It feels like it took me ages to update this story, I have an excuse, but I don't think the excuse would be glad if I gave him.
I'm not going to fill all this space with pointless ramble, neither am I giving heads up for the next chapter, clues etc. Those people will have to review.
I hope you enjoy anyway.
Harry had never had a more odd teacher in his life and it was about that teacher he was thinking as he entered the Divination classroom. His mind was filled with everything that he had been told as he pulled out his dream diary. He felt sorry for Professor Muto, Harry could only imagine how it would be like to have everyone he cared about being taken away from him. It was a horrifying thought and once again he thought about the Bogart that had appeared before Mrs. Weasley, showing her dead people. Dead Ron, dead Bill, dead Mr. Weasley, dead Fred and George, dead Percy... It had been a painful experience for Harry to walk into a room to see Ron lying dead on the floor, it still was a painful experience even though it simply had been a Bogart. Professor Muto had actually lived such an experience and had to live with it every day. Harry shuddered.
Suddenly Ron elbowed him in the ribs. The class fell silent as Professor Umbridge emerged through the trap door holding a clipboard.
"Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney", Professor Umbridge said, smiling widely. "You received my note, I trust? Giving the time and date of your inspection?"
Professor Trelawney nodded and started the class nervously. They were supposed to interpret each others dreams but neither Harry nor Ron gave their task much attention. Both were more interested by Umbridge who was questioning Trelawney merciless as she kept making notes on her clipboard. Eventually the two teachers came close enough for Harry and Ron to hear.
"Now", Umbridge said, looking up at Trelawney, "you've been in this post how long, exactly?"
"Nearly sixteen years", Trelawney said in a deeply resentful tone after a little pause.
"Quite a period", Umbridge said and her thick hand moved steadily over the clipboard. "So it was Dumbledore who appointed you?"
"That's right", Trelawney whispered and Ron and Harry gave up even pretending to be doing their task.
"And you are a great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated seer Cassandra Trelawney?"
"Yes", Trelawney answered holding her head slightly higher.
"But I think – correct me if I am mistaken – that you are the first in your family since Cassandra to be possessed of the Second Sight?" Umbridge wondered with a triumphant smile on her toad-like face.
"These things often skip – er – three generations", Trelawney said, not convincing anyone but Parvati and Lavender. Umbridge's smile widened.
"Of course", she said sweetly and made another note. "Well, if you could just predict something for me, then?"
"I don't understand you", Professor Trelawney claimed and clutched at her shawl.
The entire class was watching, some students less conspicuous than others, but they all had their gazes transfixed on the teachers. Professor Trelawney did an attempt to be impressing as she drew herself up to her full height. "The Inner Eye does not See upon command!" she sounded scandalized.
"I see", Umbridge said softly and turned.
"I – but – but … wait!" Professor Trelawney called out suddenly. Her voice changed to how it always sounded when she faked a prediction, though the effect was ruined by her anger. "I … I think I do see something … something that concerns you … Why, I sense something … something dark … some grave peril …"
Harry knew that Professor Trelawney was about to hit the last nail in her coffin and he was right. "I am afraid … I am afraid that you are in grave danger!"
Then there was a pause, Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows and said, "Right. Well, if that's really the best you can do..."
Then Trelawney spoke again in a voice Harry recognized. She had used the same one when she had made her prophecy to him when he was in third year. This prophecy was real.
"The old and the grieving are in the castle … They seek what destroys and anticipate its arrival ... Yet never will they find what they seek … Another loss will be suffered at the hands of the same … The possibilities are two separate ways … What one sees as a weakness the others see as a strength … If they switch places the darkness will return into his heart and the grieving will lose his light."
Every student in the class was staring at Professor Trelawney who suddenly blinked and looked around at all the shocked faces. "What, did I say anything?"
"Was this for real?" Ron whispered and looked at Harry who nodded.
"Oh yeah, it was real. I just can't wait until we tell Hermione."
Rebecca liked life at Hogwarts. It was the first school that had ever challenged her, as a late student she had to work three times as much as the other students. She was far behind on basic Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Flying, Herbology and Potion skills, the only one she wasn't behind on was Astronomy.
Beside from that she actually had a great time at Hogwarts. Her first week she had not been required to do any homework or to actually take part in classes, she had been allowed to adapt first. The second week would be her first real week. Monday started with Charms and after Professor Flitwick had gotten the other students started with making them practice to pronounce a summoning charm correctly he turned towards Rebecca.
