Fear of a Name

Chapter Forty-Nine: I Think Hermione's Completely Lost It By Now To Be Honest

Hermione joined us at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed.
"I can't believe I missed Cheering Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams. Professor Flitwick hinted they might!"

Together we climbed the ladder into the dimly lit, stiflingly hot tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I all sat down at the same rickety table.
"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term," muttered Ron, casting a weary eye around for Professor Trelawney, in case she was lurking nearby.
"Don't complain, that means we've finished palmistry," Harry muttered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands."

"Good day to you!" said the misty voice of Professor Trelawney as she made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows.
I sighed quietly. Divination had turned out to be the most pointless subject of them all, and right now I was aware that I could be using this time to try and find some helpful information for Buckbeak's appeal.

"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," said Professor Trelawney, searing herself with her back to the fire and gazing around. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."

I rolled my eyes, and Hermione snorted.
"Well, honestly... 'the fates have informed her'... who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" she said, not troubling to keep her voice low.
It was hard to tell wether Professor Trelawney had heard this, as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not.

"Crystal-gazing is a particularly refined art," she said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to See when you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practising relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes—" Ron began to snigger uncontrollably, and had to stuff his fist into his mouth to stifle the noise "—so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will See before the end of the class."

And so we began. To be honest, I found it very difficult to keep my mind clear when I was staring blankly at a crystal ball. Things like 'this is stupid' kept drifting into my thoughts, and it really didn't help that Ron kept breaking into silent giggles and Hermione kept tutting.

"Seen anything yet?" Harry asked after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing.
"Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Ron. "Someone's spilled their candle."
"Maybe it was a baby dragon," I muttered, trying to resist the urge to grab my crystal ball and throw it out of the window.
"This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. "I could be practising something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms--"

Professor Trelawney rustled past.
"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bracelet things.
"I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight."
Harry, Hermione, and I all burst out laughing.

"Now, really!" said Professor Trelawney, as everyone's heads turned in our direction. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were looking scandalised. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" I rolled my eyes as she approached our table and peered into the crystal ball. I felt sure I knew what was coming.

"There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving... but what is it?"
I rolled my eyes again, certain that it wasn't going to be good news, whatever it was. And sure enough—
"My dear," Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. "It is here, plainer than ever before... my dear, stalking towards you, growing ever closer... the Gr—"
"Oh, for goodness' sake!" said Hermione loudly. "Not that ridiculous Grim again!"

Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they glared at Hermione as well. Professor Trelawney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakable anger.
"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly Mundane."

There was a moment's silence. Then—
"Fine!" said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. "Fine!" she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair. "I give up! I'm leaving!"
And to all of our amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.

It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelawney seemed to have forgotten all about the Grim. She turned abruptly from our table, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her.

"Ooooo!" said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start. "Oooooo, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? 'Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!' You said it ages ago, Professor!"
I frowned a little, trying to remember when she'd said that.
It must've been one of the many times I was asleep, I suppose.

Professor Trelawney gave her a dewy smile.
"Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs... the Inner Eye can be a burden, you know..."
Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed, and moved over so that Professor Trelawney could join their table instead.

Ron turned to Harry and me, looking awed.
"Some day Hermione's having, eh?"