"Darkness is upon you. In fact, the only thing I see in your future is darkness everywhere. Be careful next week for this may be the last time you are among us if you are not."
Harry fought a groan when he heard the other students' horrified gasps as Professor Mesmer finished his apparently weekly prediction.
Of course he was the lucky bloke who got his future revealed.
"Is there a way to prevent it, sir?" Elphias fearfully asked.
"Nope." Mesmer left the chair facing Harry and lazily put his hands in his pockets. "It is far too late for Mister Potter. The Darkness is coming back and there is no mean to stop his course. And I think he will be bloodthirsty."
Black, face grim, raised his hand. "Do you have a date for his return, sir?"
Professor Mesmer smiled and turned to the Slytherin Prefect. "Ah, you're curious! Good, good. Forewarned is indeed forearmed. Which is why Divination is the best course to study for those who want to plan and reach their goal without much hassle." He winked at the boy. "As for the date, let me see… I am rather confident the Darkness will come on the day of the moon."
Black solemnly nodded.
"Rather fitting, I have to admit. Act accordingly that day, Mister Black. Although… I'm sorry to tell you that what you fear is going to happen."
Black ticked but didn't ask for any clarification this time.
"Now, I wonder…" The Divination Professor looked around the room. "Why has nobody opened their bag and retrieved their quill?"
The students frowned and looked at each other.
"Why would we?" a Slytherin witch asked. "We never use our quill."
"We don't." He nodded. "Except…"
The students started whispering among themselves. Black groaned.
"Don't tell me-" Seeing the older man's sly smile, he rolled his eyes. "We have a surprise test, don't we?"
"Correct!" He cheerfully exclaimed over the students' horrified gaps as with a swish of his wand a blackboard appeared behind him. "You should have all foreseen this! Now, you have fifteen minutes to answer the questions but let me tell you this: you didn't start well."
Harry groaned as he retrieved a quill and thanked a sweating Elphias when he gave him enough parchment to do the test.
When he raised his head, he finally noticed there wasn't anything written on the blackboard.
"Now, as it is the beginning of the year, we will start easy. You are not allowed to take your books but if you need anything in the classroom to answer my questions, feel free to use it. Yes, Mister Doge?"
"You have forgotten to write the questions, sir."
"Have I?" He glanced in the direction of the blackboard, face pensive. "Ah yes, I understand what you mean." He hummed for a couple of seconds. Finally, he snapped his fingers. "But you're wrong, Mr. Doge."
Elphias pensively tilted his head.
"In case you have forgotten, this is not your regular magical class." His lips curled. "Meaning, my dear students, that you are also supposed to foresee the questions that are going to be on the blackboard! And you must answer them before they are all written down!"
Harry's jaw dropped while the other students gasped in horror.
"Let the Third Eye reveal you the way to succeed in your endeavour!" he happily finished. "Now, I need to write the correction," he said under his breath as a few students got up and reached for the decks of Tarot cards on the shelves.
Harry dazedly blinked and unconsciously got up, wondering how on hell Hermione would have reacted to that.
She would have been outraged, he thought as he followed the other students to the shelves. He couldn't stop a smile at the thought of her wide-eyed face and her muttering Divination was a lot of rubbish.
Oh well, Harry thought as he took a crystal ball under his arm and went back to his seat, it wasn't as if he expected to have a good mark.
As he posed the crystal ball on the table, he noticed many students were using Tarot cards. With febrile hands, they would turn the cards and grimace whenever they didn't get the card Harry suspected they wanted. A couple of them were sporting strange coloured glasses and were intently fixing the blackboard as if they would manage to see what had yet to be written.
"Careful with my spectacles," Professor Mesmer raised his head and frowned. "They're very fragile. You know what? Give them back. You can't use them. Anything else is free game, however."
Harry turned his attention to the crystal ball, wondering if the answers were actually going to appear if he squinted hard enough.
