Chapter 373: A Deathly Prophecy
Chapter 373: A Deathly Prophecy
"Is that your cat?"
Katrina glanced at the duo sitting there and then at the chubby cat on the table, immediately knowing who the owner was.
"Yep, this is Tom," Albert replied, reaching out to hold down the remaining fish treats on the table. He picked up his wand, waved it, resealed the package, and tucked it into his shirt pocket.
"A Silencing Charm?" Katrina's expression turned complex. The nonchalant way Albert had just performed the repairing charm undoubtedly struck a heavy blow to her.
The Silencing Charm was something they would only start learning in their fifth year. She had tried a few of the simplest versions herself, but they had all ended in failure.
"No, I actually said the incantation," Albert said with a smile, not admitting to his ability to perform silent magic.
Katrina didn't believe him. This guy in front of her loved to talk big and try to deceive others. Did he really think she was deaf?
"If you're done, then don't hog the seat," she said. "Also, your cat needs to go on a diet. I've never seen such a fat cat. How is it supposed to catch mice?"
"Tom doesn't need to catch mice. He just needs to know how to be cute," Albert said with a laugh. He gave up his seat to Katrina and moved to another table that had just appeared in the corner, ready to start crafting new Wizarding Cards. If he wanted this new card game to catch on, he'd have to put in some effort.
As for the materials and style, he had already collected and designed them during the summer break. Even though he couldn't use magic at home, there were still some things he could do.
The back of each Wizarding Card would feature two crossed wands and a hat in the background. He had initially planned to use the letter 'W' as the background, but since that was what the Ministry of Magic used, Albert had simply scrapped the idea and opted for a fancy wizard's pointed hat instead.
However, considering that he intended to use the Replication Charm to spread these cards, they didn't have any magical effects. Yup, they were just ordinary Muggle playing cards.
The 1.1 version of Wizarding Cards was far superior to the ones he had initially crafted by hand.
Of course, to give everyone a glimpse of the future, Albert had made his own set of cards quite exquisite, letting them see what Wizarding Cards would look like going forward.
People always needed something to dream about and look forward to.
Albert carefully placed each card into the box to prevent Tom's claws from wreaking havoc on them.
"I think Divination class is rubbish!"
A voice rang out from nearby, and Albert turned to see Katrina trying to predict this month's luck using Unfogging the Future.
Katrina was frustrated. She had attended several classes but couldn't see any prospects for this subject.
The whole business of interpreting tea leaves was a load of rubbish.
Unfortunately, apart from Albert, who seemed to genuinely have a knack for Divination and could chat with Professor Trelawney, the rest of the class had completely lost their initial curiosity and enthusiasm for the subject. They now understood why Professor Trelawney was considered a fraud.
As for the homework, it was obvious at a glance that it was all made-up nonsense.
Professor Trelawney loved hearing students predict their own misfortunes.
Consequently, most students' homework involved predicting the unfortunate events they would encounter that month.
Katrina wasn't one to be lackadaisical, so it was no surprise that she didn't enjoy Divination class.
"Izabel, why don't you drop this class?" Katrina asked her sister, doubting if Izabel could learn anything useful from it.
"Divination is what it is," Izabel replied, glancing at her sister. "Even though I can't predict things, I can still learn some of the basics. Divination requires talent, as Professor Trelawney said from the beginning."
"You sound just like Albert," Katrina grumbled, slightly unhappy.
"Did someone call my name?"
Albert's voice drifted over from a short distance away.
"No, I wasn't calling you," Katrina said irritably.
"I'm not deaf," Albert said meaningfully, looking at Katrina. "I heard what you said just now."
"Okay, I was saying why I chose this damn Divination class," Katrina admitted, exasperated. "Maybe I should just throw them into the trash, where they belong."
Albert glanced at Izabel and then at Katrina's parchment, which didn't have much writing on it. "You don't understand this subject enough, nor are you clear about its purpose," he remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well then, let me hear your brilliant insights, Mr. Great Prophet," Katrina challenged.
"In my opinion, Professor Trelawney is nothing more than a third-rate seer. I don't think she even deserves such a weighty title; at best, she's a fortune-teller from the Muggle world." Albert pulled up a chair and sat down next to the sisters, continuing, "In the Muggle world, top-notch fortune-tellers can usually predict things based on subtle clues."
"For example, they might deduce something from your mindset, habits, reactions, or even other trivial details. Or they might analyze and arrive at an answer from seemingly insignificant information, or plant a psychological suggestion in your mind."
"So, that's how you predicted the previous danger in the Forbidden Forest..." Katrina raised an eyebrow, but was interrupted by Izabel, who gestured for Albert to continue.
"Those with rigorous thinking won't fancy so-called fortune-telling unless it's done by a genuine seer. A wizard who can truly predict the future is highly respected." Albert glanced at the irritable Katrina and went on in a calm and steady manner, "I believe Dumbledore doesn't have much interest in Professor Trelawney's so-called fortune-telling predictions, or perhaps our headmaster simply doesn't believe in her methods. In Dumbledore's eyes, Professor Trelawney might be seen as someone who loves to boast and lacks self-awareness."
"But why would Headmaster Dumbledore hire Professor Trelawney instead of choosing another wizard or simply canceling the class?" Katrina voiced her confusion.
"How much do you know about the surname Trelawney?"
"What?"
"Cassandra Trelawney was a well-known seer," Izabel explained. "Professor Trelawney is probably related to her, and prophetic talent is usually hereditary. Albert means that Dumbledore wouldn't have hired Professor Trelawney based solely on Cassandra Trelawney's reputation unless she had some genuine ability."
"That's right."
"I don't see any genuine talent in Professor Trelawney," Katrina muttered. "Her skill in hoodwinking others isn't even as good as Albert's."
"Professor Trelawney must have made a prophecy for Dumbledore, and that prophecy came true," Albert said, pretending not to hear Katrina's comment. "However, she might not have truly inherited the Trelawney family's prophetic talent, which could be why she can't make proper predictions."
"You sound like you know what you're talking about," Katrina grumbled. "Maybe I should talk to Professor Flitwick about dropping Divination."
"You could drop Muggle Studies as well and have a normal class schedule," Izabel suggested kindly.
"Never mind, I've already started, so how can I give up now!" Katrina hesitated but decided to persist. She didn't want to become a laughingstock.
"Divination class will eventually cover tea leaf reading, palmistry, and crystal ball gazing," Izabel said, no longer trying to dissuade her sister. "Usually, as long as you learn the basic knowledge well, you should be able to get a passing grade. The examiners don't expect you to truly predict the future."
"Of course, they don't expect that, as there are so few wizards who can truly predict the future." Albert made his voice sound like it was coming from a great distance, imitating Professor Trelawney's tone: "So, you see now why Divination is one of the most difficult branches of magic. If you are not possessed of the Inner Eye, I can teach you very little. In this matter, books can take you only so far..."
"Can you really predict the future?" Katrina asked again, her doubt clear.
"If I said that Dumbledore will die within the next ten years, would you believe me?" Albert suddenly said.
"Headmaster Dumbledore is already quite old," Katrina said, understanding Albert's implication.
Indeed, it was a matter of predicting something that was likely to happen within a large time frame. Even if it didn't come to pass, it wouldn't reflect poorly on Albert, as he had never claimed to be a seer. And by the time the ten years were up, people would likely have forgotten about it anyway.
"Fine, another fraud," Katrina concluded, seeing through Albert's tactic. "Prophecies are obviously all scams."
(End of Chapter)
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