Disclaimer: I do not own the character's that rightfully belong to J.K. Rowling.


Chapter Twenty-Three: Shine Like a Diamond


Victoria read over the answers to the Transfiguration exam a third time just to be sure she answered the questions thoroughly enough. She took her time this time, knowing she had plenty of time to spare. She then stood up and walked over to Professor's McGonagall's desk and placed the parchment of answers before her.

"I expected you to be finished 10 minutes ago, Miss Prince." Prof. McGonagall stated as she looked down to the parchment of answers presented before her.

"Oh, I was Professor," she stated softly, "However, if you recall my boggart from Third Year."

"Your Boggart?" Professor McGonagall looked to her with questioning eyes and an arched brow.

"Are you telling me you didn't know? I was certain it was the talk of the school." Victoria whimpered just thinking of it. The image of Professor McGonagall yelling at her for failing all her exams crossed her mind like a nightmarish vision.

"The talk of the school?" Prof. McGonagall asked as she couldn't fathom what Hermione's fear could have been, the only rumor she remembered from that year was Neville Longbottom's Boggart because it was Professor Snape.

"Are you playing with me Professor?" Victoria was ashamed she had not defeated her boggart and it was hard to swallow that Prof. McGonagall was never told of her failure.

"I really don't know what you are going on about…I never heard any rumors about your Boggart, just Mr. Longbottom's."

Victoria blinked a few times as she clutched her chest. "Well, my boggart was...was you Professor McGonagall, you yelled at me because I failed all my exams."

Prof. McGonagall started shaking as she tried to hold her composure. "I don't mean to laugh, Miss Prince. I just never had you on my list of Trolls." She said as she could hardly hold in her mirth and she let out a laugh that rang throughout the Transfiguration Classroom.

Victoria gripped the bridge of her nose as she scowled which only made Prof. McGonagall laugh harder. "You look just like your father when you do that, Miss Prince." Victoria glared at her then and unfortunately that only made Professor McGonagall laugh more.

"Should I leave and come back when you gathered your composure, Professor?" Victoria said more seriously.

Prof. McGonagall closed her eyes and pressed her hand over her chest. Instantly the laughing died down as she concentrated on reeling in her emotions. "I'm sorry Miss Prince. I never expected that you would come to tell me that you still fear failing exams. Now, I know you know the spells my dear, let's see if you can perform them."

Victoria smiled brightly as she flicked her wrist and her wand shot out of her sleeve.

"Who gifted you with a wand holster?" Prof. McGonagall exclaimed as she stood up quickly.

"You have to ask?" She said as she flicked her wrist without saying a word a flock yellow of birds shot out of her wand and started flying about the room. If Prof. McGonagall was staring into her eyes, she would notice a ring of gold glowing around her iris.

"Very good, Miss Prince and silently as well. Color me impressed." Prof. McGonagall smiled.

Victoria smirked as she waved her wand again and her long black locks turned a shade of periwinkle with a rose wisp of hair that was usually red. Her the golden ring around her iris glowed as she cast the spell but fade once the spell was finished.

"Marvelous Miss Prince." Prof. McGonagall smiled as she walked over to Miss Prince and examined her hair closely. "I'm surprised you choose to remain neutral to the House Colors. What else can you do?"

Victoria went through all the spells she could remember from when she started at Hogwarts until she was studying beyond. All the spells were performed silently, and she achieved them so masterfully and intricately that McGonagall was beside herself watching in amazement. Then, Miss Prince silently changed her robes to appear like an exact copy of Professor McGonagall's including every stich and hemline. "Miss Prince!" Prof McGonagall Gasped as she walked over to her to examine her hard work. "This is beyond my expectations…you have outdone yourself!"

"Thanks Professor," Victoria said softly as she waved her wand across her form once more and her robes transfigured into exact copy of the brilliantly bright and vibrant robes Headmaster Dumbledore had warn that day, even to the minuscule details and of course this was the moment the wizard she was immolating walked in.

"My word, Miss Prince." Headmaster Dumbledore spoke as he walked into the room.

"Albus…why did you decide to join us?" Prof. McGonagall asked him as he entered her classroom.

"When she didn't finish at record speed as she has been known for, I decided to pop by and see what the holdup was…Miss Prince do you mind if I examine your creation?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked as he walked closer to Victoria.

"Not at all, Headmaster." Victoria stated as she lifted her arm and allowed the Headmaster to grasp her sleeve.

"It even feels like my Robe, how could you possibly know what my robes are made of?" Albus asked as he looked to her eyes.

Victoria bit down on her lower lip into her mouth at the high praise. "I didn't know per se, however I like making my cloths comfortable, even if I am only doing a transfiguration spell. I am not sure if I got the exact texture as I never felt your robes but I could see the ridges, so I went off that it could be something like the muggle corduroy and that is how I determined to make the robes."

"But you didn't miss a single detail. How could you know about these etching?" he stated as he matched up the hem of his sleeve to hers. The same exact alchemy symbols hidden inside the hem of his sleeve was hidden inside her transfigured imitation robes.

"Oh, I just thought of you and I brought you to the forefront of my mind and I examined your outfit closely in my mind before I transfigured my robes to look more like your robes, sir." Victoria stated like it was nothing special.

"You are telling me you were able to examine a memory of me from today, Miss Prince?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked as he went back to examining her Dumbledore replica robes. Walking around her as he examined all the details of her transfigured robes.

