Tasseomancy (tea leaves)

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Chapter 253

\*Tasseomancy: Read the future from the remains of tea leaves in their teacups.

*\*Unfogging the Future:* Guide on interpretation of divination methods, such as Tasseomancy.

## Hermione

> *"Well, you've got a fox on your saucer," Tracey said. "It looks like most of the tea leaves fell, but that's definitely a fox. Do things on the saucer count?"*
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> *"It's still tea leaves," Millie said, shrugging. "Still counts."*
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> *"Right. So a fox is 'deceit or betrayal by someone close'," she said, wincing. "Not great. As for your cup… err, you've mostly just got lines left."*
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> *"What are they, though?" Hermione prompted*
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> *"Okay, so you've got an up arrow, which just means 'yes, good direction', but no idea what it's saying is good, and you've got an hourglass, which means 'approaching danger'. You've got a crooked cross, so that's 'suffering and trials' again, and a crooked sort of H? Which just means something to do with someone with that initial." She peered into the cup again, squinting. "And you've got a pregnant-looking line. No idea what that means, though."*
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> *Professor Trelawney was drifting around, reading cups. She approached their table.*
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> *"Are we having any success?" she said. "Do not be disappointed if not. Not everyone has an Inner Eye to open…"*
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> *"Hermione's got a fox on her saucer," Tracey said, pointing. "Does that still count?"*
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> *Professor Trelawney took Hermione's cup from Tracey, looking at Hermione.*
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> *"I'm afraid it does – be wary of betrayal…" Her voice was misty. "Though, for it to fall outside of your cup…"*
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> *She examined Hermione's cup for a moment, before looking at it quizzically and turning it different directions. She gave Hermione a suspicious look.*
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> *"Familiar with Ancient Runes, are you?" she asked. Her voice had lost some of its misty quality, and she seemed almost annoyed.*
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> *"Students do not usually take both Ancient Runes and my class," she said. "You must have a very logically-organized mind, though – your cup is full of runes, my dear, and not symbols at all." "Here, at the start, you have Hagalaz… hail, wrath of nature, and uncontrolled forces…"*
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> *"I thought that was just an H…" Tracey winced.*
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> *"Nauthiz is next… self-reliance and endurance, even in obstacles and challenging times…" Trelawney had affected her mystical voice again, but her eyes remained sharp on the cup. "Oh, dear… you have Tiwaz crossed with Thurisaz… a sense of justice and leaderships, but crossed with conflict, defense, and a violent outcome…" She turned the cup again. "Your last is Dagaz – radical change and a breakthrough, but who is to say of what sort…?"*
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> *"Okay, so I want to see this," Hermione said, digging in her bag. "I've got the Ancient Runes texts right here. Hand me my cup?"*
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> *Tracey handed it over, Hermione examining the cup.*
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> *"So this hourglass is actually the Dagaz?" Hermione said, blinking. "This kind of works, though – that pregnant line, Tracey, that was Thurisaz, the conflict and violence rune…"*
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> *"Is there a hooked line in there?" Millie asked. "That's what I couldn't get for Tracey."*
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> *Hermione flipped through.*
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> *"Oh! There is – Laguz. Water, power of renewal, dreams, fantasies," she read. "There's not any other context, though, really."*
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> *"I change my prediction, then," Millie said gravely. "Tracey, this year you will get very sick…" Her eyes glinted. "…in the head. Your insane fantasies will drive you to sleep with someone in a delirium of love, giving you great joy and happiness until you eventually wake from your dream."*
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> *"My dear…" Professor Trelawney's eyes opened dramatically, looking at Harry, "you have the Grim."*
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## Millie

> *"Right," Hermione said, looking at Millie's cup and consulting her textbook. "You've got some clouds, so that's 'trouble on the horizon', but then you've got a ring, which means 'events related to marriage'…"*
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> *"This is such tosh," Millie said disgustedly, but Hermione was getting into it now.*
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> *"You've got a mushroom next to the ring, though, which is 'fighting and romantic breakups', but right next to it you've got a house and an angel, which are 'business success' and 'good news related to love'. So if I were to summarize…" Hermione tapped her lips thoughtfully, looking down into the cup. "I would predict that your father's going to try and put you into a betrothal contract you don't like, you're going to fight, but you'll manage to break the contract. Oh, and you'll make money somehow somewhere in there." She grinned.*
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> *Millie snorted. "At least it ends well. I don't want to go through any of this marriage crap just yet."*
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## Tracey

> *Millie looked at the Tracey's cup, cocking it sideways and blinking.*
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> *"Err, you've got a bunch of brown clumps, really," Millie said. She peered down at her book. "Is there a symbol for 'potato sack'?"*
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> *"You've got to think creatively," Tracey admonished. "Open your mind."*
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> *Millie rolled her eyes.*
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> *"Okay, so that one kind of looks like scissors? Which means 'fighting or illness', but you've got a tree too, which means 'good fortune and happiness'. And… hang on…" She peered into the cup. "Err, I think you've got a line with a bit of a hook on it? If it's an arrow, it means something good, but it's not quite an arrow…"*
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> *"Is it a letter?" Tracey said, peering at the textbook.*
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> *"No, it's just a line with another little line, like half an arrow." Millie sat back up, putting Tracey's cup back. "So you'll get sick but be better afterwards, Tracey."*
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