The Prophecies Were Accurate-Just a Little Heartbreaking

"This year, we will learn the basic methods of Divination," Trelawney said. "In the first term, we will learn to interpret tea leaves and read palms. In the summer term, we can begin studying the Crystal Ball."

"Professor, could you demonstrate your prophetic abilities for us?" Aaron raised his hand. "I think that would inspire our enthusiasm for Divination."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other students looked curiously at Professor Trelawney as well, wondering whether she had any prophecies for them.

"True prophecies are often made when one least expects them," Professor Trelawney said somewhat conflictedly, but quickly changed tack. "However, simpler prophecies are rather easier."

She looked at Parvati Patil, a black-haired Gryffindor girl. "Beware a red-haired man."

Parvati froze for a moment, then instinctively glanced at Ron Weasley, who was separated from her by only an aisle. She hurriedly shifted her chair to the side, putting as much distance between herself and him as possible.

Ron’s eye twitched. Though he had no interest in this classmate, that chair-shifting motion had dealt a considerable blow to his spirit.

"Classes will be suspended in February due to a severe flu.

"I myself will lose my voice.

"Around Easter, one among us will leave us forever."

The atmosphere in the classroom abruptly became grave. If this prophecy was true, it meant that someone in this classroom would die next April.

"Dear." Trelawney looked at Lavender Brown, who was closest to her. "Could you pass me the largest silver teacup?"

Lavender swallowed, but let out a heavy sigh of relief.

She was only fetching a teacup. She definitely wasn’t the one who would leave around Easter.

She took the silver teacup from the shelf and placed it in Professor Trelawney’s hand.

"Thank you, dear." Trelawney opened the teacup and glanced inside. Her smile held a trace of regret and reluctance. "The thing you fear most will happen on Friday, October sixteenth."

Aaron silently compared the prophecies and looked thoughtfully at Lavender Brown.

If he wanted to find out how capable Professor Trelawney truly was at prophecy, paying attention to this girl’s behavior on October sixteenth would probably be the quickest way.

"Now, each of you take a teacup from the shelf, then come to me.

"I will fill the cups with tea. You will drink it, leaving only the tea leaves behind.

"Shake the cup three times with your left hand, then turn it upside down on the saucer. Once the last drop has drained out, give the cup to your partner to interpret." Trelawney smiled as she added, "You may consult the textbook, Unfogging the Future, to interpret the shapes of the tea leaves. I will help answer your questions at any time."

The students immediately followed her instructions, taking teacups from the shelf one after another.

But when it was Neville’s turn, Trelawney suddenly picked up a broom and dustpan and walked over.

Crack!

The sound of shattered porcelain rang out. Trelawney seemed to have expected it. As she cleaned up, she looked at Neville. "You should take a blue cup instead. The pink one is my favorite."

Neville nodded blankly and casually picked up a cup with a blue pattern.

Aaron and Hermione went through the process as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then exchanged teacups.

"What can you see in my cup?" Aaron asked curiously.

Hermione opened the textbook, found the section on tea-leaf interpretation, and began comparing it to Aaron’s teacup.

Second by second, Hermione’s brows furrowed deeper, and her face showed increasing struggle.

"Um… It’s fine if you can’t make it out. That expression of yours is scary enough."

"I can do it." Hermione took a deep breath and continued stubbornly studying the cup.

Aaron shook his head with a wry smile and began interpreting Hermione’s cup according to the textbook. The tea leaves formed something like a chain, linked end to end, but with a small gap in the middle.

"Impressive!" Aaron raised his brows. "Professor Trelawney truly deserves to be called an Oracle."

"What did you interpret?" Hermione asked.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Aaron asked teasingly.

Hermione snatched her own teacup away, but after comparing it with the textbook for a long while, she still could not interpret it.

"Tell me already."

"All right, all right." Aaron chuckled. "You will give up this class because of immense pressure. The timing will probably be around Easter."

Hermione: …

"Impossible. You must have gotten it wrong."

"Let’s wait and see. I’ll look at mine first."

Hermione handed Aaron’s teacup back to him, but he could not make out the pattern inside either. Or rather, the tea leaves in his cup were unusually chaotic—there were practically all kinds of shapes visible.

"Can’t see through it, can you?" Hermione said smugly. "I’m starting to suspect the tea leaves in your cup are alive."

At that moment, Professor Trelawney came over to their table. "Broaden your minds, and let your vision transcend the boundaries of the mundane world."

"Um… Professor, I think I can see quite clearly," Aaron muttered. "One of your earlier prophecies was about her. I’m at least seventy percent certain."

At those words, a flicker of amusement passed through Trelawney’s eyes as she looked at Aaron.

