Fainting Fits
Chapter Four
Angelina stretched her stiff legs as she walked down the hill to Herbology. The breath of fresh air was refreshing after a stuffy and exceedingly dull History of Magic class. Most of her classmates were talking about how informative History of Magic had been and how they were looking forward to more.
Angelina rolled her eyes at their absurdity. Emma was more verbal about her disagreement.
"That was supposed to be interesting,” she whispered in shock and outrage to Angelina as they approached the greenhouses. “I thought we’d be learning how to actually do magic, not just hear about it. That was just like school in the Muggle world, but instead of people there were goblins. It put me to sleep . . . Of course I was up all night, I was so nervous.”
It looked like tonight would be another long night, as they had Astronomy at midnight.
“Do you think Professor Binns noticed?” Emma moaned nervously. “Oh, no. I knew I couldn’t be in Ravenclaw!”
“I’m sure you blended in just fine with the other house,” Angelina consoled, as she walked into the greenhouse. A second later her nose started to itch, her eyes were tearing, and her throat felt like she had swallowed itching powder. There was a rushing noise in her ears and the greenhouse looked like it was falling away. Everything went black.
Angelina awoke in the hospital wing.
"Oh, good. You're awake." The nurse smiled.
"I fell asleep?" Angelina question, horrified she had been caught napping the first day of school.
"No, no, my dear. You fainted.”
"I fainted!" Angelina croaked in a strangled voice, mortified.
"An allergy attack. A very strong one from the looks of it."
Well that was a little better. Not much, but better.
"Why?" Angelina asked, sitting up in bed.
"I'm still running some tests, but from what I’ve gathered, you have a high level of poison in your blood stream. It’s most unusual. I have been trying to test what you absorbed, but I’m having a hard time identifying the mixture. I can’t be sure, mind you, but right now it would seem you have absorbed several poisons.”
“What?” Angelina cried somewhat hysterically. “Are you saying I’ve been poisoned?”
“No. I’m saying it appears that your blood has been contaminated by a variety of different poisons,” The nurse countered in a tone that suggested she thought Angelina was being a slight hypochondriac. “Right now I am hypothesizing the poison is from the plants in the greenhouse. Please dear, do calm down. It’s a bit unusual, but nothing to worry about.”
“Why would the poison be in my blood if I wasn’t poisoned?” Angelina challenged skeptically, trying to keep the panic out of her voice and not all together succeeding
“I’m running the tests as we speak, although I’d say it’s some type of allergic reaction. Quite routine “ I’ll have an antidote by this evening. Now can I have a look at your wand?”
“Why?” Angelina asked suspiciously, shooting the nurse a piercing look as if x-raying for alternative motives.
“The wand tells a lot about its wizard,” was the cryptic response, as the nurse took Angelina’s wand from grudging hands. “Hmmm. Weeping willow, no?”
“Yeah, I think…”
“Unusual. It’s from the heart of the tree. Otherwise it would be too whippy. Still it’s got a nice swish to it. My wand happens to be willow too, though not a weeping willow. You must have gotten it abroad.”
“Yeah,” Angelina said vaguely.
“Do you remember what’s inside?”
“Unicorn hair, and three tears of a phoenix.”
“Not the usual ingredients.”
“My mother’s family had their own wand maker.”
“Okay, well that’s it for now. I'll not be sure what the problem is until this evening, but if you wish to come up then, I should be able to tell you. Now, if you rush you might be able to pick up a bite before your next class starts."
That night, Angelina picked suspiciously at her dinner while throwing distrustful glances around her table. The nurse had said she hadn’t been poisoned, but Angelina wasn’t risking it. Scraping back her seat, she headed off towards the hospital wing, Emma close on her heels. Emma seemed to have come up with the idea that Angelina should be closely monitored until the mediwitch found a cure.
“Hello, Madam Pomfrey,” Emma greeted as they entered the hospital wing.
"Oh, hello dear. You came back with Miss Lestrange I see. It’s very sweet of you to be so concerned," Madam Pomfrey stated, looking up from something on her desk. “But everything is perfectly fine with your friend.”
Friend? Since when was Hope her friend? Angelina panicked. If Father hears I've been associating with Mudbloods . . . I'll be no better than that blood-traitor Sirius Black.
"Well, Miss Lestrange, there is nothing to worry about. I talked to Professor Slughorn and he prescribed a simple tonic that should take care of the problem. The house elves will be more than willing to put it in your pumpkin juice every day at breakfast. Any questions, Miss Lestrange?"
“No.”
"It looks like you’re set then."
"Thank you."
