Desperation

Mannd

I don't own Harry Potter, no really.

Sybill Trelawney filled her glass with Cooking Sherry and grimaced as she knocked the liquid back. A full body shudder racked her thin frame and she sighed as she refilled her glass and decided to nurse the second one. She stared broodingly into the fire, having removed for the night all her shawls, rings and other pieces of her costume and was now in a comfortable caftan. She scowled as she looked at her bed covered in the frills and fringe of her everyday clothing, but as her grandmother used to tell her, you must look the part to be believable.

She scowled again, that was one part of job she could have done without. She should have listened to her mother and married… what his name? She couldn't remember now and nodded as the alcohol was finally working making her forget. She filled her glass again, wondering how many she had already drunk and shrugging to herself as she pulled the stack of 'dream diaries' over to her. She looked at them and began reading through them, "typical teen dreams," she frowned feeling like a voyeur as she read through kissing teens, forgotten homework, fears of the future and wild fantasies.

She marked them with a flourish until she came to His, which she had purposely put on the bottom of the pile. She put out a trembling hand and pulled it closer to her, refilling for the unknown number of times her glass finally emptying the Sherry bottle and began to read. She sighed in relief when he didn't mention dreaming of his parents, she wasn't sure if she could deal with that. Guilt ate away at her and she marked the pages and pushed them away before staggering to her bed to fall into an uneasy sleep.

HPHPHPHP

"I am sorry Miss Trelawney, but I believe I am going to be dropping Divination from Hogwarts curriculum," Headmaster Dumbledore said looking over his half-moon spectacles at the young eager girl.

Sybill was desperate, since she refused to marry Charles, her parents had kicked her out of the house and she needed a job and a place to live. Having grown up sitting at her great-great-grandmother's knees as the woman worked the Carnival Circuit she fancied herself a fortuneteller too. "Sybill, my little star," the old woman had told her, "you just don't have the Gift," Sybill had looked away hurt, knowing her grandmother was right, she didn't have the Sight, but it still fascinated her. She learned showmanship at her grandmother's knee, "not everyone needs an earth shattering prophecy, little star," her Grandmother had run her knarled fingers through her granddaughter's flyaway hair, "some just want to know about love and money, so you give them a little show."

Sybil had seen her grandmother give four True Prophesies, they had scared her horribly. The old woman's face would go slack and she would talk in a raspy voice that terrified the child and after the prophesy would be given she wouldn't remember anything that happen, often apologizing for falling asleep.

What if? Everyone was desperate to get rid of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... " Sybill fell into the pose that her grandmother had always taken when 'Seeing', her voice raspy , "Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not" Sybill paused, her brain racking around for something else, something vague, " ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives" and now to finish with style, "... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…" She let her head fall back onto the chair and blinked, "oh sorry Headmaster I must have dozed off, long night. Is something wrong?"

Sybill had to look down to hide her grin at the dumfounded look on the man's face, the job was hers! "It's quite alright my dear girl," Dumbledore said recovering quickly, "we expect the staff to be on hand a week before the students, if you are in need of immediate housing we can provide that as well."

Sybill waited until the man left the pub before dancing around the room, she had done it and now she was hired!

HPHPHPHP

Sybill woke with a start; she hated dreaming of that night, what she had done. Her grandmother had warned her the Gift wasn't to be used lightly as it had a way of coming true, but she had been desperate for a job and in her desperation she had caused the ruin of several lives. She got up and cracked open another bottle and not even using a glass this time drank deep to drown her guilt.

AN: I was thinking about this on my way to work, I find it interesting that Sybill chose that exact moment to have a 'Vision', so what if she made it up on the spot just to get the job? Is that why she drank so much in later years when she 'watched' her vision come true and realized what she had caused to happen? This is completely unbeta'd so the mistakes are my own. If you see any let me know!