The Final Keeper | Sebastian Sallow Love Story

Astronomy Class

The Astronomy classroom was beautiful. There were several stained glass arched windows for each phases of the moon. The classroom had only one sweeping arched table where all the students sat.

To her left, there was a Hufflepuff named Adelaide like herself, but her last name was Oaks. On the other side of Oaks was another Slytherin student, but Adelaide didn't recall her name. Together, they were flipping divine cards.

"And your reading is...the Dragon!" Oaks exclaimed, "That's exciting, I suppose. Perhaps you're due for an adventure."

"Ladies." A voice behind them spoke.

"Professor Shah." Oaks squealed out, pushing her blonde hair away from her face.

The Professor was a stern woman with her arms crossed. Her narrow eyes looked at the two girls behind a pair of slim styled rectangular glasses. "Astronomy is not Divination. You won't find the mysteries of the cosmos charted out on your palms or at the bottom of your teacups." She uncrossed her arms and regarded the class coolly as she walked to the center of the room. "Alas, the heavens remain hazy to the starry-eyed. Now if you were to devote yourselves to persistent and painstaking observation, you just might catch a glimpse." Her voice now turned into one of excitement. "With that in mind, please take your telescopes-tonight we will be on the observation deck."

All the students piled up in a line and walked up a flight of stairs to the observation deck. A few people shivered as a cold breeze hit him on the last step. The observation deck was as it sounded, a deck with no windows used to observe the surroundings. A few giant telescopes were permanently mounted to the deck to observe the stars. Adelaide felt uneasy watching everyone pull out their telescopes as she had forgotten to buy one while in Hogsmeade today.

"Still don't have your own?" Professor Shah noticed, walking up to her with her arms crossed behind her. "You can't be the new student forever, you know. You can share-with Mr. Thakkar."

Amit Thakkar was a Ravenclaw student with dark russet hair combed back neatly. His eyes were brown and shining with joy at the prospect of seeing different constellations. He turned quickly upon hearing his name and gestured for her to come take a look through the telescope.

"Here, I can adjust that for y-"

Professor Shah wagged her finger, quickly interjecting "No, no. Bring it into focus. On your own." As Adelaide made the adjustments, she continued, "Now, I expect all of you to put in your stargazing hours outside of class. Is that clear?"

"But Professor, it's freezing out." Adelaide recognized the student that had dueled Sebastian in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. It was Leander Prewett. His cheeks were even redder than his hair.

The Professor looked at him warily. "Mere cold didn't stop the great stargazers of the past. Look only to the Astronomy Tables they erected throughout the highlands, from which they gazed, millennia ago, on the very selfsame stars above us. Is that clear?" Most of the students just looked at her, cold. She shook her head with a roll of her eyes, "Dismissed."

Amit turned to her again, "Hello! I don't believe we've met officially. I'm Amit. I'm something of an Astronomy buff."

"Hello Amit," Adelaide smiled in greeting, "It's nice to meet you."

"Did I hear Professor Shah say that you don't have your own telescope? I have a spare one you could borrow for the rest of term."

She looked at him surprised. "That's very kind of you, Amit. Are you sure you won't need it?"

Amid nodded, "I'm certain. It's my old one. I finally got my hands on the new Celestia Contemplor. You've heard of it, I assume? I mean of course you have-it's only the pinnacle of all personal stargazing implements. But my old mode's not too shabby either." He explained, "Goblin-cut glass, firs-rate optical enchantments. Hate to think such a fine instrument is just collecting dust."