An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
This class is intended to be read by 5th years and above only.
There was some uncertainty at first, as 5th years arrived to attend Divination. They lingered in the Relaxation Room, unsure if they were allowed to head up the stairs or needed to await permission from their new Professor.
Eventually, a Gryffindor boy got too curious and impatient. He tested out the new iron staircase, and disappeared from view. A moment later, he hurried back down -- giving everyone a wide grin and thumbs up. That was all they needed to know, as others then hurried after him to start claiming armchairs.
The addition of the staircase was greatly appreciated by many, but it was the classroom itself that earned the biggest reaction once they reached the first platform and peeked inside. Professor Traddles stood at the front, his smile warm and inviting -- though a bit nervous as well. His hands were tucked behind his back, as he simply waited for them to settle in.
Please refer to the Standard Classroom Layout for a visual guide of the classroom -- including full details regarding seating, class expectations, noise level rules, and any changes.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Mar 15, 2023 22:57:23 GMT 10
Packing up from Breakfast was easy, though she was still tired and forcing herself to focus on looking at the schedule one more time to make sure she was ready for the day. If things progressed how she wanted, she might be able to pop in on Professor Sprout after class and get some new plants going? It would be nice to get that taken care of, right?
Arriving at the relaxation room proved to be interesting, as the whole class seemed to have yet venture up the new staircase and into the trapdoor. Were they all nervous? Lindsey had only had a brief meeting with the previous professor during her third year before she decided to attend Care of Magical Creatures fully. It had to be nerves.
She had arrived just a few moments after someone had ventured up the stairs, the whispers of others told her before he returned with a thumbs up and smile. Well, that was promising, right? Shouldering her bag, she headed up the stairs with a few of them and smiled when they arrived.
The first thing she noticed were the beautiful chairs that sat around their respective tables. As her gaze shifted around the room, they landed on the new Professor and she looked him over quickly. He was handsome, with a bearded face and he had a warm smile. This certainly calmed her and she found a table near the front before turning towards him.
"Good Mornin' Professor Traddles," Lindsey said as she sat down and pulled out her needed items. She was certainly excited to see how this first class went. She had pulled out Parchment for note taking, along with Quill and Ink.
Last Edit: Mar 16, 2023 14:11:01 GMT 10 by Lindsey Bryce
Kwame noticed the Divination classroom was different than in prior years. He found the relaxation room to be inviting. He particularly enjoyed seeing all the bean bag chairs. They looked more comfortable than a typical desk.
Kwame felt excitement as he climbed the spiral staircase to enter the Divination classroom. Well that was new. Kwame was a fan of tradition. It saddened him to see the ladder removed, although he knew it was appropriate for accessibility reasons.
He hoped to earn high marks in Divination this year. It was a class that was difficult to study for. But it was the class he found most interesting because of his curiosity about his own future.
As he went to take a seat in one of the bean bag chairs, he nodded a polite nod to the new Professor. "Good morning, Professor," said Kwame, always quick to remember his mother's lessons about social etiquette.
His thoughts were distracted between class and the Quidditch try outs later on in the evening. He wanted to try out, but was scared of disappointing his mother if he did not make the team. Perhaps the Professor could use divination to help him decide if it was worth it or not.
Kwame pushed Quidditch away from his mind and tried to focus on his studies. He hoped the lesson would be something interesting, such as something involving tarot cards or tea leaves.
Last Edit: Mar 17, 2023 20:30:22 GMT 10 by Deleted
Post by Reena Ashworth on Mar 17, 2023 5:26:24 GMT 10
After leaving breakfast a little early, Reena had sat puzzled over Antoninus‘ cryptic message in a quiet corner as she tried to make sense of the words. Two three letter words, one ten letter word and one four letter word with a question mark.
She wrote down the English alphabet to help keep track of her train of thoughts.
After a while she decided that the second word was most likely supposed to mean 'you' and once she had sorted that out, everything seemed to fall into place.
