Then & Now

Chapter Four

Hermione POV

Friday rolled around and Hermione hadn't so much as received a post from Ron. Ginny, unaware of the offer Hermione refused, mentioned that Harry owled her every day to check in on how the Quidditch team was coming along and how the new professors were. Though she knew her best friend meant well, it irked Hermione. She didn't understand how Harry had more time to write than Ron. She pushed around the food on her plate at breakfast, dreading her first class of the day: Divination.

The climb up the North Tower felt more like pure torture than exercise. Hermione could smell the tea brewing as she hit the landing. Willowy puffs of steam danced out from the door of Professor Trelawney's classroom. She forced herself to enter the class, head held high, trying not to focus on how she had stormed out during third year.

"Oh goodness," the eccentric teacher exclaimed, when she saw Hermione enter. "Your aura is shifting dramatically. I don't believe it knows what it is." She peeped at Hermione over her spectacles. "Perhaps you don't know what you are either, my dear. Is that why you have rejoined my class?"

Hermione ground her teeth together, holding back a retort. Taking a breath to steady herself, she said, "Good morning Professor Trelawney, I've brought my supplies to get started. Do we have assigned seats?"

"You can not assign energy, my dear, so why would I restrict my students?"

"Um...right," Hermione nodded, finding a seat in the front. Thankfully she only need a pass or fail in this added elective. However, as she watched Trelawney greet the other students, she realized obtaining a passing grade was going to rely more on her being able to keep herself in check versus actually gleaming any information of the future.

About twenty minutes into class, the Professor had them making and using their own pendulums for yes or no divination. Hermione had crafted hers carefully and finished before everyone else. She followed the instructions to calibrate the tool. As she held the stringed crystal over the tabletop, she asked, "Am I Hermione Granger?" The crystal swung back and forth. "Is my best friend Lord Voldemort?" The crystal swung side to side, as she expected to signal the correct 'no' direction. Now that her pendulum was ready for use in the class activity, she looked around the room. The others were all still working on stringing their stones and crystals.

Maybe it won't be so bad, she thought. So far it seemed that she had had no issues with her work.

"Ms. Granger." Professor Trewlawney eyed her pendulum skeptically. "Did you create this prior to class in an effort to make your classmates feel infereior?"

"No, of course not, Professor." Hermione felt a sting of hurt at the insinuated insult. "I followed the instructions on page 16, as you asked."

"Ms. Granger," the professor made a 'tsk-ing' sound and shook her head. "I'm afraid you fail to understand how powerful the third eye is, dear." Hermione raised an eyebrow, not understanding. "I can see all that has been seen: Past, Present, Future. You cannot lie to me."

"Professor," Hermione began, feeling slighted. "I'm not lying. You saw me sitting here. I began at the same time as everyone else."

"I'm disappointed in you, Ms. Granger. As Head Girl, I thought you would respect this art and all it has to offer. I'm sorry, but I do not believe you belong among the enlightened, such as myself."

Maybe not.

A few moments later, Hermione was making her way back down the tower steps. Her face flushed her anger, she grumbled profanity under her breath as she made her way to the library. With the exception of Snape, she had never been chided by a Hogwarts professor in class before. She did not like this feeling. She was Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor who solved the mystery of the Basilik, discovered her DADA professor's werewolf condition, and had assisted in locating and destroying Voldemort's horcruxes. She was not the type to get thrown out of class. She was not the type to give up on a commitment. Yet here she was.