Hermione had always been a smart girl. She loved reading and learning about new things. Her teachers had noticed her love of knowledge and started sending her to different competitions. The first part was between everyone who wanted to take part and the second part was between those who did the best in the first part.
This year she had started learning a new subject at school and like the others, her teacher in this subject offered her a chance to compete. The teacher gave her a list of things that would probably be in the competition and helped her study.
Hermione was nervous. She had done well on similar competitions in the past, but this was the biggest one so far. She practised, she revised and prepared, but the competition was harder than she had thought. She did her best, but wasn't sure it was going to be enough to get her into the second part of the competition.
That night she talked to her parents, who told her that they were proud of her for trying and that it didn't matter if she hadn't done as well as usual.
During the next few days, she accepted that fact and came to peace with it. But then the teacher asked Hermione to come to her office. Hermione felt a bit worried, but reminded herself what her parents had said and at the end of the school-day she went to see the teacher.
"I see a lot of potential in your work, but I didn't get to work with you and prepare you as much as I would have liked. Your work is almost perfect, but there are a few mistakes, so I am going to help you a little." said the teacher, when Hermione arrived.
The teacher went and locked the door and took out a paper filled with writing that Hermione recognised as hers. The teacher told Hermione how to fix her mistakes, gave her the same pen she had written the test with and asked her to fix them.
Hermione was shocked. Was her teacher asking her to cheat? She felt as if she was in a haze as she did as the teacher had told her to. When she was done, she left the office and went to the park.
When she had found a spot hidden by some bushes, she sat down and started crying. Her tears were silent, as she didn't want anyone to witness her shame. She felt wrong. She felt violated and at the same time she felt like she had violatedthe rules. She felt guilt's hard grip on her heart. How could her teacher ask her to do something like that? Why did she agree to do something like that?
She couldn't tell anybody about what she had done. Her parents would be so disappointed in her. Her schoolmates would laugh at her mistakes. Everything she has ever achieved and everything she ever will achieve, would be under doubt.
When she finally managed to compose herself, she decided to make a promise. She promised herself that from then on she would study harder, so that she didn't make mistakes again. So she wouldn't have to cheat ever again.
And as the birds watched silently, the little girl walked to the library. From that day on they would see her doing that very often.