She then picked up her stuff and headed out of the castle. She pulled the two strips of bacon put of her pocket, determined to catch one of the Hogwarts owls to send her own letter back to Antoninus, which read:
V guvhx fb.
Jul qb lbh ernpu bhg hbj?
- -
Reena was rather out of breath when she finally reached the end of the stair case, still in time for class. She would have been happy to just sit in the Relaxation Room for a few more minutes but she caught sight of her classmates heading up to the classroom, so braced her legs to climb the narrow spiral staircase.
Her gaze was instinctively drawn towards Lindsey, having forgotten that she had switched from COMC to Divination this year and she swallowed while trying to calm her breathing.
“Good morning,“ she greeted the new professor and eyed him curiously before finding an empty seat in the middle of the room.
She was not quite sure what to expect from Professor Traddles, but she hoped for the best. So far she had been pleasantly surprised by all new staff additions Rickard had hired, he somehow had even found someone to make History of Magic a fun learning experience in Professor Archerose.
Last Edit: Mar 17, 2023 15:15:51 GMT 10 by Lena: Fixed: spacing
Professor Traddles smiled warmly as the students greeted him, which eased some of his own first day nerves. It was his first time teaching any sort of class, and didn't know how it would be received -- especially as their previous professor had been in the post for so long. Yet their welcome showed promise, and he was eager to get started.
'Hello, 5th years,' he greeted them, while waving his wand to shut the classroom door. 'And welcome to our first Divination class together. I am Professor Asah Traddles, and today we'll be learning the divining art of Crystal-Gazing.'
Traddles tried to focus on delivering the subject material, but winced slightly as if overwhelmed by seeing / hearing something they weren't. He steadied himself, and waved an apologetic hand.
'Hogwarts is quite an adjustment, you understand,' he said, a bit embarrassed. 'There's a lot of energy here, and I'm still getting a feel for it. Even in this room, I sense tension. I fear some have entered friendly, and shall not be parting as so.'
Clearing his throat, Traddles stood behind his desk and lifted a crystal ball into view to place on its stand. It was foggy at first, until he waved his hands over it -- eyes closed in concentration. Then it became clear though, while he definitely saw something, it was a mystery to them.
'Crystal-Gazing is the refined art of looking into a crystal ball to predict events,' Traddles said, and began wandering the classroom. A few students rose higher trying to see anything in the ball, with no success. 'For those with a clear mind, it may show them something in their future; a relevant person, location, or even an action.'
He gave Kwame an encouraging smile, as if expecting the Ravenclaw would do well in this class. Traddles wandered a bit further, then halted when he reached Reena. He tilted his head, then gave her a serious look. Not commenting, he made his way back to his desk.
'Gather a crystal ball from the cupboard and place it in front of you. Don't forget the stand, as we don't want these rolling off,' Traddles instructed, indicating to a storage area. 'There's plenty to go around. Bryce, mind your foot.'
He gave Lindsey a cautionary yet knowing look.
'If you have any questions before we proceed, let me know,' Traddles added, sitting in his own chair and giving the crystal ball a critical glance. 'Slytherins have a difficult night ahead of them.'
Kwame was silent as the Professor introduced himself. He gave the Professor his full attention and didn't look at any of the other students while the Professor spoke. Kwame couldn't help but notice how handsome the Professor was with striking features.
Fear rushed over Kwame as it looked like the Professor had suddenly become ill. He even swayed a bit. After he steadied himself he apologized and acted as if the whole thing was no big deal.
Maybe this was a warning of what could happen if you spent too much time gazing into the future. It gave Kwame a deeply unsettled, but titilated feeling.
And why did the Professor say some people in the class would be leaving not as friends? It was nervousness mixed with excitement that stood up the hairs on the back of Kwame's neck. The feeling was akin to learning a secret you weren't supposed to know. He hoped this prediction wasn't about him.
Kwame was one of the students who sat up higher in his chair to try and see inside the crystal ball, but it was nothing but a reflection of himself.
When the Professor smiled at Kwame, all his insecurities melted away. Divination was his favorite subject after Potions, and he now felt it could be his best subject too.
