Chapter 660: Dumbledore's Council (Edited)

In the Divination classroom, atop the North Tower of Hogwarts, Professor Sybil Trelawney sat at a small round table, legs crossed and hands cupped over a crystal ball on the table, murmuring some words.

Facing her, Umbridge, dressed in pink, nervously watched her.

As Trelawney's hands moved slightly above the crystal ball, the professor's jangling, mismatched jewelry collided with a tinkling sound.

At the same time, a faint milky white glow emanated from Trelawney's body, standing out in the dimly lit Divination classroom and giving her a divine appearance.

An expression of surprise immediately appeared on Umbridge's face as she held her breath, fearing to disturb Professor Trelawney, with her short, chubby fingers twisting nervously, reflecting her inner anxiety.

"I... I saw it..."

Professor Trelawney said in her ethereal, specially practiced voice, as her eyes widened while looking at the crystal ball before her.

But even though she was looking toward the crystal ball, her eyes were unfocused, as if she was seeing something that didn't exist in the real world, and with the magnification of her peculiar glasses, she had a simultaneously eerie and mysterious appearance.

"I saw it," she repeated, "It was a tree, a very special tree...". She furrowed her brow tightly, as if she had seen something terrible, or as if what she had seen had become obscured.

There was a pause before Professor Trelawney continued with an ethereal and otherworldly voice, "What you desire... can be found beneath that tree... which can bring you unexpected surprises and... calamity... danger and opportunity at the same time... it depends on you to choose..."

Professor Trelawney spoke the final words, and as if all her strength had left her body, her whole body collapsed, and the milky white glow faded along with it.

"Professor Sybil! Can you be a bit more specific?" Umbridge anxiously asked as soon as Professor Trelawney finished her "prophecy."

And she leaned forward as much as she could with her short and plump body, almost pressing the upper part of her body against the small round table.

"I think I should have told you earlier, Dolores." Professor Trelawney leaned against the edge of the table, "reluctantly," and weakly said, "The future is uncertain, and even I can only glimpse a small part of it."

"Of course, of course, Sybil." Umbridge put on a flattering smile and boasted, "But I know nothing of the art of divination, while a seer like you should be able to analyze much more from a prophecy, shouldn't you?"

"Alright... for your sake..." Professor Trelawney sighed and reluctantly nodded, "But first, I must rest, even I still feel the strain after glimpsing a small part of the future."

"That's right!" Umbridge nodded repeatedly.

Instead of urging Professor Trelawney, she took the initiative and scurried to the side, bringing the steaming copper teapot to the kitchen and the tea cups to the shelf, diligently serving tea.

Professor Trelawney seemed to regain some of her energy after slowly finishing her tea cup. She sat a little straighter with her hunched body, then cleared her throat and said, "As I predicted, what you seek is beneath a rather special tree..."

Without waiting for Umbridge to ask, she shook her head and said, "As for the tree, I'm sorry, I couldn't see it. The only thing I can assure you is that it's a relatively 'young' tree, and relatively rare."

"And... that calamity?" Umbridge asked cautiously.

The last time Professor Trelawney had made a prophecy, shortly afterward she had been turned into a toad and ended up in a situation where she could be imprisoned at any moment. So when the word "calamity" came out of Professor Trelawney's mouth again, Umbridge felt a sense of unease.

"It was a calamity more dangerous than the last one..." said Professor Trelawney, causing Umbridge to become even more frightened.

She continued, "But, as I've said, danger often goes hand in hand with opportunity, and there are possibilities that will allow you to resolve your current predicament and even take you further."

"And you have to get involved yourself," Trelawney added as Umbridge wrestled with the proverb, "If you don't take risks, you won't get the reward."

Umbridge's expression grew even more complicated, her toad-like face almost contorted.

"I see, thank you for your suggestion, Master Sybil," Umbridge struggled for a long time, as if she hadn't yet made up her mind, but she had no intention of pressing Professor Trelawney further.

She reached into the small pink bag she carried and pulled out a bracelet made of black beads, its material not visible but indicating its age.

Umbridge then handed the bracelet to Professor Trelawney.

"I have nothing to thank you for, Sybil," she said flatteringly, with a voice softer than usual and more reminiscent of a little girl. "It was given to me by a friend of mine from the Boks, and I think it suits you perfectly."

In fact, it was the same bracelet Umbridge had bought at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. This bracelet was one of the many antiques she had privately purchased as "proof" of her pure-blood status.

Professor Trelawney merely glanced at it and looked away, not reaching for it.

"This time you can't refuse, Sybil." Umbridge pushed the bracelet toward Professor Trelawney's hand. "You have just gone through great trouble to give me a prophecy. Even if you weren't going to accept my payment, I can't be indifferent. It's just a small token of gratitude."

"Very well." Professor Trelawney then nodded and said, "I will take it, then."

With that, she casually slid the bracelet onto her left wrist, blending it with the pile of bracelets already there.

Seeing that Professor Trelawney had accepted her gift, Umbridge stood up to bid farewell.

"Then, I'll take my leave, Master Sybil." She gave a slight bow to Trelawney and left the Divination professor with a heavy heart.

Moments after Umbridge's departure, a black-pawed cat the size of a palm emerged from Trelawney's pocket and landed on the ground, transforming into a young man with cat ears and tail.

"Is that all, Fish?" Professor Trelawney asked curiously. "From what I can see, Umbridge seems a little scared, not necessarily willing to take the risk..."

"It should be fine, nya," Fish replied, tilting his head as he moved his ears. "Albus and Rita said Umbridge has been having a rough time lately, and if she doesn't do something, she'll have a hard time by the end of the term, nya..."

He made a good analysis, and suddenly he shifted to a question, "Although Fish doesn't quite understand what that means."

(?ω?)

Upon seeing Professor Trelawney's astonished expression, Fish hurriedly explained, "Albus taught Fish all these things. He said the content of the prophecy is enough... Albus is a big liar, nya!"

Professor Trelawney curled the corners of her mouth. She never expected Dumbledore to actually get involved...

"You're the headmaster of Hogwarts, don't you have anything better to do in your free time?" she grumbled in her mind.