Tarotmancy

There have been multiple tarot card readings, which provide teasers of future chapters

Links

Chapter 320 (Clover & Worm)

Chapter 361 (Hermione & Tracey)

Chapter 398 (Hermione)

Chapter 404 (Hermione)

## Hermione

**Chapter 361**

*"Your present position is the seven of pentacles," Tracey said. "You've done all you can in this situation, and now you must wait for the results to grow."*

*"That is not what the book says," Hermione said, annoyed. "The book says 'long-term view, sustainable results, perseverance, and investment' for the seven of pentacles."*

*"That's what I said, pretty much," Tracey shot back. "You've got this goal you've been working towards for a while, but right now, you've done all you can. See the little man?" She pointed to a man standing with a hoe, looking down at the pentacles in a bush. "He's planted his plants. Now he has to wait for nature to work her magic and make them grow."*

*Hermione gave Tracey a look. "Are you really doing this?"*

*"It's my Inner Eye," Tracey said haughtily, though her eyes sparkled. "Be quiet and let me have my moment."*

*Hermione rolled her eyes but smirked, sitting back. "Then by all means."*

*Tracey flipped the second card.*

*"The crossing shows immediate influences and obstacles that lie just ahead," she said. "Err—you've got the seven of swords. It symbolizes betrayal, deception, getting away with something, and acting strategically."*

*Hermione frowned. "That's hardly fair! Everyone keeps secrets."*

*"This isn't you keeping secrets – that'd be if it were reversed," Tracey said. "Upright, someone else is going to deceive you."*

*Hermione rolled her eyes. If Sirius Black tried to betray her, it'd be the last thing he ever did before he got his soul sucked out.*

*"Third card is your goal or destiny. You've got Justice," Tracey said. "That's exactly what it sounds like – you're seeking justice and fairness in the world."*

*"That's fair at least," Hermione said dryly. "Maybe your 'Inner Eye' isn't so bad after all."*

*Tracey flipped the fourth card, pausing.*

*"Fourth card is distant past," she said. "You've got the three of swords."*

*Hermione waited, but Tracey frowned and flipped the remaining two cards.*

*"You've got the ten of swords in the 'recent past' position, and nine of swords in the 'future influences' position," she said. "That's… really not good."*

*Hermione bit her lip, looking over the cards. "They… don't look good."*

*Tracey took a deep breath.*

*"Well, in distant past, someone was getting away with something sneaky," Tracey said. "Possibly you, possibly someone else. But it's an influencing factor. Ten of swords, though – that's fairly clear. Someone's betrayed you. And recently."*

*"But how? With what?" Hermione wanted to know, looking at the little picture of a person lying on the ground with ten swords stabbed into their back. "How am I betrayed?"*

*"No idea," Tracey said promptly. "In whatever the reading was about, I'm guessing? But possibly just in your life. It's not going to get better, either – with nine of swords, you're in for feeling stabbed in the back and a lot of mental and emotional anguish."*

*"I am not," Hermione argued, flushed. "Everything is going to be fine."*

*"Well, we'll see, won't we?" Tracey said easily. She dealt out the next four cards. "Next we've got the questioner, which is meant to show you your present position or put things into the proper perspective. You've got the nine of wands, which indicates you've been in a battle or fight recently. It also cautions you to remain vigilant, as the fight's not over yet."*

*"That one might be accurate," Hermione conceded. Despite all her prep work, after all, the hearing for Sirius Black was only just about to start.*

*"Environmental factors is next," Tracey said, flipping the eighth card. "You've got Queen of Swords reversed. So… an over-emotional, irrational woman who's determined to get what she wants."*

*"This is an outside influence, right?" Hermione said, frowning. She couldn't imagine Narcissa Malfoy ever becoming emotionally overwrought and irrational.*

*"Probably a woman with dark hair and dark coloring?" Tracey said, guessing. "Anyway, for your ninth card, you've got—"*

*The Devil flipped up on the table upside-down, looking ominous with its horned creature and chained naked man and woman.*

