Largofan: Yeah, got back into Harry Potter after seeing the 6th movie, and this popped into my mind when I was looking for something in the fifth book I came across what Firenze says about human fortunetelling, and it sparked me off.
L: And as always, don't own, don't sue, no money.
- Start -
Firenze sighs mentall and flicks his tail. He couldn't believe how self-centered and blind these human children where. Thankfully, he had just dismissed his last class and could relax.
"Er, excuse me, Professor Firenze?" A girl's voice says questioningly and he sighs mentally and turns around.
"Yes, Miss. Dukes, correct?" He asks and she nods.
"Yessir, that's right, I was just wondering if you thought all human fortune telling was nonsense?" She asks.
"I do believe it is self-flattering nonsense. I do not see how the heavens, or tea leaves, or cards would reveal the future." He says.
"Then would you be willing to let me do a reading for you? And try to prove you wrong." She asks and he blinks.
"A reading?" He asks.
"A tarot reading." She confirms and he sighs mentally again.
"Fine." He says and she smiles, carefully taking the silk wrapped cards from inside her shirt. The cards look old and a few have suspicious stains on them. Firenze lays down on one side of a large stump and Dukes sits on the other side. She carefully takes a card out of the deck.
"I believe this is the court card that most suits you, the Page of wands." She says and places the card face up before handing the deck to Firenze. "Please suffle them and think of any question you wish to be answered." She says and he suffles them and wonders weather or not that horrid Umbridge woman will sack Hagrid this week or not.
Dukes instructs him to cut the deck before she takes them and lays them out in a pattern. She goes through each card, discribing what each card means, and she reads them to discribe his past with Hagrid perfectly, which causes him to doubt his pervious belief. She goes and flips over the last card. Explaining it's meaning.
"The one your worried about will be leaving, tonight, but it will be but a short exile." Dukes says and Firenze nods gravely, he'd be a believer if Hagrid was forced to leave.
"I will tell you if you have converted me or not depending on weather your fortune proves true or not." He tells her as she carefully puts the cards away.
"Alright, I think I'll go Hagrid that the bar keep at the Hogs head would be sympathetic to him." She muses aloud before leaving.
That night, Umbirdge attacks Hagrid in the middle of the night. Firenze is furious about it, but he had been forwarned, so didn't go to try and help his friend.
The next day, Dukes comes to his classroom after supper.
"Professor Firenze, have I managed to change your mind about at least Tarot?" She asks.
"Yes, though don't expect me to believe in tea leaves." He says and she smiles.
"Never would, but those who can hear the truth the Tarot speaks can be seen easily. Their decks are always old, and they are always unfortuneate." She says and he blinks.
"Unfortuneate?" He asks.
"Yes, the reader's happiness is the price for the truth. That's why I hope I'll one day loose my power." She says and bows her head before leaving. Since her hair was in a pony tail, he could see the beginings of scars at the base of her neck, along with the hair that had been bleached.
- End -
Largofan: Not sure if this will be a one shot or not, it depends on the feed back, cause I do have enough story in my head to make another chapter, perhaps, but this is what I wanted it to be. And yes, for all of you who've read The Cain Saga or Godchild, I was basing Miss. Dukes on Mary Weather, so she has blond hair and blue eyes, and is in her 6th year, that's why she wasn't taking Exams.