DIVINATION LESSON AT HOGWARTS
(Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 — Chapter 6)

For witchcraft and for wizardry
one goes to Hogwarts School.
I don't suppose the subjects there
are what you did at all.

Maybe you did Divinity
about your faith and God,
but not Divination
a subject much more odd.

Harry Potter's classmates
were Hermione and Ron
just starting this new subject.
What had they taken on?

They climbed the spiral staircase
to the Tower's utmost reach,
but found there was no classroom,
in which someone could teach.

Then in the roof they noticed
a trapdoor with the words,
"Sybill Trelawney, Divination,"
must they fly up there like birds?

But then the trapdoor opened
to let a ladder drop,
the pupils clambered up it,
to find an old tea shop.

Twenty small round tables,
some stools and chairs with chintz,
copper kettle on the fire,
and on the wall, old prints.

But whereabouts was teacher?
A soft voice drifted past,.
"Welcome! Nice to see you
  in the solid world at last,"

Very thin, with pebble specs,
and gauzy spangled shawl,
she gave one the impression,
of an insect, on the wall

Professor T said "Welcome!
  to my Divination class.
  I try to avoid school bustle, as
  it clouds my 'Eye', and 'Glass'."

"Divination is most difficult
  of the magic arts, I fear.
  You need to have the gift of 'Sight',
  to see before it's here."

"Many a witch and wizard,
  can cast some noisy spells,
  yet cannot see the future,
  to learn what it foretells."

"Now pair off with your teacups,
  and tea which you must drink,
  then swill the dregs left-handedly,
  read the leaves, say what you think."

"Exchange cups with your partner,
  to read each other's fate,
  refer to 'Unfogging the Future'.
  pages five, six, seven, and eight."

"I will help if needed,
  to interpret what you find,
  but try to do it first yourself,
  and make up your own mind."

Harry felt quite sleepy,
with incense in the room,
but pulled himself together,
to tell Ron of his doom.

"I see a wonky cross here,
  'trial and suffering' says the book,
  and think I see the sun as well,
  that's 'happiness', take a look."

"Your 'Inner Eye' needs testing,"
said Ron in joking tone,
"Now I'll look in your teacup,
  and tell you of your own."

"I can see a bowler hat,
  for 'The Ministry of Magic',
  but t'other way up, an acorn,
  means 'a windfall', not so tragic."

"This looks like sheep or hippo,
  or perhaps it's dog or cat,"
when suddenly Professor Trelawney,
said "Please dear, let me see that."

She studied the splodge in the tea leaves.
"It's a falcon," she grimly explained.
"You have a deadly enemy."
Her fear was hardly restrained.

Then she observed a cudgel,
"An attack ! — I shall have to give up
  predicting what is held by the future,
  Oh dear, a most fateful cup."

"I saw a hat like a bowler,"
said Ron to Professor T,
"It's a skull, that's a warning of danger,"
she screamed "Oh! Goodness me."

"It's best I say nothing at all, dear,
  of what else I see in this pot."
causing Harry to plead "Oh! what is it?
  You can't just say that, and not what."

"It's the large spectral dog of the churchyard.
  An animal well-known as Grim.
  He's an omen-of-death, so they tell me.
  You really don't want to meet him."

"To me it looks more like a donkey,"
Seamus Finnigan quickly then said,
"When you've all finished," cried Harry,
"stop suggesting that soon I'll be dead.".

"I think we must leave it today, dears,"
Professor Trelawney exuded,
"Fair fortune be yours till we meet again,"
and the lesson was quickly concluded.

Harry, Ron and Hermione
set off for Transfiguration,
to learn how to turn into animals,
on a future occult occasion.

                         Cliff Blake © 2005