"Now, let me see your wand", Professor Flitwick said and clapped his hands slightly.
Rebecca held up a fine wand consisting of oak with dragon heart-string as core. Rebecca hadn't been the least surprised about it being dragon in the core, she felt appealed to Dragons in Duel Monsters and thus it was natural that she was to make a bond to a wand having a dragon core.
"Now, have you practiced any spells?" he wondered.
"No, Professor, I didn't dare", Rebecca confessed.
"Don't look so troubled girl. Many in the same position as you are worried about doing something wrong, that you are so careful means you have a good sense of responsibility. Be proud", Professor Flitwick stated. "But you don't have to worry. Let's start with something easy. The wand-lightening charm is very easy. Just say Lumos and make a movement with your hand in the form of a little loop. If you are successful the tip of your wand will start to glow like a candle." Professor Flitwick showed her the spell and Rebecca watched interested. "Now it's your turn."
Rebecca took a deep breath and said, "Lumos." as she made the required movement. Nothing happened.
"You need more conviction. You have to believe that it will happen. Try again, more firmly."
"Lumos!" Rebecca said louder and more demanding this time as she made a little loop with her wand. A split second it lit up and then it disappeared. It was the first time in her life that Rebecca had done magic and for some reason it felt as if she had lost something.
"That's good, that's good", Professor Flitwick assured her, misinterpreting her silence. "It's not unusual that spells are harder when you've recently received a new wand. Don't worry, it'll become better soon."
"It's not that I'm worried about", Rebecca said. "It's just … a runaway train."
"I'm not familiar with that expression", Professor Flitwick said confused. "Oh, well, let's try again."
After Charms Rebecca had Defense Against the Dark Arts and she knew she really didn't like Umbridge, there was something about her way that Rebecca found utterly unnerving. She had expected the class to be hard on her considering she was so far behind on everything, but Umbridge just dumped three books on Rebecca's desk the first time she attended the class and said: "Now my dear, these are the things that you were supposed to have learned the previous years. Just read through them as fast as possible, that should suffice."
Monday of the second week Rebecca had read through two of them and had just started on the third. She found it odd that they didn't do anything but read out of the rather childish books. The third seemed less childish, but not more promising. It troubled Rebecca that all they did was reading, what use of it would they have of it later? Yugi had said something of things being unsafe, then shouldn't they be learning how to defend themselves?
Rebecca had chosen Ancient Runes as one of her three elective subjects. It was after lunch on Monday and it was the first class she could entirely keep up with. She was rather experienced at the subject already due to her grandfather's profession but she wanted to learn more. The events around Atlantis were such that she wouldn't ever forget them and would anything like that ever occur again she wanted to be helpful.
Potions was fun, Rebecca was fascinated about the ingredients and how they cooperated. She didn't mind the way Professor Snape was at all. He did his best to make fun out of her the first time she had potions, which was the Wednesday after she arrived, but she didn't care. Rebecca simply answered truthfully on each mocking question he asked her and she was sure she made a fool of herself, but she couldn't care less. The Monday of her second week she had decided to make a potion of her own, after watching the others do it two times she wanted to get her hands working herself.
The last class that Monday was potions and when everyone else had started she walked to the front of the classroom. "Excuse me", she said as she stood before Professor Snape.
Every student in the class, consisting of the fourth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, looked up. Most of them would never dare to walk up to Professor Snape like that. They felt pity for the blonde girl and two or three of them wished that they had warned her about Professor Snape. The truth was that no one had dared walk up to her and introduce themselves after it became clear that she and Professor Muto knew each other. Certainly had the rumors reduced after the first week, but Rebecca had been standing directly in harms way. What the students found odd was that Rebecca didn't seem to mind being alone all the time, it was something that added to the distrust among them.
"Yes?" Professor Snape wondered coldly.
"I was just wondering if I could try to make a potion", Rebecca said and would usually have added something but didn't now. She had a feeling that if there was the slightest of chance that she would sound impudent that Professor Snape would turn her down directly.
"And what makes you think that you would be able to brew a potion? It is the finest of arts and not half as easy as everyone believes it to be. I don't know what this incapable bunch told you, but this is no subject to take lightly." The bat-like teacher sounded scornful and skeptical and seemed to assume that she would give up, but he didn't know her.