"Five minutes left. Well, I think. Mister Weasley, how long do we still have?"
"T-Ten, sir."
"Oh really? Ten points from Gryffindor. I hate liars, Mister Weasley. Mister Doge?"
"Six, sir." Elphias said after checking his watch.
"Alright," he took his wand and a countdown started appearing. "When it rings, test is over."
A few students cursed under their breath and Harry gave up any pretence he was going to get anything but a zero. With a sigh, he dropped his quill and started looking around him.
It seemed like Elphias and many other students had given up trying to foresee the questions and were now writing the very first thing on their mind in hope the correct answer would be in the middle of their febrile writing. Some were on the verge of tears as they tried one last time to look at their crystal ball.
"I would have thought you would be some divination genius, considering yesterday," Professor Mesmer remarked as he posed his hand on Harry's shoulder who startled. "Oh well, you just need to be taught properly, I suppose."
Before Harry could say anything, the wizard had already left his side to go back to the desk in the front of the class.
Harry turned his attention back to the blank blackboard and sighed. What now? Mesmer thought he was a seer too? Just because he had fainted the day before, was that enough to become a seer?
He had thought Professor Trelawney was strange, but this class was even weirder and that was saying something.
He stole a glance at the wizard to see Black was giving him his copy. Mesmer looked at it and smiled.
"Oh, you Slytherin," he said, voice full of admiration.
But Black wasn't listening to him. Already he was taking the chalk on Professor Mesmer's desk and walking in the direction of the blackboard.
'Question 1:' he started writing, 'What is written on Question 2?
'Question 2: What is written on Question 1?'
When he posed the chalk and walked back to his seat, the countdown showed there were two minutes left.
"Excellent," Professor Mesmer said as he got up. "Still, I'm afraid you made a mistake, Mister Black. A rather big mistake," he told him as he took the chalk and started waving it over the countdown. "You see, Mister Black, when you attempt something like that there is one thing you need to keep in mind."
And without further ceremony, he wrote: 'Question 3: How many questions are there in this test?'
The countdown reached zero.
"Timing." He smiled as the alarm started ringing. "You gave me far too much time to add another question. Now, correction!" He cheerfully clapped his hands. "I won't insult you: I think you can figure the correct answers on your own. So who found the questions and gave the correct answers?"
The students awkwardly looked at each other.
"So it's zero for everybody but Mister Black?" Professor Mesmer pretended to think. "I suppose I may decide not take into account this test. Just this time. Still, ten points to Slytherin. That was well-played."
He crossed his arms and smiled at the class. "Did you honestly believe you were going to see the answers in your crystal ball or if you tilted your head just the correct way? You'd need to be a seer for that. Why, even I was surprised. I got nothing until the last six minutes. Do you want to know why? Because until that very moment, none of you considered writing something on the blackboard."
"I've never intended to write anything until Mister Black forced my hand," he admitted. "I just couldn't be bothered. And if I was not going to do it and if none of you thought about doing it, the blackboard would have stayed blank. It's that easy. Had you given me a blank copy, you would have had a passing mark. Unfortunately for you, Mister Black cracked my little test so this potential future got lost. But if there is nothing to be seen, then do not pretend there is anything to see! Don't waste your time trying to get something out of nothing!"
"But there is something," a student stubbornly whispered.
"There is now," he corrected. "There wasn't then. You just need action to change the future, or the possibility of one. And with his action, Mister Black traced another path. Now, I know what you're thinking." He pointed in Harry's general direction. "If I do not do anything, nothing is going to change, right? Not necessarily true. I mean, I said I wasn't going to write anything but Mister Black decided he wanted to write something. You are not the only player here, and they may decide to react to your inaction. Never believe the future is fixed," he warned. "Only very precious moments are. The rest of the time, the only thing you will ever see are possibilities. A picture of what the future may be at this very instant. It may become the present someday if nothing changes but you better hope everything is going to go according to the plan. So if you decide to navigate the flow of time, do not forget the road you're taking is hazardous and you may take a wrong turn if you're not careful." He looked thoughtful. "Personally, I recommend taking a map."
