"So that's what happens in nineteen years?" Harry asked as he and his friends pulled away from the crystal ball. "Ginny and I get married and have three kids and Ron and Hermione marry and have two." He looked over to the two friends he just mentioned. Ron had a big grin on his face and Hermione's face was a light shade of pink.
"Well if everyone continues on the path they are now, then yes. But the future is full of infinite possibilities." Professor Trelawney explained. "One small decision, one small change, the future could be completely different." The two boys had a blank look on their face but Hermione knew exactly what the older witch was talking about. Professor Trelawney sighed. "For example, let's say that Hermione saw herself as the Minister for Magic. If from now until then she were to do something like have a sordid love affair, that could potentially derail her eligibility so instead of being Minister for Magic, she might become an Auror or work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."
"So the future that you showed us could not be our future?" Ron asked trying to follow along. It seemed very complicated and complex. It was nice of Professor Trelawney to do this for them, show them that after the past seven years of battling the forces of evil, they could have a nice quiet, relaxing future.
"Correct, Mr. Weasley." Professor Trelawney smiled. "Like I said, the future is full of possibilities and only our actions and decisions can influence how they turn out." Suddenly she paused and got a glazed look in her eyes. The trio looked at each other concerned. What was going on? What happened to the professor?
What was happening was that Professor Trelawney was receiving a vision. Sure, everyone thought she was a fraud and sure, that was partly true. It was fact that Sybil Trelawney did possess the gift of sight, however it wasn't a gift that she had mastered. Her visions and prophecies came to her on their own terms, it wasn't something she could directly conjure. Harry himself was witness to one of her genuine prophecies in his third year at Hogwarts. Ron was waving his hand in front of her face as she slowly came out of her trance. "Kids, look back into the crystal ball, there is more for you to see."
Harry, Hermione and Ron looked at each other. What more could they possibly need to see? They saw the happy future that awaited them. Sure it was just a possible future but Harry was back with Ginny and Ron and Hermione just got together so what could possibly change? But doing as they were asked, they leaned forward and stared into the ball.
For a few minutes, the ball was crystal clear. Suddenly it started filling with smoke, creating flashes of images before it finally created a clear scene. In the scene, Ron and Hermione were fighting and it apparently wasn't the first time. What they were arguing about wasn't exactly clear but from the looks of it, it was intense. Both Ron and Hermione were screaming and yelling in each other's faces. "I want a divorce, Ronald!" Hermione had yelled. "Fine by me!" Ron yelled back. Hermione grabbed her coat and apparted away. After launching a kick at a nearby chair, Ron apparated as well.
Back in the Divination classroom, Hermione and Ron shifted uncomfortably away from each other, Hermione scooting closer to Harry. The scene in the crystal ball changed. This time, it was Harry and Ginny who was fighting. "How could you side with her?" Ginny, red in the face, yelled at Harry. "I didn't say I sided with her. But you have to admit, Ron is known for being jealous." Harry responded, not quite yelling but his voice was raised. "Ron is your brother-in-law, you should be taking his side." "Hermione is your sister-in-law and despite knowing how jealous Ron can be, you still took his side." Harry countered. There was more incoherent yelling before Harry stormed out the door.
Harry's eyes never left the crystal ball. He was afraid to look his best friend in the eye. He could practically feel Ron smoldering from the other side of the table. The scene shifted yet again. This time, the scene before them made Hermione squeak and the boys jaws drop. Hermione and Harry were laying in a bed, naked and their arms were wrapped around each other. "Harry, why didn't we ever get together? You and I have never fought like Ron and I do." Crystal ball Hermione asked. Crystal ball Harry leaned over and planted a kiss on Hermione. "Ron is my best friend and I knew that he was into you. So I guess I had to convince myself that I didn't see you than anything more than a best friend and a sister of sorts. I didn't want to hurt him. The Weasleys had treated me like one of their own. I couldn't do anything to betray Ron." Hermione sighed. "What foolish kids we were." She turned to face Harry and brushed a piece of stray hair out of his face. "I think if things were different, we could have been happy together. The problems with Ron and I and with you and Ginny, do you ever think we made a mistake?" Harry thought for a moment. "I don't think it was necessarily a mistake. I think we had to make these choices for us to realize how we truly felt about each other. Ginny and I were happy for those first couple years. But I think she blames me and the kids for her having to retire from Quidditch. Being an Auror didn't help our relationship either. Long hours at work, being away on a case for days or even weeks at a time." Hermione just nodded. She understood completely. She saw Harry more at work than she saw of her own husband at home. "Ginny is a fool to have ever let you go."
Once again, the scene shifted. This time it was Ron who the ball decided to focus on. He was playing with his two kids, Rose and Hugo. Ever since the divorce, Ron and Hermione had apparently split custody. Just then, Parvati Patil came into the scene. She was smiling and holding a baby in her arms. She had walked over to Ron, kissed him and rested her head on his shoulder.
The scene faded back into smoke and the smoke started to dissipate from the crystal ball until it was crystal clear again. The golden trio sat back and just looked at each other. Each were at a loss for words. "Do you see what I mean, children?" Sybil asked them. "The future can change by with every decision we make."
Realizing that their time with Professor Trelawney was over, The trio stood and walked out of the classroom. Each were quiet, lost in thought. When they reached the end of the stairs, they each went their separate ways. They needed time to process what they had just seen.