"Is there...anything we can do?" Gaby asked.
"I don't think so," said Madam Pomfery, looking gravely at them. "Perhaps you could help me move her over here...where there's bed hangings, God knows I don't want people to get up and run when they come in here," she turned, "I'll prepare the remedial potions...dunno which would get her out of that state..."
They heard her trailing off to the office. Gaby looked at Smith. "It's all your fault Camry."
"What?!"
"If you hadn't jumped up like some idiot hero and try to rescue me, Prince would've never gotten what he wanted and that cauldron would have never smashed."
"Are you crazy?" Smith chocked, "nice going without the wand, what did you think I was supposed to do? Cheer for Malfoy?"
"Nothing! I didn't ask for you to do anything," Gaby replied.
"Well, it's a little late for that, when that goat tried shoving you into the wall he crossed the line OK?"
They remained silent. Gaby didn't know whether to speak or not, but she thought it was time to put it aside.
"Thanks," she mumbled. He glanced at her, "don't mention it really." Gaby smiled. "We're supposed to pick her up...or something."
"Oh right."
This proved to be difficult: Smith lost his grip on her bottom half just inches above the bed, and they were just halfway across the corridor toward the other bed when he stopped.
"She's slipping!"
"She heavy!" said Gaby. "Quickly just...argh!" Gaby, in her haste not to drop Kara, stubbed her toe on the foot of the bed, and started hopping around.
"Will you stop that!" Smith seethed, buckling under her weight. Her eyes were wet with keeping in the screams as she helped Smith put her down gently on the bed, then sat down and revealed a bloodshot on her little toe. She tried avoiding Smith's eyes, but his expression was contagious and soon they were trying hard to keep in waves of laughter. Madam Pomfery returned and Gaby was relieved she had missed all the fun, the ward wasn't really a party place.
But Gaby's heart saddened as she help rub alcohol over the wounds, they got redder, some even bled down onto the bed sheet... Gaby tried not to look his way when this happened, but Smith was too busy helping Madam Pomfery fix the bandages around Kara's arms, he was one of the few who knew how she felt about blood. After Kara was all set, Gaby opened the rest of the windows near her bed, in doing so; she relieved herself with the fresh breeze coming in from over the forest.
"Well, I guess all we can do is wait until she gets better..." Madam Pomfery told them, smoothening Kara's bed sheets, the girl still did not stir.
"How long- do you think it will take?" Gaby asked.
"Well, the Potion caused a minor spillage on her skin but it was one that had gone very badly Miss Flame. I'm afraid she'll show signs of recovery in a matter days...the least, otherwise," she spared at glance at both of their anxious faces, "oh, she'll be allright or my name's isn't Poppy!" and with that she left with the medicines back to her office.
"We're gonna have to bring her notes and homework up for her everyday," Gaby told Smith, "and you're still gonna have to help her with Charms, I could probably help with...not very good with Transfig-"
"Gaby?"
"What?" she asked looking at him from the other side of the bed.
"I'll take care if it, "he said.
"Her, you'll take care of her, and I doubt you know the first thing about what this girl needs," Gaby blinked at her own response.
"Fine you'll help me, what are friends for?" he said getting up, and picking up his bag.
'Yeah, what are friends for?' she thought, looking at Kara's lifeless face.
"C'mon she'll be OK."
"Yeah but- Transfiguration!" Gaby yelped. "McGonagall's gonna scream!"
She told Kara goodbye (doubted she heard anything but it seemed like a good idea at the moment) and hared out of the ward and down the stairs to the Transfiguration corridor.
"One forty five- one period gone!" Gaby gasped.
"Maybe we should just...let our friends give us the notes and go study, that's what McGonagall's been tellin' us to do for ages I still don't listen..."
"Cause you're a natural at everything...don't need to do all that stuff- now shut up I'm trying to see what she's doing, "Gaby peeked over the glass in the door. "Argh!"
"What?!"
