Puppet Strings (Hogwarts x Reader)

Chapter 4

A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing." She stood.

Val and Solene paired off, so Y/n went with Emi to get their teacups filled. They then went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped them.

"Right," said Y/n as they both opened their books at pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"

Emi frowned. "It looks like....a mountain? Maybe?"

"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.

Y/n tried to pull herself together. "Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross . . ." She consulted Unfogging the Future. "That means you're going to have 'trials and suffering' — sorry about that — but there's a thing that could be the acorn . . . hang on . . . that means 'a windfall, unexpected gold'. . . so you're going to suffer but be very rich. . . ."

"Sounds okay to me," Emi said, shrugging. She still looked into Y/n's cup. "Uh....besides the mountain, there's an animal...?"

"Let me see that, dear," Professor Trelawney said, suddenly appearing. Emi jumped, almost dropping the cup. Professor Trelawney caught it.

Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a turn, gasped, and then screamed.

Y/n frowned. What....

Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed. "My dear girl . . . my girl, dear girl . . . no . . . it is kinder not to say . . . no . . . don't ask me. . . ."

"What is it, Professor?" said a boy at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around Y/n and Emi's table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Y/n's cup.

"My dear...." Professor Trelawney opened her eyes, shakily pointing. "You have the same exact readings your brother did. Oh my, your family....oh dear, oh dear girl...."

"What is it?" Y/n asked, a bit impatiently.

"My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim."

"The what?" said Y/n. He could tell that he wasn't the only one who didn't understand; Val shrugged at her and a few other faces looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Y/n hadn't understood. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear girl, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!"

Y/n's stomach lurched, but she ignored it. "Well....I mean, it's just tea leaves, right?"

"I think we will leave the lesson here for today," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice, seemingly not hearing her. "Yes . . . please pack away your things. . . ."

Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and closed their bags.

"Until we meet again," said Professor Trelawney faintly, "fair fortune be yours."