Kwame rose eagerly to retrieve his crystal ball. He did not rush to the cupboard. He would let the Slytherin girls get there first. When he got back to his place, he sat the crystal ball on its stand and waited for further instructions from the Professor.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Mar 19, 2023 22:17:30 GMT 10
Lindsey caught movement from the corner of her eye and smiled over at Reena when she came in. It was good to see her friend and she had hopes that they could sit together, but she found another place to sit instead. It was disheartening to Lindsey, but Reena was likely not wanting to chatter too much in class and Lindsey was sure the two would try and catch up on their summers.
The warmth that came from Professor Traddles smile was a welcome delight to Lindsey and she focused on getting her things ready. When he started the class, Lindsey smiled at the subject for today and looked across the room towards any Crystal Ball in sight.
She looked back in time to notice something off with the professor and was curious what it might be. He continued his introduction for the class and spoke of the tension in the rook and the forewarning of the not so friendly parting. That was quite an upsetting idea. Lindsey was glad that she had such good friends; the idea of part ways with them didn't even cross her mind. She watched with awe as he brought the Crystal ball forward and it cleared at the wave of his hand.
She leaned forward to try and gaze into the ball, but was too far from it to really see anything but the clear crystal. She looked over at the Professor as he spoke and found herself truly interested in the subject.
He made his way around the classroom, stopping or looking at a few people as he did. There was no words spoken to Reena, but he did stop at her table. Lindsey couldn’t see his face, but she did let her eyes rest on Reena to see her own facial expressions.
When instructed to get a ball and stand, Lindsey stood and stopped dead in her tracks when giving a warning by the professor. Looking down, she realized the strap to her bag was looped about her foot and she gave him a timid smile before fixing it. That would have ended quite badly.
She fetched the Crystal Ball and the stand before returning to her own table and setting it up. The mention of a difficult night for Slytherin's made her look up from fixing her ball on her table. "Should we be expecting some type of prank like last year?"
Last Edit: Mar 20, 2023 6:00:10 GMT 10 by Lindsey Bryce
Post by Reena Ashworth on Mar 20, 2023 3:16:29 GMT 10
Traddles started the lesson with a brief introduction and Reena started to take down notes, using one of her brand new notebooks. He seemed to waver for a moment and she looked up from her notes, fascinated by his demeanor.
There was something wonderfully off about people with a gift for Divination, Trelawny had it and Traddles seemed to have it as well. Reena just did not quite get it, which did not mean that she was not intrigued by it. There was a reason she was taking this class after all.
Wouldn't it be just amazing if she could know her own future? She wondered, if her older self could send instructions to her current self thtough time, instructions on how best to proceed and set herself on a path to success.
But she figured there were no shortcuts like that. Not for her, anyway.
At the mention of tensions and parting on bad terms, she could not help but cast a glance towards Lindsey, her heart fluttering in her chest as she felt called out - despite the professor staying vague. There was a definite sense that Traddles was the real deal.
Reena wrote the word 'Crystal Ball' in the middle of her page and then added 'future', 'relevant person/location' and 'clear mind' around it.
The latter, she feared, was something she struggled with. She was always thinking about at least three different things at any given time. And how could she not? Right now, there was class, the curse, new prefect duties, Amara and Lindsey on her mind. Sinead's note from last night did not help clear her mind of the latter at all.
Traddles stopped next to her and she looked up into a very serious face.
Was he picking up on her cluttered mind? What if he was a legilimency?
Reena could feel the blood drain from her face and she tried to focus on anything else. She was glad when they got the 'okay' to get and set up their own crystal balls and she made sure to securely place it on its stand as she put it on her table, trying not to look at Lindsey nor Traddles.
"What kind of difficulty?", she asked after raising her hand. It was hard to keep the worry out of her voice. She was a prefect now and would be expected to help with any difficulties within their House. Reena would rather be prepared for anything.
Still avoiding eye-contact, she looked at the crystal ball in front of her instead.
