"So, do you know where the classroom is?"
Ernie pointed above his head.
Charlie looked up; there was a circular trapdoor in the ceiling.
The door panel was made of dark brown wood, embedded with a brass plaque engraved with the words: Sybill Trelawney, Divination Class Teacher.
Just then, the trapdoor suddenly opened.
A silver ladder descended from the ceiling, its end stopping right in front of the three of them.
Charlie climbed the ladder, and his vision suddenly cleared.
It was a circular attic, converted into the style of an old-fashioned tearoom.
The curtains were tightly drawn, and the entire room was enveloped in a hazy red glow.
In the center of the room were twenty small round tables, each covered with a dark red tablecloth, on which sat teapots and cups.
Ernie and Justin also climbed up, standing at the ladder's opening, looking around.
"This doesn't look like a classroom at all," Justin whispered.
"Indeed, it looks like a tarot reading room specifically for tricking little girls," Charlie agreed wholeheartedly.
Charlie found a table and sat down, with Ernie and Justin closely following and sitting beside him.
After a while, all the students had arrived, and footsteps echoed from the shadows.
A figure emerged from behind the curtains.
She was incredibly thin, with countless necklaces, beads, and pendants hanging from her slender neck, clinking incessantly.
She wore a pair of enormous glasses, the lenses as thick as bottle bottoms, magnifying her eyes several times over behind them, giving one the Funhouse Mirror effect.
Professor Trelawney stood in the center of the room, her voice wavering.
"Welcome, it's so good to finally see you in the material world."
"Please sit, my children."
All the students obediently sat down.
"Welcome to Divination Class, but I need to tell you that this is the most profound of all magic subjects; if you don't have enough talent, without the inner eye, you can never learn it."
This left Ernie and Justin stunned. What about the easy class they were promised? Were the seniors lying?
Professor Trelawney slowly walked to a table, picked up a teapot, poured a cup of tea for each student, and one for herself.
"Drink, my children," her voice was very ethereal.
"Drink all the tea, then swirl the tea leaves three times with your left hand, then invert the cup, wait for the tea to drain, and then observe the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup."
Charlie picked up his teacup and took a sip.
It didn't taste very good; it was bitter, like overnight tea that had been steeped for a day.
Professor Trelawney walked back and forth in the classroom, the hem of her skirt rustling on the floor.
"The shape of the tea leaves will tell you the secrets of the future. Open your Trivializing the Future, page five, and interpret the shapes of the tea leaves according to the content there."
The students all opened their textbooks, which had various patterns drawn on the pages with corresponding meanings annotated next to them.
Ernie held up his cup, carefully looking at the tea leaves at the bottom.
"What can you even see from this?" he muttered softly.
Justin also leaned over to look.
"It looks like a pile of mosaic; you could say anything."
Just then, Professor Trelawney walked to their table and reached out to take Ernie's teacup.
She held up the cup and observed it carefully against the hazy red light.
Her eyes narrowed into slits behind her lenses, and her lips trembled slightly.
After a long while, she slowly put down the teacup, her expression becoming solemn.
"My child," her voice was very low, as if Ernie's life was short.
"I see… ill omen."
Ernie was stunned.
"Ill omen?" His voice was a little shaky.
"What ill omen?"
Professor Trelawney closed her eyes, took a deep breath, as if sensing something invisible.
"I see blood," she said.
"Flowing from your body, soaking the earth."
Ernie's face instantly turned pale.
"What? I… I'll get hurt?"
Professor Trelawney opened her eyes, her gaze full of sympathy.
"Fate cannot be changed, my child," she sighed.
"But you can try to avoid danger. Remember, do not go near sharp objects, do not go out at night, do not…"
Ernie was trembling all over, completely stiff on his seat cushion.
Justin was also terrified, almost dropping the teacup in his hand.
Charlie watched this scene, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu.
Why did this seem so much like a fortune teller under a bridge?
Always talking about a bloody disaster, followed by a few lines about losing money to avoid disaster—he was too familiar with this routine; he could do it too.
Professor Trelawney put down Ernie's teacup, turned around, and her gaze fell on Charlie.
"Child," she extended a finger, pointing at Charlie.
"Let me see your teacup."
Charlie, however, shook his head and said solemnly.
"Professor, I see your forehead is dark, your brows and eyes show misfortune, your complexion is clouded, and you will soon face a bloody disaster."
Professor Trelawney was dumbfounded. Aren't these all my lines?
Before Professor Trelawney could react, Charlie directly took the teacup from her hand and looked down at the tea leaves at the bottom.
The tea leaves were piled together in a messy heap, with no discernible shape.
But Charlie's mind worked quickly.
He stared at the tea leaves for a few seconds, then looked up, his expression serious.
"Professor, I see a rather bad omen," his voice was very low, with a mysterious tone.
Professor Trelawney froze for a moment, her eyes behind the lenses appearing even larger.
"What omen?"
Charlie pointed to the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup and said earnestly:
"Here, this shape, it's like a pair of scissors."
"Scissors symbolize separation and harm. And the tip of these scissors is pointing right here."
He pointed to another spot in the tea leaves.
"There's a water droplet shape here, and water represents life. The tip of the scissors pointing at the water means life is threatened."
Professor Trelawney's face changed.
Charlie continued:
"Moreover, next to this water droplet, there's also a cross-shaped tea leaf. The cross represents medicine and aid, but this cross is inverted."
"An inverted cross means failed aid."
The room was deadly silent.
All the students stopped what they were doing, staring at Charlie in astonishment.
No way, buddy, you're actually good at this?
Professor Trelawney's hands trembled slightly, and her voice changed.
"You… you mean…"
Charlie nodded, his expression grave.
"Professor, you have a bloody disaster."
"Ah? Then… then what should I do?" Professor Trelawney immediately panicked.
[His Majesty fooled the Professor, defrauding the elderly, tyrant points +10]
Charlie was very satisfied. It seemed that the tricks he had learned in the past to read palms for girls were quite useful.
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