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Chapter 364: The Candid Professor Trelawney
Chapter 364: The Candid Professor Trelawney
After breakfast, everyone headed off to their first Divination class of the school year.
The Divination classroom was located at the top of the North Tower, quite a distance from the castle. It took at least ten minutes to get there, and the spiraling staircase that led up to it was a trial for students.
It was worth mentioning that quite a few students had chosen Divination. It was a popular choice for those looking to fill up their schedules, even more so than Muggle Studies.
There was no helping it—Divination homework tended to be simple. One could easily get by with making up some nonsense, and it didn't require much time or effort. There was no need to study hard because most students couldn't fathom actual divination; they could, at best, learn some basic divination knowledge.
There was no helping it—divination required talent.
Very few could truly predict the future.
"Is there a shortcut? This is brutal."
Lee Jordan asked breathlessly. It had taken them at least fifteen minutes to reach the small platform below the Divination classroom. Several others had already arrived before them.
"Unfortunately, there's no direct shortcut to this place," Fred panted, taking a moment to catch his breath before speaking. "But there is a secret passage, though I wouldn't expect it to save you much time."
"Where is this shortcut?" Angelina asked immediately.
"Behind the painting of the nun on the third floor," Fred replied without hesitation. "It leads to the fifth floor, but you'll still have to climb these stairs."
"I hate these stairs," Albert muttered. The staircase they had climbed was narrow and spiraled upward, leaving him with a strange sense of dizziness.
"This is my first class. What about you?" Albert noticed Katrina looking at him and took the initiative to greet her, speaking in a language that the others couldn't understand.
"Just came from Numerology," Katrina replied anxiously. "It was brutal."
"What are you two talking about?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow as he found their conversation rather odd.
"Where's the classroom?" George looked around and inquired, frowning.
"Redheads are indeed a bunch of idiots." Graham Montague's mocking voice reached them from nearby.
The relationship between Gryffindor and Slytherin had always been tense, especially between the Quidditch team members, who took every opportunity to taunt each other.
"Since when did a gorilla qualify to call others idiots?" The twins looked at Graham Montague, their expressions serious.
Montague didn't retort. He had been hexed, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, rendering him temporarily speechless and unable to refute the twins' words.
He pointed to his tongue and gestured to his companions, his cheeks turning red from frustration. Finally, he almost threw a punch at the twins, but his friends held him back.
Before Fred could continue mocking him, the trapdoor above suddenly opened, and a silver ladder was lowered. Seeing this, the others lost interest in the spectacle and began climbing up.
"Well done!" George winked at Albert, feeling pleased.
Albert pretended not to hear and surveyed the Divination classroom. It didn't look much like a classroom; instead, it resembled an attic mixed with an old-fashioned teahouse.
The room was cozy, with round tables scattered around. Each table was surrounded by several armchairs and soft cushions, and a fireplace nearby had a large copper kettle boiling over the flames. The curtains were drawn, and the lamps were covered with deep red shades, creating a peculiar atmosphere.
The circular walls were lined with shelves filled with dusty feather boas, candle stubs, old packs of cards, countless crystal balls used for divination, and a plethora of teacups.
"Welcome to Divination," Professor Trelawney said to all the students. "I am Professor Trelawney, and you may not have seen me before."
"Divination is the most challenging subject in all magical arts," Professor Trelawney continued in a soft, vague voice. "So, I must warn you at the outset that if you do not possess the 'Inner Eye,' there is very little I will be able to teach you. In this respect, books can only take you so far..."
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, most of them unable to comprehend what Professor Trelawney meant.
"Does she mean this book isn't very useful?" Katrina frowned and asked Albert.
"She means that Divination requires talent," Albert whispered in explanation. "Very few wizards can truly predict the future."
"Mr. Anderson is quite right," Professor Trelawney said, somehow having appeared at Albert's side without anyone noticing. She smiled at him. "I'm delighted that you've chosen to take my class."
Many eyes turned to Albert, leaving him unsure how to respond.
"Please, take a seat, everyone," Professor Trelawney said, settling into an armchair by the fireplace. "This year, we will be studying various basic divination methods. In the first term, we will learn how to read tea leaves. In the second term, we should be studying palmistry. By the way, I do not expect to be able to teach you how to predict the future. As Mr. Anderson said, very few wizards can truly predict the future, but I can teach you the basic divination knowledge and its fundamental usage."
