bits and pieces • sebastian sallow

one

curiosity

a week later:

"In today's lesson, we will cover a truly thrilling event..."

The croaking voice of Professor Binns flowed through my ears as I fought sleep. It was always a difficult task to have enough energy for this class (honestly, this class takes up most of my energy, for some reason...), and as I looked around the classroom, most of the students had the same idea too.

The classroom itself was quite far from the term "boring." A large depiction of the legendary wizard Merlin, colorized with multiple large pieces of stained glass allowed warm sunlight to flow into the classroom made its home on one of the walls, allowing the room to feel inviting and held curiosity through the many paintings that hung scattered the four walls of the classroom. Wooden desks lined the left and right walls of the classroom, with a walkway between them where Professor Binns would walk back and forth as he explained his many lectures on Hogwarts and its history. An ignited fireplace was hidden behind Professor Binns' unused desk, adding onto the warmth the classroom gave off, and became useful when the weather would slowly shift from being sweet and mellow to blistering cold. For such a beautiful classroom, I wasn't expecting History of Magic to feel so... exhausting.

Sadly, I was highly wrong.

"The Goblin Rebellion of 1752, and all of its triumph and tragedy." Binns continued on, floating through a student next to me, almost as if he could feel Professor Binns' ghostly form touch his body as he awoke suddenly, shuddering at the cold breeze the silver figure produced.

I was seated next to Ominis Gaunt; a Slytherin fifth year whom I met after my first DADA class during my first week here. He always felt sort of intriguing to me, but I never really spoke to him, minus a handful of times. Professor Binns' voice slowly started to fade away as I felt my eyelids get heavier and heavier. "Surely I got enough rest the night before.. Why is it so hard to stay awake?" I thought to myself, but was quickly interrupted by a yawn that had escaped from my lips. I glanced over to Ominis, who had already fallen asleep as Professor Binns passed by the table we sat at.

"But more specifically, we will address the devastating effect it had on the wizard milling industry." The lectured continued on at a sloth's place as I fell into a daze, my head slowly resting itself on my left forearm as darkness filled my eyelids. I could feel my body twitch and move every now and then, making my heart race for a few seconds before I fell back asleep.

Moments passed on before I hear a voice enter my ears once more, "Actually, we do know the number. Six-hundred and thirty-two."

Professor Binns' voice had finally tapped into my consciousness as my body jerked itself awake, my eyelids suddenly losing that feeling of heaviness as I looked around to see if anyone had noticed my movements. By the time I had turned back, Ominis was awake once more as he took his wand and tapped my hand.

"I heard you make noise. Are you alright?" He asks. A slight pinkish hue appeared onto my face, even though I would be the only once noticing this. I take a look at his wand, which flashed every few seconds, it being a helpful tool for him due to the fact that he was blind. From what I remember from the last conversation with him, he was blind since birth, and when aquiring his wand on a first visit to Olivander's during his first year, it immediately accustomed to his needs, allowing it to help Ominis guide himself throughout the castle.