As they left the dueling classroom they heard the other students whispering about how Gryffindor was already up 150 points (Hardigg had added 40 points for stealth) and seventh year students were quick to tell the story. Regina simply smirked and walked ahead to the Transfiguration classroom with Hermione where they had class with the Slytherins. Harry had already noticed that Theodore Nott had easily slid into the place formerly held by Draco Malfoy ('The ferret') and had been crowned unofficial prince of Slytherin. He walked with Crabbe and Goyle behind him and all of the other Slytherins looked up to him. He even had Pansy Parkinson hanging off his arm constantly. It was like Malfoy dyed his hair black and came back to Hogwarts.

Nott stood leaning against the wall outside of the classroom. When Regina walked up he smirked and slipped into his "cool" mode. "Hey there beautiful."

Regina gave him an amused look. She and Hermione glanced at each other and shared a secretive smile and Hermione nodded encouragingly but almost imperceptibly. "Not so bad yourself."

Nott's smirk grew wider and He stood up straighter. "So what's a pretty girl like you doing hanging out with the Gryffindor freaks? Surely you'd be better suited to people more…at your level."

Regina's eyes appeared to darken, but otherwise her expression didn't change. "You mean yourself, presumably."

"Of course baby."

Regina got a dangerous look in her eyes and the slightest smile played at the corners of her mouth. She took a step closer to Nott. "Well…" She glanced down shyly, "Theo," she glanced up at him through her eyelashes and quickly looked back at the ground. "I don't know that it would be proper…a lion and a snake, you know?"

Nott stepped closer. "I'm sure we could figure something out."

Regina smiled. "You know what they say though."

Nott smiled. "No. What do they say?"

Regina leaned right next to his ear as the door to the classroom opened. "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition." She smiled and swept into the classroom with Hermione and they collapsed into giggles the instant they sat down. Harry and Ron rushed into the room right before the bell and grabbed a table together.

Professor McGonagall came in and began lecturing them on NEWTs. All of the students save Regina and Hermione, who sat with rapt attention in the front row center table, began to fall asleep and didn't listen to a word being said. "And remember that the person sitting next to you will be your partner for the rest of the year."

Suddenly all the students sat up straighter. There were sighs of relief and groans of anguish. Regina stuck her right hand out in a fist next to Hermione next to her. Hermione brought up her left fist and bumped it on top of Regina's, up from the bottom, and then bumped straight into it, all with both of them still staring straight ahead. Harry and Ron looked at each other with matching looks of confusion and then shrugged simultaneously.

McGonagall gained control of the class again. "We will begin with Anamagi. Who can tell me how many Anamagi there are currently?"

Regina and Hermione's hands shot up together. McGonagall looked slightly disconcerted and delighted at the thought of two Hermiones, and she decided to call on Regina. "Thirty three registered" Regina answered immediately. McGonagall opened her mouth to tell Regina that she was wrong when Regina continued. "Seven of which are English and twenty six American."

"I don't know about the American numbers but I will assume it is correct." McGonagall said. "Five points to Gryffindor. I'll make it ten if you tell me the age of the youngest Ms. Black"

"Seventeen in America. Twenty two here."

"Seventeen?" McGonagall exclaimed shocked. "A registered animagus at seventeen?"

"Unless I am mistaken about my own age, yes" Regina replied with an amused look.

McGonagall looked stunned. "What…What form?"

"Bald Eagle."

McGonagall swallowed. "I see. Would you like to show us your transformation?"

Regina glanced at McGonagall and suddenly a huge Bald Eagle was sitting in the chair. It looked no different save its eyes, which were the same grey-blue of Regina's own. Just as students were beginning to get used to the Eagle, Regina changed back.

"Very good Ms. Black. Twenty points to Gryffindor." Regina just smiled as the professor began to tell them how a wizard discovers their form.

Harry was mesmerized. Regina had, in one day, won Gryffindor over two hundred points. Between her and Hermione, Gryffindor was unstoppable. But that's not what had him staring. Regina was reading next to Hermione and she just looked so…perfect.

"Stop drooling."

Harry whipped around to see Ginny Weasley smirking at him. "I um…wasn't…I was just –"

"Drooling. You were just drooling." She sat down next to him.

Harry let his head fall with a thud onto the table. "I barely know her." Came his muffled voice.

"So?"

"So" He lifted his head from the table. "I am being unreasonable." He glanced at Regina. "Ginny do me a favor."

"Depends what it is."

"Hit me."

"What?" she asked shocked.

"Hit me. Hit me so this ridiculous notion goes away." His head fell back onto the table, narrowly missing the dish of applesauce. Ginny moved it a safe distance away.

"Its not ridiculous Harry."

"What's not ridiculous?" Ron asked walking up behind them.

"Harry's got a crush." Ginny said easily.

Harry shot up. "I do not!"

Ginny gave him a look that rivaled Mrs. Weasley's best. "OK, fine, I have a crush, so what?"

"On who?"

"Whom Ronald." Hermione had walked up behind them. Immediatley Harry looked around wildly to make sure Regina hadn't heard him. She was sitting next to Seamus Finnigan. Laughing. With him. At something Finnigan said. Oh he was dead.

Luckily Ron chose that time to cut in. "On whom then."

Harry didn't respond so Ginny did for him. "Moaning Myrtle."

"WHAT?" chorused form the trio.

Ginny snorted. "Kidding, kidding. It's actually on our little American over there." Harry glared. "What are you glaring at Harry Potter? You know Hermione would have figured it out in about two seconds anyways and then she would have hinted to Ron for about ten minutes before getting mad that he wasn't understanding her hints and storming off, forcing you to pick a side until one of you gets into some amount of trouble and you all make up again."

Harry looked at her blankly. "Oddly specific. And true."

Ginny smiled. "I try."

Regina stood up suddenly and began to make her way over to the group of friends.

"Harry!" Hermione hissed, "Talk to her!"

"About what?"

"Anything!"

Regina had reached them. "Hey guys what's up?"

"The sky" Harry muttered.

"Um…Potter, was it? You have a giant red mark on your forehead…might want to get that checked out. Well I'm going to go study…bye guys!"

Ginny whacked Harry upside the head. "Idiot" she muttered