History of Magic

‘What’s the next lesson?’ asked Isabell, looking for her schedule. ‘I can’t find my timetable.’

‘Um… let me check… History of Magic,’ said Amelia.

Isabell groaned.

‘My dad told me it was his least favourite subject,’ she mumbled.

‘Padma had that lesson and she told me it’s awful!’ Olivia said. 

‘Oh, well, it can’t be worse than potions can it?’ asked Amelia.

They overheard some second years talking about History of Magic as well.

‘Did you know Professor Binns thinks he’s still alive?’ said a Gryffindor second year girl to her friend. 

‘Really? How?’ said her friend. 

‘He died in his sleep in front of the fire in the classroom and continued working without noticing he left his body. His voice is so bo-ring right?’  

‘Of course! I almost slept like a hundred times in his class already.’

The girls were very nervous overhearing all kinds of conversations about the History of Magic lesson.

‘What do they mean by he doesn’t know he’s not alive?’ said Isabell, shaking.

‘Maybe he’s a ghost, like Helena,’ Olivia explained. 

‘Who’s Helena?’ asked Isabell, who looked bewildered.

‘A ghost,’ Olivia said simply as they started going up the moving staircases. 

The pictures were talking to each other and apparently enjoying their time in their frames. The girls greeted some of them.

‘Are you a thief or a knight?’ a knight named Sir Cadogan in a portrait said, slashing his sword in random directions.

‘Uh, we are students,’ Amelia said, confused. 

‘Thieves or knights?’ the knight sneered as his armour clanked.

‘Students,’ Olivia frowned.

‘THIEVES OR KNIGHTS?’ Sir Cardoagn said so loudly that the people on the staircase jerked their heads around the frame.

‘We are noble knights, we are protecting the innocent citizens and were sent by the king himself,’ Isabell said, trying to sound tough as she bowed.

Olivia and Amelia stared at Isabell and grinned.

‘Greetings, fellow knights! Good luck on your quest!’ Sir Cardogan hummed an off-note tune and sat on his fat horse.

‘The Wizarding World is strange,’ Olivia laughed.

Amelia and Isabell giggled.

‘Oh! It’s time for the most boring lesson,’ Amelia groaned.

They kept hearing the bad comments of History of Magic.

‘I guess it could  be worse than potions now,’ Isabell said. 

The girls entered the classroom and they spotted three empty seats next to each other so they sat down. 

‘Hello class,’ said a dull voice. 

It was Professor Binns, he was a ghost gliding above his desk. 

‘Wow! A ghost!’ yelled Ron. 

‘Shush, Ron!’ Hermione said. ‘He is a teacher you know!’ 

‘Course he knows that Hermione!’ Harry rolled his eyes at Ron.   

‘Whatever,’ said Hermione. 

The lesson began and Professor Binns’s voice was boring their ear drums. He had a wheezy, droning voice that was almost guaranteed to cause severe drowsiness within ten minutes, five in warm weather. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until everyone (Except Hermione and Olivia) in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming too long to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again. 

‘Olivia, you will let us copy your notes won’t you?’ Isabell asked.

Olivia glared at her and shook her head.

‘Why not?’

Olivia didn’t reply as Professor Binns continued talking.

‘-and among other famous wizards and witches, Herpo the Foul was an Ancient Greek Dark Wizard, infamous for being a pioneer in the field of the Dark Arts, becoming the first known wizard to create the Basilisk, and... ‘ Professor Binns went on in his boring old voice.