by Jace Hume
Professor Kallias Andreas Demetrios Galanis is just kind of brilliant, really. When I interviewed him, the room smelled like peppermint, he offered a pouf and a cuppa. After being away for just ten years, the Hufflepuff alumni is back! As a student, he says his time here was all about studying, parties, and lots of smiles. You can easily still see that in him. He’s got that happy, laid back vibe, which makes sense since his whole approach to Divination is about studying, thinking, and having fun.
He told me, “I always wanted this room to have a scent that invites people to chat and expand their minds, and not just to sleep a little… unless it’s Dream Interpretation Class.” Honestly, I wouldn’t mind having a nap there. It smells nice and it’s so comfy.
Before coming back to teach, he spent the last decade traveling around because, apparently, Divination isn’t taught the same way everywhere. He spent the time and learned as much as he could from all the different places. His brother even made him do a reading to see what he’d do next, and surprise of all surprises it pointed him back here to Hogwarts. Now, he wants to pass on what he’s learned to us, which is actually pretty cool.
As a student, he was full of questions, and he reckons that’s what Divination is really all about. Questioning things, interpreting, and then questioning again. He’s totally in love with the subject. Not like just a little bit. More like, full-on obsessed with it. He doesn’t call himself a specialist, which is funny because everyone says he’s really good at stuff like tarot, bone tossing, and crystal gazing. He also learned astrology from a Centaur colony in Greece, so yeah, he knows his stuff. But he’s always humble about it, saying there’s always more to learn.
When I asked if he’s ever made any predictions that came true, he told me about two. First, he predicted that Hufflepuff would rise up. He was pretty chuffed to walk into the great hall and see it decked out in yellow. The second one was from time spent in Thailand. He told a young couple they’d face some challenges, but things would multiply after. He’d impressed on them the need to hold hands tightly so that all the love would come back to them. They wrote to him later, saying they had a son, and the first thing the baby did was grab their hands tightly, as if all the love in the world was poured into that one squeeze! It was just like Galanis had said. How’s about that?
I had to know if he’s seen anything coming for us this year. He got a bit mysterious and said he has, and that’s why he came back to Hogwarts. But he wouldn’t spill more than that. Said the fun part of the future is seeing it unfold. His advice? Keep smiling, stick with your friends, and be ready to make new ones. At Hogwarts, no one’s ever left behind. Sounds like solid advice if you ask me.
