Ravenclaw's Shadow

Chapter 1

**Aurelia's POV**

My head is aching. The kind of ache that feels like someone has wrapped a steel band around your head and is pulling it tight. I want nothing more but to get out of this forsaken classroom and get some fresh air.

I hold still, listening for the bell, as if I could miss it. I can hear the scratching of pens around me and sigh. I'm going to regret not doing this work now.

I take these few moments of silence to look around at my classmates. Not many people just sit back and look at people, but it's one of my favourite things to do, just to look at people and study what they do. For example Lola right now is carefully shaping all her letters to mimic those of Georgiana's. Nobody else would notice that Fred isn't actually writing, but actually sketching an owl and Kia has already finished her work and has begun reading a book.

I look out the window. The sun is shining and it looks hot. I wish even harder for the bell to ring. My head starts to throb and I close my eyes trying to make it stop, but it just intensifies. I take a long deep breath and my stomach snarls and raises its ravenous head, awaking from its dormant haze, furious that it has been left empty for so much time.

Surely, the bell must ring soon!

I look down at my watch and my stomach roars in anguish. Ten minutes left.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes focusing on taking slow breaths through my mouth. I can hear my watch ticking, slower than is normal, I'm sure.

I break at nine minutes left and leap to my feet.

"Professor!" I cry, "I have to go!"

McGonagall looks at me over her glasses and nods. I sweep my things into my arms and bolt from the room. Within a few minutes I'm outside, the fresh air washing away the musk of the classroom. I close my eyes and enjoy the feeling of the sun burning my skin. I hear the bell ring and head straight to the Great Hall. There is food set out on all the tables and I fly to the Ravenclaw table and start eating. By the time my classmates arrive I've already eaten six sandwiches and three apples.

"How can you eat so much?" Chrissie asks, crinkling her nose. I shrug and pull three paper bags out of my bag and fill them with food. I take another two sandwiches and eat them as I walk to the third floor. I walk into the Defence classroom and see Professor Lupin. He looks up as I walk in.

"Aurelia, how are you?" he asks. I sit on one of the desks and shrug.

"Fine," I reply, "I finished the werewolf essay. I'm glad I'm not you."

He laughs dryly.

"It's not the most pleasant thing in the world, I'll admit," he says, "but I'm sure there are worse things."

My stomach growls and I pull a sandwich out of my bag. Lupin frowns.

"You're hungry," he observes, "you ate all through my class yesterday and Professor McGonagall said you had to leave her class early. Have you been feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I tell him, starting on an apple, "comfort eating, you know."

Lupin watches me for another moment then nods.

"Alright, was there any particular reason you came to see me?" he asks.

"Do I have to come next class?" I ask, "I read the next chapter and I'm pretty familiar with everything in it."

Lupin chuckles.

"I think it would look suspicious if I let you skip certain classes, I don't want to play favourites. Besides," he smiles at me, "I think you'll enjoy it."