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Bellatrix gave a soft nod. It was more demanding on the reverse, and it took her two attempts before the spell flew. Again, Bellatrix deflected it, the spell managing to strike poor Megan Jones, who'd been half-whispering a spell against Justin. |
"Sorry!" Hermione squeaked. |
"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape said. "If you continue to miss-aim your spells, I will place you on target practice." |
"Are we meant to be playing spell racquet?" Bellatrix asked dryly. Snape's expression sharpened as he looked at her, and Hermione felt herself shrink beneath it. Bellatrix, however, stood firm, her arms crossed. "Or was there another suggestion you had?" |
"Careful, Miss Black," he said, seething in his voice. "Or you may find yourself in detention." |
"Am I not permitted to clarify instructions?" Bellatrix asked. |
Snape looked between them, his jaw tight before he turned on his heel. "Finish your practising. Miss Granger has a long way to learn if she desires any NEWTs in the class." |
Hermione felt her stomach twist at the words, looking away. She barely listened as the rest of the class returned to practice. As she returned to face Bellatrix, she found her chest tight, trying to ignore the growing prick in her eyes. It shouldn't hurt so much, but Draco and Pansy's laugh dug underneath her skin. |
Bellatrix threw a spell at her, and Hermione fumbled, feeling the jinx hit her as she collapsed back on the ground. Draco and Pansy were practically rolling over themselves as Hermione got back up to her feet, wincing as she watched Bellatrix cast a tripping jinx on Draco and Pansy quietly, pressing a finger to her lips when she got Hermione's eye. |
Her attention was quickly shafted as, across the other side of the classroom, Snape went to cast a spell at Harry before Harry loudly threw protego, knocking Professor Snape back into a desk. The whole class paused to watch as Snape stood up, scowling. "Do you remember me telling you we are practising non-verbal spells, Potter?" |
"Yes," Harry said. Even from the distance Hermione had, she could see how tense Harry stood, seething at Snape. |
"Yes, sir," Snape corrected. |
"There's no need to call me "sir', Professor." |
Hermione gasped. Watching as the fury that had built up with Snape began to tip over. "Detention. Saturday night, my office," he said. "I do not take cheek from anyone, Potter...not even the Chosen One." |
Hermione shivered at the words watching the smallest smile tip at Harry's face. He'd been satisfied with whatever he'd done, but all Hermione could feel was dread. Pissing off Snape never went well for anyone. Harry would certainly be paying for that come Saturday. |
"That was more interesting than Runes," Bellatrix noted as they exited the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. |
"I suppose so," Hermione said. |
Bellatrix paused, seeming to take in Hermione’s demeanour. "Is your mood because of what that arsehole said?" |
"Who?" Hermione asked before realising who she meant. "No, I mean, sort of, but no. I’m worried about Harry. That was a foolish thing to say." |
"So he got detention. Does it really matter? Just because a goody-two-shoes like you hasn’t had detention, doesn’t mean––" |
"I have served detention, thank you very much," Hermione said. "I’m not always a goody-two-shoes." |
Bellatrix paused before a slow smile tugged at her mouth. "Yes, I suppose there was that story about your second year." |
Hermione flushed, looking away. She’d been fortunate in that Madame Pomfrey had a rule that as long as you told her what had occurred, she wouldn’t disclose the information to the Professors outside of what was necessary. |
"No, I was outside of curfew," Hermione said, uncomfortable with disclosing the truth about Norbert. |
Bellatrix’s eyebrows rose before seeming to let it pass, not pressing for further information. Somehow, Hermione knew that wasn’t the end of the conversation. |
As it was, they attended lunch as Hermione went over their schedule. "You have Care of Magical Creatures and then, afterwards, potions. If you want, I’ll show you where the class is and meet you at the entrance hall afterwards to take you to the potions classroom. The dungeons are easy to get lost in." |
"I can find my way." |
Hermione’s mouth pressed. The last thing she wanted was for Bellatrix to be late. Instead of arguing, she showed Bellatrix where the care of magical creatures class was held before making her way to Arithmancy’s classroom on the second floor. |
As expected, Professor Grove assigned them three readings separate from the textbook and forty arithmancy questions to respond to by their next class. Hermione had no idea where she would find the time to complete all her coursework and find the time to duel with Bellatrix. |
As it was, she waited in the entrance hall until Bellatrix rose before making their way down to the dungeons. "You didn’t have to wait for me," Bellatrix said. |
"I know. How was Care of Magical Creatures." |
"Fine," Bellatrix said. "Only a few people are taking it." |
Hermione’s chest knotted with guilt. Hagrid meant well, but he could be...overly enthusiastic. "How was Professor Hagrid as a teacher?" |
"I think he expected more students. But otherwise, it was fine." While it was not a glowing remark, Bellatrix had taken to it better than Ancient Runes, which surprised Hermione. Perhaps Hagrid had become a better teacher over the Summer, or he managed a smaller class better. Hermione wasn’t sure, but she pondered it as they arrived at the Potions classroom. |
