The Girl and Her Gloves

Eleanor woke the next morning to the sounds of her roommates readying themselves for the day. She sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Almost forgetting the vision she had that night. Almost.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and pulled on her gloves.

"There you are Ellie! I was afraid we were going to wake up late!" Padma looked up from fixing her bed.

"Oh, what time is it?"

"Don't worry you've got plenty of time. I'm just punctual. I'll wait for in the common room!"

Ellie agreed and began dressing herself for her first day of classes as a Ravenclaw.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her knee length skirt hung off her waist, her sweater sporting the Ravenclaw crest was thin and fit her comfortably. She began to feel a sense of pride and loyalty along with fear swell in her chest.

Eleanor Callan was a Ravenclaw.

Her family was full of Slytherins.

“Could be worse,” she muttered to herself, “could’ve been Gryffindor.” She smoothed down her uniform using her gloved hands. Pulling her hair into a loose pony tail behind her ear.

Not wanting to keep Padma any longer Ellie, packed all her things in her school bag and ran down the steps to the common room.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"No worries, Flitwick came around to pass out our class schedules, I asked for yours as well.” Padma handed Eleanor the roll of parchment. “I went ahead and opened it, to compare classes, you know.”

“Oh, well do we have any classes together?”

“Yes. But I think there might be a mistake in your schedule”

“Why do you say that?” Ellie unrolled the piece of parchment

“Well you have Divination, that’s a third year elective class.”

Ellie looked down at her schedule and sure enough Divination was the third on the list.
“Flitwick had this for you, as well.”

Eleanor took the second roll of parchment, completely forgetting about her class schedule. She slowly unrolled it, reading the message as she went along.

“Well what does it say?”

“It says that I am to report to the Headmasters office after breakfast.”

Needless to say, Ellie could not eat a single bite of food during breakfast. Her plate remained clean and her goblet dry, much to Padma's dismay.

"You really should eat something Ellie."

"I'm not hungry"

Padma gave her friend a pointed look.

"Really, Padma I'm not hungry."

"You're worrying too much, I'm sure he's just going to fix your schedule."

"But if he already knew my schedule had a mistake then why didn't he fix it beforehand."

"Good morning Ellie!"

Eleanor looked up to the familiar face of Hermione, memories from the night before flooding her mind.

"You alright Ellie?" Hermione asked, worried about the look in Eleanor's eyes.

" Oh yes," she snapped her daze, "I'm fine."

"Alright," Hermione responded clearly not convinced, " Well I just wanted to compare our schedules."

"Sure, but there's a mistake on mine."

"What do you mean?"

"Well they gave me Divination."

"But that's a third year class?"

"Exactly. Headmaster Dumbledore asked to see her after breakfast so he can fix it." answered Padma.

"We don't know why he asked to see me Padma."

"What else could it be, Ellie? You've only been here for twelve hours."

Ellie stayed quiet, playing with the loose piece of silk where Eleanor's thumb was never long enough to fill. She looked up to see Hermione's eyes flickering between her face and her gloves. Instantly, Eleanor could tell Hermione suspected something. She swiftly turned back around so she was facing Padma and tucked her hands under legs.

Eleanor was relived at how quickly she found the Headmaster's office. With a shaking hand she pushed the door open.

"Ah Ms Callan! I see you received my notice."

"Yes, Headmaster." Eleanor stood awkwardly in the middle of his office, having only taken a few steps into the room.

"Please sit." Dumbledore studied her while she sat, "Eleanor do you know why you are here?"

"I suspect it's about the mistake in schedule."

"Mistake?"

"It seems I've been given Divination.

"So you have." he paused to shift his position so he was now leaning forward. "But this is no mistake Ms Callan."

"I don't understand, is this not a third year class?"

"Yes, it is." He replied with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't think I follow."

"Eleanor, why do you wear those gloves?"

Eleanor froze, he couldn't know.

"What happens when you touch someone else's skin, Eleanor?"

"How do you know?" Eleanor could feel the sweat build up in her palms.

"That is insignificant Ms Callan. I have called you in here to discuss your options."

"Options?" Eleanor could not help but fidget in her seat, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation

"You see, I have arranged for you to take Divination beginning your first year, given your circumstances." he motioned towards her gloves, " In Divination you will be able to explore and learn more about this rare magic you posses. Obtain a better understanding of it! Maybe, even control it."

