Author's Note: Please review, I need to know what to change. . .!
"Has anyone heard who's taken the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for this year?" Hermione asked anxiously. She was sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, along with Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Neville.
"No idea," Ron replied, his mouth full of Chocolate Frog. The rest shrugged or shook their heads.
Hermione looked out the window into the darkness. They were nearly at Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy had not yet come into their compartment to taunt them. Hermione thought this was strange, but she certainly wasn't complaining.
"We had better change," she said, standing up. Soon after they had gotten into their school robes, the train began to slow. They all picked up their luggage and stepped out into the night. They found a carriage together, pulled by a thestral that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny could now see. The ride up to the castle was a short one, and they quickly found their way into the Great Hall, Hermione still clutching her baggage and Crookshanks.
At the long staff table, in between Hagrid and Dumbledore, sat the real Mad-Eye Moody.
"Ooh, Mad-Eye must be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" Ginny whispered from Hermione's left side.
Professor McGonagall brought in the sorting hat, and after a few more small, scared faces had joined the Gryffindor table, and Dumbledore had said a few words, the feast began. Hermione had an upset stomach and did not find herself very hungry, but still dished herself out some mashed potatoes, just so she could have something on her plate that she could pretend to eat. She was glad when everyone was done eating, and made her way quickly up to her dormitory. By the time Lavender and Parvati had come up to bed, she was in a deep, dreamless sleep.
In Transfiguration the next day, Hermione turned her squirrel into a soup ladle on the first try, and raised her hand high in the air.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" McGonagall said, making her way over to Hermione.
"Well, Professor, I've already transfigured my squirrel, and I was wondering what I could try next," Hermione replied.
"Very good, Miss Granger, five points to Gryffindor! Hmm. . .have you finished all of your homework?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Well. . .there is a book in the library that I think you would find quite interesting, but it'll be in the restricted section. Here," she said, scribbling something on a piece of parchment, "Go give this to Madam Pince."
"Okay, thank you, Professor," Hermione said, confused. She picked up her books and headed off toward the library.
After she was well out of site of the Transfiguration classroom, she unrolled the piece of parchment and read it. It said,
Hermione Granger has my permission to use
the restricted section of the library, to check out
'The Advanced Transfiguration Theory' by Emeric Switch.
Thank you,
Minerva McGonagall
'Wow,' thought Hermione, walking into the library. She finally had permission to go into the restricted section of the library.
"Oh, hello, Hermione," Madam Pince said warmly when she spotted her. They had gotten to know each other quite well over the last five years, with all the time Hermione spent in the library.
"Hello. . .Professor McGonagall told me to give you this," she said, handing her the parchment, acting like she didn't know what it said.
"Ahh. . .yes. . .she wants you to check out 'The Advanced Transfiguration Theory' by Emeric Switch. You can find it in the restricted section, fourth row, second shelf."
"Thank you," Hermione said politely and made her way over to the right bookcase. She ran her finger along the row of books. 'Illegal Potions'. . . 'The Dark Arts & Herbology'. . .she wished could check out more, and eventually found the right one. She pulled it out and had just turned around to leave when a book fell from the top shelf onto the floor beside her with a loud thump. She bent over, picked it up and turned it over in her hand.
