The name Lewis had chosen for the girls around him—"Genius Club"—was truly ingenious.
Especially after they had all taken the Permanent Attribute Potions Lewis had given them, Shirella, Hermione, Cho Chang, Penelope, and Luna had experienced a significant increase in both Intelligence and Perception.
They were all exceptionally intelligent people to begin with.
Even Cho, whose natural talents were merely average, and Luna, who was somewhat lacking in certain subjects, were already far beyond their peers of the same age.
The miraculous power of the Permanent Attribute Potions pushed them even further.
Even an ordinary person could become a top student after taking one.
An excellent student could directly ascend to the level of a prodigy.
And those who were already top students and geniuses could reach, or even break through, the limits of human intelligence.
Combined with the revision they had done beforehand, the examinations were easy for them to handle.
They achieved outstanding results in every subject, displaying their extraordinary talents.
The young wizards who participated in the Knowledge Society were pleasantly surprised to discover that almost everything the professors tested had already been covered during the review classes held by the Knowledge Society.
Although their grades were not as outstanding as those of Shirella and the others who had taken Permanent Attribute Potions, they were still far better than those of the young wizards who had not participated in the Knowledge Society.
They achieved quite a few excellent results as well.
Several outstanding members of the fifth-year intensive training class even achieved the remarkable result of passing all twelve subjects in their O.W.L.s.
After finishing all her subjects, exhausted Hermione originally thought she would finally have some time to rest.
However, an examination notice for Divination was suddenly delivered to her.
To Hermione, it was like a bolt from the blue.
Hadn't she already given up on this subject?
She had not even attended the final few classes.
Although she did not like Divination, she still desperately wanted to perform well in every examination.
Especially after learning that Penelope Clearwater had achieved top marks in every subject in her N.E.W.T.s, Hermione's competitive spirit had been thoroughly ignited.
As Penelope's successor in the Knowledge Society, Hermione had always regarded her as her goal.
She did not want her own grades to fall far behind.
She could not stand the thought of performing poorly in even a single subject, let alone failing one.
Therefore, with only a short time remaining before the examination, Hermione frantically crammed by flipping through Unfogging the Future.
She anxiously memorized the sections concerning crystal balls, her heart filled with doubt.
"Professor Trelawney doesn't like me!"
Hermione thought irritably.
"I've never seen anything in a crystal ball!"
She grabbed her long hair in frustration.
When she climbed the spiral silver staircase, the crystal ball on the desk was already occupying the center of the room.
Worried about her state of mind, Lewis accompanied her all the way to the classroom door.
Before she entered, Lewis suggested, "Divination is already an incredibly mysterious subject. There's no such thing as a standard answer in an examination like this. If all else fails, just make up a prophecy about yourself and you'll pass. Knowing Professor Trelawney's peculiar tastes, if the prophecy is about some misfortune happening to you, you might even get a high mark."
"Thank you, Lewis, but lying just for the sake of getting a good grade... I can't do that."
Hermione ultimately shook her head.
"I don't want to become a hypocrite."
She would rather perform poorly than take what she considered an easy but dishonest shortcut.
To many people, such behavior might seem foolish.
But to Lewis, it was precisely what made Hermione uniquely charming.
"All right, Hermione. Do what you think is right."
Lewis comfortingly hugged the girl.
"That's exactly what I admire about you, Hermione. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Even if you fail Divination, you'll still be the smartest young witch in my eyes."
"If things really go badly, we can always—"
Hermione nodded emotionally.
"Hermione Granger!"
That familiar, dreamy voice drifted down from above.
Hermione steadied herself, said goodbye to Lewis, and resolutely walked onto the platform.
In Lewis's eyes, the girl's back was filled with determination and courage.
It was an almost heroic resolve.
It was only an examination, after all...
The room at the top of the tower was unusually hot.
Although it was the middle of summer, the curtains were tightly closed, while the fire burning in the fireplace released its usual pungent fragrance, making the atmosphere inside even more oppressive.
Hermione covered her nose and mouth, trying to lessen the irritating scent.
She deftly stepped over the tables and chairs scattered around the room and walked toward Professor Trelawney, who was sitting in front of a large crystal ball.
"Good evening, Granger," Professor Trelawney said softly, her voice carrying a faint trace of barely perceptible coldness. "Please gaze into this crystal ball... Slowly observe it... and then tell me what you see..."
