𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 | 𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐘

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

chapter eight: professor trelawney.
date: september 2nd 1993.

STELLA STORMED THROUGH THE CORRIDORS, still seething from her conversation with Snape. When she had returned to the greenhouse and told her friends what had happened, they weren't surprised at all by Snape's behaviour nor Malfoy's ability to get away with absolutely everything.

Gratefully, the rest of the day had gone smoothly, and it was now lunchtime. Hermione had suggested that they get ahead and start with their assignments as they had already received two already; Ron and Harry begrudgingly agreed while Jade had somehow come up with some excuse for not attending; and Stella agreed to join the trio in the library but wanted to grab something to eat first.

The doors to the Great Hall flew open with a dramatic swing as Stella stormed inside, her face flushed with irritation. Around her, students were scattered at the long tables, eating lunch, chatting, and hunching over bits of parchment as they hurried to finish last-minute assignments. None of it registered with Stella, though. Her thoughts were still fuming over the unjust detention Snape had handed her after that ridiculous hallway altercation with Malfoy.

Across the hall, Fred and George Weasley sat together at the Gryffindor table, plates full of food and grins even wider. The moment they saw her marching toward them, both twins exchanged amused glances, their eyes twinkling with mischief. They could practically see the storm brewing in her expression.

"Uh-oh," Fred murmured, nudging George. "Here comes trouble."

"Looks like Snape's found his next victim," George added, his voice full of mock sympathy.

Stella reached their table, her bag swinging with her as she furiously slammed it down onto the bench, the sound echoing through the hall. The twins raised their eyebrows, clearly fighting back laughter.

"Bad day, was it?" Fred said, biting into an apple and trying to look innocent.

"Let me guess," George cut in, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "Snape?"

"I swear, if I see Malfoy one more time today, I might actually hex him," Stella snapped, flopping down onto the bench opposite them. "Snape gave me detention! For what? For taking him to the hospital wing after that stupid plant exploded in his face! I tried to be helpful."

Fred and George exchanged looks of exaggerated concern, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Ah, yes, Malfoy," Fred mused. "The world's most delicate flower."

"Snape really has it out for you, doesn't he?" George grinned, shaking his head. "I mean, who else would give someone detention for helping?"

"Maybe it's because you care too much," Fred teased, placing a dramatic hand over his heart.

"I don't care about him. I just didn't want him whining about his eyes for the rest of the class," Stella explained to them. She rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the small smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips. "And Snape just—ugh!"

Fred and George eyes going with humour as Stella lets her head fall forward. George was quick to lean over the table, placing his palm in front of her as her forehead came into contact with his hand.

"Well, at least you get to spend some extra time with your favourite professor," George chuckled.

"Bet you'll have loads of fun in detention. What is it this time?" Fred asked, grinning. He rubbed his imaginary beard in deep thought. "Scrubbing cauldrons? Counting bat spleens?"

"Knowing Snape, probably something to make me miserable," Stella huffed. She lifted her head off George's hand, crossing her arms over her chest.

Fred leaned in, his voice low and conspiratorial. "If you need a little 'help' getting out of that detention, we've got a few tricks up our sleeves."

"Thanks, but I don't want to give him any more reasons to hate me," Stella replied, rolling her eyes. "He's already doing a fantastic job of that on his own."

"Suit yourself," George shrugged, still grinning as he sat back on the bench. "But we'll be around if you change your mind."

Stella let out a long breath, finally feeling some of her tension ease. She grabbed an apple from the basket in front of them and took a bite, her shoulders relaxing just a little. The twins' teasing had done what it always did—turned her frustration into something bearable.

"So," Fred said, stretching his arms out. "Where are the rest of your merry band of misfits?"

Stella glanced over her shoulder toward the entrance of the hall. "I'm actually meeting them in the library. Hermione is insisting we get a head start on our assignments."

Of course she is," George groaned dramatically. "Why am I not surprised?"

Fred shot her a sympathetic look. "Better you than us."

"Yeah, you lot are much more disciplined than we could ever be," George added, his tone dripping with mock respect.

Stella laughed, pushing herself up from the bench. "Yeah, well, wish me luck. I'm going to need it to keep Ron and Harry from falling asleep while Hermione lectures us."

"Good luck, soldier," Fred said, saluting her with a fork.

"And remember," George called after her. "If Snape gets too unbearable, you know where to find us!"

"You two are impossible," Stella beamed. She tugged her bag on her shoulder, shaking her head.

"That's what they tell us!" Fred shouted back with a grin.

As she walked away, some of the tension still lingering from her argument with Malfoy and Snape melted away, replaced with the familiar warmth of friendship. Whatever awaited her in detention or in the library, at least she knew she had Fred and George to make her laugh about it later.

