Over the next school week the teachers are pushing their students to the
bone. With Christmas approaching all the 1st terms lessons must be done.
The students in every year are feeling the strain immensely. But the
teachers are also becoming tired. They don't have to learn the material but
they do have to struggle to teach what remains in only a few weeks.
Snape is becoming more strict every day. House points from all houses, except Slytherin's of course, are being reduced in large chunks daily. His evenings are, unfortunately, being spent supervising students clean the classroom floor over and over again.
Bitters, on the other hand, is becoming slacker. He students are gradually getting away with more and more. Each day she becomes more tired and more worn out. The days creep by and she doesn't teach as much. Then, by the end of the week she has stopped teaching altogether.
Dumbledore hears of her decline in standards and talks to her one day.
"Rebecca, it has been brought to my attention that you seem to be getting tired easily and have not been teaching so well. Is anything the matter?"
Bitters stares up into his caring blue eyes. "Well, not really. I'm just not feeling up to scratch. I think I'm just overtired."
"Why don't you take some time off? Have some bed rest. I'm sure it would make you feel better." He suggests.
"No, no I don't think I will. At least, let me finish this school week. I'm sure a good night's sleep would help me."
"Very well. Don't get too worn out." Dumbledore rises and Bitters follows him to the door. "We wouldn't want to lose our new teacher now, would we?" His eyes twinkle with admiration.
"No. Thank you." Bitters shuts the door gently behind him. She crosses the floor to her bed and flops down on it. In a second she is fast asleep, gently breathing.
****
The next day, Friday, Bitters awakes with a fresh feeling. Maybe that early night really helped. I feel rejuvenated. She puts on her robes and goes upstairs for breakfast.
Her first class of the day goes well. She teaches and disciplines accordingly. No one gets the best of me today!
However, by lunchtime, her energy starts to fade away again. Her body becomes tired again and she doesn't believe she can handle the rest of her classes. Yet, she continues on.
Two classes to go before the end of the day. Bitters is writing a list of helpful spells on the blackboard for the class to copy down. Suddenly she feels dizzy and leans on the board to steady herself. Her heads spins and her knees shake. The chalk drops to the floor but the class doesn't notice. She turns around and looks at the class. Her eyes are blurry and she's finding it hard to see.
"Class, I...I..." She tries to tell them that she has to go freshen up for a few minutes but it doesn't come out.
The class stares at her fixated by the state she's in. Sweat is starting to run down her forehead. She gasps for breath and suddenly drops to the floor.
"Oh my gosh! What on earth happened to her?"
"What should we do?"
The students panic and run to her side.
"Is she dead? Someone, fetch Dumbledore."
A boy runs out of the room and returns shortly with Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall running behind him.
"What the-?" Snape lets out a gasp.
"What happened?" McGonagall leans on the wall for support.
"Severus, Minerva help me get her to the hospital wing." Dumbledore walks over to where Bitters fell behind the desk.
Between the three of them they carry her slowly up to the fifth floor.
"Madam Promfry!" McGonagall calls out as they reach the hospital wing.
"What is it? Oh my! Quick, put her here." She indicates a made up bed. "What happened?"
Dumbledore straightens up from resting Bitters' head gently on the pillow. "One of her students said she became uneasy and started sweating then fell to the floor."
"She's just fainted. I'll look after her until she's better." Madam Promfry assures the teachers.
"Thank you Poppy." Dumbledore leads the way to the door and Snape and McGonagall follow.
"Headmaster, why do you suppose she fainted?" Snape curiously inquires.
"You know Severus, I really don't know. She has been going downhill for a week now but her symptoms are quiet perplexing. But I have full confidence that Madam Promfry will nurse her back to health."
"Yes, quite."
They stop at the stairway.
"But sir, what is to become of her students?" McGonagall asks with concern.
"I'm sure we can get another teacher to mind them for the afternoon. Who's classroom is closest to hers? I believe it is Professor Flitwick's." Dumbledore suggests.
"Yes, it is. Shall I tell him sir?"
"Yes Minerva. Thank you very much And don't worry Severus. She'll be right soon enough." There is a glint in Dumbledore's eyes that Snape does not like. The headmaster turns and walks up the stairs.
