The Disappointing Weasley

Chapter 8: First Day

The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as Astoria, Alice, and Charlotte examined their new course schedules at breakfast.

"Today's not bad," said Alice, who was running her finger down the Tuesday column of her schedule. "Divination with the Ravenclaws and Care of Magical Creatures  with the Gryffindors again."

"Double Defence Against the Dark Arts this afternoon," Charlotte said, looking down. Defence Against the Dark Arts was her favorite subject, apart from Potions. She loved potions in Ilvermorny.

"What else do we have?" Astoria asked.

"Transfiguration and Charms." Alice replied.

There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Charlotte looked up, but there was no sign of Errol among the mass of brown and grey. The owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed. A large eagle soared down to Draco Malfoy and landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like a supply of sweets and cakes from home. Trying to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment from her parents finding out about her house, she returned to her toast.

"Where's the divination classroom?" Charlotte asked.

"The North Tower. You climb through a trap door." Malfoy said next to her. Charlotte gave him a small smile before walking off with Astoria and Alice.

When they reached the divination classroom, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Charlotte's feet.

"After you," said Alice, grinning, so Astoria and Charlotte climbed the ladder first.

They emerged into the strangest-looking classroom they had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.

Alice appeared at the other two's shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers.

"Where is she?" Charlotte said.

A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.

"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last. "

Charlotte's immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect. Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

"Sit, my children, sit," she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Charlotte, Alice, and Astoria sat themselves around the same round table.

"Welcome to Divination," said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye. "

Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. . . Books can take you only so far in this field. . . "

"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she said suddenly to a blonde ravenclaw, who almost toppled off her pouf. "Is your grandmother well?"

"I think so," she said tremulously.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. The girl gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly at Charlotte, "beware a blonde-haired man. "

Alice gave a startled look at Charlotte, and whispered, "Malfoy, maybe. He seems to hate you."