Disclaimer: All characters belong J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.

The first day back brought me hope that coming back for my N.E.W.T. year would be worth it. My reputation as a know-it-all was really quite well deserved. Before I could even properly sit down at lunch I was bombarded with questions.

"Where were you at breakfast?"

"I overslept. Had to rush to class." It really wasn't a lie. I had overslept by a whole thirty seconds and then had gotten lost in my thoughts until I realized I only had five minutes to get to Arithmancy.

"Sure you did," was Ron's predictable response.

"Anyway, what's the new Transfiguration teacher called?"

"Her name is Sontra-"

"And she's a right bitch," Ginny had joined us; "I just had her. She makes McGonagall look warm and fuzzy."

"Worse than Umbridge?"

"No one could be worse than that hag," Ron interjected.

"At least Sontra wants us to learn. She's just horrible. Thinks we all know as much as the first years."

"What about DADA?"

"Moody."

"What? How? The job is cursed."

"But Moody didn't actually teach now did he? Locked in that trunk all year." Ron really was on a roll for pointing out the most obvious things to me this year. I really should sharpen my observation skills apparently.

"It won't be so bad, I guess. At least we might learn something." All in all it didn't seem like the new teachers were too awful, and I was sure Ginny was just having a rough first day. Well, at any rate I'd find out soon. I had Sontra right after lunch. Moody was abrasive, and really not my favorite person, but he had been a skilled Auror. He knew about the Dark Arts. I was drawn from my musings when I noticed Harry had disappeared.

"Where's Harry?"

"I dunno. Didn't notice him leave." Ron was apparently, in some ways at least, as oblivious as I was today.

"We should get to class. Harry's probably already there," Ginny said, as she rose, "Good luck with Sontra."

"Yeah." Ron and I set off towards Transfiguration.

"Where do you think Harry got to?" Ron asked when we got to class and there was no sign of him. I didn't know where Harry was, but I had a pretty good idea of why he was there.

"I think he misses Ginny, and he wasn't planning on coming back and seeing her every day. He's been tasked with something nearly impossible, by a man who told him nothing. He's still mourning Sirius, and probably blames himself for Sirius' death and Dumbledore's as well. It's his N.E.W.T year, and he has to cope with saving the Wizarding world. I don't know where he is, but I expect he's gone to think."

"Fair enough, but he really ought to be here soon." It appeared that Ron's emotional range had increased from that of a teaspoon in the past few years.

"He wouldn't miss class." I was sure he wouldn't, but after five minutes I was beginning to doubt my words. Class would be starting any second, and Harry was still nowhere to be found.

"Think he's ok?"

"No reason not to." The door opened, and Harry strode in looking harried.

"There you are!"

"Harry, we were getting worried."

"Sorry, 'Mione Just got caught up I guess." Just then the door flew open. A woman with steel grey hair entered. Her entrance had been nowhere near as dramatic as Snape's had been our first year, but the room seemed to chill her presence nonetheless. She moved slowly to the front of the room, before turning to face the class.

"Welcome to your second year of N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration. This year you can expect not only rigorous review of the past six years but also to perfect human Transfiguration, and the Transfiguration of large objects. Until you can prove to me otherwise I will assume you have not paid attention, and know as much as my first years." Ginny hadn't been kidding. Well, she'd soon find out that I certainly knew more the average student. Her standards were certainly higher than McGonagall's and that really was saying something. She was copying down the basic rules of Transfiguration onto the board, and I began to doodle absently on my parchment. I realized much too late that she was hovering over me.

"Ten points, Miss Granger. In the future pay attention. You really don't know it all." In an instant I was seeing red and bit my tongue so hard I tasted blood.

"Professor I've known Hermione since the first day at Hogwarts, and this is the only time I've seen her attention waver. As the brightest witch our age, as well as the most organized, I'm sure she found the review of first year material rather dull, as she reviews all her notes before the start of term."

"Harry," I hissed. He would never learn to bite his tongue. He would waster valuable time taunting Voldemort when he could be killing him. We really would have to have a talk about that at some point.

"Hush, Miss Granger. Let Mr. Potter continue. He is after all a celebrity." She was deliberately taunting him now, trying to elicit a response.

"I was merely saying Professor, that Hermione usually pays attention." I had never known Harry to back down from a taunt like that. Perhaps he knew she was just trying to get a rise from him, or perhaps that last comment had reminded him a bit too much of people's assumptions during our first year.

"Well, Mr. Potter, it appears you temper's reputation is not deserved. Now that the interruption has passed… Basic Transfiguration is simple. It requires little magically skill. Even Muggles have been known to unintentionally Vanish small objects." Sontra had been deliberately trying to provoke him. I quit doodling for the rest of the lesson, but allowed my mind to wander again until we were dismissed.

"No worries, Hermione. Everyone is entitled to the occasional daydream. Besides you'll more than make up the points later," Dean Thomas said, as Harry, Ron, and I turned towards the dungeons.

AN: Snape will be back next chapter, I promise. Please Read and Review.