"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practising!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, repeating the movement he had just described for the fifth time.
I was very eager to put theory into practise, but the stupidity and lack of concentration that my fellow peers possessed was preventing me from doing so.
"Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick! And saying the magic words is very important, too - never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."
I surveyed the room and my eyes landed on Harry Potter and Seamus Finnigan. It seemed as if they were staring attentively at the feather we had been instructed to levitate, hoping that they may, somehow, make it float by simply gawping at it. However, seconds later, Seamus bravely picked up his wand and poked the feather briefly, causing the latter to explode into pieces, the ashes smouldering as it came into contact with the table.
Knocking me out of my reverie, I heard Ronald Weasley, who was sitting beside me, flap his arms in the air wildly, attempting to successfully cast the spell.
"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" Ron shouted, his long arms almost smacking me in the face.
Almost in danger of having my nose swiped off my face, I'd had enough already. Ron was one of the students dragging me behind and if he wasn't going to improve, I'd help him do so. Whether he wanted to or not!
"You're saying it all wrong!" I explained, as politely as I could to someone who was halting my education. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa; make the "gar" nice and long."
Ron turned his head as slowly as humanly possible and glared at me before saying, "You do it, then, if you're so clever,"
I rolled up my sleeves as if I were a professional in Charms, knowing full well I was able to cast the spell, a hint of satisfaction on my face as I smiled in Ron's direction.
Flicking my wand calmly, I said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather Ron and I had been given began to rise off the desk slowly, eventually hovering just above our heads.
"Oh, well done!" Professor Flitwick cried from the pile of books he was standing on, clapping his hands excitedly. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"
Everyone seemed to stare at me for a couple of seconds, no sense of praise or happiness etched on their faces, before they turned their attention back to the feathers in front of them. A scowl appeared on each of their faces as they did so, secretly loathing me for completing the task at hand without any difficulty.
By the end of the lesson, most students had, at the very most, managed to levitate their feather off the table a few inches. When the class was dismissed, I saw Harry and Ron leave the classroom in frustration, Ron giving me an angry sideward glance before disappearing out the door. As I tidied up my belongings and packed them into my bag, Professor Flitwick approached me, a piece of parchment in his small, wrinkly hand.
"Miss Granger," he said placidly, a smile on his face. "If you're interested, I have some extra credit homework for you to complete. It'll raise your final mark in Charms considerably, but it is your choice!"
Bursting with enthusiasm, I nodded my head politely and he passed me the piece of parchment he had been holding. I unfolded it and read the contents. For extra credit work, it didn't look at all difficult; I assured myself that I could finish it in a few hours. Certainly a possibility.
Practically skipping as I exited the classroom, I walked down the corridor connected to the Charms classroom, many of the students that had just left still walking hurriedly down it in a crowd. Just ahead of me, I could see Harry Potter and Ron Weasley walking side by side, talking animatedly.
"It's no wonder no one can stand her," I overheard Ron say to Harry, getting knocked into slightly as they both made their way down the corridor. However, Ron - and indeed Harry - seemed undisturbed by this and Ron continued speaking. "She's a nightmare, honestly."
It didn't take very long to realise who they were talking about. Almost instantly, my pace quickened and, although intending to bump into Ron, I knocked into Harry, tears springing in my eyes from what I'd just heard. What had I ever done to Ronald Weasley? For some unknown reason, he had taken an immediate dislike to me and was set to make certain I knew. And all I was trying to do was make friends at a new school.
I eventually disappeared into the crowd, hoping I'd never see that atrocious boy with dark red hair ever again. Unfortunately, I glimpsed his hair through the immense crowd, and wiping away the tears that were rolling down my cheeks, I ran to somewhere no one would think to look for me.