Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and events from J.K. Rowling's wonderful Harry Potter books. I am writing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully for the enjoyment of readers. Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. The rest belongs to me.
Chapter 40: Unfogging the Future
The sorting that evening added several new members to the house of Gryffindor. After the feast, Dumbledore stood up and made his usual announcements concerning the rules while taking a few quick glances in the direction of some third year Gryffindor boys. After the rules were reviewed with the students, Dumbledore added one more announcement.
"It is with the deepest regret that I must announce the death of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Oldman." There was a general murmuring amongst the students in response to this. "He died a most unusual death for a retired auror and a DADA professor - he died of natural causes." This surprised no one, considering that Professor Oldman was indeed a very old man.
The headmaster added, "This year the position will be taken over by Professor Peurom. He worked for the Department of Mysteries for several years and happily agreed to part from his responsibilities there to come and teach. Let us all give him a warm welcome." The students applauded in welcome, many taking the time to study the new DADA professor. Although he was in his thirties his dark hair had several patches of gray and he had lines forming along his face.
After Dumbledore dismissed the students for the evening the Marauders discussed their new professor.
"He worked for the Department of Mysteries?" asked Peter. "What do you reckon he did there?"
"I don't know. My dad knew a few people who worked there," said James. "He had to work with them sometimes and he said they were very strange people - very closed off and paranoid."
"What is it they're called?" asked Sirius.
James thought for a moment trying to remember what his dad had told him. "Unspeakables," he replied.
As soon as they reached the common room they found a table in the corner away from prying ears.
"When's the next full moon, Moony?" asked Sirius.
"Two weeks," replied Remus.
"We've got to start working on the next step of our transformations," said James. "We've all had a chance over the summer to study our Animagi and we should be ready to start practicing on inanimate objects."
"When do we start?" asked Peter.
"We need to find a way to get Frank out of the room for a few hours so we can have some privacy," said James.
Sirius looked around the room until he saw Frank Longbottom sitting on a chair by the fire with a book on his lap. His attention was not directed at the story but instead toward a group of girls sitting on a nearby couch. Sirius chuckled and said, "That shouldn't be too hard. It looks like he still likes Lyons. All we have to do is provide opportunities for him to follow her around like he normally does."
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"He's staring at you again," said Lily with a smile.
Alice rolled her eyes and with a slight blush said, "I know. I just don't know what to do about it."
Marlene chuckled and said, "Tell him to get lost. It worked for Lily with Potter. He hasn't bugged her since sometime last year."
Lily shot Marlene a nasty look before Alice replied, "I couldn't do it like that. He's so nice, I don't want to break his heart."
Lily looked over at Frank before turning back to Alice. "Do you like him, Alice?"
Alice glanced at Frank, who smiled at her. She gave him a shaky smile before answering Lily. "I like him, he's a nice guy. I don't like him as more than a friend though."
Marlene shook her head and said, "You've got to tell him that or he'll keep on bugging you."
Alice gulped and said, "I don't know. I mean, it's just a harmless crush. He'll get over it and maybe I won't have to be so harsh."
Lily and Marlene looked at each other with eyes full of doubt, but Lily decided to change the subject. "What classes do we have tomorrow?"
Alice pulled out the schedule she had received at dinner and studied it. "We have Divination and Transfiguration in the morning, then Potions and Defense in the afternoon."
Lily smiled. "Oh great! Divination! I can't wait to see what our new classes will be like."
Marlene took out her schedule and said, "I've got Muggle Studies tomorrow morning."
Lily grinned and said, "Muggle Studies?"
Marlene smirked and said, "What can I say, Lily? I want to know what makes you tick!" Alice and Lily laughed.
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The next morning after breakfast several third year students were exhaustingly trying to reach the Divination classroom in the North Tower. It was a long and winding journey up several corridors and flights of stairs. A few tried to ask a painting for directions, but were scared away when the knight started waving his sword at them, calling them a bunch of 'scurvy curs.'