But the students were still upset at the discovery Professor Mesmer wasn't going to teach them some fool proof way to predict who would win the next Quidditch World Cup.
He sighed. "Mister Potter, would you please check your breast pocket?"
With a frown, Harry did as he was told. He stilled.
Slowly, he unfolded the paper in his hand.
Question 1: What is written on Question 2?
Question 2: What is written on Question 1?
(optional) Question 3: How many questions are there in this test?
Mesmer smiled under Harry's incredulous staring. "What can I say? I have a friend who is very good with sleights of hand."
Albus raised his eyebrows when he saw his friend's pitiful state. "Alright, what did Professor Mesmer foresee this time?"
Elphias hesitated and stole a look at the new student who seemed to be rather unnerved.
"Darkness is upon him," he murmured. "If he does not… embrace it and go with the flow, he will leave us."
"Ah."
There were many 'predictions' Professor Mesmer has made since Albus was here but this was by far the vaguest.
"I am rather confident Harry will be fine, Elphias."
"His predictions always come true, Albus. Always."
Yes, he always left enough wiggle room for these to inevitably come true.
"And there is nothing to be done, I suppose." Seeing Elphias weakly shaking his head, he added, "In this case, we should ensure that Harry enjoys his time here just in case he leaves and hope that he will make the… the 'right' choice when the time comes. Why should we focus on a disagreeable future if we cannot prevent it? We should focus on the present, don't you think?"
Elphias sighed. "I suppose you're right," he mumbled as they entered the Charms classroom. "But why giving us a warning if there is nothing we can do?"
Albus tried to find something positive to say. "Maybe the goal is to ensure we enjoy the time we have to its fullest," he began musing. "Carpe diem. Enjoy the present because tomorrow may not be as kind as today."
Elphias thought about it for a few seconds. "You think so?"
Albus couldn't stop himself from amusedly shaking his head. "It's either that, or he enjoys messing with your minds."
Personally, he'd put the odds on the latter.
Elphias chuckled. "He loves doing this, doesn't he? Like, we had a surprise test and…" He had a faraway look. "A seer of his power, we must have looked like idiots when we tried to find out what was going to be the on the blackboard. I'm sure we must seem very gullible to him."
The red-haired chuckled. "You're the one who said it."
"He confirmed the new student is a seer by the way. Well, he strongly implied it." Seeing his friend raising an eyebrow, he explained, "I heard them talking during the test."
Albus blinked. Twice. He finally shook his head several times and entered the Charm classroom. He should focus on more interesting subjects than the latest drama in Divination.
Like that fabulous pen knife Harry owned. He would have to wait this evening to try to repair it and see how it was done but it was clear already this magical artefact was truly special. How the crafter did it, he didn't know yet but that person had to be extremely good at his craft.
He then remembered he actually had a potion to brew and he didn't know how long it would take him to fix this knife.
What should he focus on? That potion that would just maybe secure him a spot for the Young Potioneer Competition or that revolutionary pen knife?
Decisions, decisions.
To Harry's great relief, there wasn't anything noteworthy besides their Divination class that Thursday. And if Harry had once again tried his luck to tell Albus Dumbledore he was a time traveller, the prefect was always too busy doing one thing or another to give him some time when the two of them could be alone.
And without him noticing, it was the weekend. While it was true he didn't have a signed permission to leave the school, Professor Dippet had exceptionally allowed him to go to Diagon Alley and buy some change of clothes with the scholarship he had secured the very first night.
It was one galleon. For Harry who had been used to always have five during his shopping, this was unnerving and Harry finally understood what the Weasley had to feel when they were buying their children's school books. Worse, school having started, there were almost no second-hand books for Harry to buy and Harry literally cringed when he realized at the end of the day he only had one knut left.