McGonagall and Snape both continue down the hallway in silence and descend the stairs. Snape then continues down to his room wondering why Dumbledore feels he will miss Miss. Bitters. In fact it will be nice to have a break from her sharp tongue. He thought, a small smile playing on his lips. Finally a weekend without her annoying me. Brilliant. ****
Snape is becoming more strict every day. House points from all houses, except Slytherin's of course, are being reduced in large chunks daily. His evenings are, unfortunately, being spent supervising students clean the classroom floor over and over again.
Bitters, on the other hand, is becoming slacker. He students are gradually getting away with more and more. Each day she becomes more tired and more worn out. The days creep by and she doesn't teach as much. Then, by the end of the week she has stopped teaching altogether.
Dumbledore hears of her decline in standards and talks to her one day.
"Rebecca, it has been brought to my attention that you seem to be getting tired easily and have not been teaching so well. Is anything the matter?"
Bitters stares up into his caring blue eyes. "Well, not really. I'm just not feeling up to scratch. I think I'm just overtired."
"Why don't you take some time off? Have some bed rest. I'm sure it would make you feel better." He suggests.
"No, no I don't think I will. At least, let me finish this school week. I'm sure a good night's sleep would help me."
"Very well. Don't get too worn out." Dumbledore rises and Bitters follows him to the door. "We wouldn't want to lose our new teacher now, would we?" His eyes twinkle with admiration.
"No. Thank you." Bitters shuts the door gently behind him. She crosses the floor to her bed and flops down on it. In a second she is fast asleep, gently breathing.
****
The next day, Friday, Bitters awakes with a fresh feeling. Maybe that early night really helped. I feel rejuvenated. She puts on her robes and goes upstairs for breakfast.
Her first class of the day goes well. She teaches and disciplines accordingly. No one gets the best of me today!
However, by lunchtime, her energy starts to fade away again. Her body becomes tired again and she doesn't believe she can handle the rest of her classes. Yet, she continues on.
Two classes to go before the end of the day. Bitters is writing a list of helpful spells on the blackboard for the class to copy down. Suddenly she feels dizzy and leans on the board to steady herself. Her heads spins and her knees shake. The chalk drops to the floor but the class doesn't notice. She turns around and looks at the class. Her eyes are blurry and she's finding it hard to see.
"Class, I...I..." She tries to tell them that she has to go freshen up for a few minutes but it doesn't come out.
The class stares at her fixated by the state she's in. Sweat is starting to run down her forehead. She gasps for breath and suddenly drops to the floor.
"Oh my gosh! What on earth happened to her?"
"What should we do?"
The students panic and run to her side.
"Is she dead? Someone, fetch Dumbledore."
A boy runs out of the room and returns shortly with Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall running behind him.
"What the-?" Snape lets out a gasp.
"What happened?" McGonagall leans on the wall for support.
"Severus, Minerva help me get her to the hospital wing." Dumbledore walks over to where Bitters fell behind the desk.
Between the three of them they carry her slowly up to the fifth floor.
"Madam Promfry!" McGonagall calls out as they reach the hospital wing.
"What is it? Oh my! Quick, put her here." She indicates a made up bed. "What happened?"
Dumbledore straightens up from resting Bitters' head gently on the pillow. "One of her students said she became uneasy and started sweating then fell to the floor."
"She's just fainted. I'll look after her until she's better." Madam Promfry assures the teachers.
"Thank you Poppy." Dumbledore leads the way to the door and Snape and McGonagall follow.
"Headmaster, why do you suppose she fainted?" Snape curiously inquires.
"You know Severus, I really don't know. She has been going downhill for a week now but her symptoms are quiet perplexing. But I have full confidence that Madam Promfry will nurse her back to health."
"Yes, quite."
They stop at the stairway.
"But sir, what is to become of her students?" McGonagall asks with concern.
"I'm sure we can get another teacher to mind them for the afternoon. Who's classroom is closest to hers? I believe it is Professor Flitwick's." Dumbledore suggests.
"Yes, it is. Shall I tell him sir?"
"Yes Minerva. Thank you very much And don't worry Severus. She'll be right soon enough." There is a glint in Dumbledore's eyes that Snape does not like. The headmaster turns and walks up the stairs.
McGonagall and Snape both continue down the hallway in silence and descend the stairs. Snape then continues down to his room wondering why Dumbledore feels he will miss Miss. Bitters. In fact it will be nice to have a break from her sharp tongue. He thought, a small smile playing on his lips. Finally a weekend without her annoying me. Brilliant. ****