The doors were already open, and students filed in as Hermione and Bellatrix took their seats. Professor Slughorn greeted the students, though Hermione noted Harry and Blaise Zabini were greeted with particular enthusiasm. |
Hermione sniffed the air as they walked past the cauldrons, noting each potion with interest. There was a clear one, obviously veritaserum. An extremely familiar, muddy brown pot filled with polyjuice brew and a final one that’s scent had caught her interest. Hermione knew from the mother-of-peal sheen that it was the most dangerous love potion in the world (more so than whatever the twins had been selling). |
There, she could smell freshly mown grass, new parchment...and something else that she couldn’t quite place her finger on—though it was hard to smell Amortentia when Bellatrix was sitting so close that her perfume was wafting strongly beside her. |
As they sat down in the class, Professor Slughorn introduced himself and asked about each of the perfumes. Hermione responded in kind, answering the questions quickly before anyone could have. |
"May I ask your name, my dear?" Professor Slughorn asked. |
"Hermione Granger, sir." |
"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagwroth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?" |
"No, sir. I don’t believe so, at least, as I’m muggle-born," she said, saying the words tightly as she waited for him to react. Behind her, she could hear Malfoy again, snickering about her. |
However, if Slughorn held prejudice, it didn’t show on his face as he beamed and looked at Harry, sitting on the table across from her. "Oho! "One of my best friends is muggle-born, and she’s the best in our year!’ I’m assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?" |
Hermione’s heart leapt in her chest as she looked at Harry. Half of her expected him to deny it with how angry he seemed, but instead, he nodded without hesitating, "Yes, sir." |
"Well, well. Take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor, Miss Granger." |
Hermione beamed, sitting taller as the previous classes washed from her. Harry had referred her to Professor Slughorn as the best in their year! Hermione felt the admiration and love for her friend pour through her chest. Whatever was happening between them, whatever anger and resentment he had, Hermione knew it would pass. |
Slughorn moved to have them begin their lesson before Ernie Macmillan asked about the small black cauldron on the Professor’s desk. Hermione hadn’t had a chance to see it, but as Slughorn gave a chuffed laugh, he turned to it and said, "Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis." Hermione gasped as all of her attention turned to it. It was one of the most challenging potions to make. "I take it that you know what Felix Felicis does, Miss Granger?" |
"It’s liquid luck!" She said, the excitement bubbling from her. "It makes you lucky!" |
"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor." Hermione beamed, sharing her smile with Bellatrix, who seemed to give a curious look to her before returning her attention to the front of the class. "Yes, it’s a funny little potion," Professor Slughorn continued. "Desperately tricky to make and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavours tend to succeed.....at least until the effects wear off." |
As Slughorn explained, Hermione knew that "overdosing’ on such a thing had a terrible effect. It couldn’t even be taken too closely in dosage and was highly illegal (and easily proven!) for sports and exams. There were few things Hermione had wanted to experience, but a moment of a pure lucky day seemed extraordinary. To find out that it was a prize for the lesson had Hermione giddy. There were few better at potions than her. |
Draco had previously been her highest competition. She was confident that it would be between the two of them. However, it quickly turned out that Harry had become her biggest competition as her potion failed to lighten. |
"How are you doing that?" Hermione demanded, her breath tight as she scrambled between the ingredients and her book. |
"You add a clockwise stir––" |
Hermione balked. Clockwise? "No," she said, sure he’d misspoken as she looked to the pages before her. "No, the book says counter-clockwise!" |
Harry shrugged, and as Hermione watched, Bellatrix added in an anti-clockwise turn and to Hermione’s horror, it worked. But as she did it again, the colour changed from purple to a strange greyish blue. |
Bellatrix glared at the potion as if she could will it back, muttering under her breath. |
Hermione flicked through the pages, looking through the instructions to see if she missed any steps, but she hadn’t. She’d followed them exactly. |
"And time’s up!" Slughorn called, "Stop stirring, please!" |
It didn’t take long. Hermione was pleased to see that, at the very least, she had the second closet match to the desired colour, but it was clear that Harry was the winner, further proven when Slughorn began to fawn over him. Hermione’s shoulders fell, crestfallen as she looked at her instructions. She knew potions had an element of luck when using complicated ingredients, and if they weren’t picked right, then the potion would fail. Her valerian roots might have been of poorer quality than Harry’s...though she wasn’t entirely sure that had been the case. |
Hermione knew the potion well. She’d been one of the first students to the potion’s cupboard and had carefully chosen her ingredients. Harry had been later, after Malfoy. Surely he hadn’t gotten lucky there. |
She waited until dinner before heading up the table to corner him. "How did you do it?" She demanded. And there, Harry admitted the truth. His book had different instructions written across the pages. A rage built inside of her at his words. |
