Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 131: Underwater lights

"Sure, Professor," Harry said as he walked toward her voice. He soon realized that she was up the bank from him, though.

"Harry, do you want me to guide you up to where Professor McGonagall is?" Neville asked with a tremor in his voice.

"Thanks, Neville. That would be great," Harry responded with relief and accepting Neville's offered arm. It was a little tricky making it up the bank and by the time he made it up, Harry was pretty sure that his trousers were streaked with mud.

"Hi, Professor," Harry said when was near enough that he could smell her distinctive odor of Earl Grey tea with a faint feral undertone—he guessed that was the cat in her. Neville scrambled back down the bank to return to Gemma and Peter.

"Mr. Potter. You sent me a letter and I was sitting down to respond when I saw you out here, so I thought I'd come down and talk to you in person instead."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, leaning on his staff until it sank into the soft earth.

"Yes, well. You asked about your electives for your third year. As you were sent home early and weren't present at the end of term to select your own electives, I took the liberty of signing you up for Divination and Care of Magical Creatures—the same as Mr. Weasley. I thought you might like to be in the same classes. I sent you an owl, did you not receive it?"

"Er. Well, no. I didn't," Harry said, chewing his lip.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Potter?"

"Well, er. Yes. I had a chance to meet Professor Trelawney... and I'm not sure that Divination... well... isn't it a lot of staring into crystal balls and at tea leaves? That really isn't going to work... isn't there something else I could take?"

"Sure. There's still room in Arthimancy or Ancients Runes..."

"I'll take Ancient Runes, please."

"Well, if you're sure. It will be a rigorous course, though. But Hermione is also taking it, so I imagine with her assistance... and well, you're right—it probably is better suited. Divination does rely on a lot of visuals... and the Runes are carved into stone typically—so you could feel them. Yes, I think that would be a better fit... "

"Thank you, Professor."

"...and if not, you could always drop it... you might struggle to keep up with your coursework as it is."

"Er... Isn't that why I'm at the Center? ... Professor?... so that I can keep up at Hogwarts when the term starts? I'm learning all sorts of things... "

"You're absolutely right. How dim of me," she said absentmindedly. "And on another matter. Mr. Potter, I was observing you while you and your friends were playing Quidditch. I almost put a stop to it, but Pomona, er, Professor Sprout suggested that a pick-up game wouldn't do any harm... and Hagrid was with you. I don't know how you were following the snitch... But then you crashed into Mr. Montague at an alarming speed and were falling. I don't know how you managed to summon your broom... but by Morgana's cauldron... that was terrifying. Surely you must understand why playing Quidditch is out of the question. You really shouldn't be flying at all."

"But Professor! I've fallen in Quidditch before... it has... almost nothing to do with the fact that I can't see. And it's not just me who wants to play... there's Tony, Mei, and Gemma, too. It's no more dangerous for us to play than other players!"

"No, you're not only a danger to yourself, but to others as well. That's my final word. Please don't broach the topic again," Professor McGonagall said with a finality that was emphasized by her robes sweeping over the heather and her firm footsteps treading over the marshy landscape.