Chapter Two
Terrible News
The next morning seemed to come as soon as Lex laid her head down. She sat up and got ready. It was already 9 AM; the train was coming at noon. She packed her things with a swish of her wand and was ready in moments. She sat on her small bed, Sky in her lap, and looked out the window. The ground was still soaking with the rain, which had failed to stop over the night. It was a miserable day.
She longed to be a child again. She missed the days when her and Breena would run a muck around the school, tossing dung bombs here and there and getting into all sorts of trouble. She missed those days where she had been so innocent.
She picked up her bags and took them downstairs to the staff lounge, where Breena sat along with several of the other Professors. She looked terribly upset and near tears when she saw Lex.
"Oh God, I can't believe it," she sobbed, catching Lex but surprise.
"Can't believe what?" asked Lex, looking surprised.
Breena's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth.
"Oh god, you don't know," she said.
"Don't know what?" asked Lex, now sounding concerned.
Just then Ashlee and Feriona walked into the staff lounge.
"Lex, could you come with us for a moment?" asked Ashlee.
Lex looked at Breena and then nodded. She left the room and Breena grabbed Feriona by the hand.
"You can't do this to her," she hissed, "She's had enough trouble in her life."
Feriona narrowed her eyes and shook off Breena's grip.
"We're doing this for the best of the school," snapped Feriona.
"But you're going to destroy her!" Breena snapped back, "Doesn't that matter? Are you so inhuman?"
Feriona pushed Breena aside and marked after Ashlee and Lex, while Breena stood there, growling with rage.
Meanwhile, Lex sat down across from Ashlee in her office. Ashlee looked slightly uncomfortable. Feriona stormed in and slammed the door, which made Lex jump and she sighed.
"Let's get on with this," she growled.
Ashlee looked up at Lex.
"Alexia," she said.
That name still made her skin crawl. She was on of the only one who still called her that.
"We, Feriona and I, we don't feel that you've been carrying your weight around here as a teacher," said Ashlee.
Lex blinked. The words were registering.
"We feel that it would be best, if you left, and handed the reigns to the Muggle Studies class over to someone else," said Ashlee.
Lex was now shaking. She looked up at Feriona and had a questioning look in her eyes.
"Why?" she asked.
"Well, the students exams didn't seem to stand up to the standards that we have for them," said Feriona, looking rather superior, "We've also had several complaints from parents. The students weren't being challenged."
"Don't I get some kind on warning?" asked Lex, looking confused.
Ashlee shook her head.
"It's not just that," she said, "You've been slipping, in and out of thought a lot. You always seemed to be lost in a dream world that only you know about. Breena was the one who expressed the concern about that."
Tears were forming in her eyes.
Don't let them see you cry.
She looked up and saw Ashlee shaking her head.
"I'm sorry Alexia," she said, "But this will be the last day you spend as a teacher here at Hogwarts."
With that Feriona and Ashlee left the room. The door shut behind them and Lex broke down. She sobbed into her hands and felt like she was going to vomit. Everything she had ever loved had been at this school. This had been her home. But now, she had to leave, forever.
She left the room and returned to the hall. Breena stood apart from the group, watching the ground intently. She looked extremely nervous and when she saw Lex, dashed over to her, throwing her arms tightly around her.
"Lex, I'm so sorry," she said, "I thought you knew, I thought they told you.THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU!"
Breena was suddenly very angry but Lex simply shook her head.
"Bree, they're right," she said, "I don't belong here anymore."
Lex noticed her bags were gone and looked at Breena.
"I had your bags loaded onto the train," she said, "C'mon, we'd better get going."
They lifted the hoods of their cloaks and walked down the path towards the train. Lex felt more miserable that she was willing to admit to Breena. The fact that she was being forced to leave forever was worse that leaving for the summer. She sniffled slightly but made no mention of it. She wasn't going to show weakness.
On the train home, Lex shared a compartment with Breena, Neci and Rikhard, but she didn't feel like being around anyone. They kept pressing the issue, but eventually Breena threatened to hex them if they didn't shut up. Most of the trip Lex just gazed out the window, wondering if any of this could really be happening. It didn't feel real; it had to be a horrible dream. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
I'll open my eyes and wake up. She told herself.
But it didn't happen. Lex spent the whole trip in silence, while Breena tried to cheer her up. It was worthless. Nothing would work; it was over.