The walk to the library wasn't long at all; she had stopped briefly to chat to Susan Bones, who was asking if she could borrow her notes from Herbology the next time she saw her, and Stella agreed. She pushes open the heavy library doors, greeted by the familiar scent of old parchment and wood polish.

The quiet rustle of pages and soft murmur of voices filled the large room, but her eyes quickly found Harry, Ron, and Hermione seated at a table near the back. Hermione's head was bent low over her notes, while Harry and Ron looked decidedly less enthusiastic—Ron practically slouched in his chair, looking half-asleep.

Stella dropped her bag onto the table and sat next to Hermione, shaking her head in mild frustration.

"Finally! I was starting to think Malfoy had locked you in a broom cupboard," Hermione teased, looking up from her notes with a smile.

"Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me," Stella replied, rolling her eyes as she pulled out her herbology book. "I saw pug-face Parkinson on my way here, whining about how worried she is for Malfoy."

"I swear that git's going to make it his mission to annoy us for the rest of the year," Harry muttered, sitting up straighter. His expression darkened slightly at the mention of Malfoy.

"He's unbearable," Ron chimed in. "Always has been."

"Anyway," Hermione said, trying to refocus the group. "I've been going over our herbology notes from this morning. Professor Sprout's going to have us working with Mimbulus Mimbletonia again next week, and I thought we should get a head start."

"Stinksap is disgusting," Ron cut in, grimacing at the memory. "Why can't we just stick to harmless plants?"

"Harmless plants don't exist at Hogwarts," Stella said with a smirk. "Though watching Malfoy get a face full of Stinksap this morning was the best part of my day."

"That was brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, his attitude brightening immediately. "Finally, some well-deserved karma."

Hermione gave them both a pointed look. "You're going to need to know how to handle it if you want to pass the lesson. Professor Sprout won't go easy on us just because it's messy."

Stella sighed but nodded, flipping through her notes. "I suppose getting covered in Stinksap isn't on my to-do list, so I'll do my best."

"Just don't prod it like Malfoy did, and you'll be fine," Harry told her, a small smile coming on his lips as he thought to the way Draco reacted.

"Honestly," Ron groaned, slouching even lower in his chair, "can we talk about something less plant-related? I'm still recovering from that lesson."

"Just wait until Divination next period," Stella chuckled, scribbling in her notes. "I'm sure Professor Trelawney will predict all of our untimely deaths before the week is over."

"If she doesn't predict my death, I'll be shocked," Ron says, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fred and George always say she has  something ominous to say about them."

"She'll probably tell me I'm doomed," Harry added, grinning.

"Divination is just ridiculous," Hermione muttered, shaking her head. "It's all guesswork and vague predictions. I don't know why we even bother."

"Because it's fun," Stella replied, smirking. "It's the only class where I can hear how tragic people's lives will be."

Ron let out a laugh. "Exactly! If we have to take it, we might as well enjoy the nonsense."

"I'm going to guess she'll say something about a dark figure lurking in my future," Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe she'll tell me I'll fall down a flight of stairs," Stella guessed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Something suitably dramatic."

"Don't give her ideas," Ron replied, laughing. "She might start believing her own predictions."

Hermione sighed, though Stella could see the faint smile on her face. "Well, we'd better get through this lesson without any disasters. Professor Sprout might not be able to protect us from a rogue Mimbulus Mimbletonia, but at least we can prepare."

As the conversation shifted back and forth between jokes about Divination and complaints about their classes, Stella felt herself relaxing. The tension from earlier faded, and the light-hearted banter among her friends kept her mood buoyant, despite the fact she still had Snape's detention to face later that night.

"We should probably head to Divination soon," Hermione announced, looking at the clock across the room.

"Here we go," Ron groaned dramatically. "Get ready for more doom and gloom."

They all stood, gathering their things and preparing to face whatever predictions Professor Trelawney had in store for them. The Divination classroom was unlike any other at Hogwarts. Perched high in one of the castle's towers. Amazed by how the ladder revealed itself, Stella began climbing; a sense of curiosity had gripped hold of her. She pushed the trapdoor open slightly, peeping through the gap; most of her classmates were already there, including Jade, who was sitting at a table, boredom already settling on her face.

"About fucking time," Jade blurted. She stood up from her table, having spotted Stella and her friends climb through the trapdoor. "I was about to ask Professor Trelawney to show me where you were in her crystal ball."

"How the bloody hell did you manage to find this place?" Ron asked, his nose wrinkled in confusion.

"It wasn't that hard, Ronald," Jade sighed, shaking her head.

