With only the Divination exam left that afternoon, most students had already cast aside their stress and begun to relax. Divination, as the last exam, required little preparation. It was arguably the easiest to approach since all it took was some improvisation in front of the examiner. If done convincingly, passing was almost guaranteed.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts is probably a lost cause again. You know, especially that part crossing the swamp—it wasn't just me who got tricked by the Hinkypunk. I bet a quarter of our house fell for that fraud's deception. Hopefully, Lupin will take pity on us and not harp on this mistake," Malfoy lamented, looking dejected.
"You said it yourself—only a quarter. That means most didn't fall for it," Lillian said with a slight sneer. "Lupin has stressed the Hinkypunk's tactics in class for weeks. If you still got fooled, it just proves you weren't paying attention. You have no one to blame but yourself."
As the trio passed through the castle from the exam site, Cornelius Fudge stood not far away, dressed in his pinstriped cloak, beads of sweat visible on his face as he stared toward the grounds. Upon noticing Augustus, he broke into a smile and approached.
"Mr. Augustus, good afternoon. Finished with your exams?" Fudge greeted. "Warm weather today, isn't it?"
"Minister, what brings you to the school? Is it about Hagrid's situation?" Augustus nodded politely, glancing at Fudge.
Fudge gave an awkward laugh. "Yes, the Buckbeak incident has caused quite a stir. Although the verdict has been overturned, I still needed to personally oversee the proceedings. It's all about going through the motions, ensuring Buckbeak is thoroughly examined to confirm he poses no danger."
"Thank you for handling this," Augustus replied courteously.
"Not at all," Fudge smiled. "Oh, and do pass my regards to your father. It's been a while since we last met at that gathering. If possible, I'd love for us to reconnect."
Augustus acknowledged this politely. As Fudge spoke, two wizards emerged from the castle doors behind him—one elderly and frail, seemingly withering before their eyes, and the other tall, well-built, with a sparse mustache. They appeared to be representatives from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. After exchanging farewells with Fudge, the trio headed back into the castle.
"I doubt Fudge is here solely for Buckbeak," Lillian remarked, a sly glint in her wine-red eyes. "The Dementors are likely the real reason. Stationed outside the school for so long with nothing to guard, I'd bet they're on the brink of madness from hunger."
"It's unnecessary to keep them here," Augustus shook his head. "Sirius Black has infiltrated the school twice, and the Dementors have been utterly useless. The Ministry should've realized their ineffectiveness the moment Sirius escaped Azkaban. Keeping them here now is purely symbolic."
"Agreed," Malfoy chimed in. "Whatever trick Sirius used to evade those blind bats, it's clear they're nothing more than window dressing when it comes to him."
As the final exam for Divination approached, the trio climbed the marble staircase to the eighth floor. Many students were seated on the spiral staircase leading to Professor Trelawney's classroom, desperately trying to cram in some last-minute preparation.
"The exam's individual—Trelawney sees us one at a time," Pansy remarked as she passed by. "Let's hope I pass this one."
The queue outside the classroom moved at a snail's pace. Every time a student descended the silver ladder, the others would whisper questions: "What did she ask? Did you pass?"
But no one would answer.
"She said the crystal ball warned me—if I told you, something terrible would happen!" Pansy squealed dramatically as she descended toward Augustus and his friends.
"Well, the terrible thing is probably failing the whole exam. Good luck with that," Lillian said with an eye roll, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Parvati came down next, looking smug.
"She said I have all the qualities of a true Seer," she boasted to Lillian. "I saw so many things... Anyway, good luck!" She hurried down the spiral staircase to find Lavender.
"Lillian," came Trelawney's familiar ethereal voice from above. Lillian sighed and climbed the stairs slowly, as if walking to her doom.
Twenty minutes later, she reappeared, looking bored.
"So, how was it? What did the old bat ask?" Malfoy eagerly inquired.
"Oh, just some nonsensical prompts. You'll understand once you're up there. This has to be the most meaningless exam I've ever taken," Lillian replied with a hint of exasperation.
Malfoy went next, and soon returned, whistling cheerfully as he descended the stairs in long, exaggerated strides. As he reached the base, Trelawney's voice called again.
"Augustus."
The tower room was oppressively warm. The curtains were drawn, and the fireplace crackled. Augustus strode in. Trelawney sat waiting, a massive crystal ball before her.
"Welcome, dear," she said softly. "Peer into the crystal ball... Take your time... and tell me what you see."
Focusing intently, Augustus activated his arcane senses, but the crystal ball remained frustratingly murky. With no discernible images, he sighed. Improvisation it was.
"Uh, I see a white, block-like object," he began.
"What shape does it resemble?" Trelawney prompted in a hushed tone. "Focus... think carefully..."
"Hmm," Augustus pretended to consider. "It looks like... a unicorn. Yes, definitely a unicorn."
"Really?" she whispered, scribbling notes on her parchment. "Unicorns are auspicious creatures. But it doesn't fit... You've been shadowed by misfortune. How could you see a unicorn?" She paused briefly.
"Wait. Look closely. Does this unicorn have a head? Surely it's headless," Trelawney pressed.
"It has a head," Augustus replied plainly.
"You're certain?" she insisted.
"Certain," came his succinct reply.
Looking disappointed, Trelawney finally stopped her questioning. "Very well, dear. You've done your best. That's all for now."
Augustus nodded and turned to leave.
Suddenly, a loud, rasping voice spoke behind him: "It will happen tonight."
Startled, Augustus turned back. Trelawney sat frozen in her armchair, her eyes unfocused, jaw slack. But that wasn't the most alarming thing. Within Augustus's sensory range, elemental forces surged chaotically. The laws of time and space distorted, the room itself falling out of sync. At the vortex's center sat Trelawney, shrouded in turbulent energies, her surroundings steeped in an inexplicable temporal void.
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