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Summary

• In Harry Potter, Dumbledore wanted to remove the Divination class from Hogwarts but agreed to meet Sybill Trelawney since she was the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Cassandra Trelawney.
• Sybill Trelawney's job interview sealed Harry and Voldemort's fate.
• Trelawney's job interview with Dumbledore also shaped Snape's future and turned him into a double agent.

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 Related to a Legendary Seer

• Sybill Trelawney was the first Seer in her family after Cassandra Trelawney.
• Sybill was unaware of her true powers as a Seer, often forgetting the real prophecies she made.
• Sybill had started making false predictions by the time of her job interview with Dumbledore, as she was having a hard time finding a job and respect for her ancestry alone.

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?

• As a Professor, Sybill Trelawney would often give a prophecy involving the death of a student to shock her class.
• Hermione Granger didn't believe in Trelawney's abilities as a Seer and dropped out during one of Trelawney's classes.
• Harry Potter witnessed one of Sybill Trelawney's true prophecies after Harry's Divination final exam. The prophecy said the servant will rejoin his master, predicting Peter Pettigrew's escape.

Sybill Trelawney was staying at the Hog's Head inn, hoping to get a position at Hogwarts as a Divination Professor. And even though Dumbledore was considering getting rid of the Divination class altogether at Hogwarts, he agreed to interview Sybill Trelawney at the Hog's Head inn. Dumbledore knew of Cassandra Trelawney's talent and was even curious to see if Sybill Trelawney was a true Seer after all. Yet Dumbledore was quickly disappointed, as Sybill didn't seem to know much about Divination and was apparently a fraud. However, just as he was about to leave, Dumbledore witnessed a real prophecy by Sybill Trelawney, one she didn't remember afterward. This was enough for Dumbledore to make up his mind, and he quickly made Sybill Trelawney the Divination Professor.

The prophecy Sybill Trelawney made the night of the interview with Dumbledore was the prophecy that sealed Harry and Voldemort's fate. This also influenced Dumbledore's decision to hire Sybill Trelawney, as he knew Hogwarts would be the safest place for her. For this reason, Dumbledore was willing to let Trelawney stay at Hogwarts even after Dolores Umbridge fired her in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. However, whether she was in danger or not, Sybill Trelawney had managed to prove her powers as a Seer during her job interview, which most likely would've helped her secure her job regardless. Many remained skeptical of Trelawney's powers, but even though she didn't know it herself, she had made a real prophecy during her job interview after all.

Sybill Trelawney's Job Interview Changed Everything in Harry Potter

• Sybill Trelawney's prophecy at Hog's Head inn is her first-known real prophecy.
• Sybill's prophecy about Harry and Voldemort was kept at the Ministry of Magic but was destroyed during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Sybill Trelawney's prophecy talked about a boy who would be able to defeat the dark lord, and while it didn't mention Harry Potter by name, it said enough for Voldemort to decide the prophecy was talking about the Potter family. Trelawney's prophecy talked about a boy "born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies." This could mean two boys: Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. However, the prophecy continued, stating that "the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal," which Voldemort did by choosing the Potter family and giving Harry his scar, his ability to speak parseltongue, and even the mental connection the two shared. However, Voldemort didn't know the entire prophecy, as the Death Eater who relayed the information to him was kicked out of Hog's Head inn for eavesdropping before he could hear Trelawney's entire prophecy. And that Death Eater was Severus Snape.

Snape was working with Voldemort at the time of the prophecy and told Voldemort everything he heard. However, as he was kicked out before Trelawney could finish, Snape only heard part of the prophecy. This was enough for Voldemort to decide to kill the Potters, something that shocked and upset Snape as he had been in love with Lily Potter since they were children. This was the reason Snape became a double agent. Knowing what Voldemort was planning to do, Snape decided to go to Dumbledore and tell him everything, hoping he could save Lily. Dumbledore was disgusted by Snape and how he only cared about saving Lily, but he made a deal with him as long as Snape became their "inside man" within the Death Eaters.

Snape's decision to turn on Voldemort and help Dumbledore was only possible due to the prophecy Trelawney made at her job interview with Dumbledore. This same prophecy is the one that resulted in Voldemort killing James and Lily Potter and in Harry Potter becoming "The Chosen One." While Sybill Trelawney may lack the respect of her peers and even the respect of some students, Sybill's powers as a Seer are real, and her job interview is one of the most important moments in the Harry Potter saga. This single event changed the course of many people's lives, from Snape and Harry to Voldemort and even Dumbledore as well. Without this prophecy, Snape might've stayed as a Death Eater, Harry could've grown up with his parents, or at least wouldn't be known as The Chosen One, and Dumbledore wouldn't have devoted the rest of his life to preparing Harry for his fate. Sybill Trelawney proved, through that single job interview, that she was a true Seer and effectively earned her spot as a Hogwarts professor.