Chapter 328: New Schedule and Arithmancy
Wade arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast and was handed his new semester timetable.
The schedule was packed to the brim—nothing like the relaxed pace of the past two years. Some classes even clashed completely.
Just that morning, he had Divination and Arithmancy starting at nine, followed by Transfiguration and Charms.
After a relentlessly full morning, the afternoon brought Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, and Defensive Magic Against the Dark Arts, with Astronomy scheduled for the evening.
In previous years, Divination, Arithmancy, and Muggle Studies had all been scheduled for nine in the morning—because few students chose overlapping courses, and the school could easily accommodate most preferences with minor adjustments.
But this year was different. Due to the investigation list compiled by Wade and others, and thanks to Professor Abigail’s influence, the number of students signing up for Divination and Muggle Studies had skyrocketed.
Arithmancy, despite still being listed under the “Divination” umbrella, had become utterly unpopular.
After all, few students genuinely loved mathematics, and even fewer truly believed they were good at it. Most young wizards hadn’t received proper mathematical education, so the Arithmancy textbooks felt like ancient, incomprehensible tomes.
Ancient Runes was slightly better—partly because Wade’s reputation as “the genius alchemist” had sparked a wave of excitement across the magical community, drawing many curious students.
Many academically strong students had chosen Ancient Runes as their core subject, then added two elective courses with easier OWLs to secure a safety net.
As a result, Divination and the formerly quiet Muggle Studies had suddenly become overcrowded. Hogwarts couldn’t give everyone a Time-Turner, so they had no choice but to overhaul the centuries-old timetable.
“My god, Wade!” Michael peered over, eyes wide with horror. “So many classes! Is this hell?”
He glanced at his own schedule—still full of complaints—and suddenly found it much more bearable.
Wade glanced at his timetable again. “Well… it’s not every day like this.”
The lightest day had only four classes.
Even eight classes a day didn’t feel unbearable to someone who had once attended ten classes a day, plus morning drills and evening study sessions.
Back then, he’d even attended tutoring and interest classes on weekends.
But Hogwarts didn’t take up Saturdays or Sundays.
And not every professor assigned homework.
Most rigorous subjects only required one essay per week.
Once he ran the numbers, the pressure that had momentarily gripped him vanished.
He tucked the timetable away and asked Michael, “You done eating? We should leave early—North Tower’s a ways off.”
“Almost!” Michael said, shoveling the last of his boiled potatoes into his mouth, downing a large gulp of carrot juice, then leaping up from his seat.
Both Michael and Wade had signed up for Arithmancy, so they headed together toward the classroom—located on the seventh floor of the castle.
As they passed through the Great Hall, they saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione sprinting inside. Michael watched their backs disappear through the entrance, then turned to Wade.
“Wait—Hermione’s taking Arithmancy too, right?”
“Of course.”
“She’s still eating now—she’ll be late for sure,” Michael said sympathetically.
Arithmancy’s classroom was near the library. It meant climbing several flights of stairs, winding through long corridors, and navigating the castle’s ever-shifting staircases.
Even if you didn’t get lost, it still took time.
Wade just smiled. “Don’t worry. She can’t be late.”
“Can’t be late?” Michael raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“Sorry,” Wade shrugged. “That’s a secret. I can’t tell you.”
Michael rubbed his chin, squinting thoughtfully.
“Is that why you were able to pick twelve classes? That’s the real reason, isn’t it?”
Wade said nothing, but his smile said it all.
Michael fell silent, staring down at his hands.
He didn’t speak again until they were almost at the classroom door—then let out a long, defeated sigh.
“I regret it,” he said.
“What?” Wade asked.
“I should’ve picked all the classes too,” Michael groaned.
“I thought the school would just stagger the times or let us make up missed ones on weekends. I didn’t expect things to be… this interesting.”
Wade chuckled. “Twelve classes take up a lot of time. And twelve assignments? You won’t last two weeks before you give up.”
He knew Michael well—lazy by nature, utterly uninterested in effort.
Michael imagined himself stuck with eight or nine classes a day and shivered, silently retracting his earlier ambition.
They hadn’t even settled into their seats when Hermione burst through the door, backpack slamming onto the table with a thud. Her face was flushed, her expression irritated.
Wade glanced at her, and his guess clicked into place—she’d just finished Divination.
Just like he’d chosen to come straight to Arithmancy with Michael, Hermione had likely gone to Divination with Harry and Ron first—and heard Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy about death.
Their eyes met for a brief second, and Wade was certain.
Hermione gave him a helpless smile, then said nothing.
She deliberately sat at the far end of the classroom, as if to avoid accidentally sharing any “future Divination class” gossip with him.
Wade turned his gaze away.
The classroom was sparsely filled. Fewer than ten students had arrived. Most were Ravenclaws. Only Hermione from Gryffindor, and no Hufflepuffs.
Wade was surprised to see Theodore Nott from Slytherin had also chosen this class.
He sat alone, flipping through the Arithmancy textbook with quiet focus.
Moments later, the door creaked open, and Professor Sethima Victor entered.
She was a striking woman—dark, thick hair framing an elegant, poised face.
Dressed in deep crimson robes and wearing a tall, pointed hat resembling a cake stand, she spoke softly, her voice calm and measured, her expression unreadable.
“Arithmancy,” she said, her tone gentle but precise, “is a rigorous discipline that has stood for over two thousand years.”
She paused, surveying the room.
“No crystal balls. No moldy tea leaves. No guesswork.
Our divination is built on strict mathematical rules—using numbers to explore personality, fate, and the hidden patterns of life.”
(End of Chapter)
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