Petals

"How long do I have left?"

"Two months. Maybe less. I can't say for sure. Even back in Japan, I have never actually seen a case of... this."

"I understand."

Ominis sank back into his chair. It was comfy, soft leather and cushions underneath. Not at all what he would have expected in the tiny office of their flying instructor. In fact, he had never expected to end up there at all.

In all his seven years at Hogwarts, he had never even exchanged a single word with Madame Kogawa, of that he was absolutely sure. Due to his blindness he had been excluded from flying class since the very first day of school in his first year, and apart from that, he'd had no reason to talk to Kogawa.

The only reason he was able to recognise her voice at all was because Anne and Sebastian had dragged him to a Quidditch match every once in a while, where she usually greeted the audience and sometimes shouted at the players during the game.

And now, Kogawa had been the first one to notice.

Out of all persons, it was she who had found him, a coughing heap on the ground just outside the West Tower.

She had been the first to see them. The petals. White petals, as he had just learned from her description.

In hindsight, it was an ironic, lucky twist of fate, considering that Ominis had never been lucky in his entire life.

But being found out by the very, likely even the only person who could understand and explain his condition had probably spared him a lot of fuss.

Yet, Kogawa still seemed to have a lot of questions.

Questions he had zero interest in answering.

It wasn't like Ominis hadn't already known what was happening to him.

Being born blind, he had developed a very delicate sense of self-awareness and had learned to be introspective very early in his life.

He had known that this was likely to end in a tragedy for him.

He had known it since he had coughed up the first petal.

The same petals Kogawa had collected after helping him back to his feet and taken with her to her office.

The same petals she was currently inspecting on her desk.

He hoped there wasn't too much blood on them.

"White chrysant. How peculiar. Does that flower have any meaning to you, Mr Gaunt?"

Her voice was gentle, almost sympathetic.

Ominis frowned. He hated being pitied.

"How is that of importance?"

Kogawa sighed.

"It could be of great importance. Chrysanthemums are short-day plants, which means they form buds and bloom when they receive twelve hours or less of daylight. This typically occurs in late summer and autumn."

She paused and Ominis felt his stomach churn with unease.

"When did you start coughing up the petals, Mr Gaunt?"

His lips pressed together in a tight line.

"A few days after the school year started."

"So, about four weeks ago?"

"Yes, Madame."

There was a slight edge to her voice as she spoke again.

"Then you might even have less than two months. chrysants only blossom around this time of year. The roots might have been growing inside your lungs for way longer than four weeks."