The Silver Cauldron

Chapter 5 - A Prediction

It took me a few weeks to get settled in to life at Hogwarts. The staff made me feel very welcome, although I soon learnt better than to get into a discussion about Quidditch with Madame Hooch just before a lesson, or to try and hold a normal conversation with Professor Trelawney.

The first time I met this being I was trying to find my way back to the dungeons, and found myself in a long dusty corridor I was certain I'd never seen before. Then I heard a misty voice calling my name.

"Miss Almanay?" I spun around and there she was, a gauzy firefly of spangles. Somewhat taken aback, I asked her how she knew my name.

"I have seen it dear. Your aura conveys things about you that you are unaware of. I would be right in saying, would I not, that at present you have a great burden weighing upon your shoulders?"

"Well, yes, I do actually. I'm lost and my class is due to start in five minutes."

"Lost! But of course. You don't realise how lost you are. I see darkness and torment ahead of you...show me your palm."

"I beg your pardon?"

Your palm dear! If you will permit me?" She took my hand and gazed at it intently. She made a series of indistinct mutterings before proclaiming; "You do not have a happy hand my dear. I see trouble heading your way; old values will be reversed. Ambition will bring you pain, love will destroy your soul, your deepest desire will become your worst nightmare. I see the darkest of shadows blemishing your skin..." I pulled my hand away quickly.

"Please Professor, I really need to get to my lesson."

"Of course you do dear. Go, meet your fate."

"Er, could you tell me where the Potions classroom is?"

"Down those stairs dear."

"Thank you."

"You're most welcome. Oh, and Miss Almanay..."

"Yes?"

"Be careful."

***

I arrived at the classroom with two minutes to spare, a pink face and wisps of hair escaping everywhere. Snape looked up with what was unmistakably triumph.

"You're late Miss Almanay."

"Sorry Professor, I got lost."

"I see. You may want to tidy yourself before the pupils arrive."

I hastily scraped my hair back into its usual braid. I couldn't stop thinking about what Trelawney had said. I mentioned it to Snape while the class was busy brewing horned slugs. He listened to my story, the first traces of amusement I'd seen from him playing across the corners of his mouth.

"But surely a clever witch like you would not place faith in such...fantasy." he said.

"Of course not" I said hurriedly, wishing I hadn't mentioned it.

"Your deepest desire will become your worst nightmare...what is your deepest desire Miss Almanay?" He moved a little nearer to me. 'Intimidation' I thought. 'Mind games'. 'Power'. I choked out a nervous laugh.

"Sir, I think that if I did tell you it would be a lie, as a person's darkest feelings are meant to be kept a secret."

"Not necessarily" he whispered, gazing at me intently. Then he abruptly turned and wandered off through the class. I set to work preparing some shrivelfigs for the next lesson, but my mind was so preoccupied I didn't concentrate on what I was doing. The knife slipped and cut my finger. I cried out in pain. Snape strode over again to see what the matter was. He sighed, took a small bottle of brown liquid from the cupboard and poured a few drops onto the cut. It burnt like nettles but in a few seconds the broken skin had completely healed. He held my hand in both of his own and said quietly;

"Ambition will bring you pain, Miss Almanay". There was no mistaking the amusement on his face this time. I smiled weakly and he continued in a cruel but accurate impression of Professor Trelawney's hushed voice.

"I would be right in saying, my dear, that this was the hand whose palm Trelawney read?" I laughed, and he smirked. So he did have a sense of humour after all. As he released me I thought suddenly; he was right. It was indeed the same hand.