Changing from within

Chapter Twelve

Changing from Within

Chapter twelve

Death Wish

Ow, my head. Deciding moving will cause the thumping to get worse, I stay exactly how I am. It's a good thing I do, apparently I am being spoken about. 

"I don't understand, Albus," the voice is one I haven't heard before, a soft woman's voice, I take a rough guess that it belongs to Madame Pomfrey, the school matron as we both await the Headmasters reply.

"A delayed reaction?" The elderly voice of the headmaster answers, coming from my right, I keep still.

What am I doing in the infirmary?

"There is no such thing as a delayed magical exhaustion, Albus, you know that. She must have done something more recently, and casting repeatedly in class put her over the edge."

Magical exhaustion? What? When? Last I remember, I was in Herbology, I had just made up with Katherine. Did we perform any magic in the greenhouses?

"Couldn't the magic expelled during Saturday's game have depleted her, enough for Transfiguration to push her over the edge?" When did I go to Transfiguration? In my confusion, I forget I am staying still and open my eyes.

Big mistake. They immediately clasp shut again as the bright white of the room I am currently in attack my sensitive eyes.

"White." I groan, rubbing my eyes, "why are hospitals always white?"

"To stop people getting into situations where white hurts." Madame Pomfrey answers, I glare as I hear a smirk in her voice. "Now, that your awake, you can take this."

I reopen my eyes, a lot more cautiously than before, to see her handing a bright yellow potion out to me.

"What is it?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at it suspiciously.

"A magic replenishing potion. Now drink up and then you can tell me why you were brought in here earlier with a severe case of magical exhaustion." Reluctantly, I take the clear cup from her, hold my breath, and drink it down.

"Yuck! Couldn't you have put a mint or something in it?"

"Not exactly the most pleasant of flavours, is it?" I pass the Headmaster a glare for his amused comment.

"Understatement of the century." I snarl back, shuddering as the taste comes back up, almost bringing the liquid with it. Madame Pomfrey coughs impatiently.

"I don't know," I inform her honestly. "I don't remember transfiguration." Pomfrey frowns and points her wand at me, mumbling something I can't quite hear. A blue mist forms around me.

"What is the last thing you remember?" She asks, watching the most intently.

"Herbology. We had to name all the plants."

"And lunch?"

"I-" I close my eyes, thinking back. We must have left Herbology. What did we do? "I think I remember sitting next to Millicent, and Daphne was telling me off for not keeping my image, or something like that." I say slowly as the images make their way out of the painful fog in my head.

"You do not remember Charms or Transfiguration?" Pomfrey asks me, I close my eyes, trying to remember what I did after lunch. "A strong concussion along with the exhaustion," She then diagnoses.