Finally they reached a ladder that led up through a trap door into a circular room that resembled an attic. There were several round tables spread about with armchairs and poufs next to them. The students hesitantly took their seats, sweltering in the late summer heat. The windows were closed and a fire was roaring in the fireplace. There was a strong sickly smell of perfume wafting about the room that caused several eyes to water.
"Welcome, students," croaked a voice from the corner of the room. The students heard the tap, tap, tap of a cane and the breaths that came with the effort of their professor coming forward. They saw that she was small and very old, with a face covered in wrinkles and age spots. She was bedecked in large jewels that hung from her ears and neck and she had a scarf that held her thin gray hair back. Her eyes were an intense blue and by looking at her it seemed that she knew something that nobody else did.
As she made it to the front of the class she said, "My name is Professor Vablatsky. Welcome to your first Divination class. You should all have purchased a copy of the Divination text, Unfogging the Future. We will follow the order of the chapters, starting with tea leaves this term. After the winter holiday we will move forward to palmistry and possibly the crystal ball." She paused and sent a piercing gaze around the room. "I do not expect many of you to possess the ability to accurately interpret the signs that are presented. Only a few people possess the gift of being a true Seer." She proceeded to lecture about setting up the teacups to interpret the leaves, then instructed the students to pair off and practice.
Lily and Alice paired together and sat for several minutes drinking the hot tea. They could feel beads of perspiration forming by their temples. It was already hot in the room from the summer heat and the fire. Lily wondered why they couldn't drink iced tea instead. Finally they reached the dregs of the tea leaves and set off on their assigned task.
Lily read Alice's cup first. It took her several minutes to try to figure out what shapes the dregs of the leaves were forming. "This splotch here looks like a sprig of broccoli." She turned to her key and looked for 'broccoli' but could find nothing. She smiled and turned back to her friend. "Maybe that means you should be eating more vegetables."
Alice chuckled but stopped abruptly and looked nervously behind Lily.
Their professor had appeared and heard the exchange. Instead of looking annoyed at Lily's joke, she held out her hand and said, "Perhaps if you are having difficulty making the interpretations then I should demonstrate." The entire class turned expectantly, waiting to hear Alice's future as told by their professor.
Lily nervously handed the teacup to Professor Vablatsky, who studied the dregs with her intense blue eyes. After a moment she said, "This circle on the left side represents love. You will have a strong and true love in your future." Lily glanced to her right and saw a hopeful smile form on Frank Longbottom's face.
Alice's attention, however, was directed at the professor who continued, "The area Miss Evans believed to be broccoli is in fact a tree. That represents success. You have an admirable career ahead of you." Alice smiled and the class sat in awe until a sudden frown appeared on the professor's face.
"What is it, Professor?" asked Alice, with a lump forming in her throat. She wondered what the professor could have seen to cause the sudden, worried expression on her face.
"The last shape in the right corner is the shape of a rat. It signifies danger or a lost possession," she replied. Nearby came the sound of china shattering as it was dropped to the floor. She turned to Frank, who had an apologetic and fearful look about his face.
"Danger?" asked Lily. "What kind of danger?"
"I can only read what the leaves tell me, Miss Evans. They do not give me anything more specific that that. That is the curse of Seeing. There are times we can only glimpse the future but cannot fully understand what is shown." She looked up at the class, who all looked at her hesitantly. "It is time for you to continue your interpretations. Please, proceed!"
James and Remus were in the corner when Remus said, "Alright, Prongs. Tell me what you see in my future."
James smirked and pretended to be studying the dregs. "Well, Moony, I would say this shape looks like a wolf. Wonder what THAT could mean," he whispered.
"That is the shape of a dog, not a wolf," came the croaky voice of the professor who stood behind James. James and Remus gulped as they had not realized she had been listening. She continued, "The dog is a symbol of faithful friends. I would say you are very blessed by that, Mr. Lupin."
Remus grinned and said, "I can't disagree with you there, Professor."
"What else do you see, Professor?" asked James.
She studied the cup and said, "That shape is a vase. That means there will be a friend in need of help, your help to be exact, Mr. Lupin."
