A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 296: You Can Trust Him!

After the day's practice concluded, on their way back, Hermione walked in silence with a furrowed brow.

"Hermione, you're not still thinking about Trelawney's nonsense, are you? She's just an old fraud," Ron advised her. "I was nearly taken in myself, but after I made up a month's worth of bad luck and got an 'Outstanding,' I stopped believing in her."

Then, he turned to Harry, excitedly saying, "I've learned a trick or two from Professor Harp. If you ever get sorted again, I can help—" he gave Harry a meaningful look.

Harry shivered slightly, finding little comfort in his words.

He held a Muggle coin in his hand, a fifty-pence piece with seven sides, glinting slightly in the sunlight.

Ron stared at the coin and said, "I still have the one you gave me last year. But... Professor Harp really is interesting. Who would've thought of this?"

Before the practice ended, Professor Harp had asked Harry for a coin. Harry had intended to pull out a bronze Knut, but unexpectedly found this silver coin in a corner of his pocket. After confirming it wouldn't cause any issues, he handed the silver coin to the professor for him to perform a spell on it.

At the time, the professor had told him, "I can't keep an eye on your progress every day, so let's make a deal. Until it turns into a dazzling gold color, you won't use the Patronus Charm outside of the Room of Requirement."

Back in the common room, they saw the twins transfiguring a table.

It had become a dazed-looking lion, with soft, ginger-yellow fur and a droopy face, like it had been punched. Harry thought the twins must've taken inspiration from Hermione's pet Crookshanks.

"It's still not right!" Lee Jordan squeezed the lion's drooping ear and said in a deflated tone.

"You have to make compromises," Fred said. "At least it's movable, right?"

"I don't want to ride this thing around, I'd be laughed at for sure!" Lee Jordan said fearfully.

Harry asked Seamus, who was enthusiastically watching from the side, "What are they doing?"

Seamus eagerly explained, "They're trying to create a lion mount, exclusive for Gryffindor. Unfortunately, the effects of the Transfiguration aren't quite up to par..."

Harry couldn't help but recall the Slytherin girl who had paraded around the corridor on a giant snake, even though she had later been put in detention by Professor McGonagall. Her name had become known in an instant.

Many people secretly envied her and wanted to achieve something similar.

"Bang!"

"I still don't understand why Dumbledore doesn't cancel Divination class," Hermione said solemnly, her gaze fixed on the lion conjured by the twins. After staring at it for a while, she turned to Harry and Ron.

During the evening magical writing tutorial, Professor Harp provided more information—

"Because this branch of magic has indeed had its moments of brilliance, and it truly has its uses," Felix explained.

"But Trelawney—she—"

"I'm not sure what Dumbledore was thinking back then, and I've never witnessed a true prophecy, but... Sibyll's ancestor, Cassandra Trelawney, was undeniably confirmed to possess the gift of divination. She was called the 'Seer who sees the future.'"josei

Hermione stared wide-eyed as Professor Harp's finger traced through the air before her, and golden smoke materialized into a sheet of paper. The words on it sparkled brightly, forming a self-written passage:

"I can see vague shadows on a person, more hidden than ghosts— they don't always appear; most of the time, they have no effect. Until a certain moment, they transform into a scene, and that's when I glimpse the future... Once, I saw an endless tide of darkness on a dark wizard, and two months later, he orchestrated a massacre... I deeply blame myself for this; the Inner Eye might become a burden..."

Hermione stared blankly at the golden paper, which gently swayed in midair. She softly whispered, "This is..."

"A letter sent by Cassandra Trelawney to a friend, which I obtained by chance, a century later," Felix said. "Cassandra didn't live long, and maybe that's partly why. Having a gift doesn't necessarily bring happiness. In the years leading up to her death, she distanced herself from her family and became a recluse."

"So, you believe that Professor Trelawney inherited her ancestor's gift?"

"I'd guess she inherited it partially, judging from her daily performances."

Hermione sighed, realizing she didn't dislike Sybill Trelawney as much anymore.

After a quiet moment, she slapped her cheeks lightly, rallying herself. "Professor, should I continue practicing the Lumos spell today?"

"Yes, after all, this is the first ancient magic I plan to teach in the club. It's best to be cautious. Throughout Hogwarts, only you possess all the magical writing required for this spell."

Hermione nodded, took a deep breath, and before her appeared magical runes. These symbols revolved around the core concept of 'light,' continuously arranging and converging like a completed jigsaw puzzle.

Light bloomed at her fingertips, a gentle, non-blinding milky glow. Hermione carefully controlled the magic, her magic power pouring forth uncontrollably...

Magic must not control her. "Oh, still not quite right—" The light in Hermione's hand shattered. She sighed in disappointment. "My magic can't handle more attempts, even though I can do it in the Room of Requirement."

Felix chuckled. "You're a fast learner. I expect you'll have it mastered by the end of the Easter break."

Hermione wiped her brow and noticed the Marauder's Map on the worktable. She couldn't help but ask, "Professor, has that dark wizard not shown up yet?"

"That's right," Felix said, a touch of helplessness in his tone. "All we can do is wait."

After a long pause, Hermione bit her lip, her expression conflicted. "Can the Unbreakable Vow be broken?"

Felix fixed his gaze on her. "Miss Granger... what have you deduced now?"

"Oh, I..." Hermione pressed her lips together, her voice trembling. "Sirius Black's accusation for being locked in Azkaban, apart from committing shameful murders, is that he was a loyal spy for the mysterious figure—he betrayed Harry's parents!"

"If I'm not mistaken, you have a 'but' coming," Felix calmly said, his eyes on her.

"But it doesn't make sense! Even if Black hated Ron's rat more, for instance, due to Death Eater infighting or personal feuds, he wouldn't spare Harry. I've thought of a possibility, and I've looked into information privately, but the Unbreakable Vow can't be broken by external forces..."

Felix fell silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Miss Granger, if... and I say 'if,' unforeseen changes were to occur, if you were to encounter him—Sirius Black—Granger, you can trust him, especially when Harry is in danger!"

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