Chapter 178: Professor Trelawney's New Prophecy
Just as Dylan was guiding Neville on how to divine by observing tea leaves, Professor Trelawney suddenly darted out of the shadows with surprising speed. Her gaunt fingers, like an eagle's talons, snatched Harry's teacup. The silver bangles on her wrist clinked together, making a crisp, wind-chime-like sound.
The tea leaves in Harry's cup rearranged themselves with the vibrations, forming a winding serpentine pattern. At the serpent's eye, there was precisely an undissolved tea stalk.
"A snake... it seems you have an enemy." Professor Trelawney muttered.
However, Hermione, who was sitting at the same table as Harry, frowned, her eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline. She abruptly slammed shut her copy of Unfogging the Future. The thick pages made a "thwack" sound, startling a divination bird perched on the windowsill into flight.
"Harry's enemy? Which one do you mean? He has many enemies." Harry's mouth twitched: "Not really..."
Hermione ignored him and continued to stare at Professor Trelawney. After discovering that this elective course couldn't be directly mastered through reading, Hermione began to feel dissatisfied with Divination. How could there be a course where even the necessary supplementary textbooks were only used to help a wizard observe what looked like absolutely nothing but tea leaves? It was simply too illogical!
Moreover, she hadn't felt any genuine divinatory power from Professor Trelawney. On the contrary she even felt that this strangely dressed professor was just putting on an act! Because her words were always so vague!
And Hermione recalled what Dylan had mentioned to her earlier that Divination wasn't a very substantial course. Learning wouldn't truly enable a wizard to master divination. She couldn't help but wonder if Dylan meant that Professor Trelawney actually couldn't divine at all?
It was no wonder she had such thoughts. The environment in the classroom was simply dreadful, making one's mood already quite sour. Coupled with Hermione's own lack of talent in Divination which made even discerning shapes from tea leaves difficult for her she naturally didn't have a pleasant expression towards Professor Trelawney.
If it weren't for Dylan, who had genuinely shown her the power of Divination, Hermione would have seriously doubted that foreseeing the future was even possible in this world!
"Prophecy requires a certain ethereal beauty, my dear." Faced with Hermione's displeasure, Professor Trelawney merely cast a fleeting glance at her, then withdrew her gaze. "And child, prophecies cannot be easily broken, for that would entangle the Diviner in fate's causality."
"What? What are you talking about? Dylan can also divine, and he always states the results directly!" Hermione's eyes widened. When she mentioned Dylan, Professor Trelawney paused. However, she then said with righteous indignation: "Dylan is a Diviner I personally taught. He has great talent. But you, my dear, seem to lack such gifts I see your aura is very dim. It's a pity, my dear, you will likely never taste the essence of prophecy."
As she finished speaking, Professor Trelawney secretly glanced at Dylan. Seeing no reaction from him, she subtly let out a sigh of relief, then looked back at Harry's teacup in her hand.
"A hammer... I think it's a skull-splitting hammer, which represents an attack oh, my dear, it seems you will experience something unpleasant in the future."
A skull-splitting hammer? Ron was stunned. Isn't that a medieval torture instrument?
"Wait... bones? Oh my, wait that's danger!" Professor Trelawney seemed to react to something she saw, her expression instantly freezing and changing dramatically. Then, as if struck by an invisible force, she stumbled backward uncontrollably, landing heavily on a nearby empty cushion. At the same time, her wide shawl unfurled in the air, much like the wings of a Thestral. The tarot cards beneath the cushion were swept up by the airflow, scattering in mid-air. The top card was strikingly the "Death" card.
Professor Trelawney quickly raised one hand and clasped it tightly over her chest. Her closed eyes trembled incessantly, and her head mechanically swayed from side to side, as if trying to banish the images before her.
"No don't ask that, child, poor child don't say it "
Professor Trelawney's reaction didn't seem like an act. Dylan was also a bit puzzled. Had Professor Trelawney seen something else?
Just then, Dean, from another table, leaned over to look at the bottom of the teacup that Professor Trelawney had dropped on the table. "It doesn't look like anything..." Many others also stood up, crowding around Harry and Ron, wanting to see what the tea leaves looked like.
"Ah ! Ominous! Child, that's a bad omen!" Professor Trelawney suddenly opened her eyes, her voice a roar. However, her words made Harry freeze. "What? Professor, what do you mean by that..."
"You if you glimpse the skeletal hound that roams amongst the desolate tombs beware! Every scorched inch of earth it treads shall blossom with thorny mandrakes! And within their stamens, the condensed essence of an endless night's sorrowful wailing of the dead!"
