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Chapter 23: The first lesson
🕑 Added 2024-12-17 19:41:28 +0000 UTCThe next morning arrived quickly.
Viktor’s first Divination class at Hogwarts took place in the early morning and was aimed at seventh-year students.
The seventh years were already used to fake Divination.
After all, they’d spent the past three years with Professor Trelawney, easily churning out four or five pages of parchment explaining why they’d be knocked into the Black Lake by a suddenly appearing unicorn on a Thursday.
Nymphadora Tonks was among them.
“Ugh, I really don’t know what this new professor’s like. I just hope he lets us study during class,” Tonks said, distressed.
“I’ve only got these two weeks left to prepare for my N.E.W.T.s.”
“Really? Wait—you’re heading to Auror training in two weeks?”
“Yes!”
At this, Tonks proudly puffed out her chest.
She was a girl with fiery red hair, dressed in a robe with the Hufflepuff crest. Not only was she an aspiring Auror, but she was also a Metamorphmagus, capable of changing her appearance at will.
Divination, for her, was nothing more than a hobby, unrelated to graduation.
Chatting with her companion, Tonks climbed the spiraling steps up to the tower.
The Divination classroom was located in the North Tower. Originally, it had no staircase at all; Professor Trelawney, in her desire to maintain the mystique of a Seer, had required students to climb a ladder through a trapdoor.
However, when Tonks reached where the trapdoor used to be, she was surprised to see that it had vanished.
In its place was a wooden spiral staircase that allowed them to walk straight up.
“Wow, this is nice.”
She quickly discovered that the Divination classroom was nothing like she remembered. The heavy curtains, once tightly drawn over the windows, were now all pulled open, and the various teacups, cabinets, and herbs that cluttered the room had been removed, making the space feel bright and spacious.
The only touch of mystique in the room was that each round table had four brass pocket watches, placed in front of the seats.
Viktor Vanderboom sat behind a newly moved wooden desk near the fireplace. He was dressed differently again today, wearing a blue hat with silver trim, its brim short enough to reveal his pale face and dark, hollow eyes that stared intently at the students below.
Those already seated were silent, unwilling to make a sound.
Tonks froze, staring in awe for a moment.
“Welcome,” Viktor said calmly.
“Find any table and sit down. You’re the last two to arrive.”
Tonks hurriedly dragged her companion to a table that still had empty seats.
In truth, counting the two of them, there were only seven students in the entire room—a testament to just how unpopular Divination had been under Trelawney.
Once they were seated, Viktor spoke:
“I’m sure you already know my name is Viktor Vanderboom. You can call me Professor Viktor. I’ll be teaching your Divination class this year.”
“Professor McGonagall has told me that many of you will begin internships soon and want something useful from this class without it interfering with your preparation.”
“So today, I’ll teach you a few basic techniques. If you’re not interested, you’re free to study on your own during future classes.”
Several students visibly relaxed at that, including Tonks.
They had worried he might act like Snape and insist they study under his thumb.
After a pause, Viktor continued:
“However, no matter which option you choose, I have one absolute rule—you are not allowed to bring any nonsense claiming to be Divination into my class.”
“Absolutely not allowed.”
Tonks raised her hand curiously. “What do you mean by things ‘claiming to be Divination’? Does Professor Trelawney teaching us to predict our deaths count?”
“That’s an excellent example, Miss Tonks,” Viktor replied expressionlessly. “Hufflepuff, one point deducted.”
“?!”
Tonks puffed out her cheeks in frustration, her hair turning black.
But Viktor pretended not to notice.
… Snape’s dictatorial teaching tricks were turning out to be very effective.
“You’ve all been at Hogwarts for years now. There’s no need to pretend you’re unfamiliar with the truth. If you make predictions that fail to come true, they’re rubbish—yes, I’m aware this applies to most of the predictions you’ve made in the past three years.”
“To ensure you no longer mistake that for Divination, today I’ll let you try the real thing.”
Having said this, he rose from his seat. Under the skeptical yet intrigued gazes of the seven students, he retrieved seven special leaves from a small box and handed them out.
As one Slytherin student accepted a leaf, he couldn’t help but ask, doubtfully:
“Are you serious? I heard there haven’t been any real predictions for centuries.”
“You’re right,” Viktor said, “but I’m not teaching you how to make real prophecies. I’m only teaching you to have hunches about what might happen in the future.”
“What’s your name?”
“Burns, Professor.”
“Burns, put the leaf in your mouth.”
Burns frowned reluctantly but, under Viktor’s oppressive gaze, gritted his teeth and obeyed. He asked, thick-tongued:
“What’s thith?”
“A mandrake leaf. If you want to become an Animagus, you’d need to hold this leaf in your mouth for a month.”
“I did some research on it two weeks ago and discovered that it can amplify sensitivity to the world around you, making your perception sharper.”
Hearing this, and knowing Professor McGonagall was herself an Animagus, the seventh years finally understood and placed the leaves in their mouths without further hesitation.
Tonks asked again: “And then what?”
“Then pick up the pocket watch in front of you and line up along the right-hand wall.”
“When you’re in position, close your eyes, focus entirely on the ticking of the pocket watch, and take three steps forward. On the first step, say ‘Aip, Pip, Kaik.’”
“Aip, Pip, Kaik!” the students repeated softly, intrigued.
“On the second step, say ‘Silo, Holo, Halo.’”
“On the third step, say ‘Zesi, Zesi, Zek!’”
“Zesi, Zesi, Zek!”
The students were growing more curious.
These didn’t sound like ordinary spells at all.
Although the two Slytherin students exchanged skeptical looks, Viktor’s intimidating presence stopped them from voicing their doubts.
… Not that it mattered.
They’d spent three years with Trelawney. They knew exactly how useless Divination was.
One more experiment wouldn’t hurt.
So, after repeating the words aloud, they eagerly rushed to the right-hand wall and quickly lined up.
The pale-faced, lanky Burns stood at the front, followed by a Ravenclaw student, with Tonks in third place.
Once they were in position, Viktor walked slowly alongside them.
“Good. Remember the words you just spoke and their pronunciation because you’re about to need them.”
He gestured with his wand toward the row of floorboards in front of them.
The Divination classroom floor was made of wide wooden planks, lined up one after another toward the far wall.
“I’ve enchanted these planks so that one of them will randomly become an illusion. You’ll need to walk forward blindfolded, step by step—exactly three steps per plank.”
“If your pronunciation is correct, you’ll hear the ticking of the watch speed up in front of the illusion plank. That means you’ve successfully made a rough prediction.”