"This incapable bunch didn't tell me anything and I'm not stupid enough to take anything of this lightly. I know that my strength doesn't lay with Charms nor Transfiguration, neither do I have the patience to deal with animals or plants because they have a will of their own and I do not like it when someone decides to disobey me in such a disrespectful way plants and animals tend to do." She realized that she was starting to sound angry and took a deep breathe to calm herself. "I am not enough of an idiot to think that I'll be able to keep pace with this incapable bunch, but at least let me try something."
The entire class was gaping at her. Never had anyone spoken in that way to Professor Snape. Neither Rebecca nor Snape were aware of their stares.
"Are you not?" Professor Snape asked and sighed. "I suppose that you making a Boil Cure brew couldn't hurt, it would probably confirm your incapability."
"In that case I know how to practice", Rebecca said dryly, "It's not like I've anything better to do."
"Here you've got a book", Professor Snape said and nearly threw a copy of Magical Drafts and Potions at her. She caught it clumsily and followed after Snape who removed himself to a corner of the classroom. "The ingredients are in the cupboard behind you. I reckon you know the way towards the Hospital Wing?" He didn't wait for answer but turned around and started walking around among the students, giving scornful comments everywhere.
Rebecca frowned and opened the book. She read through the instructions three times, determined not to get anything wrong before she started. First she put fresh nettle in her cauldron, stinging herself several times before she figured out how to hold them. Then she crushed the six Snake Fangs until they were finer than sand and looked closely in the text book again. Four measures and then 250 degrees for ten seconds.
She quickly added four measures of the snake fangs and heightened the temperature to 250 degrees for ten seconds. Now came the part she was most worried about. She waved her wand and halfway through the motion she reminded herself of having to be more convinced, but she didn't dare repeating herself. Now all she could do was wait for eighty minutes and though she would miss dinner she didn't really mind it. All she could do was hope that Professor Snape was in no hurry either.
She took her quill and a blank piece of parchment. She thought it was about time to write her grandfather, she hadn't done so since she arrived, simply because she was uncertain about what to write.
Dear Grandpa,
I know it took me longer to write than I promised, but a lot has happened very sudden. Hogwarts is a huge castle and the students are many. I was completely overwhelmed when I first arrived but the headmaster is really nice and he helped me a lot. I was sorted in Ravenclaw house, the house that values wit and knowledge over anything else.
I started classes on Tuesday and I have something to tell you that will surprise you, please you. I'm certain most things would surprise you, but this was something that I was completely unprepared for.
Tuesday we had History of Magic first subject in the morning. Yugi was there, he teaches that subject, though he teaches our history rather than theirs. It was unbelievable to walk into that classroom and see him standing there! He's okay, still grieving, but otherwise fine. He's changed a lot and it's sad, we never learned the truth. It was no accident that killed Sugoroku and the others but a direct murder, Yugi is here to figure it out. The problem is just that here is in front of warfare. I got myself into trouble again, don't worry though, I'll be fine. How bad can it become?
I'm being very positive right now, I know nothing about this war. Yugi told me it wasn't safe, he said a fight was waiting. He didn't seem pleased with me showing up here.
This is just a scribble, I'll write more later. I have to go now, I'm in the middle of a Potion class.
Love you,
Rebecca
She quickly stuffed the letter in her robes as the class was dismissed. She however stayed in place, she was far from finished and still had to wait nearly an hour before she could finish her brew.
"Miss Hawkins, aren't you running off to dinner like everyone else?" Professor Snape wondered as he noticed her sitting in the dark corner of the room.
"No, I still have to wait a while, I want to finish this properly. I don't want to risk coming back too late if I go."
"Do you expect me to leave you all alone in my classroom with all these ingredients here?" Professor Snape wondered scornfully.
Rebecca hadn't even thought about that and sighed disappointed. "Fine then, where do I pour this out?"
"Are you utterly insane, there is not a chance that you will be wasting such precious ingredients without giving me a finished sample. I still have some essays to correct and I could just as well do it here."
Rebecca was, to say the least, surprised and stared at the black-haired teacher in disbelieve.
"What are you staring at?" he wondered annoyed.
Most students would have stuttered a 'Nothing' but not Rebecca. "At someone who goes against his nature in order to find answers, or isn't that the reason you are being kinder than usual?"
In Snape's entire career no one had dared speaking to him that way earlier and he was out of words for a while but his expression spoke pages.