"What?" Harry was even more confused. "Professor, what are you even talking about..."
"A great dog! A grim, ominous dog! It's an omen of death!" Seamus's wand tip suddenly sparked.
Dylan, meanwhile, curled his lip. Heh heh~
It seemed Professor Trelawney had indeed seen something. However... if a dog was an omen... it was a bit too far-fetched. Because Harry himself was Hogwarts' biggest bra... ahem, omen!
Hermione, being jostled by the crowd, suddenly stood up with a start. Her rise was commanding, her bushy curly hair frizzing out like a lion's mane. Those who had been trying to get a closer look at the bottom of Harry's teacup were startled and retreated two steps.
"Hey! Watch out!"
Hermione ignored them and instead glared at Professor Trelawney. "Your claims are far too exaggerated. I don't agree at all. This clearly looks like a rising cross; how can it be inauspicious or have anything to do with bad omens?"
Professor Trelawney took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then her eyes scanned Hermione up and down, a hint of displeasure in her gaze. "Forgive me, it seems your aura truly isn't much, I imagine it's even dimmer than I thought which leaves you severely lacking in perception of the future. I understand perfectly the frustration of a common person who cannot glimpse what is to come."
Professor Trelawney's nature wasn't malicious Dylan had sensed this from his past interactions with her. However, as a Hogwarts professor, if she lacked genuine talent, she would have to resort to special methods to teach students. For example, like Lockhart. Of course, Professor Trelawney would only subtly deceive students in class to maintain her last shred of professorial dignity, unlike Lockhart, who was far more exaggerated.
At this point, Professor Trelawney's gaze withdrew from Hermione. "Very well, let today's lesson conclude. I am too weary to gaze into the future's visions any longer."
She waved her hand wearily, her voice becoming somewhat indistinct again, appearing very impatient and unwilling to spare Hermione another glance.
It seemed she strongly disliked students who openly challenged her in class.
It made sense, too. Without basic trust, how could one even deceive another? Even if success was desired, it would take a lot of effort. Rather than that, it might be better to simply try and make the other person dislike Divination class. If they could give up on the class, wouldn't that also be a fulfillment of her earlier divination?
"Collect your belongings, children, and don't leave anything behind." Professor Trelawney wobbled back into the shadows. The next moment, she seemed to vanish before everyone's eyes.
Dylan blinked. "Not magic, but more like a Muggle optical illusion."
Dylan told Neville and Harry to go out first. He stayed in the classroom. When almost everyone had left, Dylan approached Professor Trelawney.
At the same time, a shadow flickered in the darkness. A head of explosive hair peeked out.
"Are they all gone?"
"Yes, Professor."
Professor Trelawney visibly relaxed. "Every class gives me a headache. A lot of the time, I really don't know how to deal with these thorny young wizards."
Dylan smiled. "Professor, you've thoroughly researched divination books. Haven't you ever found a way to improve divination talent?"
Professor Trelawney was no longer acting erratically. Her expression was calm as she looked at Dylan and gently shook her head. "Child, many of the records are merely deceptive tricks or useless methods at least for me." Professor Trelawney sighed faintly: "I've tried many methods, but I seem to truly have no talent for divination except at certain special moments."
Dylan fell silent. He didn't respond, but he also didn't deny it. Who knew if his system rewards might later include something that could help others improve their divination talent?
"Don't worry about me. I'm content just to have a place to stay in the school." Professor Trelawney's lips curved into a smile, and she quickly perked up, walking slowly to the table where Dylan had just been sitting. Her gaze fell upon Dylan's teacup. "Oh, a tall hat. Are you going to be a high-ranking official in the future?"
Dylan's expression stiffened, and his mouth twitched. He opened his mouth, about to say something. Just then, Professor Trelawney's brows furrowed tightly, and her face instantly turned ashen. Then, her eyes rolled back, and her eyelids clamped shut, as if her mind were controlled by an Imperius Curse.
Then, Professor Trelawney slowly chanted in a trembling, mystical voice
"From the dark abyss, the power of the Demon King awakens, his followers, in the shadows, devoutly worship their ritual is about to begin, and the world shall be shrouded in fear and shadow!"
"No one can stand against him not even the former Demon King! Or the Savior!"
Dylan was stunned by these words. However, the next moment, Professor Trelawney seemed to awaken from a nightmare, her mind momentarily dazed. She looked at Dylan, her expression bewildered. "Child, what happened to me just now?"
Dylan subtly narrowed his eyes, then blinked innocently. "Nothing at all. What's wrong, Professor?"
