The children who lived, Fought, and Loved

Chapter Thirty-six

TALONS AND TEA LEAVES

(Not edited)

[The screen opens up, showing Harry, Ron, and Hermione in a weird-looking classroom the next day]

It didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs.

Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. it was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle.

The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.

"Welcome, my children. In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess..."

James groans, "ugh, Divination."

[The camera turns around to show a thin woman, wearing large glasses that magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl.]

"...the Sight. Hello. I am Professor Trelawney. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. But know this. One either has the Gift or not. It cannot be divined from the pages of a book. Books only cloud one's Inner Eye"

"What rubbish," Hermione utters, under her breath.

"At least someone agrees with me," James mutters.

Remus let out a sigh, "James please shut up."

Ron spins to look at Hermione and frowns,

"Where'd you come from?"

"Me? I've been here all along."

Professor Trelawney suddenly spin to look at Neville, "You, boy! Is your grandmother well?"

"I think so," said Neville tremulously.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

"The first term will be devoted to the reading of tea leaves. If all goes well, we will proceed to palmistry: tine musta pain. finally..." she stops and eyes Parvati,

"By the way, dear, beware a red-haired man."

Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him.

"Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And in late spring, one of our numbers will... leave us
forever."

As the class exchanges uneasy glances, Trelawney smiles brightly,

The people watching blink at the screen,