She.turned.away,.walked.over.to.Pansy.Parkinson.and.began.questioning.her.about.the.lessons..Snape.looked.round.at.Harry.and.their.eyes.met.for.a.second.
.Harry.hastily.dropped.his.gaze.to.his.potion,.which.was.now.congealing.foully.and.giving.off.a.strong.smell.of.burned.rubber..
.No.marks.again,.then,.Potter,..said.Snape.maliciously,.emptying.Harry.s.cauldron.with.a.wave.of.his.wand...You.will.write.me.an.essay.on.the.correct.composition.of.this.potion,.indicating.how.and.why.you.went.wrong,.to.be.handed.in.next.lesson,.do.you.understand?..
.Yes,..said.Harry.furiously..Snape.had.already.given.them.homework.and.he.had.Quidditch.practice.this.evening;.this.would.mean.another.couple.of.sleepless.nights..It.did.not.seem.possible.that.he.had.awoken.that.morning.feeling.very.happy..All.he.felt.now.was.a.fervent.desire.for.this.day.to.end..
.Maybe.I.ll.skive.off.Divination,..he.said.glumly,.as.they.stood.in.the.courtyard.after.lunch,.the.wind.whipping.at.the.hems.of.robes.and.brims.of.hats..Til.pretend.to.be.ill.and.do.Snape.s.essay.instead,.then.I.won.t.have.to.stay.up.half.the.night...
.You.can.t.skive.off.Divination,..said.Hermione.severely..
.Hark.who.s.talking,.you.walked.out.of.Divination,.you.hate.Trelawney!..said.Ron.indignantly..
.I.don.t.hate.her,..said.Hermione.loftily...I.just.think.she.s.an.absolutely.appalling.teacher.and.a.real.old.fraud..But.Harrys.already.missed.History.of.Magic.and.I.don.t.think.he.ought.to.miss.anything.else.today!..
There.was.too.much.truth.in.this.to.ignore,.so.half.an.hour.later.Harry.took.his.seat.in.the.hot,.overperfumed.atmosphere.of.the.Divination.classroom,.feeling.angry.at.everybody..Professor.Trelawney.was.yet.again.handing.out.copies.of.The.Dream.Oracle..Harry.thought.he.d.surely.be.much.better.employed.doing.Snape.s.punishment.essay.than.sitting.here.trying.to.find.meaning.in.a.lot.of.made‐up.dreams..
It.seemed,.however,.that.he.was.not.the.only.person.in.Divination.who.was.in.a.temper..Professor.Trelawney.slammed.a.copy.of.the.Oracle.down.on.the.table.between.Harry.and.Ron.and.swept.away,.her.lips.pursed;.she.threw.the.next.copy.of.the.Oracle.at.Seamus.and.Dean,.narrowly.avoiding.Seamus.s.head,.and.
thrust.the.final.one.into.Neville.s.chest.with.such.force.that.he.slipped.off.his.pouffe..
.Well,.carry.on!..said.Professor.Trelawney.loudly,.her.voice.high‐pitched.and.somewhat.hysterical,..you.know.what.to.do!.Or.am.I.such.a.sub‐standard.teacher.that.you.have.never.learned.how.to.open.a.book?..
The.class.stared.perplexedly.at.her,.then.at.each.other..Harry,.however,.thought.he.knew.what.was.the.matter..As.Professor.Trelawney.flounced.back.to.the.high‐
backed.teacher.s.chair,.her.magnified.eyes.full.of.angry.tears,.he.leaned.his.head.closer.to.Ron.s.and.muttered,..I.think.she.s.got.the.results.of.her.inspection.back...
.Professor?..said.Parvati.Patil.in.a.hushed.voice.(she.and.Lavender.had.always.rather.admired.Professor.Trelawney)...Professor,.is.there.anything.‐.er.‐.wrong?..
.Wrong!..cried.Professor.Trelawney.in.a.voice.throbbing.with.emotion...Certainly.not!.I.have.been.insulted,.certainly….insinuations.have.been.made.against.me…