Divination IC Professor Benoit’s Office

Henry would dawdle up to the door of the office, knocking before entering, as his mother always said to do.

He'd been thinking about divination since he got his wand and Ollivander had told him that his was usually for those gifted in divination and 'legimency', whether he was spelling or pronouncing that right was another question. Despite trying to do some research on the topics, a lot of it was for older students or in the restricted section whilst the ones he could get ahold of where very..airy-fairy and he couldn't make a solid opinion on it. This was what caused him to make there decision to come see the professor.

He could imagine his siblings laughing at him about being such a swot but once Henry got ahold of an idea, he wanted to find out everything there was to know about it, and what better way to do it than to ask someone who teaches it?

Smiling to the lady, Henry'd start off his practiced speech.
"Hello ma'am, I'm Henry Reed, a first year from Ravenclaw. When I got my wand Mr Ollivander told me it was for gifted legilimens and divination people. I've done some research on both but haven't found enough to give me a whole lot. I was wondering if, even though I'm just a first year, I could ask you about it?" He gave her his best dimpled smile to try and pursuade her, he'd be quite upset if he got outright declined.

Benoit heard the signal of an approaching person thanks to the audible sounds of beads knocking against the office door frame. She paused in her organising to lay the book face down on her bookshelf and then spun around to greet the boy, corners of her mouth lifting into a smile at the visitor. Ah, he was a Ravenclaw just like she was. Any students of the house of blue and bronze were more than welcome here.

Crossing her arms to lean her back against the shelves, the woman listened to him tell his story of getting a wand only a few months prior. Benoit remembered the day she gots hers too, except then she was no eleven-year-old, but rather an adult buying her first wand after years of managing the cultural wand-less traditions of Uagadou. For gifted Legilimens and 'divination people' did he say? Well, by that description alone, she knew it could only mean one wood type in particular - silver lime - because Ollivander had told her the exact same thing himself, all those years ago in his shop.

"I'm afraid the art of Legilimency is something I'm not all too practiced in, Mr. Reed," she responded, kicking herself off from the spot she was leaning against. The legilimency skill did in fact have similarities to that of Divination; both required readings and interpretations, though the subject of what was being read and how were the crucial differences that categorized them as two totally separate talents. "Though, I've had my fair share of experience with someone who could do such a thing - navigate through the mind, that is," she emphasized with a tap to her temple, "I can't exactly do it myself, but I can tell you what I do know."

She could barely hide her outwards contentment that already someone had shown interest in the very thing she dedicated her life to. At this rate, her goal would be easily achievable, as long as the curious minds never faltered. "Divination, on the other hand, that is my forte. I wouldn't be here to teach you all if it wasn't."

The short woman beckoned her hands towards the round table in the middle of the office. "Would you like to have a seat?"

Henry'd grin, nodding eagerly. Slipping his bag off his shoulder and gently putting it on the floor, he'd hurry across to sit down, hands clasping over his knees.

"From what I read, all I could manage to gather was that glass balls and tea cups are used? And-and it's hard to do, only certain people really have the gift. My siblings always joke about me being able to see the future since I got my wand, that's not true, right? You can't actually see the future, just have to interpret it? Like tarot cards? My mum had tarot cards."

He'd ramble, scrunching his brows as he jumped from topic to topic, pulling a small pencil and pad out of his cloak. Henry was a bit obsessive when it came to learning new things, wanting to know every little thing he could to make up the whole picture. It did help that he had an eidetic memory since it allowed him to remember what he wrote and if he really really tried, what people had said to him by remembering their moving lips. He looked to the professor, a small, sheepish smile on his face as he waited to see what knowledge she could bestow on him.

Professor Benoit stepped over her dragging cloaks, picking them up behind her as she made her way to the fabric-covered table to sit opposite from the boy. With eager attention, she listened to the first-year's rambling, watching him pull out parchment and a writing utensil to record her next words. A smile formed at the corner of her lips. She'd have to tread lightly - it could be a confusing subject.

"Goodness, there's plenty more methods than that!" she laughed, hands folding in her lap "Fire, bone, smoke... and plenty more, all valid. You'll see should you ever decide to take my lessons."

'You can't really see the future, can you?' Ah, a common inquiry; one that she was often asked almost immediately after introduction, though it was not like she could really blame them. "Well, yes and no."

She sat taller in the leather seat, considering how she could word it to him in a way that he'd understand. Benoit took a brief pause before speaking, aiming to intentionally lower the intensity and speed of her talking. Topics like this always went to her head.  "Through regular means - such as tarot cards, just like you suggested - Seers can foresee possibilities and then from there interpret the most likely outcome. The future is spontaneous, however; even the smallest decision made in the present can drastically affect it, so an interpretation could hold little to no weight if someone acts completely unpredictable."

Happily, she reached a hand forward and brought the crystal ball centerpiece to her person. Bright blue, yet empty, it made for a magnificent sight. Her palm traced over the smooth surface. "However, are there rare instances where the future is revealed with unimaginable accuracy. A prophecy; have you heard of that?"

"A prophecy is a genuine prediction, not a mere interpretation," Benoit informed him, holding up a finger. Her first prophecy was a story to tell, that was for sure. She couldn't recall having it but awoke on the ground, exhausted, her concerned father and siblings looming over her to check her head for a fever. 'Fainted,' they said, 'All that chanting... she must be ill!' were the guesses from all but her father, Jacques, who knew better back then. 

