The Harry Potter franchise has many characters with a unique history, and no other character exemplifies this best than Sybill Trelawney.
Divination is one of the most mysterious and often misunderstood branches of magic in the Wizarding World. And Sybill Trelawney is probably one of the most underrated and underestimated characters in the Harry Potter saga. As a professor of Divination at Hogwarts, Trelawney had to deal with the skepticism of students and teachers alike, many of whom wondered how she became a Hogwarts professor in the first place. Hermione Granger even struggled to keep a straight face in Trelawney’s class, eventually dropping out of Divination during Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
During Dolores Umbridge’s time at Hogwarts, Sybill Trelawney’s qualifications as a Divination Professor were put to the test harder than ever, resulting in Umbridge firing Trelawney from her position. But even then, Dumbledore was keen on keeping Sybill Trelawney on Hogwarts grounds, offering her to stay in the castle even though she had just lost her job. And after Umbridge left Hogwarts, Sybill Trelawney was reinstated as a Divination Professor, sharing her spot now with Firenze. But why was Dumbledore so intent on keeping Trelawney at Hogwarts, and how did Sybill Trelawney become a Hogwarts Professor in the first place?
Sybill Trelawney was the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney. Cassandra’s talents were passed down to her family, with Sybill Trelawney eventually becoming a Seer as well. Sybill was seemingly unaware of the extent of her true powers, not even remembering the prophecies she gave to Harry and Dumbledore. Not much is known of Cassandra Trelawney other than her legendary status as one of the few true Seers. However, this was enough for Sybill Trelawney to secure an interview with Albus Dumbledore for the available position of Divination Professor at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore was even ready to scrap the entire Divination class from Hogwarts. However, he agreed to meet with Sybill Trelawney out of respect for the legacy of her great-great-grandmother. Divination is a complicated and often misunderstood branch of magic, one that many find a hard time believing in. Even Professor McGonagall didn’t believe in Sybill Trelawney’s talent and often dismissed any comments Sybill made. However, McGonagall was ready to defend Sybill Trelawney from Dolores Umbridge when Umbridge became the High Inquisitor at Hogwarts, proving McGonagall’s loyalties were stronger than her skepticism. McGonagall also believed in Cassandra Trelawney’s powers as a Seer but remained on the fence about whether Cassandra’s powers had been passed on to Sybill.
How Did Sybill Trelawney Become a Hogwarts Professor?
