Chapter #21 - What the Cards Say...
For the rest of their Christmas holiday, Tom and Lena studied all the charm books they could get their hands on. They learned a lot of new spells that would come in handy when they started to search the castle. They would soon be ready to start their search again. Both of them were starting to feel anxious about getting back to it.
Right before the new term started, there was a bit of chaos from the first year boys' dormitory in Gryffindor house. It seemed that, again, Rubeus had gotten another pet. This time it was a niffler he had named Phil, which he had gotten for Christmas. Though they were rather placid and adorable creatures, they were not good as house pets. It seemed that the niffler, once left alone in the room, had gone about searching for all the shiny objects that had been hidden from it by Rubeus' roommates. It ended up destroying much of the room. Though Dumbledore tried to get the boy out of trouble, yet again, the headmaster insisted on his having a week of detentions and forbade him from having another pet. He also had to write his father and ask for the money to pay for his roommates' new uniforms and books, which Rubeus did not like having to do since his father did not have much money.
Classes soon started again and Tom and Lena had to stop their studies to get back to their schoolwork. In Tom's case, though, he would have preferred to have stayed in the library studying than having to start more work for Professor Orasi, but this term turned out to not be as bad as the previous one since all they had to do was study the tarot and their meanings the first few weeks then they began to work with them, which meant that they need to get their own set of cards.
When they had finished their study of the tarot and their meaning, Professor Orasi told them that they would have her read their cards that day so they could see how a full interpretation was given. Tom was third, right in the middle. When he sat in the chair opposite her, she was shuffling her cards, like she seemed to always be doing, even when she was in the Great Hall before meals. She placed the cards on the table and told him to cut the deck three times, shuffling after each cut. He did so then slid them back to her.
The first card that was placed was the "10 of Swords" card. "Interesting first card." She placed down the second on top of it, though perpendicular. It was the "6 of Swords." She looked up at Tom. "You will go through several hardships but it looks like you'll be successful in getting what you want."
Tom looked only mildly interested.
The elderly lady placed down the third card. It was the "Lovers" card. She said nothing as she looked at the card strangely, pulling the next card off the top of the deck. That one was the "Queen of Swords" card. She drew another card, still saying nothing. The "Chariot" card appeared.
"This is strange. I've not had a reading like this since..."
Professor Orasi continued, flipping over the next card. It was the "Sorcerer." She drew another.the "Knight of Wands." She sat back, stopping five cards short of where she had stopped with the previous two students. She set the tarot cards on the table, looking at Tom, studying him for a moment.
"Is there anything the matter, Professor?"
Propping her elbows on the table's edge, she rested her chin on her folded hands. "Your cards interest me, Mr. Riddle, very much so. And, yet, I am also very disturbed for some reason. I am fighting the urge to end this reading and go on to Miss Danes."
Yet, before Tom could ask her why, she had suddenly picked up her cards again and quickly finished placing them down. The next five cards were the "8 of Cups," "5 of Wands," "Tower," "Knight of Pentacles," and "Darkness" cards. She then set her deck on the table again and leaned back in her chair, looking from Tom to the spread, her hands folded in front of her mouth.
"Professor?"
Leaning forward slightly, she gestured over the spread with her hand. "You know what each of these positions represent, correct?"
Tom knew very well. He had studied this particular layout just that morning at breakfast. He pointed to each of the cards as he said what their significance was. "The first and second cards placed are the destiny cards. This is the guidance card, and that the relationship one." Tom looked at those two cards and was shocked for a moment, thinking they were in the wrong positions. He then continued. "This one represents learning. This one's my personality card." He sighed. This was taking too long, he just started pointing. "Hidden influence, attitude, philosophy, reputation, travel, and life goal."
As he explained the meanings for each of the positions, he began to understand why she had dismissed the rest of the class. His reading did look rather strange, even to him, especially the last card. He understood why some of the cards were in the places they were, but not others. He wanted to hear *her* explanation of the cards, though, since she had been doing this *far* longer than he had.
"Do you understand what I meant when I said that it is very interesting but somewhat disturbing?"
The teenager nodded slightly.
The professor sat up properly in her chair and began to go over the cards. "Your destiny, Mr. Riddle, is that you will go through many hardships. And, though, according to other cards in the spread, you might be successful for a time, you will ultimately have a very painful defeat or betrayal. You have very interesting associations in your future, but these will ultimately lead to your pain and despair. If you want to avoid these things, you need to release any fears or negative thoughts you may have.
