>>6159461“So? Any ideas young lady? I really do need that quill to grade homework with.”
You honestly kind of blushed; it was a simple little joke. Something that would normally be used as a means to teach a lesson about predictions. Of changing them, how they could be correct yet wrong. It was honestly a little clever, in rare cases where someone could see something in the dumb toothpicks.
But?
You <span class="mu-i">hated</span> losing. Being embarrassed. A one little trick was nowhere near to beat someone who was an inch away from being a Slytherin. So, cheeks pink, you stared her down, blue-green eyes locked onto her own brownish ones while she smiled slightly.
“Funny. You did give it away some with that though, even if I didn’t know. Bottom of the left pocked of your robes.”, and she began to reach down with her left hand to what should have been her left robe pocket, backwards as they were. “Left relative to your robes before. Ma’am. Right hand.”
McDougal-Cross switched hands at your insistence, went down to her elbow in an obviously too small a pocket, then pulled out a very nice, white and red feathered basic quill with a cap over the tip. Smiled quite wide.
“There that darned thing is! I needed him! That way I can grade papers; class, you should thank Miss Sanders. Without my quill, I was just going to have to pass you all; now I can give failing grades on bad homework!”, and she adjusted her robes back while a few people snickered and some hissed at you in annoyance. “Give me a moment and I shall take a look at your spread, see how it looks from another witch’s perspective. Sure, you haven’t done this before, young Diviner?”
“Ahhh… not like this? I predicted a stubbed toe and getting a cold before? Maybe a couple other small things? I’m usually not correct, much. But mom… she was pretty good, back at Hogwarts. Oh? Just don’t expect much from my sister; she is even worse than I am.”
“Hahaha! All I ever expect from my students is to try, to do their best. The greatest practitioners of this Art are wrong plenty as well. Regardless, very good. I haven’t had someone do this correctly their first time in years. 10 points Thunderbird; now let’s see what’s…in… your… twigs…”
And the cheery, tricky older woman just stops and stares for long seconds; you are next to her and saw as her normal heavy lids lifted a small frown crept to her lips. And then, back to cheerful in a few seconds.
“As a small reward, in addition to the points and putting me in my place a bit? I think you deserve your own bundle; the ones I use for this demonstration were collected and carved by my predecessor; getting a little worn, though still useful, obviously. Go ahead. Take them, wrap them and head back to your seat.”