"Control it? I could learn to control it?" Eleanor nearly jumped from her seat.

"There is no guarantee that you will ever control it. Divination is one of the most obscure and inaccurate forms of magic."

Eleanor was visibly disappointed.

"But one must always have hope!"

"You said I had options. Meaning more than one, yes?"

"Yes. If you decide against practicing Divination, you simply continue your studies at Hogwarts as any other normal student." He waited, giving Eleanor a chance to decide

Eleanor did not want to draw anymore attention to herself by taking a third year class her first year. Her parents would defiantly disapprove, not to mention Aubrey. Ellie took a moment to consider what Dumbledore had said "simply continue your studies at Hogwarts as any other normal student".

She could never be normal. Her classmates would always ask about her gloves and they would think she was mad if she ever had a vision in public. Eleanor could never be normal.

"Alright, I'll take Divination." Eleanor agreed, the idea of one day being able to control her visions far too tempting.

"Excellent, now you best be off to class! I'm sure Professor McGonagall is far from pleased that you are missing her first lesson of the year!"

By the time Ellie reached the Transfiguration classroom students were filing out of the classroom.

"Ellie! There you are! How did the meeting go? Did he fix your schedule?"

"Padma, where are you going? And no, it turns out I am taking Divination."

"Class is over Ellie. What do you -"

"WHAT? Class is over? I missed it!" Ellie exclaimed horrified

"I'm sure it'll be alright. You were with the Headmaster weren't you?"

"Yes, I mean, no! I mean, I was with him. He let me go ages ago but I got lost, I just found the classroom."

"Oh well, maybe if you talk to her?" Padma replied unconvincingly

"Is she nice, at least?"

"She's," her friend paused, thinking, "stern."

"Spectacular." Ellie took a deep breath building up her courage.

"Good luck!" Padma called behind her.

With her head held high she marched into the classroom confidently.

"May I help you, Ms?"

"Callan, Eleanor Callan."

"Ah Ms Callan, I see you finally decided to grace me with you presence but I'm afraid class is over." Professor McGonagall turned away from Ellie clearly uninterested in excuses.

"Please Professor McGonagall, I was with the Headmaster Dumbledore the first half of class." Eleanor tried to explain.

"And the second half?" She shot back without missing a beat.

"You see, I sort of got lost." Ellie responded, having lost her confidence

"Five points from Ravenclaw. I expect to see you present in my class tomorrow and on time. I can get the notes and homework assignment from today's lesson from one of your classmates, is that understood?"

"Yes ma'm.”

“Good, no off to your next class before you are late.”

Ellie sprinted out of the classroom towards her next class, Charms. She wasn’t surprised to see that Padma had not waited for her. In fact she was glad, she did not want to be responsible for both of their tardiness.

When she finally reached the classroom Ellie took a moment to catch her breath before walking in.

“Tardiness is unacceptable.” Professor Flitwick voice carried into her ears

Perfect timing, thought Ellie.

“Sorry sir, I was with Professor McGonagall” She offered her excuse, not enjoying that every eye in the room was on her.

“That’s no excuse. I trust it won’t happen again?”

“Of course not, Professor.”

“Well then consider this a warning, take a seat please.”

Professor Flitwick continued on with his ‘Start of Term’ lecture, while Ellie maneuvered her way to the seat Padma had saved for her. She gave her friend a silent thank you and relaxed in her seat.

Eleanor tried to focus on Professor Flitwick words but found that she could not concentrate after her hectic morning. Instead, she looked across the room surveying the other students. Much to her delight, she found Hermione in the front row, practically hanging off of Flitwick’s words. Ellie continued to look over the Gryffindors on the other side of the room.

For some reason, when her eyes landed on a tall gangly red head, and a boy with messy black hair and glasses, she felt a sense of familiarity.

“Why do they seem so familiar?” she muttered

“What?” Padma hissed, clearly annoyed that Ellie was interrupting her note taking.

"Huh?"

"Honestly Ellie, stop day dreaming! You've missed enough class as it is." she warned.

"Oh Merlin, you're right!" Ellie hastily pulled out a fresh roll of parchment, a brand new quill, and some ink.

The rest of the class period passed by smoothly. Professor Flitwick had taught and put them to practice a levitation charm. Ellie, finding the charm incredibly simple, was the second student to levitate the feather. Apparently, Hermione found the charm even simpler.