"Now, your guide along the path you are taking is *apparently* your lover or a female very close to you." She looked at him with a slight air of question. Though that card could also mean just a partnership, as soon as she had seen it she had known that it was not that. But he was certainly too young to have a lover and it seemed in her mind to be more of an immediate thing than something farther into the future. "A soulmate, perhaps, but it is not necessarily that. You need to understand that her guidance will help you, but stress and the hardships you encounter will take their toll if you do not have a strong and firm foundation in your relationship. This woman," she tapped the next card, "is very intelligent and a great counsel for you. But be careful, she can be spiteful if angered. But this card also represents your need to get in touch with your gentler side or the consequences will not be good.
"You will travel for you learning after you leave Hogwarts. You will study hard and long to achieve whatever goals you have. All the time and energy you put into this will pay off in the end. You will become the master of that which you seek. The power you seek shall be found."
For a long time she looked at him, the room completely silent. She wanted what she had just said to sink in before she continued. "Your personality...you are quite the typical Slytherin. Cunning and ambitious. But you're also a smooth talker. Things are not what they seem with you. And when you go out to start this study of yours," she pointed back to the Chariot card, "you will most certainly cement your destiny because of this.
"Now, the hidden influences driving you on," she picked up the card, examining it, as though expecting it to tell her, "comes from some unexpected source. This source has many brilliant ideas, but he will not live to see them to fruition. This person's loyalties are questionable. Trusting him may be unwise. This also shows that there are things occurring in your life that are breaking down any barriers to reaching your desires, your goals. This person that is to influence you from the shadows will give you great encouragement.
"Your attitude, or stance," she also picked up this card because it was an even more unusual card to be in that position than the previous card had been and she was unsure as to how to interpret it properly, "seems to be a negative one. You are indecisive and often irrational. You're unbalanced. All these things will cause problems. There are risks that will not be worth taking, but because of your irrational nature, you'll just walk blindly forward."
The professor set down that card and looked to the next card. "Reform is your philosophy, but there are events that will bring this belief down that are beyond your control. Difficulties and tension fill your life. Though you feel everything may be under your control, it is not. These things prevent your true creativity from being shown. Change what you believe or you will be your own downfall, Mr. Riddle.
"The reputation you will gain for yourself," she paused, knowing this was going to sound strange because it too was an odd card to have in the position, "is one based in ending some cycle. You will be known for creating chaos if you chose to not be careful with your actions.
"In your travels, in your journey of knowledge," she tapped the Chariot card, "you will discover not only the knowledge you seek, but you will become the master of your destiny. This relates back to your relationship and guidance," she tapped the Lovers card then the Queen of Swords, "from a dark-haired woman."
Again, Professor Orasi paused. The room was still silent as she mused over the last card. This was the "life goal" card, which happened to be the "Darkness" card in his case. This was something she had never seen happen before in any reading she had done. This, more than anything, scared her about the boy sitting across from her. "Darkness...it shows that in your life, you do not seek what you should. You seek out power or wealth or other earthly possessions or glory. You are not following a positive path, Mr. Riddle. And if circumstances were different you would not be on this path. But this path, whatever it is, seems to be the one you are supposed to be on."
The look she have him was one of uncertainty and worry. "You need to make a choice now, Mr. Riddle. Other cards in this spread indicate it as well. The Queen of Swords, the 8 of Cups, the 5 of Wands, and the Tower. Be decisive and rational so you can better see what lies ahead. Reach for the gentler nature residing in you. Grow beyond your destructive path these cards say you're follow. It will all only lead to upsets and the hardships I have seen here. Unless you do these things, you will not find happiness. You are trapped, Mr. Riddle. Free yourself from whatever it is you have enslaved yourself to."
Tom looked at her utterly shocked. There was no way a word of it could have been true. He scowled at her slightly, not caring she saw the look. He stood and strode back to his normal seat while the next student went to sit in the chair he had vacated. He watched the old woman the rest of the class, thinking she was completely crazy. The cards were wrong. All this divination stuff was fake and he would not believe any of it.
***
To my reviewers -
Liv - what's going on with Lena? Well, I can't tell you that...it'll ruin other things that are to come...but it gets figured out by Tom within the next few chapters...Tom does still apologize...he's not his fully evil self yet...and I'm sure that everyone keeps some secrets from Tom...I hope he turns evil for you soon...I hate that you don't think he's evil enough yet...
MayDancer27 - long post...but, hey...that's okay...^_~...Tom...cry? Hmm...never thought of him crying...he *could*...you never know...and you needn't worry about me not posting for a while...I always make sure I have plenty of chapters to post many times before I might run out...I like updating regularly and always fear writer's block so I've always done that...I go for the bad guys...but I prefer them be *mine* than with someone else...
RivanKnight - a curious chapter? Hmm...but I can't tell you about the meeting....that's why it's secret...so *puts finger to mouth* shhh...and you're peering into tea leaves had decent timing...*points up to new chapter above*...see...tarot cards...and I hope great things will happen soon too...
Riddle Light - you have 50 chapters of what story?
