The little wizard felt a mix of emotions.
After showering him with high praise, Professor Trelawney became even more excited. Ian's mention of a "great disaster" made her feel that Ian must have an extraordinary talent for divination.
This little guy must be a great prophet like me! With this expectation, Professor Trelawney thought she should "teach" the little wizard some extra material in advance.
"According to my original plan, we were going to learn tea leaf reading in next month's practical class, but I just used my Celestial Eye and, regrettably, I foresee catching a severe cold in a sudden drop in temperature, which might force me to pause classes for one to two months... I don't want such a thing to delay your divination studies."
Professor Trelawney jogged to a bookshelf, where a bronze incense burner was emitting milky white smoke, but this did not prevent her from retrieving a book from it.
"Unfogging the Future"
This is the textbook needed after choosing Divination as an elective in the third year, but the second-year little wizards attending a practical class clearly hadn't purchased it.
Professor Trelawney knew this, so she gave Ian her old book and encouraged Ian to self-study its content in his spare time.
"I hope it guides you towards the path I'm on. Believe me, I don't want to stop classes either, but a cold will rob me of my voice... yes, that's right, a very severe one." Professor Trelawney looked regretful, but her repeatedly emphasized tone made Ian feel she was preparing to ditch work.
If Ian remembered correctly.
Last year, this professor had already caught a cold for one or two months, and getting a cold this long regularly every year seemed a bit miraculous. The little wizard thought there must be something fishy behind it.
Sick leave doesn't affect salary, does it?
Perhaps the advantage of being a prophet lies in this: once you have a reason for skipping work, just say it's destiny, and most people, even if they notice something odd, probably wouldn't know how to argue.
After all, as Professor Trelawney said, few people can enter the domain of divination and prophecy, and someone unacquainted with the field cannot question a prophet, right?
"This is indeed a marvelous profession." Ian was greatly inspired and thoughtfully accepted "Unfogging the Future," and at this time, Professor Trelawney turned to give him a teacup.
"You've already proven your talent with the Crystal Ball, so use the remaining class time to self-study the tea leaves course, and if you encounter any problems, you can always consult with me, the authority of authorities."
"And before encountering difficulties, you can find knowledge on interpreting tea leaf shapes and floating states on page six of 'Unfogging the Future.'"
Professor Trelawney's narcissism was evident everywhere; after speaking, she was about to turn to guide other little wizards. However, the little wizard raised his hand to stop the professor.
"Do you need to drink the tea after brewing it?"
Ian looked at the teapot and tea leaves in front of him with a strange tone.
"Of course, dear. If you open the book I gave you, you'll discover this. The taste of the tea will also reveal some mystical aspects of fate to us."
"And you need to drink all the tea to observe the determined fate." Professor Trelawney patiently and unequivocally provided an answer.
She turned again.
She felt that there were still some poor, lost lambs on the steep road of divination and prophecy who needed her help to cross the threshold.
"But your tea leaves are moldy." Ian used a bamboo stick to poke at the tea leaves in the cup, and the red and oily mold on them made him feel they were not quite suitable for consumption.
"Nonsense, the high-grade tea leaves I purchased with this year's teaching funds cannot possibly be moldy." Professor Trelawney promptly responded without changing her expression.
"That's tea treasure, child, a feature only found in truly high-quality tea leaves." She was clearly lying with open eyes. How could Ian not know the difference between mold and tea treasure?
He even suspected these tea leaves had been soaked in feet and then dried.
"Alright, then I should save some to share with the elders who have been good to me. You know, Headmaster Dumbledore often invites me to his office as a guest."
Seeing that Professor Trelawney was about to help make tea with boiling water, Ian knew that arguing would be futile, so he opted for another approach to tackle the situation.
No wonder he's a psychology mastery boy.
At the little wizard's words, Professor Trelawney froze immediately, halting her hand pouring water at lightning speed, and swiftly took away the tea leaves on Ian's desk.
"This tea is too heaty, not suitable for the elderly. I'll switch you to a milder tea; it's not as precious, but it's also our divination class's teaching tea."
Professor Trelawney maintained her composure, but after commending Ian's "filial piety," she inconspicuously replaced Ian's tea with another kind of black tea.
This time, it was definitely real good tea, this year's new tea, and certainly not priced like an inferior product, which was evident from the fleeting look of pained expression on Professor Trelawney's face.