"I cannot believe how quickly you managed that charm!"

"Trust me, neither can I. Especially since I didn't pay any attention half of the lesson."

The two girls were making their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Yeah, what was that about anyway?"

"I was...distracted. That's all."

"I guess I would be too," Padma reasoned, "The Headmaster wants you taking a third year elective course. What did you say was his reasoning?"

But Eleanor didn't have a chance to answer. She tripped on the small step into the Defense room. She fell against the door frame before she plopped on the floor.

"Oh Ellie, are you alright?" Padma bent forward to help her friend off the floor.

"Look everyone, the freaks graceful, too!"

As soon as Ellie picked herself off the floor, she turned to glare at who ever had spoken.

The first thing she noticed was the brand new green and silver robes draped over the girls shoulders. It was the girl from the sorting ceremony.

Eleanor made a reach for her wand but Padma caught her arm. "What are you going to do? Levitate her until she's nauseous? Besides you'll get detention for sure, and she's not worth the trouble."

"You're right, she's not."

Without another word the Ravenclaw girls made their way to a couple of empty seats in the third row.

"Who is that dreadful girl anyway?" Ellie inquired quietly

"Pansy Parkinson."

"You know her?"

"My sister and I had the misfortune of sharing a compartment with her on the train."

"You have a sister?" Ellie asked, completely forgetting about Pansy.

"Did I not mention that? Well, yes I do. Parvati, that’s her name. We’re twins actually.”

“Where is she? Why haven’t I seen her? I’m sure I would have noticed your twin walking around.”

“That’s because she was sorted into Gryffindor.”

Just as Eleanor opened her mouth to say something else, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, came through the doors.

As he began his lesson Ellie noticed an uncomfortable feeling begin to run through her veins. The feeling began to affect her physically, her breathing started coming in deep breaths and a sharp pain in her left temple caused her to apply pressure to it with her fingers. Everything around her seemed to be moving in slow motion and her movement were in hyper-speed.

“Ellie, are you alright?” Padma whispered placing her hand on Ellie’s forearm. The contact cause Eleanor to jump out of her seat and yelp.

The entire classroom turned the heads at the noise. Padma gave her a questioning look.

“I’m sorry,” Eleanor said panting, “I’m fine.” She slowly lowered herself back into her seat taking deep breaths, hoping the feeling would pass.

“Freak.” Pansy Parkinson snickered to her friend, making sure Eleanor would hear.
Under any normal circumstance Eleanor would have heard, but at the moment, this terrifying and uncomfortable feeling was taking over and she didn’t know what to do.

“Ms. C-C-Callan, m-maybe it would b-b-be best, if you visi-, if you visited the in-infirmary.” Professor Quirrell began stepping towards Eleanor’s desk but at the same moment the horrible feeling seemed to intensify.

She quickly shot up her gloved hand indicating for him to stop where he was. She slammed her hands onto the desk loudly, at least to Eleanor it seemed loud. She took three quick deep breaths, at least Ellie thought they were quick, before speaking. “No. I’m fine, just need to,” she paused feeling she was speaking to quickly, “breath.”

“Ellie maybe,” Padma reached out to place her hand Ellie once again but moved away before she could. “maybe you should go to the infirmary.”

“No, I’ve missed enough class today!” the feeling wasn’t going away but Eleanor was managing to calm down her breathing and the sense that she was on hyper-speed was beginning to fade. “I’m fine.” She opened her eyes, which had been closed the entire time, “I promise, I feel better.”

“What was that all about!” Padma asked once they were out of the classroom

“Padma, I really don’t want to talk about.” Ellie murmured relived that feeling was beginning to pass.

“You should have gone to the infirmary Ellie.” Padma stated, fulfilling Eleanor’s wish by not asking anymore questions.

“I’m not missing anymore class, Padma. Speaking of which, I have Divination next and if I’m correct that’s on the other side of the castle.”

“Well I have Flying, next.” Padma said nervously holding her stomach.

Eleanor giggled at her friends odd behavior, “What is it?”

“I hate flying! I’m terrible at it and I always get sick. Not to mention how temperamental, a broom that is constantly switching owners, is.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine!” Ellie reassured Padma, “Besides at least you have some experience on a broom! Imagine how the Muggle-borns are feeling?”

“I guess, alright we best be off, see you in Herbology right?”

“Right.”