Just as Kasenhis returned to his office and sat down—hadn't even warmed the chair yet—the crystal ball on his desk lit up.
Eh..? These kids, huh?
He lazily reached out and gave it a tap. The office door in the distance opened to reveal four small silhouettes.
Up on the fourth floor, Sirius seemed to catch a scent or something—zoom!—he bolted downstairs, charging straight at Harry like a rocket.
Who knew how long it had been? Kasen had already boiled the water, set out five teacups on the table, and placed a plate of snacks in the center.
Only then did the four little ones finally arrive.
"Professor, I wanted to consult you about something—it's about choosing our electives for next semester," Hermione said, holding a cup of hot tea to warm her hands.
"Go ahead," Kasen replied, taking a tactical sip of his own black tea.
"I originally planned to sign up for all the classes, but after checking the upper years' schedules, I realized some of the courses overlap. So I wanted to ask how I should prioritize them."
"Hmm.. Of course, it depends on what you're interested in," Kasen said.
"The ones I absolutely must take are Alchemy and Ancient Runes. But I also want to take as many of the others as I can. Still, the schedule overlaps too much, so I was hoping you could tell me which courses are the most worthwhile—ones I shouldn't skip even if they conflict with others," Hermione said, resting her chin on her hands with a helpless sigh.
Kasen leaned back in his chair. He knew Hogwarts had something called a Time-Turner to deal with course schedule conflicts.
After all, he'd been teaching Alchemy for a year and a half now, and he'd overheard more than a few rounds of gossip in both the classroom and his office.
Even now, his office was set up so you could play Quidditch inside if you really wanted to, and during breaks, students still dropped by with their brooms to chat and gossip with him.
But something like that? He wasn't going to mention it. Not even to Hermione.
Because, honestly, a device that could manipulate time—that was just too dangerous. Especially considering that just this past Christmas, he'd been hunted down by someone from the future.
Even if Hermione was reliable, he still wasn't saying a word. Because the other three...
Harry? Mischievous with a grin.
Neville? Quietly mischievous.
Ron? Cheerfully, cluelessly mischievous.
Letting them know about the existence of a Time-Turner?
Would the world survive that?
So in conclusion…
"Hmm… Which courses are overlapping? Let me take a look and help you weigh them," Kasen said.
Hermione pulled out the third-year schedule for next semester. The conflicting classes had already been neatly marked.
"These four: Divination and Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies."
"Hmm… Let's start with the latter two. Hogwarts' Muggle Studies class… I've sat in on a few, and I've read Professor Burbage's lesson plans. All in all… even if it's supposed to be about modern Muggles, it's so off the mark it might as well be about something else entirely. As a Muggle-born witch, that class might just send your blood pressure through the roof."
"As for Divination and Arithmancy… Divination relies on talent. Arithmancy relies on logic."
"I won't say much about Arithmancy because you are an intelligent student. As for Divination, if you enroll and want a good grade at the end of the term, it's actually super easy—just write a dramatic prediction of your own tragic death on the exam."
"But if your goal is actual self-improvement, then I wouldn't really recommend it. Of course, don't take my word as gospel—you might genuinely have a gift for it."
"But I should add—Divination is unlike any other subject. If you do have the gift, you'll be able to see the future clearly even without attending a single lesson. But if you don't have the talent, then no matter how many books you read or how hard you study, you'll still get it wrong."
"And those so-called high scores in Divination? They're like a Muggle doing party tricks and pretending it's magic—fine for fooling outsiders or even your professor, but don't go fooling yourself too."
After that long explanation, Kasen's mouth felt dry. Fortunately, little angel Neville had already refilled his teacup before it was even empty.
Hermione, however, frowned. "Professor, if it's really like you say, doesn't that make Divination a complete sham for those without the talent? Just playing pretend?"
"It's a bit impolite to say it that way, but… yes. That's pretty much what Divination is. Even magic has some logic to it. Divination? None at all."
Over on the sofa, Neville, Harry, and Ron exchanged glances.
They hadn't heard a word about talent or no talent. The only thing they'd latched onto was Kasen saying the Divination final was easy—just write a creative prophecy about your own death!!
Wasn't this the ultimate safety-net class for chosen ones like them?
Neville, Harry, and Ron: Hell yeah!! Praise Trelawney! q(≧▽≦q)
"But Professor, if this class doesn't really help young wizards improve, why even offer it?" Hermione still asked, puzzled.
"It's something you can get by without—but we can't afford to go without it. And Trelawney does have real talent in Divination. It's just… hit or miss. But she truly knows her stuff. Besides, what if, by some rare chance, she stumbles across a student who does have the gift? That would be a treasure for the entire wizarding world," Kasen explained.
"Oh… well, in that case, I should give it a try too! What if I do have the talent?" Hermione suddenly said, full of renewed motivation.
And Kasen, hearing that, immediately felt awkward. What was that saying again…?
"…You… uh, Hermione, I have to remind you—when taking Professor Trelawney's class, you absolutely must keep your cool. Especially for someone like you who values logic and facts."
"Got it, Professor. I'll remember… But Professor, are you saying Trelawney's class makes people lose their temper?" Hermione asked.
"Oh yes. Right before you all arrived, I was dragged into a one-on-one lesson with her."
"So did you lose your temper, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Anger is for enemies, not something to unleash on family and friends. So… sometimes, you just have to learn to internalize it."
Kasen sighed and rubbed his stomach with a helpless expression. Just thinking back to every bizarre, ridiculous death prophecy Trelawney had ever made about him since their first meeting… made him feel like skipping lunch entirely.
"Alright, Professor. From the look on your face, I think we've got a sense of just how easy it is to pass—Is not what I mean—We'll remember to control temper… um…"
"Ok, no need to act like a good boy. It's actually not that bad," Kasen added. "As long as you can completely ignore the ominous death predictions constantly swirling around you, you'll be fine. Really, very simple."
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