Sybill stood at the front of her class, holding her hands close to her chest and pacing a bit. It was her first day back at Hogwarts and she was waiting for her students to come into the class. There were six round tables around her. Each table was draped with an elaborate cloth and had two chairs at it. Candles were lit all around the classroom and the smell of incense burning filled the room. She had tea cups stacked neatly on a shelf and crystal balls lined the walls. There were large posters of open hands on the walls with the lines in different colors and descriptions beside them. There was also a large book on a pedestal behind her for dream interpretation.

As the students started to file in, she watched them all carefully.

"Good morning, everyone. Please, please sit down, sit down. Two to a table if you will. We have many many things to go over before learning how to open our inner eye and get in touch with our mental selfes."

"Good morning professor Trelawney," Angie greeted as she walked into the classroom, choosing a table near the front of the class. She set her bag down beside her before sitting down and getting ready for class. She was a bit worried about all of the  new professors, but she had heard good things about Trelawney, or at least good things from those who enjoyed the class.

Angie struggled with divination, but she worked at it as best she could. Sometimes it was difficult for her, because she didn't believe she had the gift of sight, and she was almost positive that she would never discover a gift for it. She'd come to terms with the fact that she was average and that even though she worked very hard, she wouldn't be able to get to a point where she had a good proficiency in the class.

While waiting for the start of class, she looked around the room and the posters and the candles lit all around. Angie enjoyed the Divination room's atmosphere very much, and found it a comfortable place to be in.

With lips pursed and twisted to the side for where to sit, Gloria soon decided to sit next to Angie Lemon as Professor Trelawney had said two per table. Her bag jangled with various odds and doodads collected over previous terms when widely different manners of divination had been topics in class.

Though such variation may not continue for long. Gloria had to look away and restrain her giggle for how bug-eyed the professor'sglasses made her look. She masked the motion by bending under the table for a quill from her bag.

"Whatcha think she'll have us do first?" Gloria asked Angie as she sat upright in her seat, pointing her quill towards the stacked objects. "Crystal balls or tea leaves?"

Winifred was SUPER EXCITED about going to Divination class. She'd been learning all kinds of fun, new things over Winter Break and the book that Miss Knight had given her had been super interesting. She'd been practicing the poetry predictions on her own with a marginal level of success. And now there was a possibility that Winnie was a REAL TRUE SEER she couldn't wait to get back to class.

Coming into the classroom, Winnie perked up to see someone new. This lady- whoever she was- looked really cool! Winnie liked the fact that the new professor looked like she knew a lot about divination. And her hair was so... Fluffy! Winifred sat down at a table and played with the pretty cloth that was draped over it as decoration. Awesome! She was already more excited now about the class than she had been with their previous professor. This new lady looked quirky- and Winnie liked quirky!

She looked around, wondering whether or not someone would sit with her. Divination was one of her best classes after all, so it would make sense for them too. That, and classes were always better when you were with someone you actually could have fun with! Settling into her seat, Winnie pulled out her book and some parchment and a quill. She wasn't sure if she would need it, but she wanted to have it- just in case! She looked at the professor, waiting for class to begin. This one of the few places where Winifred would actually be capable of staying focused and paying attention. (Professor Trelawney didn't know how lucky she was for that.)

As Erin walked into the class, she grimaced.  The two to a table thing meant that she had to sit by Oliver.  Not that she particularly disliked Oliver, but the two were too similar in their ditziness.  Which meant they had a high probability of getting nothing done.  As much as Erin hated to admit it, she knew that she had to perform well academically.  Between modelling and everything else she had going on, she hoped that she would be able to keep up her grades in this class.  Whatever thoughts about her academic career she had, she was immiediately distracted by the crystal ball.  While she doubt she had any aptitude for this particular skillet, it would be easy enough to find out. 

"Hi Winifred.  You think we get to drink the tea, or just look at the leaves?" Erin asked, figuring she would learn soon enough.  No sooner had she asked Oliver the question than she was distracted by the bright and shiny crystal ball.  Even if this class ended up being a total bust for Erin, she had a distinct feeling she would like the professor.  The candlelight was a nice touch.  The incense smelled good to her as well. 

Wondering when they would get to work, Erin tried to keep still.

"I like the incense professor.  What's it for, and forgive me for asking - What is the scent?  It smells lovely," Erin said, genuinely curious.  She was happy that they would not be handling dead birds in an attempt to augur things for the first class.  That, and she so needed to by some of these candles.  Assuming they weren't toxic or anything.  She'd probably do that next time on her trip to Hogsmeade or if she had to go somewhere for another shoot.   