The next morning seemed to come as soon as Lex laid her head down. She sat up and got ready. It was already 9 AM; the train was coming at noon. She packed her things with a swish of her wand and was ready in moments. She sat on her small bed, Sky in her lap, and looked out the window. The ground was still soaking with the rain, which had failed to stop over the night. It was a miserable day.
She longed to be a child again. She missed the days when her and Breena would run a muck around the school, tossing dung bombs here and there and getting into all sorts of trouble. She missed those days where she had been so innocent.
She picked up her bags and took them downstairs to the staff lounge, where Breena sat along with several of the other Professors. She looked terribly upset and near tears when she saw Lex.
"Oh God, I can't believe it," she sobbed, catching Lex but surprise.
"Can't believe what?" asked Lex, looking surprised.
Breena's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth.
"Oh god, you don't know," she said.
"Don't know what?" asked Lex, now sounding concerned.
Just then Ashlee and Feriona walked into the staff lounge.
"Lex, could you come with us for a moment?" asked Ashlee.
Lex looked at Breena and then nodded. She left the room and Breena grabbed Feriona by the hand.
"You can't do this to her," she hissed, "She's had enough trouble in her life."
Feriona narrowed her eyes and shook off Breena's grip.
"We're doing this for the best of the school," snapped Feriona.
"But you're going to destroy her!" Breena snapped back, "Doesn't that matter? Are you so inhuman?"
Feriona pushed Breena aside and marked after Ashlee and Lex, while Breena stood there, growling with rage.
Meanwhile, Lex sat down across from Ashlee in her office. Ashlee looked slightly uncomfortable. Feriona stormed in and slammed the door, which made Lex jump and she sighed.
"Let's get on with this," she growled.
Ashlee looked up at Lex.
"Alexia," she said.
That name still made her skin crawl. She was on of the only one who still called her that.
"We, Feriona and I, we don't feel that you've been carrying your weight around here as a teacher," said Ashlee.
Lex blinked. The words were registering.
"We feel that it would be best, if you left, and handed the reigns to the Muggle Studies class over to someone else," said Ashlee.
Lex was now shaking. She looked up at Feriona and had a questioning look in her eyes.
"Why?" she asked.
"Well, the students exams didn't seem to stand up to the standards that we have for them," said Feriona, looking rather superior, "We've also had several complaints from parents. The students weren't being challenged."
"Don't I get some kind on warning?" asked Lex, looking confused.
Ashlee shook her head.
"It's not just that," she said, "You've been slipping, in and out of thought a lot. You always seemed to be lost in a dream world that only you know about. Breena was the one who expressed the concern about that."
Tears were forming in her eyes.
Don't let them see you cry.
She looked up and saw Ashlee shaking her head.
"I'm sorry Alexia," she said, "But this will be the last day you spend as a teacher here at Hogwarts."
With that Feriona and Ashlee left the room. The door shut behind them and Lex broke down. She sobbed into her hands and felt like she was going to vomit. Everything she had ever loved had been at this school. This had been her home. But now, she had to leave, forever.
She left the room and returned to the hall. Breena stood apart from the group, watching the ground intently. She looked extremely nervous and when she saw Lex, dashed over to her, throwing her arms tightly around her.
"Lex, I'm so sorry," she said, "I thought you knew, I thought they told you.THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU!"
Breena was suddenly very angry but Lex simply shook her head.
"Bree, they're right," she said, "I don't belong here anymore."
Lex noticed her bags were gone and looked at Breena.
"I had your bags loaded onto the train," she said, "C'mon, we'd better get going."
They lifted the hoods of their cloaks and walked down the path towards the train. Lex felt more miserable that she was willing to admit to Breena. The fact that she was being forced to leave forever was worse that leaving for the summer. She sniffled slightly but made no mention of it. She wasn't going to show weakness.
On the train home, Lex shared a compartment with Breena, Neci and Rikhard, but she didn't feel like being around anyone. They kept pressing the issue, but eventually Breena threatened to hex them if they didn't shut up. Most of the trip Lex just gazed out the window, wondering if any of this could really be happening. It didn't feel real; it had to be a horrible dream. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
I'll open my eyes and wake up. She told herself.
But it didn't happen. Lex spent the whole trip in silence, while Breena tried to cheer her up. It was worthless. Nothing would work; it was over.