*"So this card represents inner hopes, hidden emotions, secret desires, fears, and your anxieties," Tracey said. "The Devil is all about your shadow self, accepting your darker impulses in order to free yourself. You can see the shackles around the people are loose – they can free themselves whenever they want. Reversed, it's actually better in this case – it's calling upon you to confront your inner fears and anxieties to free yourself from the chains that bind you to your limiting beliefs." Tracey got a sly look on her face. "This card also represents your sexuality. If it's telling you to free yourself—"*

*"Not in this case, I assure you," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Come on. What's the last one?"*

*"Tenth card, the outcome," Tracey said. "And you've got—er—"*

*The Tower sat at the top, a picture of people leaping out of a burning building being hit by lightning.*

*"Um. So this card is generally bad," Tracey said diplomatically.*

*"I can see that," Hermione snarled.*

*"So… well… um…" Tracey hesitated. "The Tower generally means the unexpected – a massive change, an upheaval, destruction, and chaos. It's anything that shakes you to your core and shocks you – it's a change that will create chaos and destroy everything in its path, but ultimately for the greater good."*

*"I'm done with this," Hermione announced, folding her arms and glaring at Tracey. "Sirius is going to go free and it will be fine."*

*"Maybe it wasn't about Sirius Black," Tracey objected. "All the betrayal cards were about you, not him."*

*The reverse hadn't occurred to Hermione.*

*"No, no, they were about him," she said slowly, thinking. "He was betrayed – that's the whole claim on his innocence. The reading is for him, not me."*

*\*Hermione proceeded to entrench herself firmly in denial.*

*Tracey blinked. "I don't think that's how it works."*

*"No, no, look," Hermione said, pointing to the cards. "Seven of pentacles, that's the same, but the seven of swords here just means sneaky tactical planning – that's fine, that's what we've been doing to try and get his freedom. Justice holds, but the betrayal cards – those have got to be about his friend's betrayal, both the past one, and undoubtedly the one yet to come on the stand. And the future – err – well, I imagine the trial will be a lot of emotional anguish for him – he'll be reliving the worst time of his life."*

*"You are not a stand-in for Sirius Black," Tracey said crossly. "No matter what dodgy political nonsense you've been getting up to, Hermione."*

*Hermione ignored her. "The Questioner makes sense – he just battled his way out of Azkaban, and now he's looking at a legal fight – and the outside influence is the Queen of Swords – that could be me, right? A very determined woman with dark hair? Then the Devil – he's literally going to take his shackles off his neck when he's freed—"*

*"And the Tower?" Tracey said pointedly. "How's that going to be a positive outcome?"*

*"Err…" Hermione stalled. "Maybe… it could be his imprisonment in Azkaban? He's now free from the dark tower?"*

*"By it being struck by lightning and leaping to his doom?" Tracey asked incredulously.*

*"Well, maybe it's metaphorical!" Hermione said hotly. "Being freed would destroy everything he's known for the past twelve years of his life! The lightning could be the court's judgement, shaking everything he knows to its core, and he'd have to build a new life afterward, wouldn't he?"*

*"That is not how divination works, and you know it," Tracey said, annoyed. "My Inner Eye is clearer than yours, Hermione. This is about you."*

*"It's not." Hermione was certain; she knew much more about Sirius Black's situation than Tracey did, and with that extra knowledge, the cards made perfect sense.*

*Tracey rolled her eyes and huffed, but Hermione huffed right back. What did it matter, anyway? Divination was imprecise and dumb.*