"It happens involuntarily, quite terrifying if you're seeing it for the first time. You'll enter... a trance-like state," Benoit sighed, her arms and hands waving wildly around her, "You might utter something that may SEEM like nonsense! - but no, child - it's real. Very real." By this point, she had begun to realize she was probably being odd again, and instead brought the topic back to the crystal ball in front of her. With a mutter, she informed him, "Afterwards, the prophecy can be stored inside one of these."

She coughed, slouching a bit. "Harry Potter's life was changed by a prophecy and a dark wizard who feared it. Don't underestimate its power, and I'd tell your siblings not to make a joke of you. Silver lime wands aren't handed out just to anyone," she kindly reassured him, before finishing with a move towards her side to pull out her own wand from her cloak pocket to prove that she had as well gotten a similar wand.

"...Any other questions?" she asked, fiddling with the wood in her hands.

Whilst the professor spoke, Henry was concentrating on every word that came from her. His hand was scribbling furiously on the pad of paper to try and get everything down. His mind was reeling at the new information.

From what he'd just found out, Henry thought that divination sounded..well, it sounded magical. Seers, as she said, made Henry wonder whether all the future tells in festivals and in shows were actually wizards or witches that had the power to peer into the future. He'd certainly have to write a letter back home to tell them all these discoveries.

"A few actually, yes." He'd nod, shuffling forward on the stool so he was prepared to write down the answers to the questions. He was pretty sure they'd sound stupid or childish but he couldn't help but let the curiosity take over. She was a professor, surely she couldn't laugh at him for wanting to expand his knowledge.
"Why does the prophecy go into a crystal ball? Can it go anywhere else? Is it possible to have a prophecy about yourself or your family? Or is it just someone random, like that Harry Potter you mentioned? Is he important? Should I know about him? I'm still catching up you see, wizarding history is quite different to muggles. Do I have to wait till third year to have divination lessons?"

"Crystal balls can serve as a means for storing prophecies. They grant the opportunity to tap back into one and interpret whenever necessary. Placing one into a crystal ball is optional but handy and highly recommended for that very reason." The young professor did not explain any further of prophecy records lest he start to delve more into their uses. Any more and that would border onto Unspeakable territory.

"Now, a prophecy can include anyone, Mr. Reed," she said, "Even those of high influence, in the case of Harry Potter and the man he defeated. He's one of the most famous wizards in Britain and I'd even say he's garnered quite the reputation worldwide. Give him a read sometime," Benoit finished with a sympathetic smile. With the many various backgrounds in the school, it was no surprise that some people would arrive at the castle totally perplexed. He'd figure it all out soon enough, she was certain of it. He seemed like an intelligent lad.

Resting her hands on the surface in front of her to twist around a ring on her finger, she acknowledged his final concern. "That's right. Third years and up only for formal lessons." The decision sadly wasn't up to her, though she would not argue it. "But who knows - maybe I'll have introductory meetings of the sort for aspiring students such as yourself!"

"That'd be really cool! Have you ever had anyone with a gift like you for Divination? I presume you must be really really good at the art itself rather than just knowing the topic's information in order to teach it."

Henry'd slouched slightly on the stool, his previously rigid back having relaxed now that he realised how nice the professor was, and that he wasn't going to be reprimanded for wasting her time.

"What else can be used to store prophecies? When prophecies come true, do they disappear or are they there forever? Oh! Can prophecies be changed? As you said, the future can be changed by an action so wouldn't prophecies be able to change?"

He'd have flipped over his little notepad onto another page, having already scribbled notes all over the first one. Later on, he'd go through them and re-write out the most important notes on another sheet so that he could keep looking and thinking about them. When Henry found a topic he was interested in, he wasn't one to just leave it alone. He wasn't obsessive, just enjoyed knowing a lot about it so that he wasn't asking questions that he didn't know the answer to. Maybe he just liked to be prepared in this new, confusing world.

@Nadège Benoit
Kaegen entered the room entirely disorganized. There were too many weird smells, it was overpowering. Coffee smelled ghastly and bitter, incense stung his nose and made him want to sneeze, making his eyes water as well, a strange affair, as the tears that were smudged all over his face were bloody and red, combining with the dark circles under his eyes and his generally corpselike appearance to give off a rather ghastly air. As though he had barely survived a fight to the death and was now back to haunt someone.

The beads would rattle more than they usually would, as the little ravenclaw swatted at them to try and keep them from his face, ducking down low and darting through the curtain as he did so. It was weird, it was different. It spooked him. But still, he remained as calm as he possibly could. He took deep breaths through his mouth, he focused as hard as he could into putting forth a unassuming appearance. He had to keep his hate inside, bottled up so that it wouldn't burst forth. He didn't think it would scare a professor, but it might.

Kaegen's robes were fading and frayed, his ridiculously large umbrella strapped to his back with cordage. His hair was a mess and you could still see blood gathering in the corners of his eyes. His throat, too, was almost as tattered as he was, although the wounds evident there were old, no longer fresh gashes but scar tissue. He tried to clear his throat but instead felt the need to sneeze, an urge he spent a good fifteen seconds suppressing.

"Excuse me. I am here to request 5 minutes of your time, and two spells. Please."

A tiny, skinny little boy crying blood all over his face, in robes that belonged in a museum, or maybe on a beggar. He had seen the divination professor around before, however. And she wasn't quite as hostile as most. She would kill him without a second thought, he knew. But it would take longer to get her to that point.

Probably.