"That's right, Headmaster," Victoria stated as she looked up to him as he stood behind her. She felt the Headmaster's eyes dig into the forefront of her mind and instead of resisting and using occlumency she directed the memory of her Mind-Self walking around memory-self of Headmaster Dumbledore. She showed him exactly how was able to absorb all the details of his robes. Then after showing him, she abruptly removed him from her mind, which caused Headmaster Dumbledore to stumble away from her when he was forcefully pushed out of her mind.

"Extraordinary," Headmaster Dumbledore looked to Prof. McGonagall, "Miss Prince had just transfigured her robes to look like yours Minerva? Right before she did mine, isn't that Right?"

"That she did, Albus. Although she could look at me and absorb the details with her eyes if she desired, however I don't think she did. It only took her a second and she didn't move from where she is standing now. I'm not sure how she got all the details, but it was simply mesmerizing." Prof. McGonagall beamed as she looked to Headmaster Dumbledore's twinkling eyes.

Victoria smiled as she now knew she had nothing to fear ever again. I should be angry that he broke into my mind, but some reason I'm not. I am not sure why I feel calm at this moment, but if he ever tries to break into my mind again, he will -regret- it.

"Extraordinary…I can barely contain myself." Albus murmured as he kept examining her robes and taking in all the extraordinary details with his twinkling blues.

"Have you thought about becoming an animagi?" Professor McGonagall asked her, as she looked to Victoria's eyes.

"I have considered it since I saw you transform my First Year Professor McGonagall," Victoria stated softly.

"You will have to learn to talk to us as if you didn't know us during the time of your first year," Albus stated softly as he let go of arm. "You can change your robes back now. I believe Flitwick is waiting impatiently in the Charms Classroom waiting for you my dear."

Victoria bowed her head hiding her burning cheeks as her hair fell before her face. She sighed before she silently changed her robes back without her wand. "Alright, Headmaster I will head there now. Thanks Professor McGonagall, I will see you both at dinner."

"Off you go Miss Prince," Albus stated as he watched her exit the room. When the door to the Transfiguration Class closed behind her, Albus sighed. "I think I made a mistake."

"Albus what do you mean?" Minerva asked as she looked to Albus, she could see an expression on his face she rarely saw, regret.

"I think she could take her N.E.W.T.s today and she could be an Apprentice when term starts, I should have never held her back." Albus said honestly as he looked to Minerva. His eyes weren't twinkling, but he was quite serious with his new conviction.

"Do you wish to tell her so? I'm sure we can stop these exams and take her to Ministry and have her sit for her N.E.W.T.s right now. I doubt she will object, Albus."

Albus sighed as he leaned on Minerva's desk and sat on top of it. "But who would she choose, Minerva? We need her here at Hogwarts."

"Just go grab her Albus before she starts the Charms Exam." Minerva said as she patted Albus on the back. "She will likely not take offense if you tell her she is ready."

"You don't think she will be miffed if I stop her exams now?" Albus questioned as he looked to her for guidance.

"She may get miffed, but we are hardly challenging her, I think she will find herself bored with us if we let her continue this 7th Year charade." Minerva said as she looked to him. "She needs to be challenged Albus, I fear she may drop out if we try to hold her back and you wouldn't want that, would you?"

Albus grabbed a parchment from McGonagall's desk and scribbled and note tossed it into the air and it soured into the air through the halls bypassing Victoria as she was heading up the stairs to the Charms Classroom. "I hope you're right Minerva."

"I know I am," she said as she went to sit behind her desk. "She will not be challenged, and we can't have that, now can we Albus?"

"No, I suppose not, Minerva."


"Draco," Narcissa knocked on his bedroom door. "Your dress robes arrived, and I would like you to try them on please."

Draco stirred in his bed as he heard his mother from behind the door. "Give me 20 minutes mother, I need to clean up before I do that." He wiped the sweat from his brow. That was some dream. I don't even remember falling asleep. He looked around his bed until he found the book he had been reading. It was about fixing magical furniture and it was hiding beneath his pillow. I was reading this…wasn't I?

"Alright Draco, I'm hanging them up on the rack in the hall. I'll be in the library when you are ready." Draco could hear his mother walking away down the hall.

Draco stood up off the bed and brushed the imaginary dirt off him as he walked to his private bathroom.


When Victoria was climbing up the stairs to reach the Charms Classroom, she did not notice the piece of flying parchment that flew past her over her head. She had no reason to suspect things have changed. Until she saw Professor Flitwick standing outside his classroom practically bouncing as he was reading a piece of parchment.

"Hello Professor, I'm ready for my Charms Exam," Victoria spoke softly in her melodic voice as she felt ill at ease about his stance.

"It seems our esteemed Headmaster has come to his senses Miss Prince," Professor Flitwick spoke as he handed her the parchment. "He has decided to allow you to sit your N.E.W.T.s Exams tomorrow."

"What?!" Victoria exclaimed in a panic as she snatched the parchment out of his hand and examined the Headmaster's note to Professor Flitwick. "But I didn't study for the N.E.W.T.s Exam! Why would he change his mind?" Isn't this a rash decision? What is he crazy? I thought I was going to be a 7th year, why did he suddenly change his mind now? Was it my robes transfiguration? Did that finally make him see I am ready to be an apprentice full time? But…I don't know what I want to be an apprentice in… "So, what am I to do now Professor? Since I have the rest of the day and night free? Will I be going back to Malfoy Manor?"

"I am not sure, Miss Prince," Prof. Flitwick said softly as he looked up to her worriedly. "However, I will gladly go over the Charms N.E.W.T. requirements with you, if you would like?" He smiled when he saw the panic receding in her eyes.

Victoria sighed as she let her hand fall to her side. "I would like that very much, