Being Different

THREE - Divination

“The truth lies buried, like a sentence deep within a book, waiting to be read”

- Sybille Trelawney

The night passed surprisingly peaceful for me and as I woke up and could not remember a single dream I had had. I dressed silently as to not wake the other three sleeping girls and excited the dorm with the books of my first lessons before lunch. The common room was not especially crowded and I finally had the chance to get a look on the info board, there was something I wanted to check, since I had set myself a goal this year. My index finger rose to the Slytherin Quidditch team try-outs.

                  “This Saturday 8 o’ clock at the quidditch field” I mumbled to myself, making a mental note to be there.

The strange feeling of someone’s gaze on my back made me turn around, ready too flee the room at any kind of danger. But as I spun around, all I could see where two of the new first-years staring up at me while whispering to each other.

                  “Hey” I smiled at them a little unsure. “Can I help you?” I asked as I remembered that first-years didn’t always have it too easy.

The two boys giggled, whispering to each other once more and I understood one of them mumbling something along the lines of: ‘go on, ask her’. In the response the smaller boy with chestnut brown hair, stepped forwards.

                  “Is it true that your parents are muggles?” he asked staring at me with big eyes as if I belonged to some kind endangered species.

                  “Yes. Why?” I answered slowly, hoping this conversation would not end the way I thought it would, with them calling me ‘mudblood’ and running off like the little cowardly slime balls they’d turn out to be.

The first year’s eyes widened eve more as he stared up at me. His partner in crime giggled again and grabbed his friend’s upper arm.

                  “Mudblood!” he yelled at me before sticking his tongue out and pulling his friend away as they ran for their dorms like kids after a doorbell-prank.

I stared after them with surprise, not because of what they had done, but because of the fact that they had done exactly what I had predicted. How could I have known?

I shook the surprised expression off my face and shrugged. “Magic” I answered my own question simply.

After breakfast Harry, Ron and me made our way to Professor Trelawney’s classroom, in one of the high towers of the castle. Hermione had apparently not taken divination as a subject this year. We arrived a little out of breath from climbing all those stairs, in the surprisingly comfortable looking classroom. A semi-amphitheatre with colourful pillows and blankets replaced the normal school benches while little round tables with a steaming teapot and two cups standing on each of them, stood scattered all over the room.

                  “Welcome children” a bushy haired woman greeted us, sitting in a comfortably looking armchair in the middle of the room. My eyes widened as I saw her eyes that looked abnormally large through her thick round glasses. “Please, pair round the tables” she requested, gesturing around the room towards the tables. Hesitatively we did as she said and after a few minutes I was paired with Neville Longbottom at a table and the whole class quieted down again, waiting for Professor Trelawney to start the lesson.

                  “Welcome my children” she greeted us again. “In this room, you shall discover if you poses the sight” she explained as she stood up and silent laughter spread trough the room as she ironically bumped against the table in front of her. “My name is Professor Trelawney, together we shall cast ourselves into the future” she exclaimed exited and beamed. “Now, tealeaf reading is one of the simplest ways to predict the future” she exclaimed. ,, Because, if you know how, every witch or wizard can do it. For this reason we shall start with this simple task today, so please each take a cup” we all did as she asked. “And remember that it is very important that each of you pour your own tea as that can already influence the amount of tealeaves in the cup” she went on as we all poured a bit of tea into our cups, which never seemed to appear twice in Professor Trelawney’s collection. “Now, finish the tea until the leaves at the bottom of the cup are clearly visible” she finished.