A New Dawn at Hogwarts

Chapter Fourteen: Fainting and Fighting

At dinner that evening, the normally enticing aromas of the food only served to make Aurora feel nauseous. She sat at the table, resting her throbbing head on her arms as she attempted to block out the noise of the hall.

"Are you okay?" Jamie's voice sounded as if it was coming from far away.

"Just tired, that's all," she replied groggily.

"You've had all weekend to sleep!" Jamie admonished.

"Shut up, Jamie," Erin scolded as she put her arm around Aurora. "You sure you're all right?" she whispered.

"Fine, just not very hungry right now," Aurora said, her speech slightly slurred.

"Why don't you just go to bed after you eat?" Kim suggested.

"I'm not hungry. Besides, I'm too tired to eat." Her friends immediately began protesting.

"It'll make you feel better, honest!" Aurora lifted her head with great difficulty.

"I. Am. Not. Hungry," she reiterated firmly. "I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit." She dropped her head onto her arms once again and closed her eyes. Immediately a flash of green light shot towards her. She turned to run, but felt a sharp pain in her legs as she fell to the ground.

The sound of laughter brought her back to her senses, and she realized she was on the floor of the Hall. All eyes were on her as Erin helped her to her feet. Blushing from embarrassment, she ran from the eyes and laughter of the other students.

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Severus kept his eyes on Aurora as she entered the Hall, determined to notice anything unusual. She seemed a bit tired, but that was about all. He turned back to his food, deciding that it would be best to just confront her on Thursday, when he heard a loud crash. Looking up, he saw the source; Aurora was lying on the ground beside the Ravenclaw table, looking dazed. Apparently she had tripped over the bench when she'd gotten up. He watched as she was helped up, then ran from the room.

"S-s-severus, are you a-all right?" Severus looked at Quirrell in confusion before realizing he was half out of his chair.

"I'm fine, Quirrell," he snapped as he sat back down. "I was merely searching for the cause of that racket." Quirrell looked at him strangely before turning back to his own meal.

"M-m-miss R-rin-kle seems to be at-t-tracting quite a bit of attention to h-h-herself, w-w-wouldn't you say, S-s-everus?" Though he was calmly eating his soup, Quirrell's words rang in Severus's ears.

"What makes you say that, Quirinus?" He tried to keep his voice steady, though his mind was reeling.

"W-with h-her marks f-falling s-so q-quickly, and n-now m-m-making scenes in t-t-the Hall, a few of the s-s-staff m-m-members will b-b-be t-t-taking a bit more n-n-notice of her." Severus gave him a piercing look. What exactly was the stuttering fool implying? Quirrell smiled at the look on Severus's face. "D-d-did you h-h-honestly think n-n-nobody would s-s-see her r-r-resemblance to Marie?" Severus's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Quirrell."

"I d-d-don't u-u-understand why you're d-d-denying it, S-s-severus. S-s-she's n-n-nothing to b-be a-a-ashamed of." He stared at the door she'd run out of a few moments earlier. "I-it's q-q-quite o-o-obvious, now t-t-that I th-think about it. Identical to M-M-Marie." Severus felt his blood run cold. If this bumbling fool could put two and two together, then it would be just as Albus had predicted. He, too, looked out the door, noticing with interest that there were several other students now missing from the dining room.