Willy cooked the evening stew while Eric did his best to console Hagrid. "I jes' wanted to have a good firs' class. They didn' like the books, then Malfoy got all clawed up. It's all my fault!"

As Willy set a heavy, laden bowl in front of him, Eric tried to calm his guardian down. "You had no way of knowing. I mean, with five minutes of your instruction, I was able to pen all twelve of them all by myself. Look at me – not a scratch!"

"But Malfoy – his father'll have it in fer me fer sure. Dumbledore'll be stopping by to talk with me, but I know there'll be an hearin' this week."

Eric put himself right in front of Hagrid's face, to assure himself that his guardian could hear him. "I had Dorian talk with the class. You've got half a dozen witnesses that'll swear that you gave the class proper instruction, and Malfoy didn't pay attention. I'll call Mrs. Peal this evening and see if we can't work with that."

Stepping away from the table, he drew on a coat, picked up an offered bowl of stew and a fork, and headed for the door. "Now, I have to see Professor Trelawney this evening for some reason. Willy's going to take care of you, so please just relax. We'll have this all sorted out before the week is over: you'll see." Digging into the stew ( which was, in fact, yet another of Willy's cullinary triumphs ) he headed back to the upper tower and the Divination room.

He was all but finished eating by the time he finally got to the upper room. Entering in, he found himself alone in the draped room, the lighting dimly provided by several lanterned candles. However, as he began to settle himself, he felt a buzzing – the same that plagued him the first night he returned. As he sat down, he decided to concentrate on it, to feel it. The source was close, behind him and to the left. Moving slowly, as if to get more comfortable, he turned about to face the shrouded darkness behind him.

"So, it's true! You can sense me!" Professor Trelawney came out from behind the shrouds. "I've waited so long for a student with a Gift, I almost despaired of finding one!" She gathered Eric up in a hug as she almost stumbled over her dress. "Dear boy, you are the answer to all my hopes for a long, long time!"

"Um, Professor? I think you have me mixed up with someone else. I don't have premonitions."

Untangling him from her sleeves, she sat down and poured tea. "No no, dear child, you don't possess any precognitive abilities." Handing him a pink teacup, she smiled craftily to him. "Confidentially, neither do I."

Eric blinked twice before answering. "You don't? I thought that, well,..."

"Come now, you thought what everyone else thought here. That I was a complete loony." Her beaming smile issued forth understanding and forgiveness. "I know what everyone says about me. I don't blame them. You see, I come from a family of Seers, but I don't have that gift for myself. You can't imagine how embarrassing it is. To be honest, I don't know why Dumbledore hired me, at least at first."

She sipped her tea before continuing. "However, I am a powerful clairvoyant. While I can't see into the future, I can see current events or sense imminent happenings. That's how I knew that Neville, that dear boy, was such a klutz. If I interrupted him, he would be sure to break one of my teacups."

"So why are you kept on as a divination teacher?"

"Because I know how to encourage Seers properly. It's less important whether or not I can see into the future as much as I know how to develop those who can, or those with other similar abilities."

"Why don't you just admit that you're not precognitive?"

"Many students don't understand the concept of being trained by someone who can't do something themselves. So, I pretend to be precognitive in order to find those with a true Gift, then maintain their confidence in order to develop them properly. I've had about a dozen or so successes."

Eric was unconvinced. "If that's the case, how can I be sure you're clairvoyant?"

"After you left the staffroom, you saw a vision of Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class. While you had it, a sense of dread came over you." She beamed a great smile to him. "While you were watching Hagrid, I was watching you. It's hard to say whether you had a true Sense of the Foreboding or if you detected me, instead. That's what we're going to find out."

The professor's honesty was rather comforting. However, he was still curious. "So, why all the dark predictions?"

"Simple: when bad things happen, they say I saw it coming. When they don't, people are too relieved to make a fuss. It's all very sensible. Now: as far as you're concerned, we have a clairvoyant talent to nurture. Are you ready to begin?"

Eric wasn't sure he believed her, but she was too enthusiastic to turn down. "How do we start?"

By ten o'clock, Eric was exhausted. Professor Trelawney had managed to try every divination method imaginable in order to isolate his talent. They found that he had two clairvoyant abilities. The first was an Aegis – an ability to sense when someone or something had taken a direct and immediate interest in him. The second was a Sentinel – an ability to sense immediate danger or a dire happening that affected someone close to him. These primary aspects manifested themselves in the sensations and visions that he was experiencing. With the professor's help, it could someday be possible to manipulate these aspects into usable talents which could be engaged proactively, rather than reactively.

With a head full of questions and confusion, Eric stumbled into Ravenclaw Hall hoping to drop off into bed, when he remembered Hagrid's predicament. Moving towards the fireplace, he drew his wand and traced out several curves. Concentrating on Mrs. Peal, he chanted: "Inflamus Communicatix."

As he looked about, the fireplace was still before him, but it was as if he was also in the middle of a fireplace, watching the flames curl up around him. Looking outward, he could see a quaint kitchen, currently being cleared of clutter by a young man and woman. Although the woman was briefly startled to look downward and find a head in the fireplace, she smiled as she called to her companion. "David, I believe the house has a caller."

David looked downward, smiling at Eric. Not knowing what else to do, he smiled back. "Sorry to interrupt your evening, but I was hoping to contact a Mrs. Peal."

David nodded, turned to an archway leading out of the kitchen and called. "Mum! There's a head under the kettle that wants to talk to you!"

"David, I really had hoped that over the years your manners would improve." Mrs. Peal emerged from the archway, and flashed a gentle smile down to her hearth. "Well, it's about time you called. I've been expecting you all afternoon."

As David and the unidentified lady made their way out of the kitchen, Mrs. Peal drew up a small stool. Eric looked up at her, completely confused. "You've been expecting me?"

"Dumbledore called already. I know all about Hagrid's little incident and the people involved. There's an inquiry coming up in a couple of days – don't panic, such things are normal in these situations – but Albus seemed to think that it would be best if Hagrid obtained someone to help in his defense. Honestly, I'm inclined to agree."

"So you're coming here?" As much as Hogwarts was Eric's home for as long as he could remember, he was missing his landlady an awful lot. She was the closest thing he remembered having to a mother, and her kindness to him was an absence he felt deeply.

"I'm afraid not. There's a number of things I have to tend to here. Besides, I'm not directly involved with Hogwarts in any particular way. That's why you're going to prepare Hagrid's rebuttal instead."

Eric shook his head for a moment. "Excuse me, did you say that ..."

"Yes, Eric, you are going to defend Hagrid. The matter is fairly straightforward if you approach it sensibly. Now, get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, have Willy prepare you a hearth somewhere unobtrusive where we can speak at length. Have the facts of the matter prepared so that we can take as little time as necessary. We'll be spending the morning going over this matter and offering a proper response. Rest up, for this is going to be exhausting."