#els rp

[domesticated-pirate]

Have you always wanted to be a teacher ?

“That being said...”

[domesticated-pirate]

can you tell me what's going to happen in the next hour?

[domesticated-pirate]

Which is your preferred method of divination?

[domesticated-pirate]

Midnight Tea for Two

In the teachers common room the candles flickered in the slight draught, their light providing comfort to two sleepless teachers.

McGonagall continued, cutting Trelawney off before she attempted to predict what conversation was coming next.

Trelawney’s air of dramatics evaporated immediately. McGonagall pressed on with her question 

Trelawney stared into her tea. Suddenly glad that Minerva had used tea bags so that she didn’t have to wonder whether there was a tragedy waiting to be read at the bottom of her cup. 

Silence hung heavy in the air.

Glancing towards Mcgonagall, Trelawney saw how the predictions were weighing heavy on her already burdened heart. 

McGonagall’s attention was brought crashing back into the room by Trelawney’s theatrics.

Thankful for Trelawney’s distracting performance, McGonagall returned her attention to her tea.

McGonagall looked upon her colleague with a new found respect. For the first time that night, she was grateful that the common room had not been as empty as she initially hoped.

(OOC: This was based from the head cannon that has been floating around that all of the students that Trelawney predicted would die actually died in the Battle of Hogwarts - I can’t find the original post, but if anyone has the link let me know an I’ll put it here!)

(Midnight Tea - The First Thread)

[domesticated-pirate]

Sybil Patricia Trelawney 

Early Student years (First year - 1965 ) 

7th Year (1971 - 1972) 

Graduation Day (Summer 1972)

Lost Years (1973 - 1980) 

Lightening Era (1981 - 1998) 

Post Battle of Hogwarts (1998 - )

[domesticated-pirate]

Ms. Trelawney! I found a heart in my tea leaves this morning. What does that mean?

[domesticated-pirate]

Lavender: Granger keeps saying that you're a fraud. But I believe you!

“Are you still around Sunday for tea, my dear?”

[domesticated-pirate]

Let’s talk about Trelawney

If it wasn’t abundantly clear by now, I just love Trelawney.  She is a pivotal character BUT throughout the books she is thought of, and portrayed as, an over dramatic fool.  Let’s consider the wider context ...

Firstly, it’s not just Trelawney that’s dismissed but Divination as an area of magic that is dismissed by much of the wizarding world as “lesser” magic, despite the fact it is taught as a subject at Hogwarts!

Now why might the elitist super conservative wizarding society dismiss an entire area of magic? Because it is shared with non-wizards 

If you subscribe to the idea that the wizarding world exists within our universe then some muggles practice certain aspects of divination (e.g. tarot). Throughout the books anything muggle is consistently looked down upon by the wizarding world – I mean they still use quills instead of pens FFS! So, it is not surprising that divining techniques that are known and used by muggles are snubbed by nearly all of the Wizarding community!

We know from cannon that centaurs are gifted in the art of divination and we know wizards are racists bigots who believe they are superior to all over magical beings. (I know - Not All Wizards - but their racism is systematic and inescapable.) Racist policies ensure that intelligent non-wizard magical beings (and werewolves) do not have the same rights as witches and wizards. Given the enforced hierarchy of races created by the Ministry and their racist policies, it is not surprising that Divination is dismissed as “lesser magic” because it is shared with non-wizards. 

Assuming the Ministries bigoted views are wrong (which they are) then it stands to reason that Divination is a legitimate form of magic, a different form maybe but not lesser. Trelawney’s predictions are often accurate when looked at it in hindsight (I’m assuming you’ve all seen posts about this so I will leave it at that). 

So, we have established that Divination is not a lesser form of magic, AND that Trelawney is gifted in said form of magic. Now, let’s consider Trelawney’s tendency to over-dramatise.

The only time she was taken seriously was when Dumbledore decided that he would listen to her owing to the fact that witnessed her making a prophecy in a trance - DRAMATIC AF! Previous to that he had been disappointed by her “performance”.

Prophecies are different to predictions, but consider this - it is assumed that Mr-I-Decide-Who-Knows-What-Dumbledore in his “wisdom” never told Trelawney about her prophecy! So, to Trelawney her predictions hold as much weight as a theoretical prophecy.

Now imagine, predicting multiple horrors, seeing death and destruction repeatedly, only to be told you’re a fool and made to feel powerless to prevent any of the harm that you could foresee! And then having to rewatch the harm occur as event unfold in real time! It would be crippling. Trelawney tries to get people to listen to her predictions by acting how she imagines she would if she were prophesying! Not surprising given prophecies appear to be the only form of Divination that receives any respect! Possibly a strong argument to be made that she should have tried another less dramatic tactic but she didnt’t know about the prophecy she made and so she was doing her best with incomplete information!  

AND don’t forget she also lived through TWO wizarding wars, fought in the Battle of Hogwarts AND took on Fenrir Greyback! 

Forget balls of steel Trelawney has balls of crystal!!!

In conclusion, Trelawney is a talented seer with a core of steel, a heart of gold and balls of crystal! Who only wants well-deserved respect for her life’s work. And yes she is dramatic, but with good reason!

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

(Aside from anything else Trelawney’s characterisation is likely JKR writing her as an anti-romani character - unsurprising given the anti-sematism, racism and transphobia that’s leaked into the books)

TL;DR

Divination isn’t taken seriously because wizard society is elitist and racist

Divination as just a different form of magic not a lesser form as is implied in HP books

Trelawney is gifted in the art of Divination

Trelawney is dramatic, probably because the only time anyone heeded her warning was at her most dramatic

Trelawney deserves more respect than she was given

How can Trelawney be expected to amend her dramatic ways when she was never told that she made a prophecy!

Dumbledore needs to stop withholding information about people from themselves (okay that isn’t discussed above but its still true!)

Trelawney is a badass that lived through and fought in two wizarding wars