My new candidate for Voldemort's agent-in-place at Hogwarts

[Eric Oppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 35361

I've just thought of someone who would be perfect for the role of
"Overlooked Character Who Is Hiding A Dark Secret" in the next
book...Professor Trelawney!

For all we know to the contrary, she could actually be a _good_ Seer (her
mantic trance, as in _Chamber of Secrets,_ comes on her unpredictably, but
she can do a good deal with more ordinary and, dare I say, "predictable"
methods such as Tarot cards, crystal balls and tea leaves) who prefers to
hide her powers.  And what better cover for a _real_ Seer than a
_fraudulent_ Seer?  If she pops out with a real prediction, everybody
discounts it "oh, that's crazy Trelawney being impressive again."

At present, she can ensnare some of the sillier students, and utilize them
in various ways without their being fully aware that they're being
used---just because she's a Seer doesn't mean that she doesn't know other
magic; for all we know, she's got Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown reporting
in to her regularly, using the Imperius Curse to make them do as they're
told and using Memory Charms, a la Lockhart, to make sure that they don't
remember telling her all that is going on in the school.  She's also
well-placed to wander around on her own, possibly with an Invisibility Cloak
a la Harry Potter, and has as much access to the school as any other faculty
member.

Voldemort has a history of using people one wouldn't expect to Wreak His
Evil Will---Barty Crouch, Jr., Crouch-as-Moody, Peter (Wormtail) Pettigrew,
Professor Quirrel...who would have suspected _any_ of them?  If he still
thinks Snape's loyal to him, he's probably given the Potions Master orders
to, among other things, _act_ evil and nasty to deflect people's attention
from the people who're _really doing his work for him at Hogwarts.  Remember
Quirrel's speech to Harry at the end of PS/SS?  "Professor Snape?  So
useful---swooping around like an overgrown bat!  With him around, who'd
suspect p-p-poor, s-s-stuttering P-p-professor Quirrel?"

So---whether or not she's an actual, realio-trulio Seer, an ordinary witch
with occasional mantic trance states who's found that the position of
Divination Professor's better than *yuck* working for a living, or something
in between, she's excellently positioned to work for Voldemort, and she's
one of the last people anybody would suspect.  We didn't even get to meet
her till CoS, if memory serves.

--Eric, wondering who's been meddling with his anti-paranoia meds.

"Give a hobbit a fish, and he eats fish for a day.
Give a hobbit a ring, and he eats fish for an age."