The first class of their third year was Divination. Electives like this generally weren't divided by house; students from all four houses attended together if they had signed up.
"More than ten classes in one day? How are you going to manage?" At breakfast, Sylvia stared at Will's timetable in disbelief. Across the table, Malfoy's eyes widened. He knew Will was a good student, but wasn't this going a bit too far?
"Don't worry. I have a way."
"If you can be in three places at once," Sylvia said, cutting up the fried egg on her plate. "You have three classes at the same time this morning: Divination, Muggle Studies, and Arithmancy. Do you really need to take two divination classes? Are you planning to become a master of divination?"
"How will I know the difference if I don't try them?" Will took a sip of hot milk. "It's time for class. Let's go."
"Aren't you going to Divination?" Sylvia asked, picking up her textbook.
"Well... that's a secret," Will said mysteriously.
Sylvia had chosen Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes. She loved reading Muggle literature and knew far more about the Muggle world than most children from wizarding families.
The Muggle Studies professor was Charity Burbage, a kind, empathetic woman. Her blond hair was always neatly smoothed, and though her looks weren't striking, she was certainly pretty.
She had long advocated ending discrimination between wizards and Muggles, and had written an article for the Daily Prophet defending Muggle-borns.
During the summer of 1997 in the original timeline, Death Eaters kidnapped her and took her to Malfoy Manor. She was suspended upside down before a gathering led by Voldemort, then killed with Avada Kedavra. Her body was fed to the great snake Nagini.
The third-year textbooks for the course were *The