* Seven of Pentacles: "Things coming to fruition, hard work paying off, harvest, rewards, profits, results, pay-outs, manifestation of ideas or goals, inheritance, cultivation, growing, gestation, nurturing, perseverance, patience, planning, reviewing, taking stock, questioning, crossroads, approaching retirement, finishing what you started."
* Seven of Swords: "Deceit, lies, trickery, cheating, theft, underhanded, scheming, dangerous/risky behavior, enemy masquerading as friend, spying, lack of conscience, strategy, resourceful, flexible, escaping detection, getting away with it, adaptable, courage, daring, sharp wit, mental manipulation, cunning, overly rational."
* Justice: "Justice, karmic justice, consequences, legal disputes, law, truth, honesty, integrity, cause and effect, life lessons."
* Three of Swords: "Heartbreak, betrayal, loneliness, removal, absence, division, depression, separation, sadness, heartache, unhappiness, upheaval, grief, sorrow, upset, disorder, confusion, alienation, loss, distraction, ill-health, conflict, disillusion, trauma, serious misunderstandings, tears."
* Ten of Swords: "Backstabbing, betrayal, enemies, bitching, badmouthing, bitterness, doormat, failure, ruin, collapse/breakdown, exhaustion, inability to cope, curses, rock bottom, hitting a wall, dead end, severing ties, goodbyes, nail in the coffin, exaggeration, overly dramatic, martyr, attention seeker, playing victim, attack, violence."
* Nine of Swords: "Fear, anxiety, terror, negativity, deep unhappiness, stress, burden, overwhelmed, at breaking point, inability to cope or face life, mental anguish, guilt, regret, remorse, focusing on past, subject of gossip, isolation, making mountains out of molehills, joylessness, despair, nightmares, insomnia, hormonal, menopause, migraines."
* Nine of Wands: "Ongoing battle, battle weary, fatigue, drained of energy, nearly there, close to success, courage, persistence, perseverance, backbone, learning from past failure, gather your strength, fight your corner, last stand, guarded, wounded, expecting trouble, holding out, not working out as planned, setbacks, strength of will."
* Queen of Swords, reversed: "Overly critical, pessimistic, lack of empathy, rude, malicious gossip, manipulative, harsh, bitter, spiteful, vindictive, nasty, cruel, deceitful, cheater, unforgiving, scatter-brain, mental fogginess, poor communication, dysfunctional, obsessive, dependent, not learning from past, absent mother, repressed trauma, infertile."
* Devil, reversed: "Detachment, independence, overcoming addiction, freedom, revelation, reclaiming power, reasserting control."
* Tower: "Chaos, destruction, sudden upheaval, trauma, unexpected change, disaster, loss, tragedy, revelations, confusion, pain, divorce, abuse, violence, bankruptcy, natural disasters."

**Chapter 398**

*[Tracey] withdrew a pack of tarot cards and gave it to Hermione with a smirk. "Shuffle, Hermione. Let's see if you can do a simple three-card reading for yourself."*

*"Fine," Hermione snapped. She shuffled the deck, glaring at Tracey all the while, before shoving it back at her.*

*"Past, present, future," Tracey reminded her, flipping cards. "You've got Queen of Swords, three of wands, and-err-"*

*"The Tower again," Hermione murmured, looking at the people leaping out of the crumbling structure to their doom. She looked over the spread, her eyes growing astonished. "Actually, this is dead on, Tracy." Her eyes flew up to Tracey. "You really might have the Gift."*

*Tracey looked startled. "Wait, you understand this?"*

*"Yes," Hermione said. "Queen of Swords as past, this is Sylvia-"*

*"Who's Sylvia?" Blaise asked suddenly, sliding up next to Hermione.*

*"No one," Hermione dismissed. "Three of wands in the present - this shows that my hard work has paid off and I can pause to breathe, even as I look towards my next adventure, and Tower as the future…"*

*Blaise was cocking his head.*

*"I don't take Divination, but even to me, that looks pretty bad," he said.*

*"Only if you're in the Tower," Hermione said slowly, looking over the picture with a new perspective.*

*Tracey scoffed. "As opposed to what, Hermione? Being one of the ones jumping out of the tower to crash on the rocks?"*

*"I'm not a person in this prediction, here," Hermione murmured. A small smiled curled at the corners of her lips. "I'm the lightning setting the tower aflame."*

* Queen of Swords: "Honest, truthful, candid, protective, independent, chatty, communicative, witty, funny, principled, fair, constructive criticism, strong, quirky, realistic, objective, discerning, problem solver, skeptical, intelligent, sharp wit, self-reliant, open-minded, sophisticated, mother, repressed pain or sadness, divorced, hard knocks."
* Three of Wands: "Travel, moving abroad, foreign land, foresight, forward planning, moving forward, self-confidence, self-belief, freedom, success, happy with choices/outcome, hard work paying off, experiencing life, spreading your wings, adventure, long distance/ travel romance, fortune favors the brave, overseas trade/expansion, growth."
* Tower: "Chaos, destruction, sudden upheaval, trauma, unexpected change, disaster, loss, tragedy, revelations, confusion, pain, divorce, abuse, violence, bankruptcy, natural disasters."