"You’re welcome. See you later, girls."
Emma and Angelina went to the library to start on their History of Magic essays, but soon had to stop, as it was time for Astronomy.
The night was unseasonably cold for the beginning of September, and the winds were blowing with a vengeance on the small group standing on top of Astronomy Tower. Even with the warming charms she had cast, by the end of the class Angelina was freezing.
“What is the importance of knowing the moon’s cycle? Mr. Lupin, could you please answer this question?”
Angelina had noticed right from the start that the Astronomy professor seemed to harbor an unfounded loathing for the quiet, sandy haired Gryffindor from the train, and had picked on him regularly since the start of class. She had even taken ten points from Gryffindor when he hadn’t known the answer to a question.
“It’s important in the picking of plants and the brewing of potions. If you stew the potion of Dreamless Sleep when there is a new moon, it turns into the Draught of Living Death,” replied Lupin timidly.
“There is another reason, is there not, for monitoring the moon closely, Mr. Lupin?” Professor Shady continued. “For werewolves it is particularly important to watch the moon, so that they can take special precautions. It would be dreadful if they made a mistake in their calculations of when the moon rose and were therefore loose at the wrong time, and bit someone. Isn’t that right, Mr Lupin?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Good. For the next month I expect a complete chart of all the moon’s fazes. You are to sketch the moon and its position relative to the earth. Please be consistent with the time you choose to document the moon, or your chart will be incorrect. There is a whole chapter in your book about the process. Read this by next class. It is important that you follow the procedure outlined in the book or you are likely to fail the assignment. There will be no allowances made just because you are first years. Incompetence should never be rewarded. I hope I make myself clear. Class dismissed.”
Hurrying down the steps Angelina bumped into Black.
"Be careful, Angel, we don't want your delicate self fainting," Black laughed and Angelina was pleased to hear a bit of the barking charm was still working.
"It was an allergy attack," Emma snapped, much to Angelina and Black's surprise.
"Oh? And what's your name? I'm Sirius Black," he greeted, throwing a charming smile at Emma.
"Emma Hope."
"Nice to meet you, Emma."
"It's Hope to you, Black," she spit out in a biting tone that would have made a Slytherin proud.
"Watch your mouth, Hope the Dope or I’ll clean it out with soap."
"Watch your nicknames, Black. I'd say your friend looks like a four eyed alien," Angelina retorted scathingly, directing the comment at the scrawny boy with glasses standing beside Black.
"Oh, look I forgot my manners," Black exclaimed.
"You never had any manners to forget," Angelina sniped.
Black ignored her and continued, “Angelina dear, this is James Potter. James, this is my little Angel. I believe you met each other yesterday in the hallway, but I’m not sure we had time for a proper introduction."
Remembering the state of their last meeting, Angelina drew her wand. Emma quickly followed suit.
Before any curses could fly, Professor Shady came down the stairs. “Five points from Gryffindor. Magic is not allowed in the hallways.”
At that James Potter opened his mouth to point out that he and Black did not have their wands out, but was cut off by the Professor.
“Hurry along boys before I give you detention.” Potter and Black left in a hurry. When they had rounded the corner the Professor turned to face the girls. “Miss Lestrange, I was a friend of your mother’s. She was a brilliant woman; I hope I can expect the same of you. Even if you are in Ravenclaw.” She smiled at Angelina before sweeping off down the hall in a flutter of blue robes.
Angelina and Emma turned on their heels and headed back to their common room. As they passed the library Emma finally spoke, and to Angelina’s relief it wasn’t about her mother.
"So are you going to tell me why I should hate Black?"
"I don't know. You seemed to decide that for yourself."
"Because it’s obvious that you hate Black, and as your friend I should too. I want to know why."
"It's none of your business."
"Yes it is."
"Look I never asked you to get involved."
"But I'm your friend, you don't have to ask."
Angelina didn't know what to think. But the brush with the Astronomy professor had reminded Angelina very forcefully of who, and what, she was. She was a Pureblood witch.
"Just because you came looking for me the other night does not make us friends. Look, I'm not sure where you got the idea that a Pureblood witch, like me, and a Mudblood, like you, could be friends. But you obviously don't have a clue as to how the Wizarding world works."
"The correct term is Muggle-Born, not Mudblood," Emma corrected flippantly.
"Were you not paying attention to what I just said?" Angelina cried in frustration as they reached the Ravenclaw’s doorway
"Sure I did; Baskalisk," Emma said in response to the question and the door swung open. "Now let's get some sleep before classes tomorrow."
With that she headed for their dorm, leaving a baffled Angelina staring blankly after her.