If there was one universal truth about Hogwarts, it was this:
If you perform something impressive in class, your House will absolutely not let you forget it.
And Draconis?
Draconis was the worst.
Cassius was a cheat, he knew that, but when a cheat becomes even more cheaty, especially surrounded by nothing but girls... hell on earth i tell you.
It's right up there with being a straight guy being made to go on a shopping trip with a group of girls.
You've finished shopping withing 20 minutes but then spend the next eight hours of your life watching as they try on everything in the store, waffle about a dress they've tried on twice, but ultimately decide not to get because it wont go with the shoes they were thinking about buying...
For a futuresight like himself, the sheer number of possible futures that erupt just from a casual statement like "I wanna go shopping" would be enough to cause his head to explode.
Which is why Cassius found himself the moment he stepped through the silver-scaled doorway into the Draconis common room—warm, dim, carved of obsidian and gleaming stone, dragon statues flickering in torchlight—immediately surrounded.
"Cassius!"
"Predict mine first!"
"No, mine!"
"Out of the way, Ginny—he said last week he likes my tea more—"
"That has nothing to do with divination—!"
He almost turned around and left.
Almost.
But Daphne had already latched onto his sleeve, Hermione had taken the other, and Luna and Astoria blocked the exit with identical serene menace.
Cho was perched on the arm of the nearest sofa like a predatory owl waiting for her turn to strike.
Cassius sighed internally.
This was the price one paid for awakening the Inner Eye and then revealing that fact to everyone rather than just keeping it quiet as a hidden trump card.
He allowed himself to be herded to one of the low obsidian tables where a crystal ball waited—brought here by one of the girls, either who attended the class or who had heard the rumor and stole one away from the classroom, as a 'study aid'.
He sat.
The girls sat around him like cultists awaiting prophecy.
Cassius glanced at them.
"Fine," he said with all the enthusiasm of a tired god. "But if any of you start asking about weddings or how many kids you'll have, I'm leaving."
Ginny stuck her tongue out.
Hermione flushed pink.
Daphne smirked.
Luna just smiled like she had already foreseen him saying this.
He might be full grown inside but outside he was still only a thirteen year old kid, and the only one he could tolerate having those thoughts right now was Cho and that was only because technically speaking she is 15 years old right now and in the midst of puberty thus resulting in a chaotic mess of emotional thoughts running rampant within her head.
He rested his fingertips on the crystal.
Warmth pulsed faintly.
The mist curled inwards, then unfurled like a blooming flower.
The images came fast—blurry—unfocused.
Time felt slippery, sliding in ways that made no logical sense.
His Inner Eye was awake, yes.
But not trained.
Not stable.
Not obedient.
Still… a glimpse was a glimpse.
Cassius exhaled softly.
"Alright—Hermione first."
Hermione straightened, eyes bright.
Feeling like he had chosen to do her first, not that, that was true, he had no control and the vision just came as they did.
Cassius focused.
The mist swirled—Gold.
Wrappings.
A box.
A hand offering it.
Her lips parting in surprise.
"You'll receive a gift soon," Cassius said.
Hermione blinked. "A gift? From who—"
"No idea," Cassius cut in. "The vision ends before that. Could be from me, could be from the library for how excited you look."
Her face flushed again.
Daphne elbowed her.
"See? Something nice. Better than a death omen."
Hermione scowled, though her smile betrayed her.
Death omens still were the most common prediction coming out of the class as to give on was the purest method of achieving the equvillent C grade (Just pass) for the class.
Cassius turned the crystal slightly.
"Daphne."
Daphne flipped her hair back confidently. "I expect something worthy of my greatness."
Cassius gave her a long, unimpressed stare.
The crystal fog brightened—Petals.
A bouquet.
Blue hyacinths and dark roses.
Daphne's face melting into an uncharacteristically soft expression.
"You'll get flowers," Cassius said.
Her eyes widened faintly—surprise slipping through her otherwise flawless composure.
"…From who?" she muttered under her breath.
"Vision ends before that," Cassius repeated. "Try not to hex the wrong admirer."
Ginny snorted.
Daphne elbowed her next.
Cassius moved on.
"Ginny."
Ginny leaned forward eagerly, fiery hair glowing in torchlight.
The fog shifted—Open book.
Long sheet of parchment.
A jubilant leap in the air.
A glowing red "O" at the top.
"You'll pass your upcoming exam," Cassius said.
Ginny fist-pumped. "Knew it!"
Astoria muttered, "Showoff."
"You're just jealous," Ginny shot back.
Never bothering to question which subject she would pass as the excitment itself was to great to overcome.
Astoria responded by flicking a mini-Bat-Bogey hex at her (which Ginny dodged by reflex).
Cassius shifted the sphere again.
"Luna."
Luna smiled serenely, as if she already knew what he was about to say.
The crystal mist brightened into silver—Flapping wings.
Small skeletal bodies.
Soft, newborn whimpers.
A grove Cassius didn't recognize.
"You'll find the location of the Thestral babies."
Ginny's mouth fell open. "There are Thestral babies?!"
"Of course," Luna said dreamily. "They're very shy. And they like moonlight, or dark places."
Cassius didn't doubt her.
He wasn't even sure if Thestrals could be shy, they were invisible to most afterall, but more as a defense mechanism than anything, but Luna made it sound factual enough.
The last girl leaned forward, arms crossed.
Cho Chang.
Confident.Calm.Waiting.
"Alright," Cassius said, "your turn."
The mist twisted—The sparring room.
A flash of ice.
Cassius dodging—Barely—Cho launching a spell that clipped his side.
He raised a brow.
"Oh," he said simply. "Interesting."
Cho's eyes narrowed slightly. "Well?"
"You'll manage to land a hit on me in a fight."
The room collectively gasped.
Cho's mouth curled into the slow, deadly smile of a competitive perfectionist.
"Just one hit?"
"You won't win the fight," Cassius clarified.
She shrugged. "One hit is more than anyone else has managed lately."
"Don't get cocky," Daphne muttered.
"Let her enjoy it," Hermione whispered back. "He didn't say when."
Cho brightened. "True."
Cassius exhaled softly.
His head tingled—lightly burning from the strain.
The visions were chaotic.
Uncontrolled.
Some near, some far, some utterly impossible to place in time.
But they were real.
Clear.
And getting easier to perform.
And for the first time… he allowed himself to look into the crystal for himself.
The mist darkened—Then flashed—
A desk.
His black owl used for Nyx letters.
Lily Evans looking fearful.
Dumbledore arguing with someone.
Cassius with a smirk so wide he could apply to become the next Joke.
Cassius blinked.
Then laughed.
Out loud.
Hermione jumped. "What? What did you see?"
Cassius leaned back in his chair, smirking like a villain who had just read the next three chapters of the book.
"Well," Cassius said, "it seems I'll be… stirring the pot again soon."
Daphne groaned. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," he said innocently. "Yet."
Astoria dropped her head into her hands. "Merlin save us all."
Luna clapped happily. "Yay! Chaos!"
Ginny looked torn between excitement and dread.
Cho nudged him. "Just don't blow up half the school."
"Can't promise anything, but at least i can say i didn't see that happening."
The girls all groaned in unison.
Cassius just smiled, fingers resting lightly on the crystal sphere.
Divination was inconvenient.
Exhausting.
Chaotic.
But it was also…
Fun.