**Chapter 404**

"I know, let's not even *ask* you - let's ask the cards," Tracey barreled over her, fishing in her pockets. "Here - shuffle, then we'll deal out cards for the summer."

"I *really* don't think-"

"Shut up and shuffle," Tracey directed, shoving the tarot deck into Hermione's hands. "I want to see if I really have a knack for this."

"Is this what they teach you in Divination?" Luna sat forward, amused. "I want to see how this works."

"This is ridiculous," Hermione declared, though she shuffled the cards. "For the record, I am *only* doing this to shut you up."

"So noted," quipped Blaise.

Tracey took the cards back.

"So first is you - what life path are you currently on?" She dealt a card. "You've got the Magician. So that means solving problems, but the solutions might be lacking. Generally it means solving problems via magic, but that doesn't have the same context for us as it does for muggles, does it? Where magic is all illusion?"

"Get on with it," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, beware overconfidence," Tracey said, shooting Hermione a grin. "Next, what you're learning along your path-" she flipped a card. "Three of cups. Aw, this is nice - you're learning to count on your friends."

Blaise grinned and Tracey batted her eyelashes at Hermione, and to Hermione's mortification, she flushed. There was *nothing* wrong with counting on her friends, so she had *no reason* to be embarrassed by it, but here she was, blushing anyway.

"Next, what will you encounter along the way? You've got-" Tracey fumbled the cards, dropping several. "Wait, no, crap. Hang on-"

"Flip them," Luna said serenely. "You must have dropped them for a reason."

"Yeah, clumsiness," Blaise said, snickering, and Tracey shot him a dark look before flipping all three.

"Um. Wow. So you've got three *people* here: knight of swords, knight of pentacles, and queen of cups. Err…" Tracey trailed off. "There's a bunch of meanings to this, so let's just go with you'll meet a bunch of people who will all interact in some significant way."

Luna started giggling, but she didn't volunteer any more information.

"Your biggest obstacle will be…" Tracey flipped a card. "Err. Ooh. Devil reversed. That's… not good."

"Are you cheating?"

Hermione turned quickly to see Susan leaning over, watching Tracey. She hadn't realized she'd woken up. A quick glance saw Harry stretching and blinking blearily as well. Hermione supposed Tracey hadn't really bothered keeping her voice down.

"I am not!" Tracey protested. "I'm just dealing! Hermione shuffled."

Susan glanced down at the cards, then at Hermione.

"Biggest obstacle as devil reversed - that's probably You-Know-Who," she said flatly.

Hermione bit her lip. "That's… fair."

"Something you haven't considered," Tracey said, flipping the next card. "Six of swords. Which is… um. A journey? Or something? I don't really know. Next is what will help you accomplish your goals, which is…" She flipped another card. "The High Priestess. Oh! That might be me, or Luna, actually - the high priestess is associated with divination and prophecies. You've already got one prophecy made about you from Luna, right?"

"Merlin! I almost forgot!" Hermione began digging through her bag furiously. "I have to ask you about this, Luna…"

"Anyway, last card, long term goals. You've got the world." Tracey blinked. "Um. Maybe this means you want to take over the world? Or the world won't be changed, or-okay, I don't know what it means, really."

