Hermione smiled as Matilda's end credits rolled, uncrossing her legs on the floor of the school assembly hall. It was their last day of year three, and her teacher had decided they could watch a film for the last hour or so of the day.
When her aunt and uncle picked her up from school that day, she wasn't really paying attention to anything they said – busy imagining what it might be like to have powers like Matilda's.
Even throughout dinner her mind was away with the fairies – or rather, with the witches.
In the evening, she'd disappeared off to her room to read a book, and sat against the headboard of her bed, seeing the words but not fully taking them in.
She couldn't stand being so distracted any more, huffing and dropping her book to her side, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at her bookcase.
As much as she had enjoyed the film, she liked being able to concentrate on her books more.
The other thing that had plagued her mind since that afternoon was… what if she could do it? If she could move things with her mind like Matilda?
To put herself at ease, she decided she would try it out. 'Just this once,' she told herself.
She narrowed her eyes, staring at the small and slightly sparse bookshelf across the room, focusing as hard as she could.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when her copy of The Twits shuffled out by an inch.
She shook her head, as if to convince herself that hadn't really just happened.
'Trick of the light…'