The Snake and the Emerald Apple

Mad-Eye Moody

"Good morning," said Professor Trelawney's dreamy voice just behind Harry, causing him to jump in the air in shock.

Professor Trelawney, a thin woman with huge glasses that made her eyes look way too big for her face, stared at Harry with a panicked, tragic expression that she seemed to save just for him.

"You're worried, dear boy," she said gloomily to Harry. "My Inner Eye sees right through the brave mask of you and sees the tormented soul that lurks beneath. Difficult times lie ahead...choices you will have to make...choices that will darken your soul as black as a night without moon and stars to light it...a previously unthinkable act will become the norm..."

Her voice became almost a whisper. Ron looked at Harry and rolled his eyes, but Harry didn't flinch. Professor Trelawney strode past Harry and Ron and sat in a large pink chair by the fireplace, facing the class.

"Dear students, it's time to pick up your experiences from last year and reawaken your Inner Eye! We will begin after this lesson by reading the mysterious omens of the planets and what they reveal to us as we fathom their celestial dance. However, many years of experience have taught me that most students need their Inner Eyes to be opened again after the summer, after weeks of slumbering. That's why we're starting with crystal balls again today..."

Harry's mind soon wandered. The sweet, warm air of the classroom alone made him sleepy, let alone Trelawney's hoarse voice. The professor's long-winded explanations and stories had never fascinated him for long, and he doubted the accuracy of her approach to fathoming the future. He couldn't help but think of what she'd just said... "Choices that make your soul as black as a night without moon and stars to light it... a previously unthinkable deed will become the norm..."

Harry rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. Hermione was right, the woman was nothing more than a charlatan. Trelawney's words are out of thin air, a figment of her fantasy.

He understood from Ron's movement that they should peer into a crystal ball in pairs. He blinked lazily and peered into the white smoke curling into the orb. He wrinkled his nose, trying to make sense of the shapes the smoke took. Harry couldn't make sense of it though, he saw something that looked like a flat nose and something that reminded him of long hair.

A crazy thought came over him, he pictured Tom in his present, baby-like, form. It occurred to him that Tom would experiment out of sheer boredom to regain human form, then get straight, long platinum blond hair - Lucius Malfoy's haircut came to mind - that fell on his pale face with his half-succeded, flat nose... Harry grunted softly with laughter and looked around in shock.

"Harry!" Ron whispered to Harry.

"What?"

Harry looked around and saw the whole class staring at him. Professor Trelawney looked at him with pity and gestured again at his head.

"I said, my dear boy, that a boy so plagued with death and misery, that he would awaken his Inner Eye quickly. Well, what did you see?" she said in a hoarse voice.

Harry looked shocked at his head and thought back to the bizarre thoughts he had at the sight of a flat nose and Lucius Malfoy's haircut. "Um, well...that is..."

Ron suddenly joined in. "The Grim, ma'am," he said gravely.

Trelawney nearly fainted upon hearing the name for the omen of death. "Unfortunately that's to be expected," she said regretfully as she walked over to Ron and Harry, wringing her hands. "Your whole appearance is sadly crying out for the omens of death... your dark hair... your scrawny build... the tragic loss you suffered so young... a brush with death will sadly happen more often than not."