Stargazing

The sunlight streamed in the large windows as the ghostly form of Professor Binns droned on. A stack of notes lay scattered across his desk along with a dusty old textbook. His tone was monotonous, occasionally punctuated when he’d cause a small disturbance in the air around the paper causing them to shift around. Lacie wasn’t sure he was even reading them or if it was more of a force of habit from when he was among the living. On a good day, the class was uninteresting and on a bad day it was positively sleep inducing.

With exams coming up, most students were taking any revision the professors were offering; hoping that the professors might let something slip about the contents of the exams. Unlike the usual atmosphere, the students in Professor Binns’ class were dutifully looking down at their parchment papers albeit with more whispers than normal. Lacie couldn’t tell if the professor didn’t care that most of the students had textbooks of various other topics, studying for a different class or perhaps he just didn’t notice. It was hard to say. He continued onwards as if everyone was on the same page he was. It was a fifty-fifty, Lacie decided, that he’d still teach if no-one showed up to his class.

The class wore on and Lacie held her own copy of A History of Magic up to block out some of the light as she tried to concentrate on anything but the growing headache. She hadn’t had an attack for awhile, but she supposed with exam season upon them it was the prime time. The ache pulsed in her temples and she just wanted to lay down in the dark for a few hours.

“You should go to Madam Pomfrey,” Marlene whispered as she saw Lacie rubbing her forehead. “I can walk you there.”

“It’s okay,” Lacie waved her off. “I’ll be okay. I just need to get through transfiguration and then I can go back to the dorms and sleep it off.”

Her friend shot her a look but didn’t press the issue. Some stubborn, and likely unreasonable, part of Lacie wanted to be strong. For these aches and pains to be something she could simply shrug off. If she went to the Hospital Wing her parents would hear and then they’d worry.

The bell rang and everyone filed out of the room. Marlene and Lily were waiting outside for her and they made their way towards the transfiguration classroom.

“Are you sure, Lacie?” Marlene tried again. “Lily, tell her. Madam Pomfrey will give her a potion and get her sorted as easily as that.”

“She’s right, you know,” Lily agreed as she watched the shorter girl shake her head which only seemed to make her dizzy.

“I’m okay,” Lacie insisted, even as it felt like someone was squeezing the edges of her skull. “I’ll- If I’m not feeling better by dinner I’ll stop by the Hospital Wing.”

There was nothing her two friends could do. Lacie was tenacious when she wanted to be and unless they wanted to physically drag her, there was no way she was going to the Hospital Wing until she was ready.

At least professors weren’t teaching much new information, but they were revisiting topics from earlier in the year. For some the exam season had already started, namely for those taking their O.W.L or N.E.W.T levels. Lacie was very glad she wouldn’t have to worry about those for another few years. They sounded daunting, her future relying on however she did.

Lacie slid onto the bench in transfiguration and took out her ink and quill. Marlene sat beside her and tapped her foot. The sound was starting to grate on Lacie’s nerves but she refocused herself. The hair dye was starting to fade causing Marlene’s wavy hair to sport a blue-purple colour. Yesterday it had still been the deep blue, but now it would only be a day or two before the potion lost all effect and restored both her friends' natural red hair.

She turned to the desk behind to double check if the dye was reacting similarly to Lily, but found her friend looking exasperated. It was easy to see why. They had come to class early so Lily’s normal desk partner hadn’t arrived yet. It seemed that James’ had also arrived early and had taken the seat next to Lily. Lacie didn’t know how she missed him entering the classroom, but here he was.

More students came into the room and took their seats, although Lacie was once again trying to hide behind her books. She saw Professor McGonagall glance over at her a few times and she forced herself to scribble notes down, which she’d later look back on to find they were completely unintelligible. Thankfully Lily had let Lacie copy her’s when she was feeling better. The quill was shaky in Lacie’s hand and she was starting to feel a little queasy. She wasn’t sure if that was because her head was aching or the fact that she had skipped breakfast.

The transfiguration teacher wrote some bullet points on the chalkboard and then had everyone put their books away for some practice on practical skills. “The remainder of the class will be time for you to practice a spell we learned in class. I suggest you pick one you feel you need work on. This is not about who can cast the spell the fastest but to help you prepare for your upcoming exams.”

One by one, everyone went up to the desk where Professor McGonagall had set different boxes which contained various items and sometimes critters needed for the various transfiguration spells they had learned.

Lacie was one of the last to go up. She glanced at the boxes and took a lizard. The creature squirmed in her grasp but otherwise didn’t try and escape. Flipping through her book, Lacie found the page detailing the spellwork to turn the lizard into a coat hook, but couldn’t focus her mind.

A voice startled her and she almost dropped her wand. “Are you alright, Ms. Farlow?”

Under Professor McGonagall’s searching gaze she tried to hide the grimace, but the rolling of her stomach built again and she debated with herself for a moment.

“Can I be excused to the Hospital Wing, Professor. My head…” Lacie trailed off, her professors were aware of her situation, so she hoped that what she said was enough of an explanation.

The stern but kind professor nodded, “Off you go. Do you need someone to walk you there?”

“I’ll be okay, thank you, Professor.” Lacie gathered her items and turned to Marlene, “I’ll see you in the dorms later.”

“Are you sure you don’t want one of us to walk you there?” Marlene asked her, concerned for her quiet friend.

“I’ll be okay. Just let me know what I miss.”

“Of course. I’m sure Lily will have better notes than me, but we’ll lend you both of ours.”

The walk to the Hospital Wing was uneventful and she made it there rather quickly. Her gaze took in the sterile white sheets and tightly made beds. All were unoccupied save for one. A messy haired boy was sitting up and leaned back on some cushions. He was flipping through a book although he appeared to be near the end.

Before Lacie could decide if she should go say hello, Madam Pomfrey made an appearance from her office. When she spotted the girl in the entrance she hurried over. “What’s wrong, my dear?”

Lacie hesitated but admitted, “My head hurts; the lights and I’m a little nauseous.”

The healer herded the reluctant girl further into the Hospital Wing and had her sit on the bed kitty corner to the boys, Remus Lupin, Lacie’s brain supplied.

A few diagnostic spells were cast and the familiar tingle of magic washed over her. Like all those times at St. Mungo's, nothing resulted from them. The pursed lips of Madam Pomfrey told her this, but the woman turned away and brought back a series of potions. Lacie recognized most of them as an anti-nausea, a headache helper, and a milder version of a calming draught. She took the first two with no issue, although she hesitated with the third but took it anyway.

Madam Pomfrey instructed the girl to spend the rest of her class time here and she’d determine after, if she was fit enough to go back to the dorms to join her friends for the evening. Before the healer went back to her office she gave a wave of her wand and the curtains lowered half way on all the windows bringing the light levels down.