House: Ravenclaw
Word Count: 1106
Category: Standard
Addition: Representing your houses traits (Ravenclaw, Wisdom)
Prompt(s): [Spell] Geminio
Year: Head
Hermione Granger sat in the library, her third year of Hogwarts taking somewhat of a toll on her. She had been taking more classes than usual, and she felt it was time for her to relax in the library for a while. Dumbledore - who seemed to have nothing better to do - was searching through the library. She supposed he could just have been checking up on everything, making sure it was alright. It was better, she decided, not to dwell on it for too long. Red hair appeared at her side, and for a brief moment, she wondered if Ron had come to join her.
Once she turned her head to the side, however, she saw that it wasn't her friend. Ginny stood there, wringing her hands nervously, and Hermione wondered faintly if she was intimidating the smaller girl. Hermione quirked an eyebrow, as if to implore Ginny to speak up. The gesture was met only with small fidgeting and even more silence. Hermione let out a sigh before closing 'The Tales of the Beedle and the Bard' and looking over at Ginny.
"Can I help you?" she asked, feeling a small urge to cringe at how overly formal she sounded.
Ginny finally made eye contact with Hermione, her eyes rather wide and somewhat terrified. She opened her mouth, though she spoke so quietly Hermione couldn't understand what she was saying. She raised her eyebrows questioningly, and this time Ginny spoke louder.
"I was wondering if I could borrow that book from you," she asked.
Hermione let out a sigh. This was supposed to be a time for her to relax, and she hadn't finished the book yet. She debated whether or not she should just say no and send the girl away. But she remembered all the little Weasley had gone through last year. She supposed Ginny would need it more than she would. Hermione's gaze moved from the book, landing on the girl's freckled face. If you didn't look too closely you would think she and Ron were twins, she mused. And in that moment, an idea came to her.
She looked down at the book, standing up and pulling her wand out. Hermione pointed it at the book, a smile on her face as she remembered what she'd been reading only a few hours earlier.
"Geminio," she said firmly, and she watched in awe as the book in front of her duplicated itself.
She picked up the duplicate - or at least what she believed to be the duplicate - and handed it to Ginny. Her eyes lit up, and she seemed in just as much awe as Hermione had been only seconds before. A mumbled thank you escaped her lips before she ran off to some other part of the library. Hermione smiled and turned back to her spot in the book, absolutely entranced by the stories.
"That was very wise of you Miss Granger," came a soft voice from behind her.
She let out a small yelp as she turned in her seat, not having expected anyone to come up behind her so soon after Ginny had gone. Dumbledore looked down at her with a twinkle in his eye, something that told her he was amused at her reaction. She looked at him curiously, turning towards her book for a second. She frowned.
"Sir I'm not…" She trailed off as she looked around, finding the headmaster gone. Hermione shook her head, turning back to her book with a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. She couldn't focus though, Dumbledore's words echoing through her mind. Because how could she be wise? Wisdom was for Ravenclaws, for those who were years and years ahead of her, for people like Dumbledore.
The bell sounded, breaking Hermione out of her trance. She sighed, putting the book back on its shelf and moving towards the Great Hall. Ron and Harry talked with each other, leaving Hermione to space out, questions swirling through her mind.
She began leaving with the rest of the students, before being pulled aside by Professor Flitwick, and of course Dumbledore. She walked with the teachers in silence, wondering faintly if she'd done anything wrong. Surely she'd not broken any rules or violated the agreements of being allowed a time turner. So why, she wondered faintly, had she been pulled aside. They stopped outside Dumbledore's office. The older man uttered something Hermione couldn't hear before the three of them walked in.
"Filus and I," began Dumbledore, "conversed over dinner, and since you've shown advanced charmwork - not only today but in the past as well - we've decided you will be allowed to move up a year in Charms. If you want, of course."
Hermione felt like sighing in relief - she hadn't done anything wrong and wouldn't be getting in any trouble.
She pondered over the offer for a second, remembering Ron and Harry who were practically lost without her in their Charmswork. The right thing was to help them, or at least the most she could. Hermione realized if she moved up a year they would only ask her for more help.
"I'll have to decline the offer," she told them.
Flitwick sighed, though he offered her a smile before leaving the office. Perhaps, she supposed, she should do the same. Questions from earlier swirled through her mind, and she pondered on whether or not she should ask them.
"Sir, what did you mean by wise?" she asked, unable to fight the curiosity. Dumbledore smiled at her.
"What do you mean Miss Granger?"
"Isn't wisdom for Ravenclaws, for people with lots of knowledge, people who aren't me?"
He only continued to smile, eyes twinkling beneath his half-moon spectacles. As if he knew she would ask that, as if he was prepared for this.
"Wisdom, Miss Granger, is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement."
She quirked a brow at him, as if asking him to continue, because she quite frankly didn't understand.
"You have shown this quality many times, most recently when you used the duplication spell in the Library."
She looked down, furrowing her eyebrows as she processed this information. If she was right, he was saying that wisdom went far beyond her book smarts, or ability to perform magic. He was saying it was all about knowing when to say and do things, when to use the knowledge you gained.
"So I'm wise?" she finally asked, looking up at the professor.
His smile grew, eyes crinkling at the sides. He nodded in confirmation of her statement, Hermione practically beaming with pride.
"One of the wisest witches of your era."