As the students filed into the room, Sybill started to feel more like she was where she was meant to be. Oh how she had missed this! Seeing their smiling faces and being able to educate them on something that was such a large part of her life was the best feeling in the world for her. She had a moment where she regretted leaving for as long as she did, but quickly pushed the thought aside. She had left to go on a spiritual journey after all. It was for the best for herself and for her students.

She was delighted to see the looks on the girls faces as they looked around the room. She had her own personal touches that made the room comfortable for her. The vibe in a room had to be just right to properly open the inner eye and be conducive to all forms of divination. If the space was uncomfortable, it would be nearly impossible to focus. They couldn't have that!

"I like the incense professor.  What's it for, and forgive me for asking - What is the scent?  It smells lovely."

"Well, my dear, it's an incense made to promote the opening of the inner eye and to boost psychic abilities. It's made of frankincense, sandalwood, cinnamon, nutmeg, a few drops of orange oil, and a few drops clove oil. It's one of my favorite ones to make. We may touch on it this semester if it happens to come up."

Sybill was delighted that her students were already showing an interest. This was going to be an amazing class. She could tell. Especially with one in the class who could -see-. Sybill walked over to Miss Oliver. She put her hand on the girls shoulder and smiled.

"You will do quite well in this class. I can tell you have talent! I believe you will enjoy this class."

Sybill made her way to the front of the class again. She clasp her hands and pulled them to her chest.

"I assume you all know the different forms of divination that we will be going over in this class, yes? We are going to start off easy and with some light meditation to try and access your inner eye. I want everyone to close your eyes and relax," she said, closing her own eyes. "Now, imagine there is a door in front of you. You can see a bit of light shining through the keyhole of the door. Make your way too that door, or as close to the door as you can, and open it as wide as you can. This symbolizes opening the eye. Let the light wash over you and fill your soul with warmth and knowledge."

About ten minutes after the students sat in silence, she opened her eyes again feeling refreshed. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly with a smile.

"Before we get started, I want you all to tell me how you feel. What you saw, if anything. Any sensation that came over you. This will help me know what your level of understanding and what you will be capable of in this class. Miss Oliver? Would you like to go first?"

Winifred glanced over as Erin Dark sat down next to her. A Slytherin. Why hadn't she chosen a table by herself? Winifred didn't trust any Slytherins she had ever met. They were all mean and awful. And then she asked about whether they should drink tea or look at the leaves. What was she on about? There weren't even any teacups on their table! They were all stacked up on a shelf in the room.  Winifred opted not to answer, crossing her arms across her chest in agitation instead. But her scowl was erased as the professor came by, placing a hand on her shoulder and stating she'd do well in the class.

Winifred beamed at the professor. Of course she would! Winifred had found out just a couple of weeks ago that she was probably a seer! And since then she'd been noticing more and more the little things she managed to notice or figure out that others didn't. Her own practices with Divination were becoming increasingly accurate, too.

When the professor said they were going to do some meditation, Winnie closed her eyes. She imagined the door that Professor Trelawney described and the keyhole. Then in her mind she walked to the door and threw it wide open. She shivered a bit as she imagined getting warmer and the light washing over her. Ten minutes of silence was something that Winnie usually wasn't capable of. But with Divination and today, that was different.

She was brought out of her trance-like state as the professor started talking again. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as Professor Trelawney called on her to go first. "I feel... fuzzy," she responded. Her voice sounded a bit more detached from reality than usual. "Peace, calm, warm, fuzzy, happy, open..." she continued prattling on. "I saw words. Floating around. The only ones I remember clearly were reunion and terror..." Winnie trailed off, furrowing her brows together. Unknown to her, the word reunion was also used in the prophecy she'd started to utter at the libraria before winter break.[1] "That's all I remember, Professor," she told her. The more Winifred came back into touch with reality, the less she was remembering about her meditation. It was all like a fleeting dream.

1.	Winter Studying.

"No idea," she replied to Gloria. "Maybe the tea leaves? That always seems to be a popular lesson to start off term with."

Angie found herself hoping that the incense would do what it was supposed to and help with her psychic abilities, or profound lack thereof as of the moment. She wrinkled her nose in frustration at the thought of not being able to do well in this class.

She was so happy for Winifred who was discovering her gift, the fact that she might be a Seer was so cool; at least that's what Angie thought. When Professor Trelawney started to lead them in meditation, Angie closed her eyes lightly, trying to envision the door.

Angie found it easy to walk over to the door, but when she tried the handle, it was stuck. She could see the bright light through the keyhole, she could almost feel the light on the other side; but she could envision this door opening! Finally, after giving the door's handle one last, gentle try, it came open. The warmth soothed Angie, but she could also tell that there was something else there. Something was dark and cold out in the middle of all that light. Before she could find out what it was, the professor asked them to explain what they saw.

After Winnie said her part, Angie raised her hand a bit and began to talk. "It was, well, I found it difficult to get past the door, professor. And then it was warm, but there was something dark in the middle of the warmth. Right before you started talking, I felt something cold, like the warmth was retreating too quickly."

To be honest, Angie hadn't felt completely sure in sharing her experience with the meditation. To her, it felt like her inner eye was shutting itself down before she could even  use it. She drooped her head slightly, casting her eyes to the ground; "That was terrible," she whispered softly to herself.

As the meditation began, Alvis's stomach sank. He shifted his dowsing pendant restlessly from one hand to another, trying not to imagine all the different ways his grade was bound to plummet if precognition was Professor Trelawney's only idea of Divination. He'd never taken much to future-seeing, or past-seeing, or anything involving timelines and predictions. His talents lay in the present, with clairvoyance, mediumship, and dowsing.

He closed his eyes reluctantly, listening to the professor until she lapsed into silence. He didn't see anything. Obviously. His eyes were closed. There was only so much that imagination could do. But he went through the motions anyway, thinking of door with light that opened, stiffly, when he pushed it. If he strained his ears he could almost hear the creaking of its old hinges.

And then...

What came next was not sound, nor sight, nor smell or touch, but something in between, a sense similar yet different from all the others. At the last second he realized what it was -- the Legilimency![1] -- but by then it was too late. The channel opened wide like a net, catching stray thoughts from the dozen or so open young minds that filled the room.

-- tight breath, a sudden flash of fear, am I allergic to the -- blimey this is dumb, what crazy old -- warmth, but also cold and -- a rumble of hunger, flash of regret,  the imagined taste of chicken -- a flutter in his chest like a giggle about to -- numb. numb everywhere. fuzzy. so bright -- circling, circling, all around the -- how long is this going to --

Stop it stop it stop it.

The Professor's voice broke him out of the web, shattering the onslaught like a broken glass. Pain shattered across his skull like an ice-pick to the temple. Alvis shuddered and ducked his head, gripping the turquoise pendulum for something real to hold on to. Oliver was talking -- feeling so light and happy and satisfied -- and then Angie -- nervous, unsure, unsatisfied -- as Alvis realized that he couldn't actually understand them, his hearing muddled as though his ears were stuffed with cotton balls. Though no one had moved and the room was exactly as it had been before, he felt crowded out. Cornered.

Bloody hell, it was still on. As Angie finished talking he made a pained sound in the back of his throat and fumbled for the aspirin bottle in his bag. The plastic slipped from his shaking hands and dropped to the floor, its contents rattling as it bounced along the floorboards. Alvis groaned.

"Can we...never ever do that again? Please?"

1.	A Penny for Your Thoughts

Erin was ignored by Oliver, but she had already forgotten she asked a question.  After hearing the professor describe the incense, she wished she had a quill and parchment out.  She was less excited when she learned that she would be doing meditation.  Erin could not stay still for the life of her.  Following the professor's instructions, she tried to stay still and open her inner eye.  Fortunately, she did not have to wait for long.  Winifred apparently had some talent in this calss.  This was good, becase Erin did not really see anything.  Reunion?  Terror?  Well, Erin would try to avoid any family reunions, but to her that was more common sense than divination.  Between Michael and the twins, she knew to stay away from those. 

"Can we...never ever do that again? Please?"

Erin figured he saw something that amounted to more than common sense.  Because two of her classmates actually seemed to have aptitude in the subject, Erin kept quiet.  Erin figured this would probably be the best person for her to sit by in class.  The fact that he was not Winifred assured increased the probability of that happening.  Though never having been introduced formally, Erin did know of the Ravenclaw since they had a couple of classes together.  Erin could not remember his name at the moment though.

"Are you all right?  You do not look well," Erin asked the young man, looking and sounding like she was genuinely concerned for his well-being.   In short truth, she was more concerned for her academics and getting away from Oliver, but no one would actually believe that from how she just acted.

If it was going to be tea leaves Gloria hopped the tea wasn't going to be dark and bitter. Not tea leaves though. And apparently Winnie was a Seer. Gloria blinked. And blinked again. Winnie had the Sight?

Gloria would never have expected it at all. She stared at Winnie for a moment as if in expectation of watching her third eye split open in the middle of her forehead and then Gloria realized they needed to be meditiating.

She closed her eyes. Breath in, breath out. Darkness. Inner peace. Build up a mantra of a low humming noise. Visualize your goal...

Those were usual requirements of a good meditation but Gloria found that she couldn't really focus. Professor Trelawney talked about visualizing a door and a key, no keyhole, and finding hidden knowledge from beyond. Gloria remembered the last time she had gone around looking through keyholes. She had seen a witch step out of a tub and decided not to look through keyholes after that.

