Chapter 104
Professor Trelawney returned to her desk, her face still tense.
"Your prophecy changes within moments," she said to Albert. "Now it tells me you will not die… but then it shifts again, saying you will. I believe the reason your prophecy keeps changing is because of things happening right now—events that are altering your future. I have no clearer explanation than to tell you this, my boy: be cautious in everything you do."
She ended her words nervously. What she had seen in the prophecy was truly saddening.
Professor Trelawney: "Well then, your lesson is over for today. Goodbye!"
The students began filing out of the classroom, shaken by what they had heard. Albert, whose fate had been at the center of it all, was naturally the most distressed.
Albert muttered to himself: Damn it! What Professor Trelawney said will no doubt come true. This only pushes me to become stronger than I was meant to be. The prophecy said I'd die at the hands of a cruel-hearted woman… Who could she be? Damn it, I have no idea! But one thing is certain I must train harder, become stronger, and never fall before I reach my goal!
Albert walked down the stairs with his friends, all of them discussing the prophecy.
On the way, Harry noticed the crystal ball Hermione had thrown earlier, rolling near the stairwell.
Harry: "Wait."
He picked it up and said, "It's best if I return this."
Hermione told him they'd wait at the floor's exit.
Harry entered the classroom again, finding it empty Professor Trelawney wasn't there. He thought little of it, set the crystal ball on her desk, and turned to leave.
But before he could exit, a hand gripped his shoulder. Harry froze in terror and turned to see… Professor Trelawney.
Harry: "Professor Trelawney!"
Trelawney, in a deep trance: "He will return tonight…"
Harry blinked, confused.
Harry: "Excuse me?"
Trelawney's voice grew louder, trembling with force:
"Tonight! The one who betrayed his friends… the one whose heart rots with murder… he will be released! Innocent blood will be spilled! And servant and master… shall be reunited once again!"
She cried out the words so loudly that she finally snapped out of her trance. Her eyes cleared, and she stared at Harry in confusion.
Trelawney: "Huh? Harry? What are you doing here? Did I… did I say something?"
Harry backed away quickly.
Harry: "No. You didn't say anything."
Without another word, he rushed out to join his friends.
Ron noticed Harry's pale face and looked at him with concern.
Ron: "What happened to you? You look sick!"
Harry: "No, nothing happened. Let's just get to our next class."
The four of them descended the stairs leading out of Hogwarts toward the open grounds where the Care of Magical Creatures lesson was held.
As they walked, Ron turned to Albert.
Ron: "Do you think your death might be connected to You Know Who?"
(In Britain, wizards feared Voldemort so much that most refused to say his name, believing that naming him would somehow strengthen him. Children, having grown up hearing their parents' stories, inherited this fear. That's why Ron, like many of his peers, avoided saying Voldemort's name outright.)
Hermione smacked Ron on the head with her bag.
Hermione: "Oh, spare us your gloomy nonsense! Who said Albert is going to die?"
Ron clutched his head in pain.
Ron: "You heard what Professor Trelawney said!"
Hermione, growing angrier, snapped back:
"They're just superstitions baseless and hollow! Divination is nothing more than intellectual guesswork, a pseudo-study dressed up in old bronze robes. The future is beyond human control!"
Ron blinked.
Ron: "Old bronze robes? How many classes are you taking this term?"
The four of them continued on their way to Hagrid's class.
Hermione: "A few."
Ron: "Wait, that's impossible! Ancient Runes is scheduled at the same time as Divination. You can't be in both classes at once!"
Harry and Ron continued questioning Hermione, but Albert didn't join in. He walked silently beside them, his mind consumed with thoughts of Trelawney's prophecy.
(Author's note: I'm considering, when we reach the final arc the great war between Albert's group and Voldemort to continue the story beyond that point. After Albert marries and has children, I might introduce an entirely new, unexpected dark wizard, someone powerful and unforeseen. These events would take place nineteen years after the final battle. If you agree with this idea, let me know in the comments!)
To be continued …
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هل ترغب أن أستمر بترجمة الفصل 105 مباشرة بنفس الأسلوب الأدبي مثل هذا؟