"I don't understand. If that law was meant to prevent false accusations, why would it still be dangerous?"
Padma asked on the way to the meeting room.
"Because it only prohibits slander. Article Four of the Witchcraft Act forbids any improper summoning of spirits. If you're merely fooling around, it doesn't count as communing with spirits. But if you succeed in summoning one without permission, you'll be found guilty," Georgiana explained.
"What does that have to do with me?" Padma said.
"Don't you like Divination?" Georgiana asked.
"Professor Trelawney's Divination isn't always accurate. Her 'Inner Eye' works sometimes and fails at others," Padma complained. "I've realized that she talks nonsense sometimes too."
"The 'Inner Eye' is a gift. Even among wizards, very few possess it," Georgiana said. "Ordinary divination usually relies on spirits."
Padma was not listening seriously at all, and Georgiana could not be bothered to continue.
They reached the door to the meeting room, and a servant opened it for them.
"...so he lived on that island for more than ten years, until he was discovered by a passing American ship."
As they entered the meeting room, a man was speaking grandly.
"At the time, there was only one adult male on the whole island. The rest were all his children."
"What are you discussing?" Georgiana asked the scholars.
"Good day, Madam." The short, stout middle-aged man who had been speaking turned and bowed to Georgiana. "We were discussing a strange tale that has just come to light."
Georgiana waited for him to continue, only to discover that he had no intention of doing so.
"It was a warship called the Bounty, Madam," said the tall, thin man beside him. "It departed from Tahiti and missed the monsoon. Then a mutiny broke out aboard. The sailors intended to