Diagon Alley hadn't changed much, Harry thought as he finally left the bookshop to go back to school, his miserable knut in one hand and his bags of second-hand things in the other. Some shops were not in the same place but it was the same buildings, the same architecture and the Leaky Cauldron was already there, as if it stood in a place where time itself could not reach.
But if Harry just dared to open the door to the muggle world…
Harry uneasily looked at said door innocently facing the fireplace Harry would use to go back to Hogwarts.
If he opened it, Harry would have no choice but to admit this was not his time and that he had to stop trying to convince himself he had everything under control. If Harry opened the door and looked at the muggle world, it would hammer home the severity of the situation.
Ultimately, Harry chose the fireplace and closed his eyes so that he could stop looking at it when the green flames engulfed him.
He was a coward.
"It took me the entire weekend but I've finally managed to understand how your pen knife works." Albus grinned on Sunday evening in Gryffindor Common room, a spark of something that looked like madness in his eyes.
With his black robes sporting coloured stains, his uncombed hair, his face sporting several bruises and the numerous bandages on his fingers, the usually impeccably dressed wizard was in a rather sorry state. Hadn't he known better, Harry would have thought somebody had attacked him when Harry wasn't looking.
He made a very convincing mad genius, Harry had to admit.
"I first thought it was a succession of very intricate spells," he started babbling. "And that I just needed to estimate the precise magical power before casting my own accordingly. But that wasn't so! No, no, no, no! The crafter used only one spell!"
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Just one."
Albus laughed. "Yes! I first thought it was an addition of rather common spells but that was because I was not looking at the bigger picture. These spells I thought I saw were just several threads the crafter weaved together!"
Harry leaned against the chair he was sitting on. "Sorry, what?"
"He weaved them!" he repeated and leaned on the table between them. "That is why I had to pull the loose thread and remove the magic on it before I could attempt anything. That was the trickiest part, the crafter had put many defences against my attempts at fiddling with his creation. I was lucky the blade had melted or I would have needed to go to the infirmary. I was rather confident I've figured it out how he had managed this little miracle but, you know, the theory may be on point, there is always a risk something will go wrong when you finally put what you've learned into practice."
From his pocket, Albus retrieved said pen knife he put on the table. "It is not without some pride I admit that I can tell you this fabulous pen knife is fixed and ready to open any lock it will face." Harry took it and slowly started to examine the magical artefact.
It looked brand new, as if nothing had ever happened to it, and Harry had to admit he was rather pleased by the blade's edge. He didn't remember it being so good, he thought as a drop of blood left his thumb.
"Thank you very much," Harry told the prefect who nodded. "You really didn't have to do that."
He smiled. "I know, but I wanted to."
He couldn't help smiling back. "How can I thank you?"
"Use it well."
Harry stilled and couldn't help incredulously looking at the young man facing him.
"That's all you need to do really and-"
Harry suddenly snickered and the prefect stopped talking. And after a few failed attempts to contain himself, Harry finally burst to laugh.
He knew the fifteen years old Dumbledore couldn't get it, but he couldn't help it.
"You hand me something that is perfect for a robbery and all you have to say is: use it well?"
Albus' lips involuntarily turned upwards. "Yes, when you say it like that, I do look like a terrible enabler. Not fit for somebody supposed to insure order here." He looked away and started chuckling himself. "Oh dear, I am a terrible influence."
And together, they started laughing.
Harry wondered if in December 1991, as he was wrapping Harry's invisibility cloak, Professor Dumbledore had remembered this moment and wrote these exact words on purpose.
It was raining on Monday. As if somebody up there knew something terrible was going to happen and wanted to set the scene for the tragedy that was about to unfold.
Many students stayed indoors, and the few who had to go outside let it be for Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology or even Flying couldn't help mumbling their displeasure and wondering if there existed a charm to control the weather.
But few were those who knew the rain was the least of their problem.
