The night was bitter and cold, not necessarily a surprise for the season - but certainly not something the elder wizard enjoyed. His joints were stiff from the chill, and with every move William made, a short groan of pain escaped his lips. Though there was a roaring fire in the grate, it was working overtime to heat the drafty commons he'd been given as a professor, and to help keep his own body temperature up, he headed toward his massive four-poster bed - wanting nothing more than to curl up under the covers with a good book.

Though the room was cramped with mounds of books, shelves bursting with scrolls and ancient tablets, it was drafty. The bed, covered in a warm gold and red themed comforter, was a mere ten feet away. Shuffling through the room in his fluffy slippers and warm robe, Professor Smythe finally made his way to the edge of the bed and crawled under the warm sheets. On the opposite side of the massive bed sat a tray, a nightly ritual for the old man. After getting into bed, the History professor pulled a large book from one side of the tray and opened it for a bit of reading.

Most people wouldn't find a history of wizarding Berlin to be an interesting read, but William couldn't get enough. Though he'd already debunked four lies in the first three chapters, he still found the book fascinating. From the opposite side of the tray, the professor grasped a grape from the pile of fresh fruit and popped it eagerly into his mouth. The juices filled his maw as his mandibles crunched down on the sweet fruit.

It went on like this for several minutes, a grunt, laugh, or groan escaping the Gryffindor Alumn's mouth when a particularly interesting part of the book reached his eyes. The house elves had done an exceptional job this fine evening, and William was determined to enjoy every last scrap. He picked up the prize of the plate: a well-seasoned and delicious turkey drumstick.

William had never been one to be patient when it came to his food, so it was no surprise when he gobbled at the gobbler voraciously. It was delicious - juicy and quite flavorful. It wasn't until his airway was blocked by a large chunk of the meat that William realized that anything was wrong. He reached for his wand, wheezing through the choking in his throat, only to realize that it was across the room, resting on the windowsill, where he had left it after looking out across the Hogwarts grounds.

He was too far away. He'd never get there in time. Hogwarts Professor of History of Magic, noted magical historian, dead by a hunk of oversized chicken.

-End-