***
Please review me and let me know what you think...
For the rest of their Christmas holiday, Tom and Lena studied all the charm books they could get their hands on. They learned a lot of new spells that would come in handy when they started to search the castle. They would soon be ready to start their search again. Both of them were starting to feel anxious about getting back to it.
Right before the new term started, there was a bit of chaos from the first year boys' dormitory in Gryffindor house. It seemed that, again, Rubeus had gotten another pet. This time it was a niffler he had named Phil, which he had gotten for Christmas. Though they were rather placid and adorable creatures, they were not good as house pets. It seemed that the niffler, once left alone in the room, had gone about searching for all the shiny objects that had been hidden from it by Rubeus' roommates. It ended up destroying much of the room. Though Dumbledore tried to get the boy out of trouble, yet again, the headmaster insisted on his having a week of detentions and forbade him from having another pet. He also had to write his father and ask for the money to pay for his roommates' new uniforms and books, which Rubeus did not like having to do since his father did not have much money.
Classes soon started again and Tom and Lena had to stop their studies to get back to their schoolwork. In Tom's case, though, he would have preferred to have stayed in the library studying than having to start more work for Professor Orasi, but this term turned out to not be as bad as the previous one since all they had to do was study the tarot and their meanings the first few weeks then they began to work with them, which meant that they need to get their own set of cards.
When they had finished their study of the tarot and their meaning, Professor Orasi told them that they would have her read their cards that day so they could see how a full interpretation was given. Tom was third, right in the middle. When he sat in the chair opposite her, she was shuffling her cards, like she seemed to always be doing, even when she was in the Great Hall before meals. She placed the cards on the table and told him to cut the deck three times, shuffling after each cut. He did so then slid them back to her.
The first card that was placed was the "10 of Swords" card. "Interesting first card." She placed down the second on top of it, though perpendicular. It was the "6 of Swords." She looked up at Tom. "You will go through several hardships but it looks like you'll be successful in getting what you want."
Tom looked only mildly interested.
The elderly lady placed down the third card. It was the "Lovers" card. She said nothing as she looked at the card strangely, pulling the next card off the top of the deck. That one was the "Queen of Swords" card. She drew another card, still saying nothing. The "Chariot" card appeared.
"This is strange. I've not had a reading like this since..."
Professor Orasi continued, flipping over the next card. It was the "Sorcerer." She drew another.the "Knight of Wands." She sat back, stopping five cards short of where she had stopped with the previous two students. She set the tarot cards on the table, looking at Tom, studying him for a moment.
"Is there anything the matter, Professor?"
Propping her elbows on the table's edge, she rested her chin on her folded hands. "Your cards interest me, Mr. Riddle, very much so. And, yet, I am also very disturbed for some reason. I am fighting the urge to end this reading and go on to Miss Danes."
Yet, before Tom could ask her why, she had suddenly picked up her cards again and quickly finished placing them down. The next five cards were the "8 of Cups," "5 of Wands," "Tower," "Knight of Pentacles," and "Darkness" cards. She then set her deck on the table again and leaned back in her chair, looking from Tom to the spread, her hands folded in front of her mouth.
"Professor?"
Leaning forward slightly, she gestured over the spread with her hand. "You know what each of these positions represent, correct?"
Tom knew very well. He had studied this particular layout just that morning at breakfast. He pointed to each of the cards as he said what their significance was. "The first and second cards placed are the destiny cards. This is the guidance card, and that the relationship one." Tom looked at those two cards and was shocked for a moment, thinking they were in the wrong positions. He then continued. "This one represents learning. This one's my personality card." He sighed. This was taking too long, he just started pointing. "Hidden influence, attitude, philosophy, reputation, travel, and life goal."
As he explained the meanings for each of the positions, he began to understand why she had dismissed the rest of the class. His reading did look rather strange, even to him, especially the last card. He understood why some of the cards were in the places they were, but not others. He wanted to hear *her* explanation of the cards, though, since she had been doing this *far* longer than he had.
"Do you understand what I meant when I said that it is very interesting but somewhat disturbing?"
The teenager nodded slightly.
The professor sat up properly in her chair and began to go over the cards. "Your destiny, Mr. Riddle, is that you will go through many hardships. And, though, according to other cards in the spread, you might be successful for a time, you will ultimately have a very painful defeat or betrayal. You have very interesting associations in your future, but these will ultimately lead to your pain and despair. If you want to avoid these things, you need to release any fears or negative thoughts you may have.