"It's okay, it's completely understandable", Rebecca continued and was tactful enough towards Professor Snape not to comment on his screaming silence. "I craved answers too. He's been gone for a very long time and we didn't know what to think. I was very angry with him, but his actions were understandable." Then Rebecca's tone became suddenly harder. "I'd have tried the same thing if I had known, which is probably the reason he didn't tell."
Rebecca threw the hourglass she had turned after waving her wand a glance as the last corns of sand fell down. "Oh, times up."
Rebecca picked up four of the horned slugs and dropped them in her cauldron and made sure that the liquid didn't splash. Then she carefully removed the cauldron from the fire, Snape looked nearly disappointed. Rebecca smiled as she added the porcupine quills and stirred clockwise five times. Then once again she waved her one and once again she was too uncertain of her wand-work to do it firmly.
The color of the potion certainly turned blue, but not really the color blue that was described in the book. She collected a sample non the less, careful not to touch the liquid, but when she put it on Professor Snape's desk he refused it. "No, I'll come and have a look right away."
He stood up and walked with large steps towards her cauldron. "Well", he said not sounding surprised. "I can't say that your brew was a success. This thing would cause boils rather than cure them. Absolutely worthless!"
"What did I do wrong?" Rebecca wondered, having a slight suspicion.
"Your wand-work is on the same level as that of a Bowtuckle", he said scornful.
"Is that all?" she wondered, smiling triumphantly.
"Eh... Yes." Snape wasn't pleased that he had to admit that. He preferred to make the student feel worthless and this girl didn't seem to have the slightest problems avoiding his attempts.
"Well, I'll be off then. Perhaps I still can fetch myself some dinner", she said cheerful after Snape emptied the cauldron.
Professor Snape didn't react but Rebecca didn't care. It wasn't until she reached the Great Hall that she noticed that she was still holding the failed Boil Cure brew. She smiled at it, "You I'll keep. Perhaps you will prove yourself useful." Then, after a little pause she added with a frown, "What's a Bowtuckle?"
"I don't care! Professor Trelawney is an old fraud and that's all she is!" Hermione objected furiously, "It's probably just another one of her fake precognitions!"
"But Hermione", Ron complained, nearly having to run after her to keep up with her long and angry steps. "It wasn't like that. I've never heard anything like it before and afterward she really couldn't remember a single word she said!"
"Yeah, Hermione, it wasn't even a precognition", Harry started, hurrying after her in the same style as Ron.
"Then what was it?" she asked sharply, not deeming them worthy of a glance.
"It was more like … like a prophecy", Harry said.
"Yes", Ron indorsed, "It wouldn't be the first time either, she knew about Wormtail! Had we listened to her then we would have skipped ourselves a lot of trouble!"
"And then who would this prophecy be about? How did it went, who is going to return to V … Voldemort this time?"
Ron winced but neither Harry nor Hermione cared.
"I wrote it down", Harry said quickly and gave Hermione a bit of paper.
"The old and the grieving are in the castle … They seek what destroys and anticipate its arrival ... Yet never will they find what they seek … Another loss will be suffered at the hands of the same … The possibilities are two separate ways … What one sees as a weakness the others see as a strength … If they switch places the darkness will return into his heart and the grieving will lose his light", she read out loud. "That makes no sense whatsoever!" She threw the paper behind her and Harry caught it quickly.
"What doesn't make sense?" Harry wondered.
"What does?" Hermione replied angrily.
"Why do you refuse to believe that the prophecy Trelawney made was real?" Ron wondered, ignoring the fact that Hermione had answered with a question.
"Ron, there are no such things as prophecies, precognitions or fortune telling! The Second Sight is fake, it doesn't exist!" Hermione called out as she walked into the Gryffindor Tower. She gained mean glances from Lavender and Parvati who heard her statement.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that", Harry whispered. "Isn't it obvious who this prophecy was about?"
"You think it's Professor Muto", Hermione stated skeptically.
"Yes, of course!" Harry whispered, looking at the students around him to make sure no one was listening. "Who else could be the grieving and with the old she must have meant the Pharaoh!"
"And what would they seek? What loss and at who's hands? It makes no sense, none of it, Trelawney is a fake, deal with it." Angry she walked up the stairs towards the girl dormitories and both Ron and Harry knew from experience that they better didn't follow her.
"You know, she could be right", Ron exclaimed lowly. "It doesn't make any sense."
"What about Wormtail? Don't tell me that was a coincidence", Harry said and turned around.