Professor Traddles gave the Slytherin pair an apologetic look when they asked about his comment rather than the lesson itself.
'Divination is not an exact art. Oftentimes, we're only given pieces of the puzzle, and it's not always up to us to solve it,' he said. 'Even if seen with such clarity, there is such a thing as too many pieces as well. Knowing your future can be as much a burden as the unknown may hold such uncertainty.'
He glanced round the room, sharing this with them as a whole. It was an important thing to remember.
'Knowledge itself can tip the scales of what's to come,' Traddles went on to explain, however simply. 'It sets expectations and forms assumptions -- that combination may be what makes it come to pass. The future is a journey, formed by each step and decision made along the way. Divination does not exist outside of that; questions are a step and choice as well.'
It might not make sense to them now, but he was confident it would in time. Divination was quite unlike their other subjects, and in some ways he also believed the consequences of it may be higher. He sighed, looking away for a moment -- expression serious.
Then they began the lessons. Traddles remained mostly at the front, observing their progress. He was quiet, then gradually became more enthusiastic and instructive again. They had to wave their hands over their crystal ball, and clear their mind. Easier said than done, especially with such a vague term at first.
'A clear mind is not one void of thought or feeling,' Traddles said, seeing them struggle. Of course, he'd forgotten for a moment that they were teenagers. 'It's a state of acceptance and openness to that beyond yourself. A sense of calm, and not being tied to any particular thought or expectation. It's not in seeking, but in allowing.'
Roll a six-sided die, and add the number at the bottom of your post. This will determine their level of clarity, used by mods to determine what they're seeing.
Kwame listened intently to every word Professor Traddles spoke. He didn't take any notes on his parchment in the beginning. The Professor was speaking more generally, and somewhat cryptically.
Kwame thought about the Professor's guidance as he looked down at his crystal ball. Allowing, not seeking. That made sense to Kwame.
Kwame thought of all his relatives in Africa and some of the future-telling magics he had experienced there. He'd heard rumors that he had powers seers in his family generations ago. With any luck he would have inherited some of their skills.
Kwame waved his hands over his crystal ball. His empty mind waited for whatever images or revelations the crystal wanted to show.
"I accept, not seek," Kwame whispered to himself as he stared.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Mar 23, 2023 12:22:39 GMT 10
Lindsey sat and listened to the Professor as he spoke about the skill of Divination. It sounded all very intriguing and she was ready to truly submerge herself into the subject. She wrote down the things he spoke, drawing lines on the paper to try and connect the dots.
It seemed the way he spoke was more of a take and give type relationship? A pull and push? Maybe she was misunderstanding, but there is how it sounded to her. Or, maybe it was the lack of sleep that was plaguing her after the night of nightmares that had seeped into her safety of the dorms.
But, with his words written down on parchment and her attention now on the crystal ball before her, she waved her hand over the orb. She listened as he spoke about how the mind wasn't like completely nothing. But a sense of calm... Something she was having a hard time finding with her thoughts still haunted by the events of her night prior.
But, she took in a deep breathe, closing her eyes as she tried to find the calm and the peace that could come with it. She thought back to her summer, the fun her and Sinead had in Highfield. She thought about the feeling of taking the horses out into the field. She thought about gardening, how it brought her to a state of calmness that many time could not be reached.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Mar 23, 2023 15:06:47 GMT 10
There was never a clear answer, was there? She should have known. Why would Divination be the exception?
Reena continued to take notes at Traddles explanation, circling the words ‘don‘t seek‘ in the process. Easier said than done, as she found herself constantly searching for answers.
She had always struggled with clearing her mind. Though she supposed it might be similar to clearing a physical room.
Gazing at the Crystal Ball, she pictured her mind as a desk, her thoughts as books laid out open and in disarray. She just needed to put them away for a while, there was too much at once.
She would have to shut the book on Lindsey and ending friendship for now and put it into the shelf for later use. Then put away the book on the Alliance of Partisan and House Elf rights, the book on Blood Curses, Ancient Magic and the fear of loss.
