Sight

Chapter 6

Cursing under her breath, Hermione climbed the last flights to the North Tower. Loathe as she was to admit it, Harry had been right. If there was anyone who could help her use this new gift, it was Trelawney. She didn't want to end up passing out every time she touched someone new. If they had the book with them, they could have looked it up- but Hogwarts's library didn't have such a rare volume, and she hadn't thought to bring Sirius's copy with her because she had never thought the spell would work. As for the boys, Merlin would become a ghost before either of them could be expected to pack a book that wasn't required. Trelawney, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Professor Trelawney?" She called out. "Could I ask you about something?"

"Yeeesss?" Came a far-off voice. "Sit down, child, sit down... I'll be there in a minute..."

Hermione took a seat on one of the poofs, and looked around the room as she waited for Trelawney to appear. The room hadn't changed a bit- it had the same crystal orbs in the middle of each table, the same dingy smell, and the same enormous windows that lined the ceiling. Trelawney hadn't changed, either: she had the same floating walk and serene, if a little batty, air about her as she sat opposite Hermione.

"My inner eye sees trouble in your soul, child." She beamed.

Yes, well, my mirror could have told me that. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I know I've never been particularly good at divining the future, but over the summer my friends cast a spell on me- Aperi animam meam, and the other day I touched someone and had a vision of their past and passed out. The book said I would be able to control it after the first time, but I don't know how."

"Aperi animam meam? That's a very old piece of magic, Miss Granger... Where did you find it? Never mind, never mind, it is of no importance when your soul is concerned. I must say it surprises me, to find the gift with you... It is rare nowadays. Perhaps you should tell Albus... Yes.. There are always bonds to be considered...Anyway, it shouldn't be hard for even you to control- the magic is based on intent. It does not have, shall we say, the subtleties of Seeing the future. Merely the conscious wish to know should suffice... though of course you will have to be touching the person for the duration. I've heard it scarcely takes more than a few seconds, though... Would you like to try it on me, dear?" She held out her arm, sticking out of her lavender shawl like a frail branch from an old and withered tree.

"Um, no thank you, Professor." She really didn't want to see what Trelawney got up to in her free time- she had a sneaking suspicion it involved a lot of cats and cats. "So I won't pass out? And I won't see someone's past if I don't want to?"

"You won't See unless you choose to. As for your losing consciousness, I cannot be sure. The Inner Eye often feels the need to rid itself of the earthly to see beyond, if you know what I mean."

Hermione thanked her and left before Trelawney tried to prophecy her imminent death, warnings and advise to tell Dumbledore lost in the jumble of her thoughts. It surprised her, however, that the next door she found herself before was not one with the Fat Lady, but rather belonged to Snape's office. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own these days. It was before curfew...Wondering exactly when she had lost her mind, Hermione knocked on his door.

"Enter." If Snape was startled she had come to see him, he didn't show it. "And what brings you to me, Miss Granger, for the first time in five years?" He glared at her, daring her to lie.

"I-um, I wanted to- can I sit down?" He frowned, but nodded.

"Iwantedtoseeifyouwerealright," she let out in one breath, sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk.