Inner Eye

"The Inner Eye does not See upon command!"

— Sybill Trelawney

The Inner Eye (or the Sight) is a natural born skill a Seer uses to see into the future. It is first introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

About

The Inner Eye is a natural skill which can't be taught. Studying Divination will only take a person so far. If they don't possess the Inner Eye, they will never truly be able to see into the future. Being a Seer involves piecing together what Signs they have seen to interpret what is going to happen. A Sight doesn't happen upon command. Clearing their Inner Eye so that they can See by relaxing their conscious mind and physical eyes is key to getting into their superconscious.

Learned Seers are highly skilled at using their Inner Eye in comparison to those who haven't studied their gift. Sybill Trelawney was awful at using her Inner Eye and her insights were considered "wooly" and "fraudulent" but she did give accurate insights. She told her students having an Inner Eye could be a burden and had once hoped she was wrong about the Signs she had saw.

History

Cassandra Trelawney and her great-great granddaughter, Professor Sybill Trelawney were known Seers.

In September 1993, Sybill told her new third-year students in Divination at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, how she doesn't go down into the crowds of the school because it clouded her Inner Eye. Ron later joked Harry's Inner Eye needed tested when he gave a bad interpretation of Ron's tea leaves. Trelawney later told Professor McGonagall how she doesn't speak of her Inner Eye every time she knows things, because she doesn't want to be nervous of her.