Professor Trelawney Sensed Voldemort's Soul in Harry Potter Long Before It Was Revealed
Sybill Patricia Trelawney was famously a fraud. Expect that one case with the prophecy. And another case with the second prophecy. Wait, was she a fraud, now?
Professor Trelawney was no one’s favorite character in the Harry Potter series, that’s for sure. From her very first appearance, she’s incredibly annoying: her dramatic behavior, false self-confidence, and ultimate incompetency make sure no one has exactly warm feelings toward the Divination teacher. She’s just…bad.
Both us, the readers and viewers back home, and the main characters of the story consider Sybill Trelawney to be a glorified fraud. Up to a certain point, no one understands why Professor Dumbledore even keeps her at Hogwarts. Then, it’s revealed that back in the day, it was she who made the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort.
Years after the first prophecy, she made a second one, predicting the revelation of Peter Pettigrew as Voldemort’s servant and the consequent resurrection of the Dark Lord with his help. Both these predictions came true, but as far as we’re aware, none of her everyday mumbling ever came to life. But what if we’ve been wrong?
Admittedly, Sybill Trelawney once sensed Voldemort’s soul in Harry Potter’s body, and we never realized it, thinking it was another failed act of hers. Remember how she made the assumption that Harry was born in mid-winter? Harry told her that he was born in July, and everyone laughed, but there was more to this scene.
Professor Trelawney was genuinely confused with Harry’s answer and she seemed certain that her assumption would be correct. The reason for that is rather simple: she failed to figure out Harry’s birthday because instead, she focused on the piece of Voldemort’s soul inside of him. That misdirected the Divination Professor.
Because Tom Riddle was born on December 31 — in mid-winter, just as Professor Trelawney said. It was his birthday she accidentally revealed, proving that she was able to sense such ethereal matters as souls. So, can you really blame her? Sybill Trelawney was not, in fact, a fraud, and was capable of quite outstanding feats.
Or, perhaps, she was still a fraud — just the one who took the 25% gamble when guessing the season and accidentally landed her shot in such a sinister way.