of tea sat across from her, apparently waiting for Lydia. Moving to the table, Lydia dropped into the chair and grabbed the cup.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor. I was a bit delayed," Lydia said quietly, taking a sip from her cup.

"It's no problem, dear, I knew you would be," Professor Trelawney said in her misty voice. "I only set out your cup a moment ago."

Lydia nodded mutely thinking about what Hermione had said. She brushed the thought away, however, as Trelawney spoke again.

"Tell me about your wand," she said, looking at the wand Lydia had dropped on the table with her magnified eyes.

"Oh, well, it's ebony," Lydia answered, picking up the wand and turning it over in her hands. "It has a holly handle, and a centaur hair core. Eleven inches, if I remember right." She looked carefully at the wand, which was surprisingly well preserved for all its use. It had served her well in all of her classes, not to mention all of her time in the Duelling Club.

"The true wand of a Seer," Trelawney said quietly, taking another slow sip of her tea. "Though I hate to admit it, centaurs are renowned for their ability to see into the future."

Lydia nodded again, starting to feel restless. This was not the conversation she had been hoping for. She waited with growing impatience as Professor Trelawney took another long drink of her tea. At last, her professor set down the cup and turned her eyes to Lydia.

"Now, my dear, I'm sure you want to hear what I have to say about your family," she said mistily.

Nodding, Lydia leaned forward as Professor Trelawney began her tale.