"Although I don't see a halo above your head, you may as well give it a try."
Hermione bent down and stared intently into the crystal ball.
White mist slowly swirled inside it, drifting and changing.
She concentrated completely, trying to distinguish some kind of image or figure within the haze.
Vaguely, two figures seemed to appear in her vision.
They were embracing one another tightly, spinning as they performed a swift and graceful dance.
"Well?" Professor Trelawney asked softly, her voice carrying a trace of urgency. "What do you see?"
"I see two people. Ah—"
Hermione stared at the crystal ball without blinking and answered seriously.
"They seem to be dancing!"
"Dancing? Are you certain?" Professor Trelawney pressed.
"Are you very certain, child?"
"Yes. They're definitely dancing."
Hermione answered firmly, trusting her own judgment.
Professor Trelawney once again looked at the top of Hermione's head.
Then she simply stood up and walked toward the crystal ball.
She reached out with both hands and gently rotated the crystal ball before carefully examining it.
After a long while, she turned toward Hermione, her expression carrying a complicated mixture of surprise.
"I owe you an apology, Granger," she said softly. "My previous behavior was too presumptuous. To see such an image in such a short amount of time, your talent truly is astonishing."
After a moment of thought, she continued, "Now I can see your halo. You truly possess a talent for Divination. Please do not waste this gift."
Hermione could hardly believe her ears.
What had she just heard?
Professor Trelawney had not only failed to question her, but had actually acknowledged her talent?
Poor Miss Granger.
Perhaps her first Divination lesson had left such a deep impression on her that it had given her a profound psychological shadow.
She did not realize that she had already changed.
The Permanent Attribute Potion had not only increased her Intelligence, but also her Perception.
And Perception did not merely encompass the five senses.
It also included the sixth sense.
The ability to perceive the divine, the forces of nature, and the future were all included within this attribute.
How could she possibly lack the talent for prophecy now?
Hermione, who had been anxiously worrying about the result, suddenly raised her head, wanting to see Professor Trelawney's expression clearly.
Professor Trelawney was writing a grade beside her name.
Hermione keenly noticed that it was a circle.
It represented an O.
Hermione finally relaxed.
After breathing a sigh of relief, the girl stood up, bowed respectfully, picked up her schoolbag, and turned to leave.
Then a loud, piercing voice came from behind her.
"Soon!"
Hermione spun around.
Professor Trelawney was sitting rigidly in her armchair, her eyes unfocused and her mouth hanging open.
A thought flashed through Hermione's mind.
She covered her mouth, afraid of disturbing Professor Trelawney.
Professor Trelawney's eyes began spinning wildly.
That piercing voice came from her throat again, completely different from her usual voice.
"The Dark Lord lies alone, with no friends, abandoned by his followers. His servant has spent these twelve years in chains, suffering greatly...
"This servant will break free of his chains and set out to reunite with his master.
"The Dark Lord will rise again with the help of his servant, stronger than before and more terrible than ever."
Professor Trelawney's head drooped onto her chest as she made a vague, indistinct sound.
Then, suddenly, she returned to normal.
"I'm sorry, my dear child," she said groggily. "It's so hot, you know... I may have dozed off..."
Hermione stared at her in horror.
"Is something wrong, dear?"
"You—you just told me that—the Dark Lord was going to rise again... His servant was going to return to him..."
Professor Trelawney looked utterly shocked.
"The Dark Lord? The one whose name must not be spoken? My dear child, that is no laughing matter... Rise again? Good heavens—"
"But that's what you just said! You said the Dark Lord—"
"I think you must have fallen asleep as well, my dear!" Professor Trelawney said. "There is absolutely no way I could have predicted something so outrageous!"
Hermione climbed down the ladder and spiral staircase in a daze.
The words she had just heard continued to linger in her mind, along with Lewis's assessment of Professor Trelawney.
She really did possess a talent for Divination.
It was simply a talent that could not be taught to others.
Hermione felt that she had just witnessed a genuine prophecy.
If that were true...
Hermione's heart sank.
The joy she had felt over passing Divination was instantly cast into the heavens.
If the Dark Lord's rise was destined to happen, then what could someone as insignificant as her possibly do?
Hermione thought of Gianna and the others standing ready at the Ministry of Magic.
She thought of the Knowledge Society...
When she saw Lewis again, the girl could no longer hold herself together and helplessly threw herself into his arms.
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