What did Gloria feel? Truthfully Gloria felt like she was trying to remain silent and that she had regretfully skipped breakfast this morning as her stomach started to complain. The last she had eaten had been the chicken they had for dinner last night. Saliva pooled in her mouth. What was she supposed to tell the class about what she felt? A rumble of hunger, a flash of regret,  the imagined taste of chicken?

Gloria sighed loudly as she opened her eyes. Now she felt hungry and her hair itched. The smells of incense were a bit too much on an empty stomach. She willed the class to go faster so their study break portion opened up and she drop her things off at her room there was a packet of Drooble's, at least,  she knew of until lunch began.

When Miss Oliver said what she felt, Sybill couldn't help but clasp her hands in almost a clap and pull her hands to her chest. She smiled and went and patted the girl on the head.

"Very good, my dear. That was lovely! Sometimes, we only get brief snippets of a prophecy and there's nothing wrong with that! With practice and meditation, you'll figure it out very quickly. Don't put too much thought into your beginning prophecies. They -do- tent to be very vague. Wonderful job!"

"Lovely start Miss Lemon! It's possible you have an affinity for divination, but possess no gift. Embrace what warmth you feel and what finds you. Don't try too hard or try to push or you may push it away. Although you are not a seer, it is still possible to do well in this class. Don't fret," she said with a reassuring smile.

Sybill had kept and eye on the boy as the girls were recounting their experiences with the meditation. Something was off with this boy. He didn't seem right. Something had presumably gone wrong. When the girls were finished and he began going through his things, she went over to his table and seemed to examine him, wringing her hands.

"My dear boy... it seems your future is very, very grim. I see... destruction in your future," she said holding her hand out at him, as if pulling thoughts from his mind. "Your path is a difficult one. If you would like to speak to me after class sometime, we can perhaps make the path easier, yes?"

It was obvious the other two girls didn't possess even a hint of the gift. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The class could still be passed without mental gifts.

"Don't worry, girls. I do not grade based on if you possess the gift or not. Not everyone does, so it would be foolish of me to  judge your academics by that alone. Stick to your studies and learn the histories and technicalities of the forms of divination and you will do well in the class. Does anyone have any questions thus far?" she said looking around the class again.

Zeta had sat down at one of the empty tables, and she tried to concentrate on the door and the light and the keyhole. But the new Professor had such an interesting face, and it was really hard to not sneak a look at her for drawings later.

And Eta had been going on about fate all break and Zeta was not feeling very pleased with fate now. She finally managed to get to the image, right before the Professor asked how they'd felt.

"I...uh, the light was in my eyes. It was very confusing." It seemed like everyone else had something interesting, too. Her fingers itched to draw Professor Trelawney.

Puffing out her cheeks and exhaling, Gloria rapped her fingers on the table, bored and mildly frustrated with the task of visualizing through keyholes. If anybody got this to work they would have to be a Key Keeper. To keep the key out of the keyhole. No wait, that didn't sound right. Would they be Key Master? And the hole Keyhole Master. Keyhole Keeper. Door Keeper? A door was kind of a gate, as was looking through a keyhole, so the terms should be Key Master and Gate Keeper.

And Key Master Gloria was not. She hopped they might switch to tea sleeves, at least drinking some tea would be something in her stomach. When the professor asked for questions Gloria's hand shot up. "Professor Trelawney, do you still teach with that centaur?"

"Are you all right?  You do not look well."

Alvis shuddered at the voice, then cursed himself in his mind -- that was rude. Dark had only tried to be nice, asking after him. It wasn't her fault he was sensitive to high-pitched noises at the moment. He fumbled to retrieve the aspirin bottle and shrugged in response. "I'm all right. It's just -- headaches." He'd gotten so many of them over the years that he hoped his classmates would be used to the excuse by now.

He wrangled the cap off the medicine bottle and dumped two pills into his palm while the Professor approached, wringing her hands. She went on about how his future was grim and destruction lurked along his path, but it was the hand reaching towards him that made him cringe away. With the slight aura starting to form at the edges of his vision, it was hard to tell that the colorful stranger was his Divination teacher, not a man in a threadbare costume...

"If...If you say so, ma'am," he muttered in response to her suggestion that they speak after class. He swallowed the two pills dry and dropped his gaze, momentarily, to the floorboards beneath their feet. "Also...you might want to tell the Caretaker that there's something in the pipes." And it was singing.[1]

He was quite grateful when she moved on to the other girls. As he replaced the aspirin bottle his hand discovered a small, slightly squished package of store-bought biscuits he'd brought from home. He glanced towards the teacher to be sure she was distracted answering another question before softly clearing his throat. "Oi. Gibbons. Here." He slid the package to Gloria at the next table over, then immediately trained his eyes on the professor again, hoping to avoid too many questions.

1.	A reference for the confused.