"Ask Dumbledore, for all I know, he must know more about Professor Muto than we do", Ron suggested and yawned. He sat down and fished some homework out of his bag. "Don't you have detention?"
Harry swore and opened the portrait door, he headed off to Umbridge's office, for once he was certain that he wouldn't give the slightest of signs of pain, for that the adrenaline was flowing through him way too fast. He didn't trust Professor Muto, there was something dark around him and Harry was certain that it was some kind of power, he must have lied about not controlling the powers of the Shadows, what else could leave such a dark presence? The pity he had felt for Professor Muto during Divination was long gone.
Tuesday morning a bright pink piece of parchment stood out among Yugi's post. It was a note from Umbridge telling him that she would be inspecting his class on Thursday after lunch. He sighed, he knew it would happen eventually when he had read the paper the previous day, it was just that so much had happened that he had completely forgotten about the Hogwarts High Inquisitor. He would be having the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins, he would have preferred any class but theirs. For that particular class it was important that he didn't do anything wrong, but with Umbridge coming to question him there was a chance that he would have to start over with them from below zero.
"You seem displeased", Madam Hooch said as she fetched a cup of coffee and sat down in one of the large armchairs that stood spread out in the teachers lounge. "Considering what you holding is pink it must have something to do with Dolores. You care to share?"
"She'll be inspecting me on Thursday, wonder what will happen if I don't live up to her expectations?" Yugi mused and took a cup of coffee himself too.
"I don't know", Madam Hooch said. "I don't assume she can fire you, can she?"
"No, I suppose not, but I'm sure that if she's displeased with someone that she can keep them from teaching."
"You think she'll fail you?" Madam Hooch wondered.
"Dunno, depends. I won't say that this is a fair game, I'm sure she'll sack anyone she dislikes", Yugi said with a frown.
"You think very high of your colleagues", Madam Hooch laughed and took a unconsidered sip from the hot drink. She swore as she burned her tongue.
"You okay?" Yugi wondered.
Madam Hooch just nodded. She pointed her wand at her mouth and suddenly smiled. "Good invention, nonverbal spells."
Yugi laughed.
"But why do you think she would dislike you?" Madam Hooch continued.
Yugi grinned. "You know why, I don't have to spell that out."
Madam Hooch sighed. "Yeah, you're right. She's a bitch."
Yugi gaped at the hawk-eyed teacher and then they both started to laugh simultaneously.
"What are you laughing about?" a high-pitched voice asked from behind them.
Madam Hooch and Yugi went red and neither of them turned around. "Nothing of importance", Madam Hooch said, still trying to recover from the laugh attack.
Aren't you coming to join the rest of the staff at the breakfast table?" the toad-like woman wondered.
"Yeah", Yugi said, who didn't have as much trouble to stop laughing as Madam Hooch. "Right away." He stood up and walked to the door, closely followed by Umbridge and Madam Hooch. He held up the door for the two of them and he and Madam Hooch exchanged glances as Umbridge marched through it with her nose in the air, not deeming Yugi worthy of a glance.
"I see what you mean", Madam Hooch said as she and Yugi sat down on their respective places. "I believe you're in a tight spot."
Yugi smiled at that. "Yep, but I'm not that worried yet. I can always get some old tricks out of my sleeve, I've got enough of them."
"You didn't come unprepared, did you?" Madam Hooch smiled.
"Not to situations like these", he said and they both fell silence at the words that mattered, those that were left unspoken. Yugi started to wish that he hadn't told her about his friends, but it had been necessary, now he would be able to process and get back his objectivity. Necessary casualties...
/Yugi, where did that thought come from?/ Atem asked, seeming calm but actually really worried.
/Eh... I dunno/ he confessed ashamed.
/Don't get that attitude, you know what it has done to others. Don't take the people you can trust for granted, Rolanda Hooch is the person among the teachers you can trust most, respect and honor that. Heed my warning Yugi and don't go astray./
/It feels slightly weird to be lectured by you/ Yugi remarked, but did feel guilty.
/I've been lecturing you the past four years, it's just that you haven't listened before/ Atem sighed, making Yugi feel even more guilty.
/Yeah... I know, I'm sorry/
/I'm just glad you're back, Hikari/ Atem smiled.
So, that was that.
Review all of you, I can't live without them. The more the merrier, merry Christmas to you all. Give this Fault some early Christmas gifts; All I want for Christmas is Reviews!
