[HPforGrownups] Dumbledore's judgement(Was Re: Snape mentioning Peter)

[Jenett]

No: HPFGUIDX 34461

On Fri, 1 Feb 2002, marinafrants wrote:
> Not a total fraud, apparently -- we've seen her make one accurate
> prediction, and we've been told of one other.  Divination appears to
> be a very rare talent, so maybe Trelawney is, like Lockhart, the only
> available candidate.  (I don't know why Hogwarts has a Divination
> class at all -- it doesn't appear to be a teachable skill.)

Actual prophecy qua prophecy or foresight isn't really teachable, no. 

But it *is* possible to learn to use the common tools (tea, crystal 
gazing, tarot cards) to help you put a face on vague feelings. Most people 
can usually learn to use one or more of those methods to help them clarify 
stuff they're seeing subconsciously if they put the work in. 

Astrology's even simpler: while there is definitely an art in 
interpretation of charts, the actual putting together of charts is a 
science much more than an art. Even if you don't want to actually 
interpret your own chart, it's probably handy to be aware of what's 
involved. 

I'm given to understand by people who've studied astrology a 
lot more that *general* profiling is fairly easy to do, but that pinning 
down a specific event involves as much prophetic divination (i.e. 
something that just hits you on the head with no real 'factual' basis) as 
anything else. 

However, it's also true for people that *exposure* to the tools sometimes 
helps them develop more talent with the art - because there's an easier 
conduit for that information to flow, and also simply because you're 
spending some time being open to the possibility of seeing things. 

Some people don't need that, or find the tools to be a distraction (Ron,
if the theories about him being a Seer are accurate, for example). But
that doesn't mean learning how ot use the tools is a generally bad idea. 
And *certainly*, learning about the tools in school would make the kids 
less prone to being taken in by people who abuse the tools later on in 
life, which I think is definitely not a bad thing.

It's also worth noting that Divination isn't a required course, as 
Hermione proves. So people who really don't care about it don't need to be 
there. 

-Jenett