The morning dawned crisp and clear. Gentle sunlight bathed the ancient Hogwarts Castle, lending it the solemn air of a noble estate. Wisps of white smoke curled from the windows of the Astronomy Tower, as if to whisper of the strange events unfolding within.
"Welcome, children, to the Divination class of a famous prophet! Here, you will journey with me through the world of divination, and discover whether you possess... the Inner Eye." A gaunt witch with wild, disheveled hair, enormous spectacles, and a clatter of beads and chains around her neck addressed Cassandra and the other assembled students, affecting an air of mad prophecy.
This was Sybill Trelawney, Hogwarts' Divination professor, and the seer who had foretold that "the Dark Lord will ultimately be defeated by the one born in July." It was precisely this prophecy that made Trelawney, arguably, the professor with the most strained relationship with Tom Riddle. Before the start of term, Trelawney had even sought out Albus Dumbledore, asking if Tom might be excused from attending her classes.
Albus Dumbledore, well aware of Trelawney's concerns, assured her he would speak with Tom. Upon hearing of this from Albus Dumbledore, Tom had nodded with understanding, agreeing to the request. However, this assent was merely a facade; Tom had intended to surprise Trelawney during one of her classes. Fate intervened, however, when Tom received an urgent letter from Nagini before the first Divination lesson. Nagini, who had been dispatched to South America in Tom's stead to deal with pressing Death Eater matters, reported that the situation had escalated beyond her control, requiring Tom's immediate intervention. Thus, Tom had been forced to temporarily leave Hogwarts, allowing Trelawney to escape unscathed—for now.
Back in the Astronomy Tower, in the midst of Trelawney's Divination class…
"I believe you are already acquainted with my name, so let us proceed directly to the matter at hand… This term, we shall primarily study… teacup reading." Trelawney smiled mysteriously, subtly activating a magical device behind her that released a plume of ethereal, translucent smoke, enhancing her enigmatic aura.
This theatric display completely hoodwinked Ron Weasley, who was seated at the back. "Wow! I knew Fred and George Weasley were lying to me! Professor Trelawney could never be a fraud! She's clearly a truly gifted seer!"
Ron Weasley wasn't alone; at least a third of the students present were taken in by Trelawney's performance. Seeing this, Trelawney couldn't help but subtly smirk. "Now, if you please, pick up your teacups."
At her instruction, the students each lifted their cups, filled with freshly brewed tea and adorned with a smattering of white tea leaves floating on the surface.
"First, you must open your minds and gaze into the future. The hidden wisdom within awaits your discovery…" Trelawney intoned cryptically, before descending from her platform.
Ron Weasley stared at the teacup before him, scrutinizing it for what seemed like an eternity, but he failed to discern anything of significance. Frustrated, he whispered to Neville Longbottom beside him, "Did you see anything?"
Neville Longbottom shook his head dejectedly.
Hearing their conversation, Hermione Granger subconsciously sighed in relief; it seemed she wasn't the only one who was struggling.
But then, she suddenly heard a voice. "Child, whence do you come?" Trelawney, seemingly out of nowhere, stood before her, staring with intense scrutiny.
Hermione Granger glanced around, confirming that she was indeed the subject of the question, and replied, somewhat perplexed, "Me? I'm right here..."
This was clearly not the answer Trelawney sought.
Seeing Trelawney's peculiar expression, Hermione Granger grew even more bewildered.
But Trelawney did not press Hermione Granger further. Instead, she turned her attention to Cassandra Volle, who was sitting beside her.
Cassandra Volle was staring intently at the teacup in her hand.
Heh… this child is so easy to fool, Trelawney couldn't help but mutter to herself. Even she knew that attempting a genuine divination using only a cup of tea was practically impossible.
So there's only one truth! Cassandra Volle has simply been taken in by my theatrics, which is why she's taking this so seriously!
Thinking this, Trelawney's smile widened. She approached Cassandra Volle and asked, feigning surprise, "Child, what… do you see?"
"A dog, a dog, and a mouse… but I specifically wanted to foresee something related to my teacher. How did it turn into dogs and mice?" Cassandra Volle was utterly perplexed.
"..."
Just kidding, anyone who didn't know better would think you could actually predict the future. Hearing Cassandra Volle's words, Trelawney smiled disdainfully to herself. This girl was even better at making things up than she was.
But she had to admit, Cassandra Volle truly had a talent for being a charlatan; even she almost fell for her act.
Trelawney was so impressed that she wanted to take Cassandra Volle on as her personal disciple and pass on all her persuasive skills.
"Child, you have done remarkably well. Your 'heart domain' has opened. You possess great talent. From this day forward, the mysterious doors of the world of divination shall be flung wide open before you!" Trelawney rambled on for a moment, before assigning Cassandra Volle a "class assignment": to divine what would happen in the classroom.
Cassandra Volle, of course, didn't care.
She simply brewed another cup of tea, observed the tea leaves that had drifted to the surface for a dozen seconds, and then said, "It's broken."
Hearing this, Trelawney eagerly asked, "What is broken?"
Cassandra Volle calmly replied, "The cup."
Bang, crack!
As Cassandra Volle spoke, Neville Longbottom, attempting to stand, accidentally bumped his thigh against the table, sending his teacup crashing to the floor in pieces.
"..."
Hermione Granger and the others fell silent after hearing Cassandra Volle's prediction.
Trelawney still tried to rationalize; perhaps it was merely an accident, after all, she knew how rare a true gift for divination was.
But just then, Cassandra Volle spoke again, "Wait, not just one, there's more."
No sooner had she spoken than Ron Weasley, driven by curiosity to see whose teacup would break next, clumsily knocked over his own.
Crack!
With Ron Weasley's teacup shattering, the divination classroom fell utterly silent.
Trelawney stared at Cassandra Volle in disbelief. "Not you, are you a seer in disguise? You're really something!"
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