The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Anthracomancy

Anthracomancy

James and Sirius and Lily were all half asleep in class the next day. James fell asleep in Transfiguration in the morning, his forehead slamming against the desk, and McGonagall walked down the aisle with a sour expression on her face, coming to a stop directly beside James as Sirius nudged him quickly, "James, wake up, Minnie knows you're napping."

He got himself a detention for the following Tuesday.

At lunch, Remus snuck off for the Shrieking Shack and Sirius was very tempted to skip all the afternoon classes to go with him, but one of the afternoons was Divination and they all had such poor grades in that already that Remus insisted they go. "I need the notes, you guys," he pleaded. So Sirius found a charm to keep his eyelids from closing so that he couldn't fall asleep and could take the most meticulous notes he'd ever done in his entire life. Peter looked over and asked if he could borrow them later, and Sirius said, "Only after Moony's done with them."

"Well he's in the Shack overnight so can't I use them tonight?" Peter asked.

Sirius replied, "No because he won't be in the Shack, he'll be in the woods and so won't you. We all will be."

James looked over, "Are you numb in the mind? I have Quidditch this evening and I do plan to sleep tonight.... Tomorrow's Hogsmeade!"

"And tonight's the full moon," Sirius hissed. "You've seen Hogsmeade. There's so much still to explore in the forest. And besides I have a plan."

"Merlin. Not a plan." James shovelled food into his mouth.

That afternoon in Divination, they all gathered around the firepit Professor Clearwater had set up and watched as she consulted the spirits of the fire and air and taught them about Anthracomancy - a sort of divination that had to do with reading the coals. "These are anthracite coals," Professor Clearwater was saying as she used a long poker to push them about the great brass bowl at the front of the room in which the embers burned. "They have a special coating that helps the god of fire speak through them... His words and touch is remembered by the stone!"

The whole room was hotter than blazes and James was tugging at his Gryffindor tie, loosening it up. Sirius had his eyes closed, though he was awake and he sighed. Peter was on the edge of his seat, staring down at the coals as they glowed red and black and smoke tendrils rose up from among them.

Professor Clearwater stirred and stirred and then one particular coat seemed to strike her interest and she used her poker to push it to the edge of the brass bowl. "Yes, we have a message... and who is it for..." she ran her poker along the edge of the basin and came to a stop before James, who had finally gotten his tie off and was looking down as he rolled it in his lap. "James Potter," she said clearly.

He looked up. "Sorry, Professor, I was hot, I had to take off my tie and --"

"Fire has chosen you," Professor Clearwater said, "Take the coal."

James blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Take the coal!" she used the poker to push it to him.

The coal burned red-hot and James blinked, perplexed, "I dunno, do you have gloves or something?" he looked about.

"I've my beaters gloves..." Sirius said, opening his bag.

"No, Mr. Potter, take up the coal - with your hand. Your will feel the place the fire gods have touched it... you'll put your fingers in the same places as the gods!"

"But... ma'm. It's a hot coal. I'll burn my damned skin off." James stared up at her.

"You will not. The gods have cooled the coal where you must touch. Go on. Take up the coal."