"Now, your guide along the path you are taking is *apparently* your lover or a female very close to you." She looked at him with a slight air of question. Though that card could also mean just a partnership, as soon as she had seen it she had known that it was not that. But he was certainly too young to have a lover and it seemed in her mind to be more of an immediate thing than something farther into the future. "A soulmate, perhaps, but it is not necessarily that. You need to understand that her guidance will help you, but stress and the hardships you encounter will take their toll if you do not have a strong and firm foundation in your relationship. This woman," she tapped the next card, "is very intelligent and a great counsel for you. But be careful, she can be spiteful if angered. But this card also represents your need to get in touch with your gentler side or the consequences will not be good.
"You will travel for you learning after you leave Hogwarts. You will study hard and long to achieve whatever goals you have. All the time and energy you put into this will pay off in the end. You will become the master of that which you seek. The power you seek shall be found."
For a long time she looked at him, the room completely silent. She wanted what she had just said to sink in before she continued. "Your personality...you are quite the typical Slytherin. Cunning and ambitious. But you're also a smooth talker. Things are not what they seem with you. And when you go out to start this study of yours," she pointed back to the Chariot card, "you will most certainly cement your destiny because of this.
"Now, the hidden influences driving you on," she picked up the card, examining it, as though expecting it to tell her, "comes from some unexpected source. This source has many brilliant ideas, but he will not live to see them to fruition. This person's loyalties are questionable. Trusting him may be unwise. This also shows that there are things occurring in your life that are breaking down any barriers to reaching your desires, your goals. This person that is to influence you from the shadows will give you great encouragement.
"Your attitude, or stance," she also picked up this card because it was an even more unusual card to be in that position than the previous card had been and she was unsure as to how to interpret it properly, "seems to be a negative one. You are indecisive and often irrational. You're unbalanced. All these things will cause problems. There are risks that will not be worth taking, but because of your irrational nature, you'll just walk blindly forward."
The professor set down that card and looked to the next card. "Reform is your philosophy, but there are events that will bring this belief down that are beyond your control. Difficulties and tension fill your life. Though you feel everything may be under your control, it is not. These things prevent your true creativity from being shown. Change what you believe or you will be your own downfall, Mr. Riddle.
"The reputation you will gain for yourself," she paused, knowing this was going to sound strange because it too was an odd card to have in the position, "is one based in ending some cycle. You will be known for creating chaos if you chose to not be careful with your actions.
"In your travels, in your journey of knowledge," she tapped the Chariot card, "you will discover not only the knowledge you seek, but you will become the master of your destiny. This relates back to your relationship and guidance," she tapped the Lovers card then the Queen of Swords, "from a dark-haired woman."
Again, Professor Orasi paused. The room was still silent as she mused over the last card. This was the "life goal" card, which happened to be the "Darkness" card in his case. This was something she had never seen happen before in any reading she had done. This, more than anything, scared her about the boy sitting across from her. "Darkness...it shows that in your life, you do not seek what you should. You seek out power or wealth or other earthly possessions or glory. You are not following a positive path, Mr. Riddle. And if circumstances were different you would not be on this path. But this path, whatever it is, seems to be the one you are supposed to be on."
The look she have him was one of uncertainty and worry. "You need to make a choice now, Mr. Riddle. Other cards in this spread indicate it as well. The Queen of Swords, the 8 of Cups, the 5 of Wands, and the Tower. Be decisive and rational so you can better see what lies ahead. Reach for the gentler nature residing in you. Grow beyond your destructive path these cards say you're follow. It will all only lead to upsets and the hardships I have seen here. Unless you do these things, you will not find happiness. You are trapped, Mr. Riddle. Free yourself from whatever it is you have enslaved yourself to."
Tom looked at her utterly shocked. There was no way a word of it could have been true. He scowled at her slightly, not caring she saw the look. He stood and strode back to his normal seat while the next student went to sit in the chair he had vacated. He watched the old woman the rest of the class, thinking she was completely crazy. The cards were wrong. All this divination stuff was fake and he would not believe any of it.
***
To my reviewers -
Liv - what's going on with Lena? Well, I can't tell you that...it'll ruin other things that are to come...but it gets figured out by Tom within the next few chapters...Tom does still apologize...he's not his fully evil self yet...and I'm sure that everyone keeps some secrets from Tom...I hope he turns evil for you soon...I hate that you don't think he's evil enough yet...
MayDancer27 - long post...but, hey...that's okay...^_~...Tom...cry? Hmm...never thought of him crying...he *could*...you never know...and you needn't worry about me not posting for a while...I always make sure I have plenty of chapters to post many times before I might run out...I like updating regularly and always fear writer's block so I've always done that...I go for the bad guys...but I prefer them be *mine* than with someone else...
RivanKnight - a curious chapter? Hmm...but I can't tell you about the meeting....that's why it's secret...so *puts finger to mouth* shhh...and you're peering into tea leaves had decent timing...*points up to new chapter above*...see...tarot cards...and I hope great things will happen soon too...
Riddle Light - you have 50 chapters of what story?
***
Please review me and let me know what you think...