Stella followed Jade towards the table she had chosen for them, dropping her bag beside the armchairs. She took a seat, glancing around at the small, circular space, the round tables cluttered with teacups and crystal balls scattered across their surfaces. The ceiling was low, and the dim light of the day barely filtered through the narrow, smoky windows.

Candles flickered from every corner, casting soft, wavering shadows over the room. The scent of burning incense was thick, mingling with the herbal smell of tea leaves, and made the air feel warm and almost suffocating. Overstuffed armchairs surrounded the tables, giving students a false sense of comfort as they settled into the space.

Shelves lined the walls, crammed with books, tarot cards, and strange magical artefacts, while low-hanging lamps covered in coloured glass shed an amber glow that made everything appear more mysterious. The room felt like a cocoon, cut off from the rest of the castle, a place where time seemed to slow and the future was just within reach—if one could only interpret the signs correctly.

"Where is she?" Ron asked, taking a seat near Jade on the nearby table.

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."

"Where the fuck does she think I've been for the last thirteen years?" Jade whispered, resting her elbows on the wooden table, rolling her eyes.

Professor Trelawney moved into the candlelight. Stella looked over at Jade, whose mouth had fallen open as their professor glided into the room. She saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, which was why Jade was gobsmacked and she was draped in a gauzy, spangled shawl. Chains and beads hung around her boney neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

"Whoever prescribed her those glasses needs to get their eyes checked," Jade muttered.

A small giggle left Stella's mouth; she nudged Jade's side in an attempt to silently scold her, but it was useless as Jade grinned at her mischievously.


"Sit, my children, sit," Trelawney told them, and the students who were still standing climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. "Welcome to Divination. 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."

"I don't blame her," Stella uttered. She leaned back in the chair, twirling her hair around her fingertip. "I wouldn't mix with people any day of the week if I had a choice."

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."

Hermione stared at Trelawney with a startled look on her face. Harry, Ron, and even Jade grinned at this, knowing full well Hermione would struggle if she could not learn from a book. However, what the three of them didn't realise was that it would almost mean more work to complete their assignments if they could not get their information from a book.

"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. It is a gift granted to few," Professor Trelawney rattled on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to face. "You, boy."

Neville Longbottom stumbled backwards on his pouffes; a few Slytherin students chuckled at his expense, including Draco, who was now well enough to attend class; he had a bandage wrapped over one of his eyes and was sitting beside Pansy Parkinson.

"Jesus Christ, you almost gave him a heart attack with those beady eyes," Jade says a little too loudly. Ron and Harry snickered, and Stella shook her head, grinning.


"Is your grandmother well?" Professor Telawney questioned him.

"That sounds like a threat," Ron whispered.

"I think so," Neville says, frowning, uncertain of his answer.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," Professor Trelawney tutted, shaking her head. The candlelight glinting on her long emerald earrings.

Stella looked over at Neville, her heart aching a little for him as he now seemed to be worried about whether grandma was alright or not; granted, she was most likely fine, but the seed had been planted and was starting to bloom in Neville's head.

"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," Professor Trelawney explained to them before startling the life out of Parvati Patil. "By the way, my dear, beware a red-haired man."

Jade chuckled as she looked over her shoulder at Parvati, who gave Ron a disturbing look and edged her chair away from him.

"In the second term, we shall progress to the crystal ball—if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our numbers will leave us forever."

"Excuse me?" Jade said, bluntly.

"You may be excused," Trelawney says, waving her hands and dismissing her.

Unaware of the giggling that was happening as Jade blinked dumbfounded at the response she had received, while Stella tried to control her giggling, Jade wasn't much help as she continued to stare and blink rapidly in shock. In the end, Stella reached for one of the pillows on the armchair and hid her face behind it.

"I wonder, dear," Trelawney uttered as she moved to her next victim, Lavender Brown, who shrank back in her chair. "If you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"

Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.

"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading—it will happen on Friday, the sixteenth of October."

Lavender trembled and sat back in her seat.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink. Drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read."

Stella removed the pillow from her face. Following everyone else, she stood up and walked over to the nearby shelf. Hermione handed her a teacup as well as Jade, both of them, before joining the queue of students that waited for their teacups to get filled with tea.

By the time they had gotten to the front, some of their classmates were halfway through drinking their own tea and getting ready to read their leaves. Jade recklessly swung the teacup on the edge of her finger, causing Professor Trelawney to tremble as she reached for it.

"I'll have a latte with a single shot and a splash of oat milk," Jade grinned.

Professor Trelawney simply wagged her finger and tutted before handing Jade her teacup, which was now filled with what only Jade could assume was tea; she wasn't entirely sure what she had been given but walked back to her table with a look of disgust on her face.

꒰⚘݄꒱₊______________________________

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