Trelawney scratched her head, her bracelets jingling. "Why do I feel like I suddenly lost consciousness just now?"
"How could that be? If you lost consciousness, how would you know you lost consciousness?" Professor Trelawney blinked, then nodded: "That sounds about right."
Dylan, having just heard Professor Trelawney's prophecy, and realizing it seemed to be somewhat related to him, couldn't stay any longer and prepared to leave.
"Professor, I have another class now, so I won't bother you any longer."
"Oh, of course, class is important. Go on, child." Professor Trelawney nodded. She was about to personally clean the students' used teacups one by one.
"Scourgify!" Dylan gently tapped his wand. Magic transformed into threads, coiling around the tea-stained teacups. Wherever the light touched, dirt instantly vanished, and the remaining brown tea stains gradually disappeared. The teacups became transparent and clean, and with a flick of Dylan's wand, they successively returned to the center of each table, neatly arranged.
"You're welcome, Professor. I'll be going now." Dylan smiled faintly.
"Oh! Child, your control over magic is truly precise; keep it up!"
"I will, Professor." Dylan nodded and turned to leave. He followed the ladder back down. There was no one else there. Their next class was Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration. The Transfiguration classroom wasn't close to the North Tower. So, Neville and the others hadn't waited for Dylan; they had hurried off.
Dylan's steps were swift his legs enhanced by magic, moving as if flying. Before long, he caught up with the main group.
"Hey, Dylan!" Neville spotted Dylan sprinting from afar and waved to him. Dylan walked over, dispelling the magic.
Ron looked astonished: "What magic is that? I felt like you were about to fly!"
Dylan casually explained: "Just some minor charms, but they're quite hard to learn."
Ron: (¨)
What did that mean? Was he saying Ron couldn't learn it even if he tried? Sob sob~ Ron ran off to cry.
Harry, however, frowned deeply, looking somewhat worried. He glanced at Dylan several times, finally asking hesitantly: "About Professor Trelawney's prophecy do you think it will happen? I mean, the omen of death..."
Dylan looked at him, then lightly patted his shoulder. "Harry, I didn't see any bad omen no bra either, don't worry. If I saw you facing death I'd tell you the day before you pass on." Dylan smiled: "That way, when you're about to die, you won't have to do homework or study for exams you'll just have to eat a big meal and curse anyone you want to curse."
Harry was stunned, but he didn't get angry at Dylan's words; instead, he swallowed, a grin spreading across his face. If Dylan said so, he must be fine! He felt much more relaxed. However, Harry still found it a bit hard to get used to the strange looks other students were giving him. Harry saw Dylan and Neville walking further and further away, so he lowered his head slightly and quickened his pace.
He wasn't going to die right away, was he? Why were they looking at him like that?
When the group of young wizards returned to their respective classrooms, Dylan and Neville still chose to sit in the front row. Hermione also sat at the head of the row on the other side behind her were Ron and Harry.
"You are now third-years, and I believe you are already familiar with basic Transfiguration."
"Starting today, I will gradually introduce you to one of the highest achievements in Transfiguration Animagi!"
Professor McGonagall stood ramrod straight at the podium. Her impeccably tailored robes hung smoothly. Her gaze, cool behind her square spectacles, swept over the young wizards below. For some reason, today's students seemed rather distracted. Even with her sufficiently serious expression, many students responded not with focused attention.
Professor McGonagall frowned deeply, tapping her wand heavily on the podium.
"Pay attention!"
"Animagi, in fact, I have introduced this to you before, and you have witnessed it just like this."
No sooner had she spoken than a soft glow enveloped Professor McGonagall. As the glow flickered, her form rapidly changed. Her once upright posture quickly shrank, and her robes and hair merged into the light. In a blink of an eye, a sleek, glossy tabby cat landed steadily on the podium. Its eyes were sharp and intelligent, and as its gaze swept over the students below, it carried Professor McGonagall's usual authority and scrutiny.
The tabby cat elegantly paced once around the podium, demonstrating the uniqueness and charm of the Animagus form to the students, then was enveloped by light again. As the glow faded, Professor McGonagall had returned to her human form. She adjusted her robes and looked at everyone.
However, even with her personal demonstration, the students' attention didn't seem to be very focused on her. Professor McGonagall couldn't help but frown deeply.
"Can anyone tell me what is going on? Why are you all so listless, to the point of not even listening to my lesson?"
....
For 70 advanced chapters:
Get advanced chapters ahead of everyone else.
👉 Join now: patreon.com/Chaos_God