Comets were an exceedingly anomalous astronomical phenomenon in the eyes of the ancients. They appeared and vanished unpredictably, changed without warning, and followed no discernible pattern. Whether in East or West, the appearance of a comet was regarded as an ominous portent.
Comets were sometimes called "heavenly dogs." This did not mean that they caused solar or lunar eclipses like a heavenly dog devouring the sun or moon, but that they made a sharp sound like a dog's bark as they streaked across the night sky. If one saw a comet but heard no sound, it was called a stray arrow.
Rather than comets, these were more like meteors. Only when meteors entered the atmosphere did they make sounds from burning.
Whether they cried out or not, comets were considered signs of war, death, and social unrest. After night fell, Pomona observed the stars through a telescope from the Astronomy Tower, paying particular attention to changes in Jupiter.
A comet had a tail like a broom, a tool used for sweeping away dust. In some forms of astrology, it represented clearing away the old and bringing in the new. As it happened, the castle's official grand cleaning was to begin tomorrow...
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Pomona turned around. Flitwick was standing at the entrance to the Astronomy Tower. "July and August are the best months for viewing the Milky Way."
"You came to admire the night sky too?" Pomona asked.
Flitwick descended the stairs to the telescope's side, but did not use it to look at the night sky.
She quickly gave up looking for an ill omen. The midsummer sky was magnificently beautiful, especially here in the Scottish Highlands. Not only was the elevation high, but there was no light pollution from Muggle cities nearby. Apart from the castle's lights,