Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 73: Stretching

Harry shifted on the cool stone bench and listened to the breeze as it picked up a little, pushing more warm air into the courtyard, and moving the leaves on the tree. He wondered what kind of tree it was. He brushed his hand over the herbs beside the bench and inhaled their pungent aroma. Gemma was writing in the notebook and gently pushed it against his hand.

"Thanks for telling me, Harry. Terry did tell me some of it, but I really didn't understand how scary it must have been. And when he told me, I thought it was scary! How is Ginny doing? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. She's coming to visit this weekend. Well, all the Weasleys are. It'll be a little wild here. I should probably warn Healer Jordan," he smiled at the thought. "I think you'll like Ginny, she's your age."

He Tempus'd his staff and stood up, shaking it out, "We better head up so that we're not late for class. Are you ready?"

She tapped his hand twice and handed back the notebook and pencil. He put everything back in his staff and took her arm. He could tell that she felt better than she had earlier by the way she was guiding him. She wasn't holding her body so rigidly.

He sighed.

As they walked through the bright library, Harry heard Besel's chair and greeted her as they got close. He stopped Gemma, "Hey, do you know Healer Besel Geller?" he asked her. She tapped "no" on his hand.

"This is Gemma Boot, Besel," Harry said.

"Hi Gemma, it's a pleasure to meet you," Besel said and Harry could hear her signing.

"Oh, do you know how to sign, too?" Harry asked.

"Yes, a little. I'm still learning," Besel said.

"I'd like to learn," Harry said, surprising himself a bit. He did want to learn, but he was also feeling overwhelmed about learning all the things he was supposed to learn, like braille. Really, with the Scribunt loqui charm, he didn't need to. But it could be useful to sign occasionally with Gemma, even if he couldn't see her responses. And it would probably be hard to learn—someone would have to move his hands through the motions to teach him or describe what they were doing really accurately.

Gemma seemed excited, though, to learn that Harry wanted to learn. She signed something into his hand that he didn't understand.

"What was that?" he asked.

"She said she'd teach you," Besel said.

Harry smiled at Gemma, "Okay."

"We'd better get to class so we're not late. Nice to see you, Besel. See you this afternoon," Harry said.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it, Harry. Nice to meet you, too, Gemma," she replied.

They left the library and went across the hall to the O&M room.

Harry tapped Gemma's hand, "What's the layout of the room today?"

She guided him to the panel outside the door so that he could feel the map and listen to the description. He felt a little self-conscious because he could hear other people in the corridor, but told himself sternly to get over it.

It was Agatha Midgeon's voice in his aftí today that said, "This morning, the O&M room is set up as a gymnasium with an entryway that has corridors to the left and right where you'll find individual changing rooms. Directly across from the entry door, there is a corridor that leads into a seating area with benches and a center walkway that leads to a large room fitted with padded floors and walls for gymnastics. Find your individual changing room labeled with your name. Please use the changing rooms to change into the work out clothes that you'll find in your locker. Please remove your shoes, but keep your socks on. You may bring any assistive tools that you normally use such as a staff, wheelchair, crutches, prosthetic limbs, etc. but don't bring any other gear into the gymnasium. Extra gear can be secured in your locker or changing room. Once you've changed, sit on the benches until everyone is assembled. We'll start there with a discussion of self-defense and then start some exercises that will, over time, lead to increased balance and strength."