By the time she was finished imagining her metaphora, she was sort of staring through the Crystal Ball.
Professor Traddles observed their progress, pleased to see what most students got at least a middle-range level of clarity. Not bad for their first lesson, though he wasn't sure how competent or thorough their previous professor was. He'd heard mixed opinions on that, but she had left him some rather intuitive notes so Traddles was confident in his students' abilities.
At first, @goldie thought he wasn't seeing anything -- as it was cloudy at best. Until it shifted some more, and he realised it was indeed clouds. He saw a cloudy sky... or was it thick smoke? It was hard to tell exactly, but there was definitely something moving behind it. The huge, dark shape of some sort of creature.
Professor Traddles peered at it too, frowning in concern but mainly being impressed by the young Ravenclaw. The clarity wasn't above the others around him, but it seemed Kwame had glimpsed something out of the ordinary.
'An omen, I daresay.' Traddles nodded, leaning back. 'A bit literal, but well done. Though its meaning goes beyond the path you're on. I'm sure it'll reveal itself in time, but consider what forewarning you might mean. Omens are not always as frightening or foretell danger, as people often assume.'
Lindsey Bryce saw the area leading to the Forest Path. Her view grew closer to it, entering the area. Trees swayed in the breeze, and birds scattered. The focus kept shifting to the path itself, which seemed endless as it continued through the trees and bushes.
Reena Ashworth had trouble working hers out, once she managed to glimpse something. Then she saw the Ashworth owl landing on a table, spilling pumpkin juice. It had a letter bearing Aubrey's handwriting, though she couldn't clearly see who it was addressed to or what it said.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Apr 1, 2023 17:41:44 GMT 10
Rearranging her thoughts seemed to have helped clear up her mind as she actually managed to glimpse something in the siwlrs of the Crystal Ball. Reena got excited for a moment but tried to suppress it and instead let the Crystal Ball show her something of her future.
It took her a while to work it out clearly but once she did, she recognised their owl carrying a letter and spilling pumpkin juice all over the table she landed on. She tried to take a closer look at the letter, recognising her mother's handwriting but she blinked and the image seemed less clear toher. No way of figuring out what it was about or who it was addressed to.
She let her next breath draw out for a while as she tried to conjure another image - only to remember that she needed to let the images come to her instead of seeking them out. So she tried to look ahead with no intention, yet her mind was already focused on what kind of letter her mother might send which was relevant.
Or maybe it was not relevant at all, simply in the future. The owl bringing a letter from home was not entirely unexpected, her mother had written more the past year. Reena did wonder however, if her mother's friends would return to keep her mother company this year again.
Or would she be fine on her own now? Talking to that portrait of her dad which she selfishly did not share with the rest of them?
Reena sighed, trying not to listen to what Traddles said to the Ravenclaw boy about an omen, but it did catch her attention. Seeing omens must mean he was rather talented with this stuff, perhaps he was worth getting to know better?
She finally tore her gaze away from the Crystal Ball and glanced at Achebe, then at Lindsey and immediatly back to her table and notes, writing down what she had seen. Reena felt her heart beat nervously in her chest, wishing this lesson would draw out longer and be over at the same time.
Kwame stared into his crystal ball with frustration. He saw nothing! It was simply a cloudy reflection.
Until the shapes started to come into greater focus. Then Kwame realized that it wasn't cloudy nothingness he was seeing, but actual clouds. He leaned in closer to the ball to try and get a better view.
He was so close his nose almost touched the ball. The image became clearer. Was it clouds or a very dense smoke? Kwame couldn't tell. Whatever it was, it gave him a foreboding feeling.
Then another shape came into view. Kwame couldn't identify it but it caused him to fear. It was a creature of some kind. But he could not tell what.
Kwame felt sweat trickle down his neck as Professor Traddles engaged him. So Traddles was telling him it wasn't necessarily danger. So why did Kwame not feel reassured?
"How can I know for sure?" Kwame asked his teacher.
He thought divination was all about getting answers, but now he just had more questions.
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