"You think I cheated," he stated, and Hermione huffed. |
"Well, it wasn’t exactly your own work, was it?" |
Ron scoffed at her. "He only followed different instructions. Still words a page," he said, glaring at her as if she’d accused Harry of stealing. |
"Show me the book," Hermione said, and as Harry hesitated, she snapped, "Show it!" |
Harry muttered a curse under his breath as he pulled out the book, setting it on the table. "That what you wanted to see?" |
Hermione pointed her wand at it, "Specialis revelio!" And waited, staring at it. Nothing occurred. The pages remained the same, the book sitting unevenly on the table. |
"Bloody hell, it’s not Riddle’s diary!" Ron snapped, and Hermione placed her wand away, her face growing hot with embarrassment. |
"Who knows, you’re taking strange instructions from a book." |
"They’re notes, Hermione. It’d be no different than if you’d stuffed parchment in the pages of your notes. He only wrote his notes in the margins instead." |
"Or she!" Hermione pointed out hotly. |
Harry rolled his eyes, "or she," he placated. "Speaking of..." he trailed off, looking to where Bellatrix and Ginny sat, talking, though their eyes had paused to look at Hermione after she’d tried to charm the book into revealing itself. |
Biting her lip, Hermione pulled away. "Be careful, Harry," she said. "You don’t know who the person is on the pages. Maybe some of the information is good there, but some might be bad." |
Harry gave her an unconvinced look before turning his attention away from her. Hermione returned to her seat further down the table, sitting across from Ginny as a heaviness weighed on her shoulders. |
"What was that all about?" Ginny asked |
Hermione shook her head. "Nothing," she assured. "Harry came first in potions today." |
"He did?" Ginny said before giving a nod of approval. "Huh, maybe he is studying." |
Hermione wasn’t so sure of that, and fear knotted in her belly. She wished Harry and Ron weren’t so hesitant toward Bellatrix. Maybe if they weren’t so wrapped up in their anger, Harry would take her warning seriously, and they could look into it. |
Later, as they sat in the Girl’s Dormitory, Hermione admitted what had occurred. "Why does it matter that he’s received some old, ratty textbook?" Bellatrix asked as they sat up in the girl’s dormitory. Hermione hadn’t been able to answer. While she hadn’t meant to think poorly of her friend, Harry becoming especially good from reading a textbook was...suspicious. As Ginny sat on the floor, leaning back as Hermione discussed what had happened, she agreed there was something dangerous about it. |
"You can’t trust books that talk to you." |
Bellatrix gave an odd look, having no context to the situation. "It didn’t speak to him. There were notes in the margin, clearly by a competent student who used to attend Hogwarts." |
"I just think it’s strange," Hermione said. "The notes are so good that Harry’s suddenly able to make a perfect Draught of the Living Dead?" |
"Or are you jealous," Ginny teased. "Not used to Harry beating you in anything but DADA." |
"Today you beat him," Bellatrix said, sincere as she looked at Hermione. |
Hermione looked away, a blush spilling over her cheek. "You were the first one. I deflected. It’s easier to be on the defensive with non-verbal." |
Ginny’s eyebrows rose. "You both did non-verbal magic on your first day of classes?" |
"Only a bit," Hermione said. "We knew it’d be coming up in the course, so we practised over the Summer. It’s not hard once you get used to it. I thought it was about thinking the spell loudly, but it’s not. It’s about feeling the spell." |
"Feeling the spell’," Ginny quoted, twisting it to sound salacious. "How often did you feel a spell, Hermione?" |
"Oh, shut up!" Hermione said, throwing a pillow at her. "You know what I meant. You know how it feels when you cast a spell, each spell is different." |
"I’ve never noticed," Ginny shrugged. |
"Really? Well, cast a spell. Levitate the pillow but concentrate when you’re doing it," she said. Ginny looked at her oddly before pulling out her wand and casting wingardium leviosa. As she did, she gave a bemused expression. |
"It feels warm and tingly when you cast. So does every spell." |
"Cast something else. Not a charm. Throw a jinx." |
Ginny turned, standing up as she cast her bat bogey hex out the window. The spell flew out, lighting the room blue before it dispersed in the night air. "Okay, that one kind of tingled a bit more. So each spell feels different," she said, sitting down. "What’s that got to do with non-verbal?" |
Here, Bellatrix responded the way she had over Summer while teaching Hermione. "Because each "feeling’ is like a thumbprint for the spell. It’s different, so when you cast nonverbal, you remember how it feels as you make the wand movement. If you do it right...it works." |
Ginny frowned, sitting back as she waived her wand, doing the movement for wingardium leviosa. Nothing happened until she sat up straight, and cast it verbally before doing it again, non-verbally, the next time. |
The pillow rose a few inches before falling to the ground. |
"Bloody hell," she said. "I should be jumping classes." |
Hermione beamed. "See, it’s easy once you know how." She turned and looked to Bellatrix, smiling proudly and watched as Bellatrix gave a soft smile, nodding in return. |
The following day, Harry cornered her in the common room and told her that Dumbledore had asked to see him on Saturday for private lessons. "It’s probably extra magic classes or something," Harry said. |
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