"When?" asked James.
"It could be today, or it could be years from now. But this symbol means that the help that is needed will be of the utmost importance," she replied. "Perhaps it will pertain to your faithful friends as seen from the shape of the dog," she suggested before hobbling away toward the next table, where Frank was trying to interpret Peter's cup. Peter, on the other hand, was nervous about letting Frank handle the cup after already smashing one earlier.
James shrugged and said, "Well that was weird."
"Yeah," said Remus. "How is this supposed to help if we can't even figure out exactly what the shapes are saying? Okay, so I have to help a friend. That doesn't say a lot. I help you guys all the time with setting up pranks on the Slytherins. Maybe that's what it means," he said with a chuckle.
"Well, that is of the utmost importance," James joked.
Once the class ended the students eagerly made their way out of the searing heat in the North Tower and hurried to the Transfiguration classroom. James and Remus met up with Sirius, who had just come from Muggle Studies. Sirius had taken it for two reasons - he knew it would anger his family to study Muggles, and he figured it would be an easy class. He was right on the first reason; his parents had sent him a howler at breakfast yelling at him for dishonoring their family yet again. Sirius was used to receiving the howlers after having received countless others during the previous two school years. His first one had been a memorable one, after he had been sorted into Gryffindor rather than Slytherin. By now, the entire school was used to hearing the ranting and raving of his mother's voice and chose to continue on with their meal, ignoring the screams.
Sirius, however, did not find Muggle Studies as easy as he had initially hoped. How was he supposed to write an assignment on eclectrixity, or what ever it was called? Not only did he have to deal with a subject he knew absolutely nothing about, but he also had to deal with McKinnon being in the same class. He was getting tired of her superiority act, and felt it would soon be time to play a good old-fashioned prank on her. At lunch, he sat down at a table with the Marauders and asked, "So did I miss out on anything good in Divination?"
"Not really," James mused. "It was definitely strange. That old lady is kooky. She read Moony's teacup. Said something about his having friends. Gee, that was tough to figure out," he added with sarcasm.
Sirius smiled and said, "Well, that would be an easy read to make. I would believe it for just about anybody, except Snivellus."
"How was Muggle Studies?" asked James.
Sirius snorted and said, "Interesting to say the least. I have no idea how Muggles actually survive without magic. The professor already assigned a 12 inch essay on eclectrixity. What in Merlin's name is that supposed to be?"
Remus chuckled and said, "Maybe you should ask Lily. She's lived for years without magic."
Sirius looked down the table to where Lily was sitting with her friends. "Oy! Evans!" he called.
Lily turned her head toward the source of the voice and gave Sirius a questioning look.
"You lived with Muggles, so could you help me on my essay for Muggle Studies?" asked Sirius.
Lily shrugged her shoulders and said, "Fine, but I'm helping Marlene as well so you'll have to meet me when I'm helping her."
Sirius made a scowl but after a jab in the ribs by Remus' elbow he said, "Okay, fine. Tonight?"
"Yeah, we'll be in the common room after dinner," said Lily, trying to ignore the death glare being shot at her by Marlene.
Sirius turned back to his friends only to notice a strange expression on James' face. It took Sirius a moment to register that the expression resembled envy. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Should've taken Muggle Studies, Prongs."
James shook his head and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Sirius laughed and James flung a piece of his sandwich at Sirius' face, hitting him between the eyes.
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A/N: Ahhh, Divination…there'll be a few chapters related to this here and there. A word of caution - do you think Professor Vablatsky's predictions are real or fake? If they're real - who knows when they'll come true? It could be now, or much later - perhaps not even in this story, perhaps in a sequel…
Thanks to my latest reviewers: Anonymous (x2 - thanks for catching the upload error!), A New Reader, delpheena, likediamondrain, DobbyGrl, Golden Phoenix, Alicia, and i <3 harry…
Next chapter: Muggle studies study session. Professor Peurom's first DADA class. James receives a mysterious package in the mail.