* Magician: "Power, influence, willpower, resourcefulness, skill, ability, logic, intellect, concentration and psychic powers."
* Three of Cups: "Reunions, celebrations, parties, socializing, gatherings, indulgence, festivals, festivities, gatherings, happiness, wedding, engagement party, graduation, baby shower, happy times."
* Knight of Swords: "Big changes/opportunities, seize the moment, jump in, arrival/departure, assertive, direct, honest, quick-wit, talkative, impatient, impulsive, intellectual, daring, rebellious, brave, courageous, focused, single-minded, perfectionist, ambitious, risk-taker, forward-thinking, champion, hero, soldier, go against the flow, leader."
* Knight of Pentacles: "Patient, practical, loyal, responsible, persistence, protective, defensive, conservative, stubborn, ambitious, hard worker, profit, finishing what you start, working with nature working for what you want, making your dreams/wishes come true through persistence, environmentally conscious, getting back to nature."
* Queen of Cups: "Mature emotional female, security, femininity, loving, warmth, sensitivity, kindness, happiness, intuition, romance, loyal, faithful, shy, easily wounded, pretty, beauty, daydreamer, psychic, empath, creative artistic, inspirational, healer, listener, counsellor, caring, supportive, good mother."
* Devil, reversed: "Detachment, independence, overcoming addiction, freedom, revelation, reclaiming power, reasserting control."
* Six of Swords: "Calmer waters, healing, progress, moving on, moving forward, things calming down, calm after a storm, overcoming hardship, relief, stability, escaping, running away, journeys, travelling, travel overseas, going on holiday, feeling deflated, lethargy, carrying negativity, spirit guides, guidance, support."
* High Priestess: "Desirability, unattainability, mystery, sensuality, spirituality, thirst for knowledge, mystery, subconscious, higher power, creativity, fertility."
* World: "Success, achievement, accomplishment, travel, completion, fulfilment, sense of belonging, wholeness."

## Tracey

**Chapter 361**

*"…for environmental factors, you've got the ten of pentacles reversed," Hermione said, flipping the card for Tracey. "This indicates worries over family. For your ninth—" she flipped a card, "you've got the Star representing your inner emotions, which means you're hopeful. And for the final result—" she flipped the last card "—you've got the Lovers."*

* Ten of Pentacles, reversed: "Disputed inheritance/ being excluded from/not leaving a will, unexpected changes, financial disaster, bankruptcy, huge losses/debts, collapse of an empire, illegal activity, money laundering, rocky foundations, losing everything, family feuds/ burdens/ neglect, domestic disputes, fighting over money, divorce, “new money”, faking wealth/affluence, instability, breaking traditions, unconventional, marrying for money, cold-heartedness."
* Star: "Hope, inspiration, creativity, calm, contentment, renewal, serenity, spirituality, healing, positivity."
* Lovers: "Love, soulmates, kindred spirits, perfect unions, partnerships, relationships, major choices, romance, desire, sexual connections, shared values."

## Others

**Chapter 230**

*"I pick a card from the tarot deck before I go about my day," Worm told her. "Tells me what to expect, what I might need to bring along."*

*"Divination," Hermione said, understanding. "I start that class this year."*

*"Helps a lot," Worm said, nodding. "Forewarned is forearmed."*

*"What'd you get today?" Clover asked Worm. "I got Queen of Pentacles."*

*"I got five of Pentacles reversed," Worm admitted with a grin. He looked sideways at Hermione. "Not much of a surprise, there."*

* Queen of Pentacles: "Mature grounded female, businesswoman, high social status/social butterfly, generous, loyal, prosperity, success, financially independent, wealth, luxury, homemaker, the finer things in life, down to earth, organized, sensible, practical, no-nonsense, kind, welcoming, nurturing, witch, healer, wonderful mother."
* Five of Pentacles, reversed: "Improvement in finances/luck, end of hardship, positive change, becoming financially secure, recovery from losses, making progress, overcoming adversity, paying off debts, forgiveness, health improvement/ treatment, being welcomed/accepted, becoming employed, improving/letting go of relationships."

1. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/seven-of-pentacles
2. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/seven-of-swords
3. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/justice
4. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/three-of-swords
5. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/ten-of-swords
6. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/nine-of-swords
7. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/nine-of-wands
8. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/queen-of-swords
9. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/the-devil
10. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/the-tower
11. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/queen-of-swords
12. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/three-of-wands
13. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/the-magician
14. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/three-of-cups
15. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/knight-of-swords
16. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/knight-of-pentacles
17. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/queen-of-cups
18. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/six-of-swords
19. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/the-high-priestess
20. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/the-world
21. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/ten-of-pentacles
22. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/the-star
23. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/the-lovers
24. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/queen-of-pentacles
25. ↑ https://www.thetarotguide.com/five-of-pentacles