Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J. K. Rowling [129]
She made as though to sweep back to her seat, saw Professor Umbridge sitting right beside it, and immediately veered left toward Parvati and Lavender, who were already deep in discussion about Parvati’s most recent dream.
Harry opened his copy of The Dream Oracle, watching Umbridge covertly. She was making notes on her clipboard now. After a few minutes she got to her feet and began to pace the room in Trelawney’s wake, listening to her conversations with students and posing questions here and there. Harry bent his head hurriedly over his book.
“Think of a dream, quick,” he told Ron, “in case the old toad comes our way.”
“I did it last time,” Ron protested, “it’s your turn, you tell me one.”
“Oh, I dunno …” said Harry desperately, who could not remember dreaming anything at all over the last few days. “Let’s say I dreamed I was … drowning Snape in my cauldron. Yeah, that’ll do. …”
Ron chortled as he opened his Dream Oracle.
“Okay, we’ve got to add your age to the date you had the dream, the number of letters in the subject … would that be ‘drowning’ or ‘cauldron’ or ‘Snape’?”
“It doesn’t matter, pick any of them,” said Harry, chancing a glance behind him. Professor Umbridge was now standing at Professor Trelawney’s shoulder making notes while the Divination teacher questioned Neville about his dream diary.
“What night did you dream this again?” Ron said, immersed in calculations.
“I dunno, last night, whenever you like,” Harry told him, trying to listen to what Umbridge was saying to Professor Trelawney. They were only a table away from him and Ron now. Professor Umbridge was making another note on her clipboard and Professor Trelawney was looking extremely put out.
“Now,” said Umbridge, looking up at Trelawney, “you’ve been in this post how long, exactly?”
Professor Trelawney scowled at her, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as though wishing to protect herself as much as possible from the indignity of the inspection. After a slight pause in which she seemed to decide that the question was not so offensive that she could reasonably ignore it, she said in a deeply resentful tone, “Nearly sixteen years.”
“Quite a period,” said Professor Umbridge, making a note on her clipboard. “So it was Professor Dumbledore who appointed you?”
“That’s right,” said Professor Trelawney shortly.
Professor Umbridge made another note.
“And you are a great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney?”
“Yes,” said Professor Trelawney, holding her head a little higher.
Another note on the clipboard.
“But I think — correct me if I am mistaken — that you are the first in your family since Cassandra to be possessed of second sight?”
“These things often skip — er — three generations,” said Professor Trelawney.
Professor Umbridge’s toadlike smile widened.
“Of course,” she said sweetly, making yet another note. “Well, if you could just predict something for me, then?”
She looked up inquiringly, still smiling. Professor Trelawney had stiffened as though unable to believe her ears.
“I don’t understand you,” said Professor Trelawney, clutching convulsively at the shawl around her scrawny neck.
“I’d like you to make a prediction for me,” said Professor Umbridge very clearly.
Harry and Ron were not the only people watching and listening sneakily from behind their books now; most of the class were staring transfixed at Professor Trelawney as she drew herself up to her full height, her beads and bangles clinking.
“The Inner Eye does not See upon command!” she said in scandalized tones.
“I see,” said Professor Umbridge softly, making yet another note on her clipboard.
“I — but — but … wait!” said Professor Trelawney suddenly, in an attempt at her usual ethereal voice, though the mystical effect was ruined somewhat by the way it was shaking with anger.