The students began to whisper among themselves.
"During the summer term, we will be studying scrying with crystal balls," Professor Trelawney continued, pretending not to hear. "This is our primary focus, and if you possess the 'Sight', the crystal ball will open up a whole new realm for you."
"I think I recall Albert being able to see things in a crystal ball?" Lee Jordan mumbled, though it was unclear if he did so intentionally.
"Oh, it seems Mr. Anderson has the 'Sight'," Professor Trelawney said, eyeing Albert up and down. "In that case, why don't we have him give us a demonstration?"
Albert glared at Lee Jordan but, under Professor Trelawney's urging and the watchful eyes of the other students, he took a seat next to her.
Professor Trelawney placed a crystal ball in front of Albert.
At that moment, all the students gathered around, eager to see if Albert could truly predict the future.
Albert stared at the crystal ball, waving his hand over it. Silver mist began to swirl within, and shadowy figures seemed to move about.
He focused intently on the mist inside the crystal ball, his mind filled with the things he wanted to know.
With his prior experience, Albert was confident he wouldn't fail this time.
"What do you see?"
Professor Trelawney's voice seemed to come from a distant place.
"A pool of silvery liquid," Albert replied.
"A pool of silvery liquid?" Professor Trelawney repeated, puzzled.
"I was predicting possible dangers that may exist," Albert whispered. "I saw a pool of silvery liquid."
"What do you think it is?" Professor Trelawney asked.
"Unicorn blood," Albert stated confidently. "As far as I know, unicorn blood is silver in color."
"Was there a unicorn corpse next to the blood?"
"No," Albert said firmly. "I only saw the pool of silvery blood."
"What do you think that signifies?" Professor Trelawney prompted further.
"That the Forbidden Forest is dangerous," Albert replied cooperatively.
At that moment, the entire classroom erupted into whispers.
"Everyone knows the Forbidden Forest is dangerous," a few Slytherin students scoffed.
"I suggest you organize a trip for Slytherin students to explore the Forbidden Forest," Fred sneered. "Perhaps you'll have some incredible encounters."
"Silence!"
Professor Trelawney had to raise her voice to quell the commotion. "Mr. Anderson, please continue."
"As far as I know, unicorns are magical creatures with strong magical powers," Albert said calmly. "Not many things in the Forbidden Forest can harm them, so this is a bad omen."
Professor Trelawney looked at the crystal ball on the table and then back at Albert.
To be honest, she wasn't sure if Albert could really use the crystal ball to predict the future.
During her time teaching at Hogwarts, Professor Trelawney had never encountered a student with true prophetic abilities, but she had indeed noticed a fleeting change in Albert's expression earlier, and perhaps he had seen something in the crystal ball.
In fact, Professor Trelawney had guessed correctly.
Albert had indeed predicted a possible danger at Hogwarts, and in the misty haze, he had seen a scarf.
He immediately recognized what it was: the ridiculous scarf wrapped around Quirinus Quirrell's head.
However, Albert couldn't possibly reveal this, so he fabricated a true prophecy while also warning his adventurous roommates to stay away from the Forbidden Forest.
"Professor Trelawney," Albert suddenly said, "I have a question."
"What is it?" Professor Trelawney asked.
"Why can't I see my prophecies clearly?" Albert inquired. "As far as I know, true seers can show others the scenes that appear in the crystal ball."
"Yes, yes, many people think that," Professor Trelawney said, her expression complex as she looked at Albert. "However, few know that this gift is possessed by only a select few."
"But having the gift doesn't mean you can immediately do it," she continued. "You need to train, to try, and to gain knowledge in this area. I suggest you finish reading 'Unfogging the Future', as this book will introduce you to the world of divination, but don't take it too seriously, as its use is limited."
"Alright, back to your seat, we're about to start class," Professor Trelawney added. "Twenty points to Gryffindor, you truly have a gift in this area."
Perhaps spurred on by Albert's performance, everyone paid extra attention in class, hoping to develop the ability to predict the future like him.
No one thought it was impossible for them.
"Did you really see it?" Lee Jordan finally asked during Professor Trelawney's lesson on tea leaf reading.
"What do you think?" Albert countered expressionlessly.
Katrina, sitting next to him, was exasperated. She couldn't be sure if Albert was truly able to use the crystal ball, but with just a few words, he had earned twenty points from Professor Trelawney, which she found unacceptable.
(End of Chapter)
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