February 1st, 1891— Edna Shacklebolt's Office

Madam Synastra had had only one customer so far. In a way, even a single customer was a success. There were many much more established diviners working in the United Kingdom, so why should anyone trust a nobody like 'Madam Synastra'? That being said, Ruby had had grandiose hopes of heaps of people sending her messages. Even if that would have overwhelmed the hell out of her. That first letter by Miss Williams had caused her some anxiety alone.

Perhaps she wasn't able to manifest more customers? Ruby often beat herself up when good things didn't come her way. She believed in the Law of Attraction to an extent and whenever something unfortunate happened, she assumed she'd brought it upon herself by tuning to negative frequencies. That was why she'd begun to use crystals, just in case.

when Miss Williams didn't write her, Ruby had freaked out that she'd scared her away with her somewhat negative Tarot reading. What if Miss Williams told all her friends that she was a doomsday preacher and then nobody ever wrote her?

(Well, she could always just use a different name, but that hadn't crossed her mind.)

In the end, Miss Williams did write back, but now Ruby was anxious about it. What if the cards pointed to misfortune again? What if her predictions were crap to begin with? She was starting to doubt her abilities as a Tarot reader. She wasn't actually a seer, after all. Not like Savino, or Professor Shacklebolt.

Ruby decided to pay her beloved professor a visit. She had been a professional Seer, she'd know the ins and outs of the profession.

"Miss Shacklebolt," Ruby began as she took the offered seat. "I have a confession to make. I—I've decided to pursue our craft as a career."
[/post]

Edna Shacklebolt Holly Scrimgeour

  

---

set by MJ

There were only four months left in the school year and Edna could hardly believe it had gone so fast. Soon she would return to her Irvingly home and pursue new business ventures while school was out, ensuring that she would have revenue from sales to pad her income as she continued into her second year of teaching in autumn. She had business plans drawn up and everything—a new line of tarot cards inspired by the ghosts of Hogwarts and a guide book to palmistry she'd outlined based on tips and tricks she'd used to help her students would be the first to market.

She hoped to do something with the lesson plans she'd written over the past few months; she could turn those into books, too, or pick them apart until she found information that people would be willing to spend their money on. For now, though, she continued writing them, her immediate focus on her students.

"Miss Urquart," Edna said fondly, placing her quill on her desk as her undeniably favorite student walked into the her office. The confession came without the the padding of small talk or pleasantries, and was one that caused her eyes to light up. "Well, I am delighted to hear. Do you have any specific plans?"

---

  

---

— absolutely DIVINE set by MJ —

Edna Shacklebolt had been the kindest and most encouraging professor Ruby had had at Hogwarts. She wished the woman had come at an earlier point in Ruby's life. After Topaz's accident, for instance. Then again, Ruby had turned to Divination precisely because of her family's tragedy. She had felt lost and the arts of Divination provided her with insight into herself and the world around her. Furthermore, they made her feel like she could predict tragedy from ever striking.

She knew that Professor Shacklebolt would be supportive of her decision. If only she could find this confidence for herself!

"Well, you see, I've already sort of started," Ruby explained. "I've placed an ad, under a pen name. Madam Synastra, if you've happened to see..." Not that Professor Shacklebolt would need a seer, when she had the Sight herself. "The thing is... I don't think I'm good enough. I don't have the Sight, so at times I feel like nothing I'm seeing and saying has any weight."

  

---

set by MJ

Enda had not begun a business in the divine arts until adulthood, and she knew it was not without its troubles. Though she had no doubt that divination had its truth, a portion of the magical community was not; their ignorance was rooted in misunderstanding, their inability to open their minds. She had no reason to believe that Miss Urquart held the gift of the sight, but that did not mean she did not have a certain... sensitivity to the divine.

"How intriguing," she said, leaning forward in her seat. "I'm sad to say that I haven't seen it. Madam Synastra, did you say?" She wasn't sure what sort of business could be conducted from the dormitories of Hogwarts, but to see Miss Urquart's ambition warmed her heart. She would do well in whatever she pursued—that much Edna had always believed—but hearing that she wished to pursue a career in her field made Edna all the more interested to involve herself in the Gryffindor's future.

"I must tell you, Miss Urquart: divination is not all about prophecies. That is only a subset of the practices. There are niches that anyone can practice and practice well. Tarot, palmistry, astrology—they are sciences as well as arts, and they can be perfected through a mixture of practice and intuition. I think you possess the intuition to do well in the field," she explained. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment.

"That being said, anyone—true seers included—cannot make a living in our field without guidance. I must hear your plans in greater detail."