"Half-transformations! She told us they'd come! She said they're not doing them over! She say's they're compulsory and well- really really hard!-"
"Gaby...there's always another alternative, "said Smith calmly, "you know how McGonagall gets when you walk into her class late..."
"Yeah, imagine what she'd turn us into if we didn't come at all!" Then she met his eyes. "Ohhh, nope, we're not gonna let Vanessa's insane brother tutor us again!"
"He wasn't insane when he taught us during the Quidditch Finals?" Smith teased.
"Yes he was! I blew up my Skittles! And that was the last pack mum sent..."
"I got you another.."
"Yeah," she muttered, "that was expired since two years ago..."
"Blame me if I was never a Muggle," finished Smith.
"Why don't we just knock and tell her why we're late?" Gaby said reasonably.
"Yeah, why don't we write our wills one time and be over with O.W.L.S. forever?"
"Stop being redicul-" Gaby reached her hand out to knock but the door slid open.
"Good afternoon," said McGonagall, now framed in the doorway, wearing the most lurid expression that made Gaby wish she was miles away and really couldn't make it out. "I trust that your extended lunch was so good that you intend on appearing one period and seven minutes late and disrupt my class?"
"We were-"
"Save it Mr. Smith," McGonagall, rushed, ushering them inside. "Get to your seats."
As she and Smith walked into the class there was a long "Oooohhhh," from the rest of the students. Some of them exchanged glances to the astonishment of Gabrielle in trouble again, two times in a row.
When they sat down in their respective positions, Gaby was sure she heard someone shriek "What were they doing?" from behind, and she got so mad she shot a glance at Vanessa, who shrugged. "I forgot," she whispered. "How could you?" Gaby seethed.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor to ensure this doesn't happen again- and that goes for ALL the classes- you two," she said to them. Gaby's jaw dropped. How could Professor McGonagall not know about Kara? Snape must have kept it a secret, and Gaby was still wondering why he had to leave his class unattended and miss luring around and breathing down all the Gryffindor's backs while they froze over the cauldrons.
"You are going to attempt to change parts of your own bodies into any animal feature you so desire," McGonagall instructed briskly. "I have given you the theory, may God help you with the spell...and to give you an idea, I have allowed you to select your pets...to visualize the so-called features."
Gaby's mind gave a jolt; she forgot to bring Midnight, her owl.
"I trust that I could leave you for a few seconds and by the time I come back with the records, you will be finished with this simple task..." and McGonagall too left the classroom.
Gaby tried reading Jade's notes. But her friend kindly instructed her on the so-called simple series of tasks she was to follow. "Well, it's the least I can do after McGonagall did..." she explained when Gaby asked why she was so concerned.
"I still don't have a pet..." And, as if attracted by her necessity, a flurry of wings appeared at the window, and
Tower soared into the class, white as snow, and perched atop the desk in front of Gaby and Smith.
"I swear, he seems to take to you more than me," Smith remarked.
"Must you have something to say to everything?" Gaby said, but he already knew she didn't know what she was doing.
"Relax before you blow up the entire school," he told her, which was enough to make her forget to worry.
She followed the steps carefully, repeatedly, gaining no results; while Smith successively turned his nose into an owl's beak, changed his eyes to take over half his face, and sprouted a tail which tripped Gaby when she wasn't looking, much to the amusement of the majority of the class. "Show off, "he muttered as he helped her up.
"Can't stop a man from showing the world what's he's got."
"Oye, what next," Gaby rolled her eyes.
"Your turn top shotter," he challenged, folding his arms and trying and failing to look formidable, the grin giving him away. Jade and Vanessa, who were also successful in performing similar transformations after Smith (Jade temporarily sported dog's ears and Vanessa had just got rid of her talons) turned to watch, but Gaby forgot them in peaceful concentration. Her eyes were closed and she was remembering Tower when he retrieved her wand in her third year in the Invasion. And she felt light all of a sudden.
Opening her eyes, she found that Smith looked completely scared, and thought for a second that her transformation had gone wrong.