"So, I wanted to do something for All Hallows' Eve," Professor Mesmer began as he handed a piece of parchment to Professor Dippet, "and I managed thanks to my great powers to secure a one in a lifetime opportunity. It will without a doubt be an enlightening experience for my students and complete their magical education. And to top it all, it will not cost a single knut."
It had to be quite important, Professor Prince thought as he was drinking his coffee, it was not every day the Divination Professor would willingly go to the staffroom and tell them about whatever latest shenanigans he was planning.
The Deputy Headmaster raised his eyebrows when he read the parchment. "That sounds quite remarkable, Mesmer. If this is indeed true, you have outdone yourself."
"I have, haven't I?" His lips twitched. "And I had to act very fast. You do not have to worry about anything, I have everything on my end covered. All I need now is your little signature." He handed him a green quill. "Right at the bottom of this little contract."
Discretely, the Divination Professor stole a glance at the door.
Dippet slowly took the quill. "I'll sign it once I finish reading it. But I don't think there will be any problem with that."
The wizard's eyes started twitching and the Potion Professor who had been observing the two men raised an eyebrow. "Then you should sign it and read it at your leisure afterwards."
"That would be a terrible idea. I know you mean well, but as I am at the present moment responsible of any contract between the school and any third party, I need to insure everything is in order."
"It is," Mesmer curtly said. "And I don't have much time."
The man retrieved his glasses and put them on his nose. "Considering you are our resident seer, I have to admit this is funny to hear you say it."
It was the students outside who noticed first. And when they did, they started shaking in fear.
"It doesn't look like there is any problem," Dippet finally concluded.
"Like I said, I covered everything." Professor Mesmer handed him the green quill again. "Now if you could sign-"
But Binns began searching his pockets. "I need to make a copy of the present document first."
"Y-You can do it after you sign it!"
"That's not the correct procedure, I'm afraid. Now, where did I put it?"
In Gryffindor Tower, a Second Year was running up the stairs.
She had to warn the others. Even if that was the last thing she was going to do, she had to warn her housemates.
Professor Prince looked at his colleagues. Dippet was now looking for some ink. Green wasn't apparently the proper colour to use. It had to be emerald.
'What is going on?' his eyes seemed to say.
Professor Mesmer gravelly looked at his childhood friend.
It was a testament of their friendship and their shared time as misbehaving students that he knew what that look meant.
And Prince left the room without even bothering to pick up his satchel.
When the Slytherin Fifth Year Prefect saw him, he just checked his watch.
He basically had thirty minutes.
Harry raised his head when he heard the door opening.
"He's back!" the girl shouted. "He's back! Code Black, he's back!"
"Oh shit!"
"No, no, no!"
"I thought I'd have more time!"
"Wait." Harry turned around and looked as Albus hurriedly started waving his red quill which turned white. "What's going on there?"
"He's back!" the girl repeated. "He's back and he will… he will…"
Albus posed his quill and started to talk over the brouhaha. "Everybody, it's alright! As long as we are in our quarters, there is no reason at all to worry. There is no need to overreact!"
"Well, that should be it." Dippet finished signing the last contract. "Now, I have to ask-"
Mesmer took the contract. "Thank you and goodbye!" He opened the door and look left and right. "Right it is then!"
"Who is back?" Harry asked the girl one more time.
"Y-You-Know-Who! You-Know-Who is back!"
Harry stared at her.
In one hand, he had been waiting for somebody to say that an entire year. In the other hand, this was way too early and nobody should have to say that.
"Who is You-Know-Who?" he finally asked.
The girl looked at him with something close to pity.
"A wizard with a heart as black as his name."
When the door opened, Dippet raised his head and couldn't stop a soft gasp.
"Oh, Headmaster! You're… You're back."
"As always, your talent to state the obvious is beyond measure," Phineas Nigellus Black curtly said. "I'm warning you, Dippet, I had a terrible day so I hope for you that you haven't done something unbelievably stupid while I was away."
