Or the Sybill rehabilitation front...Yes, yes we all know that dear old Sybill is barmy, and it's common knowledge that she likes to indulge in cooking sherry, but think about it. Consider all her 'premonitions' did they not come true in some way? Well maybe not all of them, but amoungst her load of balderash, several things she said did actually happen. Not in the way she foretold - as Professor Trelawney has a habit of being slightly overdramatic, but there is certainly truth in what she says.
I may be slightly biased due to my undying love for this character, but I'm pretty sure you, un-biased objective reader, can pick up a few hints on the books.
Sybill Trelawney is indeed the great-great-grand-daughter of highly gifted seer Cassandra Trelawney... okay, I might not be making my point here... lol.
Stop me if I'm wrong, but Sybill did indeed make at least two known real prophecies - and strange coincidence - they both relate directly to Harry. The first she made to Dumbledore, a year before Harry's birth:
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...
Sybill had foretold the end of the First Wizarding War, but the true question is, if that prophecy was never to be heard, what would Harry's life been like now? But that's a whole other story... knowing what would have been done if people had known the consequences of their acts if a tricky question.
Sybill's second prophecy was made directly to Harry. During his Divination exam in the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sybill tells him the following:
It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelves years. Tonight, before midnight.. The servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will set out... to rejoin... his master...
Again, the prophecy is directly related to Harry and Lord Voldemort, as she predicts Wormtails return to his master. In the book we are obviously led to believe she is talking about Sirius, yet taking a closer look at the wording - and we all know how J.K. plays around with words - and it clearly indicates that ther servant is NOT Sirius Black. Why? Tonight, before midnight.. The servant will break free Sirius has already broken free. He escaped Azkaban almost a year ago. This may seem unimportant, but again I would like to stress the importance J.K.R puts into her wording, especially for something like this...
Wormtail has been in chains for the past twelve years, hiding like a coward in a rat's body. He is clearly intent on keeping cover and I doubt he would have turned himself back into a human during those twelve years (to support this, consider the state he was in when he did tranform...) and he was only to be 'set free' of his cover when Remus and Sirius forced him out, that very night, before midnight...
Sybill does not only tell Harry what's to come, she also indicates that the danger does not come from the person he expects.
All through The Prisoner of Azkaban there was the theme of death and the Grim (a big black dog, in other words Sirius), themes greatly fuelled by Professor Trelawney, who seems to think Harry is surronded by death - which he is indeed as a matter of fact.
I remember reading an article in which J.K.R. stated that book three was very important, that it layed out a lot for the books to come after and that is gave a lot of clues if you looked close enough.... Well me looking closer realised the following: Harry/Grim/Sirius/Death - Could that have been a way of letting us know that Sirius was going to die in Order of the Pheonix? Most likely I think.
The Prisoner Of Azkaban
And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever.
And when did Hermione walk out? Precisely. Then again, I suppose that would be the time of the year when students gets stressed out and would be inclined to drop a subject... but, nonetheless, she has a point!
Incidentally, that thing you are dreading - it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.
Lavender's pet bunny Binky died on the 16th of October of that year. I doubt that Lavender 'dreaded' Binky would die - uncless he was very ill or something, but Trelawney clearly picked up that something that would upset Lavender was going to happen on that day.
beware a red-haired man
This prediction was directed to Parvarti, although hasn't (yet) had to worry baout Ron, she could have passed along the message to her sister Padma, who was Ron's unfortunate date at the Yule Ball (although, technically, Parvarti did set them up!) and later to her best friend Lavender who ended up becoming Ron's snogging-buddy in Half-Blood Prince.
Oh, and dear, after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink.
Trelawney says this to Neville before he even stands up. This is her frist lesson with them and Trelawney is known to stay confined up in her tower (she doesn't want to cloud her inner-eye) so it isn't likely that she heard of Neville from other teachers. And, indeed Neville does break at least one of her tea-cups. But on this one, I agree, the 'Would it have happen if she had not said anything theory' is plausible...
The club.. an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup... (...) The skull... danger in your path, my dear
*cough* Goblet of Fire much anybody? the Quidditch World Cup? *cough* Attack cup skull danger. Could it be anymore clear?
If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short.
Indeed, Lupin did end up leaving his position as DADA teacher, shortly before the end of term, but then again, no need to be a Seer to know that that job is cursed... Lupin himself knows that beyond the so-called curse, he will not keep his secret forever and as soon as it is know, he will have to resign.
'My dear, It is here, plainer than ever before, my dear, stalking towards you, growing ever closer... the Gr-'
To Harry, there is indeed a big black dog coming closer and closer to Harry, but Trelawney is mistaken, it's not the Grim but Sirius Black, remaining a dog to better hide from the Dementors.The Goblet of Fire
My Inner Eye sees past your brave face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead for you, alas... most difficult... I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass... and perhaps sooner than you think...
What cold Harry possibly dread the most? Given Trelawney's previous prophecy and Wormtail's return to Voldemort, Harry must know that Voldemort will come back to power in the near future, but, as Trelawney tells him, he probably doesn't expect for it to happen six months later.
As I sat here, absorbed in my needlework, the urge to consult the orb overpowered me. I arose, I settle myself before it, and I gazed into its crystalline depths... and what do you think I saw gazing back at me? (...) Death, my dears.
it comes, ever closer, it circles overhead like a vulture, ever lower... ever lower over the castle...
Yes, I know, as Ron points out, Trelawney has a habit of doing it every year, but... circling makes me think of the dragons - dragons indicate to Triwizard Tournament, Tournament brings me to champions and champions to Cedric. Cedric who is a student and therefore lives in the castle during the year...it comes, ever closer, it circles overhead like a vulture, ever lower... ever lower over the castle...
Today, however, will be an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of Mars, for he is placed most interestingly at the present time.
Mars, in Roman Mythology, is the God of War. As the end of the year approaches, Voldemort gains more and more power and the Wizarding World will soon be at war once more. In OotP, Firenze also makes a point about Mars and its position...The Half-Blood Prince
Knave of spades: a dark young man, possibly troubled, one who dislikes the questioner --
I think Trelawney is seeing Draco. The questioner could probably be Snape - he later corners Draco and demands an explanation, Draco who always got on well with the Potions masters seems infuriated.-- the lightning-struck tower. Calamity. Disaster. Coming nearer all the time ...
Dumbledore was killed on the top of a tower, as Snape cursed him, a flash of light shot from his wand and hit Dumbledore.Of course all these predictions are arguable, and I'm convinced that most of the time Trelawney hasn't the faintest idea of what she's talking about - maybe her mind is slightly obscured by the amount of sherry she knocks back, but well, ahem - those are the facts, she obviously sees things and when you interpret them out of (her) context, a lot makes sense.
Even if I must agree that Sybill Trelawney is far from being a stellar teacher (although certainly no worse than Snape!), I do find her to be an ineresting character. She certainly seems to be kind-natured and nothing aggravates me more than other characters/fans calling her a fraud. Dumbledore himself is not convinced of her capacities as a Seer, yet he is always kind and thoughtful towards her.
This is why I think that Sybill Trelawnet should be rehabilitated, or at least listened to a little more often, I'm sure her predictions would come in very useful...
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