---

  

---

— absolutely DIVINE set by MJ —

"Well, for the time being, I am offering services by means of letter," Ruby replied. "Birth charts and tarot readings. I've had one customer so far and she asked me about whether she'd have lack in the coming season. I did my best to tune myself to the universe, I meditated and I felt like my hand was guided so to speak as I drew the cards... The reading wasn't very positive, you see and I'm afraid I drew her away. And I am also worried that what I sent her is rubbish and won't even happen in the first place, because I am no seer!"

Ruby thought that the Tarot held enormous responsibility. Some people, Ruby included, put tremendous weight into prophecies. A wrong prophecy could have someone preparing for something that would never come.

"I truly want to help people with the arts, Professor... Divination helped me get in touch with my core, with my higher self. I believe the arts can be used to heal someone's soul."

---

  

---

set by MJ

Hearing how passionate Miss Urquart was, even if she already knew, warmed her heart, and Edna reached across to touch her hand in a maternal way. "Your worries are not just your own," she admitted. Divination rarely came easily in practice; it took years to cultivate not only an intuition in the art, but a trust in it as well—even for a seer.

"Having the Sight does not make everything easy," she reminded her, "The Sight is a gift of prophecies, and not every method of divination requires the gift of prophecy. Cards do not, tea leaves do not, astrology especially does not. Those are learned arts, and it does help if you possess a sensitivity to the divine, but I am of the belief that you do. There's a difference, you see."

Her daughter—her eldest—was no seer, but she had her sensitivities. Neither of her younger daughters took an interest in the divine arts, and neither of them put stock in her business apart from its role in providing for the family in the years after their father's death. Everyone was different.

---

  

---

— absolutely DIVINE set by MJ —

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, her curiosity piqued. Had her professor seen something in her that Ruby hadn't?

At times, she had wondered if she had a sensitivity to the divine, which was what drew her to it in the first place.

  

---

set by MJ

"Seers are identified by their prophecies. I was a young girl when I began having vague visions with meanings I would not understand until they already happened. It's a gift, sure, but I'm not having visions when I'm reading birth charts," she said, smiling. "The ability to read someone is something different entirely, I'm sure of it. The way you answer questions in class suggests that you just get it. I believe you have a sensitivity to the divine, even if you are don't have visions of the future."

---

  

---

— absolutely DIVINE set by MJ —

"Oh..." Ruby made, unable to contain her smile. "It makes me very happy to hear that."

She tended to doubt herself, but having her own Professor say it made it sound more legitimate. She valued Professor Shacklebolt's opinion.

"I want to become really good at this. Help people. Maybe write a book." She smiled sheepishly.

  

---

set by MJ

Edna returned the smile with warmth and reached forward, placing her hand on her student's arm.

"I know you still have some months to go before you graduate, but if you were willing... I would be more than pleased to offer you a place in my business after graduating," she offered, knowing it was an unconventional offer but hoping Miss Urquart would not think it too strange.

"My daughter Myrna has been helping me for years, but I know her heart lies elsewhere. It would be a paid position, of course, and I would not prevent you from pursuing your own ventures. I would hope that I could be of help to you, actually," she explained.

---

  

---

— absolutely DIVINE set by MJ —

Ruby hadn't walked in her Professor's office expecting to be offered a position at her shop. It was - great. A rush of bliss rushed over her and she couldn't say anything at first.

"Oh - yes! I would love that!" she replied, smiling widely. This was exactly the kind of thing she would want to do for a living. She had felt so insecure that she wouldn't get to make anything out of herself, seeing that she didn't have the intellectual capacity of her sisters. Getting to work under the wing of someone so esteemed in the art was a dream come true.

"I must tell my father, but he will be very happy for me I'm sure!"

  

---

set by MJ

Edna's smile widened. "Good. If he has any further questions, no not hesitate to send him my way," she explained. She would have to make a position for Ruby, but it wouldn't be difficult. She loved to do her own artwork, but perhaps Ruby could tie her interest into astrology into a new line. Perhaps, even, they could publish together as Edna Shacklebolt and Madam Synastra, giving her pupil a leg up on the competitors (and helping Edna in the process).

---

  

---

— absolutely DIVINE set by MJ —

"Of course! Oh, you must meet him over Easter break, too!" Professor Shacklebolt was her favourite professor and a fellow resident of Irvingly. Her father ought to meet her in person after hearing so many good things about her.

  

---

set by MJ

Edna patted her hand encouragingly. "You have a deal."

---

  

---

— absolutely DIVINE set by MJ —