The Divination classroom was not quite what Jane Yu had imagined.
Everything was bathed in a red glow. Deep crimson scarves draped over the lamps, and the circular walls were lined with shelves crammed full of grimy quills, candle stubs, tattered playing cards, shimmering crystal balls, and teacups.
There were only a handful of Slytherins present, but to Jane's surprise, Blaise Zabini was among them.
She hadn't interacted much with him before. From what she vaguely recalled, he was a sharp-tongued, somewhat arrogant individual who seemed to get along well with Draco and Pansy. She never would have pegged him as someone interested in the mystical arts of Divination.
He nodded at her and chose to sit at her round table.
Apparently, partnering with her was a better option than with anyone else.
The professor for this class—Sybill Trelawney—was a frail figure shrouded in shadows, wearing oversized glasses and draped in a shawl adorned with countless glittering metallic discs. Her neck was festooned with necklaces, and her arms and hands jingled with bracelets and rings.
Her large eyes fixed on Jane, and suddenly, she rose and approached her, placing a hand on her arm.
"You are surrounded by authority... Thank him for allowing me to teach this class," she said cryptically.
Jane was momentarily stunned but quickly realized that Trelawney was referring to Dumbledore.
Perhaps this was a case of "love me, love my dog," as Jane seemed to have earned some initial favor even before the class began.
The lesson commenced.
With Trelawney's ethereal voice drifting through the room, the stifling heat, and the dim red lighting, Jane found herself growing drowsy. Words like "third eye" and "insight" floated vaguely into her ears.
It wasn't until Blaise nudged her elbow that she realized Trelawney had been watching their table.
"Now, everyone, take a teacup—"
Following her instructions, Jane drank her tea down to the leaves, swirled the dregs three times with her left hand, and then inverted the cup onto a saucer, letting the last drop of tea drain out.
She took Blaise's offered cup and examined the patterns inside, gradually finding the subject of Divination somewhat intriguing.
"Flowers... they look like carnations... and something oddly shaped, like a galleon... Perhaps it means your mother will come into a large sum of money?"
She set the cup down, only to notice Blaise's expression had shifted. He seemed unsettled, and he couldn't even bring himself to read her cup in return.
Professor Trelawney, who had been closely observing their table, overheard Jane's interpretation. She took Blaise's teacup from Jane's hands and began turning it counterclockwise.
"Carnations... You love your mother deeply..."
"Lightning... Oh dear, my dear, this foretells danger!"
She set the cup down, shaking her head, her wide eyes filled with foreboding.
"This is a most unpleasant cup. If I were you, I'd write to your mother to see if she's all right."
Blaise's face turned pale, his lips trembling as if he were facing a Dementor instead of a professor.
Trelawney then turned her attention to Jane's own cup, spinning it counterclockwise.
"A wand... a figure of authority..."
She continued to turn the cup, her large eyes scrutinizing the patterns within.
"Tangles... mist... everything is obscured..."
She seemed as though she herself were ensnared by something, holding the cup with a puzzled expression.
"I cannot see... I cannot see..."
Suddenly, Trelawney shattered the cup, the sound of breaking porcelain ringing out.
She hurried to her desk, filled a silver teacup with tea, and instructed Jane to repeat the process.
Jane complied, feeling as though she'd drunk her fill.
Trelawney once again turned the cup, her confusion deepening as she sat down in her chair.
"Strange... strange... Why is it all Hogwarts?"
She set the cup down abruptly, then cupped Jane's face in her hands, brushing aside her bangs to examine her closely.
"You have an aura, my dear, a very strong sense of perception... You are like a radiant sun."
She seemed utterly captivated by Jane's face, to the point where Jane felt her cheeks might be scraped raw by the professor's oversized rings.
"You are deeply entwined with this school, my dear."
Trelawney, it seemed, had her own unique talents, Jane thought.
After all, she did indeed have a complicated relationship with Hogwarts, one she couldn't seem to escape.
And as for the figure of authority, perhaps it would be more fitting to simply name Dumbledore directly.
...
The events of Divination class quickly spread among the third years.
"Slytherin's Jane Yu—she's the only one Trelawney didn't predict doom for!"
"And Trelawney said she has an aura! A gift!"
"She predicted Zabini's mother would come into money, and Trelawney predicted she'd be in danger!"
As Jane walked through the corridors, she felt the weight of their gazes, even a twinge of guilt.
After all, Trelawney's "favoritism" likely stemmed more from her guardian Dumbledore securing the professor's position.
It was said that before Trelawney's arrival, this class had been on the verge of being discontinued.
This news, too, reached the ears of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
They exchanged knowing smiles.
...
After Divination came Muggle Studies.
As no other Slytherins had chosen this subject, Jane was placed in a Hufflepuff class.
Charity Burbage, a kind and cheerful woman in a green floral dress, greeted the class warmly. The room was filled with various Muggle artifacts—items Jane was all too familiar with, such as telephones, rubber ducks, and syringes.
The sight of a Slytherin in their midst excited the Hufflepuff students.
With Jane's growing reputation, many of them regarded her with curious eyes.
Professor Burbage seemed particularly delighted by her presence, pulling her aside.
"You must be Miss Yu from Slytherin! What a pleasure!"
Having taught for years, she had rarely seen Slytherin students in her class. Seeing Jane, she was visibly moved.
Perhaps her lifelong goal of combating prejudice was finally within reach!
Taking the podium, Professor Burbage introduced Jane to the class.
"I'm so pleased, children. Miss Yu's presence here shows that old prejudices and outdated notions can be overcome."
The lesson began, but Jane soon realized that choosing this class for an easy grade might not have been the wisest decision.
Her understanding of the world felt increasingly distorted.
Professor Burbage, interpreting Muggle inventions through a wizard's lens, sought to help students unfamiliar with Muggles comprehend their ways.
Taking out a football, she began to explain:
"This is a football, the Muggle equivalent of Quidditch. It's one of their most important sports."
"Unlike Quidditch, where players ride broomsticks and hit balls mid-air, Muggles can't fly. They have to run on the ground and control the ball with their feet..."
"And instead of Chasers or Beaters, they have positions like forwards and defenders..."
Jane had once thought of a gun as simply a gun, electricity as electricity, and a telephone as a telephone.
But by the end of this class, in her dazed state, she found herself thinking:
Guns are wands. Electricity is Muggle-created magic. Telephones are owls or two-way mirrors.
Professor Burbage, clearly valuing her lone Slytherin student, frequently called on her and even gifted her a rubber duck after class.
"Young Muggle children enjoy floating these in their baths. They enhance the joy of bathing," Professor Burbage explained.
"I hope you find happiness in your rubber duck as well," she said with a smile.
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