Divination

A rather divisive subject within the magical world, Divination is offered to third year students and up. The sole purpose of this class is to gain an insight into the future similar to how Oracles are naturally able, but through various different processes. Some skill is needed to successfully and consistently see into the future, making the subject hated by many students who fail repeatedly. There have been several periods in Gerhardt's history that the class was almost removed from the roster, but it has remained.

Half of the magical world considers it a farce and a waste time to study in depth, while the other half swears by it as a way to know what the future will hold. Those that believe in it will use it before major decisions in their lives to have guidance to the ultimate outcome. Despite the vast criticism that it gains, Divination is correct enough times that even the hardened skeptics have to admit that there might be something to it. At Gerhardt, the class is taught by Professor Sybil Sterling on the top floor adjacent to the PADMA classroom.

Unlike the other classrooms in Gerhardt, the Divination classroom is set up differently. Instead of rows of desks and chairs, there were low tables and cushions that are spread around for students to sit at. Various types of incents are burning constantly throughout the space and tye-died tapestries hang from the ceiling rafters and the walls. Although there are written tests, there is a stronger emphasis on the practical tests for passing the class. Most students take it for only one year, not wanting to advance their skills in it beyond that. However, there have been some select students that have taken it for several years, and even in the graduate program.

It has been offered off and on at Gerhardt for the school's entire existence minus the first ten years as a teacher willing to teach it becomes available. Due to the lack of experts in the field, teachers of Divination are hard to acquire. The longest serving Divination teacher at Gerhardt is Professor Sterling who first was hired back in 1984 and shows no signs of leaving the school as of yet. It is unknown why the Divination teaching position has such a turn over rate, however one theory insists that the many futures that the teacher sees affects them mentally, and they leave the position for their own health. If that is the case, then Professor Sterling seems to defy that theory.