AFTER THE GENERAL turning matches into needles, Ruby's mind was exhausted.

"My mind's exhausted."

"No Kidding. Mine too. Who'd have thunk that thinking about sewing could be so strenuous?" Terry remarked.

"Weren't you listening? Professor McGonagall said that Transfiguration taxed both our mental and physical reserves."

"You were paying attention?"

"But of course! We're here to learn, are we not?" Ruby had walked under a window, and her briliant dark tresses shone with the sun. Terry thought that it seemed to create a halo-effect arround her head. That is until he shook himself mentally for even falling one moment into such a trap. "So, what's next?"

"Tranfiguration?"

"We just had that! Oh, never mind, here's our schedule. Look's like we're up for History of Magic." They walked behind the other Ravenclaws towards the classroom in which, Professor Binns had domain. It was a large classroom with a bit of an echo, and floating near the front was a quasi-transparent figure. This Ruby thought, was Professor Binns. She took a seat in the middle, and Terry sat beside her, the perfect place for note-passing as she was soon to learn. The classroom had filled, and Professor Binns began a long speech. Ruby soon learned that this class was as boring as everyone had said, so she took out a piece of parchment and began scribbling. She then passed it to Terry. Soon they had a hailstorm of notes going back and forth, starting with My eyeball itches to I'm a chimpanzee, eat me. After that particular note, Ruby noticed a funny itch in the back of her throat. She sat up straight, and coughed softly. She coughed again. Soon she was in a flurry of coughs, sometimes being caught between two, or once, just finishing when another and another and another hit her. Professor Binns finally heard her, and sent her to the Hospital Wing.

"I dare say that you've a nasty wizard cold my dear. You'll have to stay here for a while. Drink this." Ruby looked at the foul looking goblet handed her, and just sat for a moment.

"Er, what is in this?"

"Only the finest fruitcake and purple frogs to be found on this side of the Atlantic." Madam Pomfrey sounded proud, so Ruby held her nose and drank it all in one gulp. Her coughs stopped. That didn't taste half bad, I wish I'd not held my nose.

"Er, Madam Pomfrey, my foot itches."

"So?"

"Well, it really itches."

"So scratch it." Ruby, having failed to get attention, scratched her foot in case Madam Pomfrey was watching then laid back down on her pillow. it was boring with the continuous pitter-patter of rain against the window. Then Terry came in with her homework.

"How are you feeling Rube?"

"Bored to death almost."

"Well, I've something to cheer you up, homework!."

"Very funny, now I can ignore you, the rain, and the world as I strunggle to..."she read the first thing she saw," ... name ten reasons how Muggle have benefited wizards within the past 1,000 years. Now, that's history."

"Exactly. I heard that the fourth year Muggle studies students had the same assignment."

"Now that's cheerful." Terry left and she sat down going through her copy of A History of Magic, trying to find how Muggles have been beneficial. Just before dinner, Madam Pomfrey had taken her book away from her, and made her eat. After her simple supper of fruitcake, fruit salad, and fruit juice(Madam Pomfrey hadn't allowed her any real food), Ruby sat moaning about how she didn't like fruitcake. Seeing as how the resident nurse was ignoring her, Ruby tried to go to sleep. Just as she was about to doze off, Madam Pomfrey barged in, and declared that she must take another dose of medicene. Remembering what had happened eariler, Ruby took it happily and drank it quickly. Then she remembered why she'd held her nose the first time. It was too strong, horrible even. She could have sworn that she'd seen Madam Pomfrey smirking at her a she'd left. Finally, after half hours of tossing and turning, she fell asleep. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks go out to METMA Mandy, whose website inspired this chapter greatly(In other words L.N.I. was taking a break).