It took me until Friday to recover from my embarrassment and thankfully those days were Malfoy free. The last period on my timetable on Friday was Divination. My mom had warned me not to take Divination. She said subject was a waste of time and dad agreed with her, adding that it was boring. But I took it anyway because it seemed interesting and it could be different now. And did I mention I've always wanted to look into future.
Since school had started I had no time myself. My timetable was jammed full of all the subjects I could take but it was limited since the Ministry refuses to hand out Time Turners in fear that dark wizarding times could repeat themselves if it fell into the hands of the wrong person.
Abby and Jane don't take Divination which surprised me. It sounded like something they would totally be into.
To get to Divination I had to take a long trek to the North tower and climb up a ladder, not to mention being weighed down by my many books and almost falling.
The Divination classroom was hot, almost boiling. The whole place had no air and it was stuffy. It smelled like someone had been burning incense constantly for the last 30 years. The room was crammed with around twenty circular tables. All daylight was blocked out by heavy red curtains covered with moons and stars. The room's walls were lined with shelfs that held countless Divination equipment varying in sizes and design. In the centre of the wall was a fireplace with a fire alight in it, only adding to the warmth of the room.
When I arrived all the seats or in this cushions with legs were taken, except the one across from Malfoy. He was the last person I would expect to see in a Divination class and the last person I would want to sit with. But there he was, minus his regular Slytherin army.
I sighed out loud and grumpily made my way over to Malfoy, who was absent-mindedly flipping through the pages of his 'Unfogging the Future'. Malfoys head snapped up when I sat across from him.
"Weasley," he said. "It looks like your face has finally turned back to a normal colour."
"And it looks like your still a piece of hippogriff dung." I said casually trying to ignore him as I got my books from my bag and put them on the table.
Malfoy gave me look of mock hurt when suddenly Professor Trelawney appeared. She was standing right in front of the fire. She sparkled in her shiny shawl. Her eyes, which were magnified by her large glasses, were wide looking at everyone.
The chatter died down as everyone just stared back at her. The numerous bangles and rings she wore shook as she moved. She started to speak in weird misty voice, over dramatizing everything she said,
"Welcome. How nice to see you in the physical world at last. Welcome to Divination. My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."
I could see Malfoy out of the corner of my eye having a fit of silent laughter. I ignored him and tried to focus on Professor Trelawney. I could already see what mom and dad said coming to life.
"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts."
'Most difficult'… my inner eye is telling me Study of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy is going to way, way more difficult than crystal balls.
"I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field..."
Okay…
"The inner eye is a gift granted to few… Today I will teach you the art of Tessomancy. The reading of tea leaves." She continued and then suddenly she moved towards a Hufflepuff boy. "My dear, when the sun disappears you shall lose a finger."
Then she moved back to her spot in front of the classroom as if she had said nothing. Leaving the Hufflepuff boy confused and staring down at his fingers.
"Now I want all of you to collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me and I will fill it." she pointed to an enormous teapot on the small table in front of her. "Then sit down and drink it until only the dregs remain."
"Dregs?" Malfoy muttered.
"Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer; wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of 'Unfogging the Future'. I shall move among you, helping and instructing."
When Malfoy and I had our teacups filled we returned to our table. We both stared down at our murky tea water as stream steadily rose from it.
"Ew" I said sticking out my tongue.
"Ew indeed." Malfoy agreed.
Professor Trelawney pasted our table and said "Drink up, my dears, the inner eye wait for no one."
"On three." I suggested.
Malfoy shrugged.
"1…2…" we counted together "3"
On three we gulped down the hot tea until there was nothing but bits of dregs left. Then we followed the other necessary steps and swapped cups.
As I flipped to page 4 of 'Unfogging the Future' trying to decipher the murk in Malfoy cup. Malfoy let out a gasp.
"Weasley… you have the grim!" he said all dramatic and mystical.
"Knock it off Malfoy," I said snatching the cup back from him.
"Who has the grim?" The mystical voice of Professor Trelawney said from behind me.
"I don't…"
But she took it from me before I could finish.
"My dear, you have the grim!" she said shocked.
I had caught a glimpse of the teacup before Professor Trelawney had taken it and let me tell you it looked NOTHING like the grim.
"Professor,-"
"The grim, my dear, the worst omen of all. The omen of death!"
Gee, thanks Malfoy.
Professor Trelawney eyes almost popped from her skull.
Meanwhile Malfoy was barely keeping it together. He hid his face in his robes in mock horror.
By now the whole class was watching and thankfully Professor Trelawney looked like she was about done as she moved on to the next group giving me a look of pity.
"Seriously, Malfoy, that looks nothing like the grim!" I exclaimed looking at the cup.
"Well, you heard what the Professor said I have the inner eye." Malfoy said smugly.
"She never said that." Then I decided to make a prediction of my own. "Actually, Malfoy, it looks like in your teacup you have the… the…" I scanned the page of my book trying to find an omen. "the Falcon!"
Malfoy scanned his own book finding what it meant. "A deadly enemy?"
"Yeah, me. We are now deadly enemies." I said flatly.
"Ooooh! But at least I don't have the grim." Malfoy smirked.
"Class is dismissed!" Professor Trelawney said. "My inner eye calls for my attention. Put your teacups back and leave."
And with that she disappeared into the shadows of her office.
"That teacher is completely bats!" Malfoy stated.
"Still going to come here next week?" I asked Malfoy after we had made out of the heat of the classroom and into the cool air of the castle outside the classroom.
"Why not?" Malfoy said. "If she has some sort of fake seer breakdown I want to see it. Why do you ask Weasley?"
I froze inside for a second. Why was I even talking to Malfoy like this?!
"So… I can get the table all to myself and not have someone giving me the omen of death for no good reason." I bounced back.
"Whatever, Weasley." He smirked heading off in the direction of another corridor. "By the way you face has gone back to that red colour. You want to get that checked out." I could hear his laugh echoing in the corridor.
