So masterful at hiding foreshadowing hints in her Harry Potter novels is JK Rowling that many years after they last hit the shelves we’re still finding new and exciting delights hidden between their pages.

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The latest comes courtesy of one Sybil Trelawney, who was known for making what seemed like the most ridiculous predictions.

Well, as it turns out, there may well have been a brilliantly concealed one in her cards in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.

Redditor deux_faces writes:

Near the beginning of the chapter "The House of Gaunt" in HBP, Harry overhears Professor Trelawney muttering to herself while reading a pack of playing cards.

She mutters:

"Two of spades: conflict"

"Seven of spades: an ill-omen"

"Ten of spades: violence"

"Knave of spades: a dark young man, possibly troubled, one who dislikes the questioner"

Sounds like your standard Trelawney guff, right?

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Right. And that’s why it’s utterly brilliant.

NOTHING dear Sybil says should be taken for granted, especially when you consider the four little journeys Harry takes with Professor Dumbledore into the Pensieve in the chapters that follow.

As deux_faces points out, the first memory involves Bob Ogden confronting Marvolo Gaunt and his son Morfin. This is essentially a conflict. Hello two of spades.

Memory number two sees Dumbledore metting Tom Riddle, discovering his rather disturbing past and getting a taste of what the boy is capable of. If that’s not an ill-omen we don’t know what is.

The ten of spades promised violence and there’s plenty of that in memory number three as Tom Riddle confronts Morfin and also kills his father’s family.

And finally, in the fourth memory, a young man, possibly troubled (Tom Riddle) asks Slughorn about Horcruxes. Slughorn ain’t exactly happy about answering Harry’s questions about said memory, so surely the potions master is the one who dislikes the questioner?

Coincidence? You could argue that, but there’s so much clicking into place that we can’t possibly pass it off as such.

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Bravo Ms Rowling. Bravo.

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