The Tree of Blacks (English version)

Palms of Hands and Ponytails

January, 1975. Hogwarts.

"Good morning to everyone,"

Professor Ghalil greeted Alya's class with an austere and dry welcome. As soon as he saw all the students seated, the teacher gave them their instructions for the morning class.

"Open your book to page forty-nine, to the chapter on Palmistry. Today, we will look at the practice of palm reading. We will discuss its origins and its diffusion in our continent. We will then proceed with the study of the lines that make up the palm, their classification, their meaning, and the various intersections. In the second hour of today's lesson, however, we will engage in a practical exercise: you will divide yourselves into pairs and each of you will read - attempt to read - the future hidden between the mysterious grooves that run across the palms of your partner," he explained in a practical tone, embracing with his stern gaze the entire audience of visibly listless students who sat in front of him.

The room was invaded by the subdued clatter of hands fumbling inside sacks and bags filled with school volumes and parchments, searching for the right text.

Alya opened her own book to the indicated page. Palmistry: the future in one's hands read the title that occupied a large part of the page.

As foretold, the first hour of the lesson was entirely dedicated to reading the chapter. Alya's stomach didn't seem to like the subject matter: the breakfast she had swallowed just an hour before had begun to do painful somersaults inside her belly. Her thoughts were also in turmoil. No matter how hard Alya tried to stay focused, her mind seemed to wander into distant summer memories. Images from her childhood returned to her memory without warning. The estate of Arcturus Black. The grove where she had first met Koboro. The strange formula in Serpentese he had taught her to save him from certain death. Sirius and his contempt. His words were full of hatred. Finally, Bennet House, where she had met Harry, the Muggle child who had come to her rescue and the old hag who gave herself airs as a clairvoyant. Suddenly, the woman's hoarse voice echoed in Alya's mind. A family united. A son. So the old charlatan had said, studying the palm of her left hand. Your seventeenth birthday: death. The verdict of the right hand. With all the logic at her disposal, Alya had convinced herself that such an anathema sounded impossible and absurd. One sentence cancelled out the other. Yet, the memory of those words spoken solemnly and definitively by the Muggle hag still caused her deep unease. For this reason, she felt rejection for the subject of palmistry.

The minutes passed slowly, hopping from one student voice to the next, taking turns with a bored, drawling tone as they read the chapter. When, at last, Professor Ghalil announced the end of the first hour's lesson, the whole room breathed a long sigh of relief. The pupils of the two Houses present, Slytherin and Hufflepuff, began to split up into pairs, keeping a fair distance between the silver-green ones on one side and the yellow-black ones on the other. Many Slytherin students snickered loudly as they changed places: the practical exercises in Divination had never been taken seriously.

Alya was soon joined by Beth. Philippa and Melyssa had wasted no time and had paired up for the exercise. On both of their faces, the usual mocking expression had appeared, expressing all their disdain for the subject. Even Beth, who now sat opposite Alya, had the air of someone who could hardly keep herself from laughing. Young Black, on the other hand, was in a mood that was anything but cheerful.

While the students were settling in, Professor Ghalil gave them further instructions, suggesting that they consult their own Divination manual to help with the palm reading. Alya had the impression that even the teacher spoke about that day's topic in a detached, almost disinterested tone. It seemed rather strange to her: usually the professor had no qualms about showing the esteem in which he held Divination, in all its forms.