Professor Trelawney's Prophecy

The last exam was Divination.

After finishing this course, William still had to work overtime to investigate the practice of Ancient Runes in the third year.

That's right, his practical exam was pushed to the very end by all the teachers.

This highlights the concept of a younger brother among younger brothers.

Grades must be fully tallied before the end of the semester. The earlier the exam is taken, the more time the professor of that course will have, and the sooner they will be relieved of their burden.

So, with twelve courses, who should take the exam first...? This is where status and influence come into play.

The Four Founders are McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout. The latter two... one is a nice guy, and the other is basically invisible.

The first two people to take the exam are usually the first two.

Professor Snape, for example, was the fastest; he could even change the results before lunchtime, after the written exam was over in the morning.

Then, while eating, he would put on an expression that looked like everyone else was an idiot.

They even deliberately stared at someone, revealing a disgusting, gloating smile.

Those who are subjected to his death stare will subconsciously feel that they have failed the exam, which will then affect their subsequent exams.

For example, Neville... has experienced this kind of collapse many times.

He's an old psychologist!

As the youngest of the three, William had all his practical exams pushed to the very end by the professors.

And they feel perfectly justified in doing so.

To put it nicely, he was the grand finale; to put it bluntly... nobody really paid him any attention.

Even in the third-year Divination exam, Professor Trelawney, who always came last, ranked ahead of William's practical class!

Isn't this an insult?!

Who do you think you are?

Next school year, they said they wouldn't substitute for that damned woman, Babbling, anymore.

Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've heard from her. I wonder what she's doing and whether she's gained Tom's trust.

William pondered matters concerning United States as he and Qiu walked toward the North Tower.

Many students sat on the spiral staircase leading to Professor Trelawney's classroom, hoping to memorize something at the last minute.

What's the point of memorizing this kind of mystical exam? You could pass it with your eyes closed.

William hadn't attended this course in a long time, but that didn't stop him from learning it on his own.

In particular, he and Hermione often read Tyco Dodonus's Predictions before bed, and then they would analyze it haphazardly together.

But this kind of thing is like the Tui Bei Tu); you only realize its meaning and appreciate its significance after things have happened.

The door opened, Eloise walked down the stairs, her face beaming with pride.

"She said I'll meet someone I really like this Christmas," Eloise said smugly.

As she spoke, the acne on her face shone with a thick sheen of oil, like a well-preserved salted duck egg.

Several more students went up, and soon a familiar, indistinct voice came from behind.

"Autumn Zhang!"

Qiu quickly climbed the silver staircase and disappeared. About twenty minutes later, she came down the stairs with a displeased expression.

"How did the exam go?" William asked.

"Oh no, that was terrible, I almost got into a fight with her." Qiu shrugged.

"..."

"She said I would encounter misfortune next school year, like almost drowning... and told me to stay away from lakes," Qiu said indifferently.

"Be careful, she won't say anything good about you since you haven't been here all semester!" Qiu laughed.

At that moment, Professor Trelawney called out, "William Stark!"

After saying goodbye to Cho, William went up the stairs and into the room.

The curtains were drawn in this tower room, and a fire was burning in the fireplace. The temperature was probably over forty degrees Celsius, like a sauna.

Even so, Professor Trelawney was dressed in thick clothes, draped in a sheer shawl, and adorned with various necklaces.

She stood by the cabinet, picked up a bottle of sherry, uncorked it, and the room immediately filled with a strong smell of alcohol.

"Would you like some, child?"

Professor Trelawney asked this question, but instead of offering William a drink, she tilted her head back and gulped it down.

"..."

"Alcohol is a good thing; it can clear my mind and help me better foresee the future," she said mysteriously.

"Come, look at our stars," Professor Trelawney said gently.

She waved her silver linden wand, and the light in the room dimmed, making it feel like nighttime, with stars appearing on the ceiling.

"Look at this magnificent sky... Now I'll start the timer for you... Then tell me what you see..." Professor Trelawney's voice was muffled.

"Oh--" William mimicked the Centaur, "Mars is very bright today."

"The movements of the planets and the mysterious signs they display represent the fate of humankind," Trelawney said in an ethereal voice.

"Mars is very bright... What does this mean?"

"The Mars that could ignite war are shining brightly above us, hinting that fighting will surely break out again soon."

William confidently repeated Ronan's words.

"Is that so?" Professor Trelawney sighed.

"Oh, dear, you haven't been to class in so long, you've missed so much important knowledge."

Your answer is a little disappointing... but I'm sure you've tried your best.

How about some sherry... It's not as good as the one you gave me for Christmas, but it'll help you sober up."

"..."

William grinned and said, "Professor, I have quite a few more. If this can help clear your mind and allow you to better foresee the future..."

"Really?" Professor Trelawney opened her eyes and looked intently at William.

"Child, you must be careful... Mars can cause accidents and other mishaps, especially when it forms an angle with Saturn, like this--"

William immediately repeated Trelawney's answer.

She was extremely pleased and quickly scribbled something on the parchment on her lap.

William saw the letter "O".

He stood up and turned to leave the classroom, but then a loud, hoarse voice spoke behind him.

William turned his head to look, and saw Professor Trelawney sitting frozen in her armchair, her gaze unfocused and her chin drooping.

As if possessed by a ghost, her eyes began to dart around violently.

"Professor, are you alright...? Have you had too much to drink?"

Professor Trelawney suddenly spoke, her voice hoarse and completely unlike her usual tone.

As the daylight grew increasingly gloomy, the night of vigilance was about to begin.

With the help of his servants, the ruthless Dark Lord will rise again.

Coldness breeds resentment, and resentment leads to betrayal.

When three traitors appear, death is inevitable... death is inevitable...

Professor Trelawney's head drooped to her chest, and she groaned. Then, quite suddenly, her head snapped back up.

"I'm sorry, my dear child," she said as if in a dream, "I just drank too much cheap liquor, you know... My paycheck was cut, and I think it might have been counterfeit..."

William remained standing there, his brow furrowed.

Is something amiss, William?

"You—you just seemed to make a Prophecy —that the Dark Lord, with the help of his servants, is about to rise again—and that three traitors will appear—"

Professor Trelawney was completely panicked.

"The Dark Lord? That's the one whose name can't even be mentioned? William, don't scare me, this is no joke..."

William stared at Trelawney's face, wondering if she was lying.

"Go on, William, this teaches us one thing: never drink fake alcohol!" Trelawney said quickly.

"I remember you were teaching Ancient Runes, right? Dumbledore should have made you a vice-principal; you'd be far more competent than Minerva."

"..."

Is this definitely not sarcasm?

Having known Professor Snape for a while, William started to perceive everyone's speech as... sarcastic and unsettling!

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(Thanks to the generous donor "Black Hand Chief Salty Fish Wei")