Before the school year began, Dumbledore had told her to pay special attention to a Slytherin, but she had not cared much at the time. Divination depended on talent and had nothing to do with academic grades.

But now, it seemed she had been hasty. This student was one of the rare few in the wizarding world with a talent for Divination.

"Yes, but he can’t see through his own," Hermione said with a pout.

"Dear, let me have a look." Professor Trelawney gave Aaron a gentle smile, then took the teacup from the table.

She did not need the textbook. She simply stared intently at the tea leaves inside, continuously turning the cup and carefully observing it from every angle.

"How could this be?"

"What is it?" Hermione asked uneasily.

"I have never seen such a complicated fate." Trelawney widened her eyes excitedly. "A sword… flames… Dear, the tea leaves show that you have experienced a brutal slaughter. Have you participated in some war?"

"Haha…" Aaron laughed awkwardly, though a storm had erupted in his heart.

Holy shit! Holy shit!! Holy shit!!!

She could even see that? Was Divination really this amazing?

I have to take this class. Even if I can’t learn it, I still have to take it. It doesn’t matter even if I give up all four of my remaining classes.

"You must have seen it wrong." Hermione cut in unhappily. "Aaron is only thirteen. A brutal slaughter has nothing to do with him at all."

Aaron swallowed, then gave Trelawney a guilty look.

Trelawney saw the curious gazes all around them and immediately understood what Aaron meant.

"Perhaps I did see it wrong." Trelawney did not seem embarrassed. Instead, she continued examining the teacup from every angle.

"Short steps… You will take a long journey, but return very quickly."

At that, Aaron’s brow twitched.

A good omen. It seemed his next journey to another world would not take too long.

"Wait, there is also an endless staircase… You will have an exceptionally long journey."

Aaron’s heart skipped a beat. What did "long" mean? That was way too frightening!

"Professor, what else did you see?"

Trelawney did not answer. Instead, she widened her eyes and leaned close to the cup, not even noticing when her glasses bumped against it.

"Chains, a doorway, an arrow, a star, a vortex, a throne…"

Professor Trelawney interpreted them unconsciously, without even noticing it herself.

The teacup kept making cracking sounds as clear fractures slowly appeared across it. Deep red blood dripped from her palm.

Finally, the teacup shattered. Trelawney came back to herself and stared in astonishment at the fragments scattered everywhere, along with the brown crumbs mixed with blood.

"Who exactly are you?" Trelawney asked uncertainly.

"I’m just a thirteen-year-old wizard. There’s no need to make such a fuss."

"No, I cannot predict your fate." Trelawney spoke solemnly. "The result of the Divination tells me that you will grow without limit through all kinds of trouble and crises, perhaps even to a height I cannot look up to."

"Isn’t that a little exaggerated?" Aaron said awkwardly, though he already believed eighty percent of this prophecy in his heart.

That was determined by his identity. Until he became the God of Magic, became the head of Gaius’s clan, or got married and had children, he had to fulfill the corresponding obligations according to the clan rules.

Looking at it that way, staying in another world might not be such a bad idea. At least he would not have to shoulder those responsibilities. It would count as retirement by another route.

"Believe it or not." Trelawney narrowed her eyes and smiled.

Aaron’s mouth twitched. "Then, if I may ask, does this prophecy have a time limit?"

"I don’t know."

"All right. I have no more questions."

"Child." Professor Trelawney hesitated before speaking. "Your future is boundless, but it will be an enormous test of your mental fortitude."

"Thank you." Aaron slowly exhaled. "I am fully prepared for that."

Trelawney continued walking around the classroom, occasionally answering the other students’ questions.

"Aaron, don’t take what she just said to heart," Hermione comforted him. "No matter how you look at it, it sounds completely made up."

"Who knows?" Aaron shrugged. "The truth definitely isn’t as exaggerated as she made it sound, but… it might not be false either.

"Divination really is amazing. Looks like I need to have Jeans prepare a Crystal Ball for me."

"Don’t you already have a Crystal Ball?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"It’s a matter of quality! I need one of higher quality… a Crystal Ball," Aaron said seriously. "A craftsman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well. A high-quality Crystal Ball is still very helpful for Divination."

Several cries of alarm suddenly came from nearby. Professor Trelawney had thrown Harry’s teacup onto the table as though it were a hot potato.

She looked especially terrified, and the way she looked at Harry was extremely grave.

"Dear," Professor Trelawney said in a trembling voice, "you have the Grim."

"Not strong?" Dean Thomas asked in confusion. "What do you mean, not strong?"

"The Grim, dear, the Grim," Professor Trelawney emphasized. "That sinister great dog that haunts graveyards is the most wicked omen in our world. It foretells… death."