"I don't think so," said Madam Pomfery, looking gravely at them. "Perhaps you could help me move her over here...where there's bed hangings, God knows I don't want people to get up and run when they come in here," she turned, "I'll prepare the remedial potions...dunno which would get her out of that state..."
They heard her trailing off to the office. Gaby looked at Smith. "It's all your fault Camry."
"What?!"
"If you hadn't jumped up like some idiot hero and try to rescue me, Prince would've never gotten what he wanted and that cauldron would have never smashed."
"Are you crazy?" Smith chocked, "nice going without the wand, what did you think I was supposed to do? Cheer for Malfoy?"
"Nothing! I didn't ask for you to do anything," Gaby replied.
"Well, it's a little late for that, when that goat tried shoving you into the wall he crossed the line OK?"
They remained silent. Gaby didn't know whether to speak or not, but she thought it was time to put it aside.
"Thanks," she mumbled. He glanced at her, "don't mention it really." Gaby smiled. "We're supposed to pick her up...or something."
"Oh right."
This proved to be difficult: Smith lost his grip on her bottom half just inches above the bed, and they were just halfway across the corridor toward the other bed when he stopped.
"She's slipping!"
"She heavy!" said Gaby. "Quickly just...argh!" Gaby, in her haste not to drop Kara, stubbed her toe on the foot of the bed, and started hopping around.
"Will you stop that!" Smith seethed, buckling under her weight. Her eyes were wet with keeping in the screams as she helped Smith put her down gently on the bed, then sat down and revealed a bloodshot on her little toe. She tried avoiding Smith's eyes, but his expression was contagious and soon they were trying hard to keep in waves of laughter. Madam Pomfery returned and Gaby was relieved she had missed all the fun, the ward wasn't really a party place.
But Gaby's heart saddened as she help rub alcohol over the wounds, they got redder, some even bled down onto the bed sheet... Gaby tried not to look his way when this happened, but Smith was too busy helping Madam Pomfery fix the bandages around Kara's arms, he was one of the few who knew how she felt about blood. After Kara was all set, Gaby opened the rest of the windows near her bed, in doing so; she relieved herself with the fresh breeze coming in from over the forest.
"Well, I guess all we can do is wait until she gets better..." Madam Pomfery told them, smoothening Kara's bed sheets, the girl still did not stir.
"How long- do you think it will take?" Gaby asked.
"Well, the Potion caused a minor spillage on her skin but it was one that had gone very badly Miss Flame. I'm afraid she'll show signs of recovery in a matter days...the least, otherwise," she spared at glance at both of their anxious faces, "oh, she'll be allright or my name's isn't Poppy!" and with that she left with the medicines back to her office.
"We're gonna have to bring her notes and homework up for her everyday," Gaby told Smith, "and you're still gonna have to help her with Charms, I could probably help with...not very good with Transfig-"
"Gaby?"
"What?" she asked looking at him from the other side of the bed.
"I'll take care if it, "he said.
"Her, you'll take care of her, and I doubt you know the first thing about what this girl needs," Gaby blinked at her own response.
"Fine you'll help me, what are friends for?" he said getting up, and picking up his bag.
'Yeah, what are friends for?' she thought, looking at Kara's lifeless face.
"C'mon she'll be OK."
"Yeah but- Transfiguration!" Gaby yelped. "McGonagall's gonna scream!"
She told Kara goodbye (doubted she heard anything but it seemed like a good idea at the moment) and hared out of the ward and down the stairs to the Transfiguration corridor.
"One forty five- one period gone!" Gaby gasped.
"Maybe we should just...let our friends give us the notes and go study, that's what McGonagall's been tellin' us to do for ages I still don't listen..."
"Cause you're a natural at everything...don't need to do all that stuff- now shut up I'm trying to see what she's doing, "Gaby peeked over the glass in the door. "Argh!"
"What?!"
