Ripple Effect
Chapter 29
In The Library…
"Hey Hermione! Got a minute?"
Said bushy haired brunette looked away from the tome she was reading through, a tiny scowl on her face at the slight disturbance. The scowl disappeared the instant she spotted a familiar Asian face rapidly closing the gap toward her. "Hey Cho!"
Her fellow Raven slid into the seat beside her and hefted a bulging knapsack onto the table. "Hey Hermione!" Cho smiled as she nudged her friend with her shoulder. "I just knew you'd be in here."
Hermione rolled her eyes playfully. "Cho, everyone in our House knows where to find me! I'm surprised I haven't been saddled with a stupid nickname yet!"
"Oh~ I have a few suggestions if you'd like~" Cho grinned teasingly. Then, she goggled when she spotted her friend's reading material. "What are you doing with Foundations of Alchemy?!"
"You know it?"
The Asian witch couldn't hold in her scoff. "Know it? Hermione I tried reading it! That thing's bloody complex! I mean, I grasped a few of the most rudimentary concepts but everything after that just-" She moved her hand over her head in a gesture Hermione easily understood.
"I just picked it up today; there were references to Alchemy in a number of our textbooks so I decided to look it up." The brunette looked a tad uncomfortable as she reached out to close the tome. "Honestly, it's not as complex as I'd thought; much like brewing Potions, it seems to have similarities to what regular humans call chemistry."
"You mean the branch of natural science that deals with the composition and constitution of substances and the changes they undergo as a result of alterations to their molecular make-up?" Cho grinned at the slightly surprised look on Hermione's face. "Third generation witch remember? Us Changs haven't got enough 'magical blood' in us to make us abandon the non-wizarding world."
I um… I forgot honestly; the sheer level of obsolescence that magical Britain seems to run off means I have to explain most common nonmagical concepts to most people."
"Apology accepted." Cho replied. "Trust me, I know what you mean; I had to explain to Marietta how nonmagical methods of long distance communications trump 'Floo Calls'. Now that was a challenge."
Both girls had a good, quiet laugh at that before Cho got to business.
"Right; so I was going through some of the material for Professor Vector's next class on the Fundamental Magical Principles* when I noticed something odd." Cho opened her knapsack and pulled out Adalbert Waffling's Magical Theory. "I noted a formula that's useful for calculating the rate at which magical decay occurs in transfigured objects and, frankly, I don't get it."
Hermione leaned in eagerly, swiftly recalling the formula Cho had referred to as well as her personal thoughts on it. "Really? I thought it was pretty straightforward."
The Asian girl snorted. "Yeah, on the surface. However the formula has a missing variable: intent.
"According to Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration involves enforcing one's intent on an object and using one's magic reserves to empower the actual change." Cho rehashed. "So, without sufficient intent, the transfiguration process may not happen."
"Or it produces weak results." Hermione finished. "It's also the main reason no one bothers transfiguring their opponent's transfigurations during duels; it devolves into a battle of wills that just serves as a distraction."
"Exactly!" Cho nodded excitedly. "Well, if intent is pretty much the lynchpin of Transfiguration then why doesn't the formula take it into account?!"
That question led them down a path of arguments and counterclaims that lasted well beyond their none-too gentle eviction from the Library…
Had Hermione not had her nose stuck between the pages of an ancient tome (as was normal for her) she would have noted the subdued buzz of energy that rippled through the Hall as she walked in for breakfast. And, if she possessed a greater degree of social acuity, she would have guessed -correctly, as it were that said energy was common among students when there was a trending gossip topic.
But Hermione Granger was Hermione Granger and so she did not notice anything, not even when she shuffled into a spot beside a clearly-eager-to-spill Cho.
Five minutes later (after watching her annoyingly studious classmate adjust her borrowed copy of Alchemic History as she ordered a light breakfast of eggs on toast and a glass of milk) Cho reached over and slammed Hermione's book shut.
Naturally, that drew the bushy brunette's attention/ire.
"What is wro- mmphhh!"
"Now she listens." The Asian Raven glared at the now muffled brunette. "What the hell was in that book that had you so-OW!" She yanked her hand back, shaking it vigorously as she intensified her glare. "What the blazes was that for?!"
"Between muzzling me and interrupting my reading? Take a random guess!" Hermione's tone was almost acidic in response and both girls maintained their furious facade until Terry Boot's grinning face appeared between their glare-off, hands slung across their shoulders. "So, who's up for a spot of breaking and entering later tonight?"
* Looking through the HP book, I noticed a textbook titled Magical Theory. As they don't offer Arithmancy or Runes in year 1, I created the Fundamental Magical Principles class to serve as a sort of prelude to both. The class (taught by Septima Vector) will pretty much be basic arithmetic and simpler runeology and will allow Hogwarts students to come out with at least basic knowledge on the subjects.
So, I know this is really late and doesn't seem to connect to anything but I can assure you that it plays a role.
Later.