"Half-transformations! She told us they'd come! She said they're not doing them over! She say's they're compulsory and well- really really hard!-"
"Gaby...there's always another alternative, "said Smith calmly, "you know how McGonagall gets when you walk into her class late..."
"Yeah, imagine what she'd turn us into if we didn't come at all!" Then she met his eyes. "Ohhh, nope, we're not gonna let Vanessa's insane brother tutor us again!"
"He wasn't insane when he taught us during the Quidditch Finals?" Smith teased.
"Yes he was! I blew up my Skittles! And that was the last pack mum sent..."
"I got you another.."
"Yeah," she muttered, "that was expired since two years ago..."
"Blame me if I was never a Muggle," finished Smith.
"Why don't we just knock and tell her why we're late?" Gaby said reasonably.
"Yeah, why don't we write our wills one time and be over with O.W.L.S. forever?"
"Stop being redicul-" Gaby reached her hand out to knock but the door slid open.
"Good afternoon," said McGonagall, now framed in the doorway, wearing the most lurid expression that made Gaby wish she was miles away and really couldn't make it out. "I trust that your extended lunch was so good that you intend on appearing one period and seven minutes late and disrupt my class?"
"We were-"
"Save it Mr. Smith," McGonagall, rushed, ushering them inside. "Get to your seats."
As she and Smith walked into the class there was a long "Oooohhhh," from the rest of the students. Some of them exchanged glances to the astonishment of Gabrielle in trouble again, two times in a row.
When they sat down in their respective positions, Gaby was sure she heard someone shriek "What were they doing?" from behind, and she got so mad she shot a glance at Vanessa, who shrugged. "I forgot," she whispered. "How could you?" Gaby seethed.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor to ensure this doesn't happen again- and that goes for ALL the classes- you two," she said to them. Gaby's jaw dropped. How could Professor McGonagall not know about Kara? Snape must have kept it a secret, and Gaby was still wondering why he had to leave his class unattended and miss luring around and breathing down all the Gryffindor's backs while they froze over the cauldrons.
"You are going to attempt to change parts of your own bodies into any animal feature you so desire," McGonagall instructed briskly. "I have given you the theory, may God help you with the spell...and to give you an idea, I have allowed you to select your pets...to visualize the so-called features."
Gaby's mind gave a jolt; she forgot to bring Midnight, her owl.
"I trust that I could leave you for a few seconds and by the time I come back with the records, you will be finished with this simple task..." and McGonagall too left the classroom.
Gaby tried reading Jade's notes. But her friend kindly instructed her on the so-called simple series of tasks she was to follow. "Well, it's the least I can do after McGonagall did..." she explained when Gaby asked why she was so concerned.
"I still don't have a pet..." And, as if attracted by her necessity, a flurry of wings appeared at the window, and
Tower soared into the class, white as snow, and perched atop the desk in front of Gaby and Smith.
"I swear, he seems to take to you more than me," Smith remarked.
"Must you have something to say to everything?" Gaby said, but he already knew she didn't know what she was doing.
"Relax before you blow up the entire school," he told her, which was enough to make her forget to worry.
She followed the steps carefully, repeatedly, gaining no results; while Smith successively turned his nose into an owl's beak, changed his eyes to take over half his face, and sprouted a tail which tripped Gaby when she wasn't looking, much to the amusement of the majority of the class. "Show off, "he muttered as he helped her up.
"Can't stop a man from showing the world what's he's got."
"Oye, what next," Gaby rolled her eyes.
"Your turn top shotter," he challenged, folding his arms and trying and failing to look formidable, the grin giving him away. Jade and Vanessa, who were also successful in performing similar transformations after Smith (Jade temporarily sported dog's ears and Vanessa had just got rid of her talons) turned to watch, but Gaby forgot them in peaceful concentration. Her eyes were closed and she was remembering Tower when he retrieved her wand in her third year in the Invasion. And she felt light all of a sudden.
Opening her eyes, she found that Smith looked completely scared, and thought for a second that her transformation had gone wrong.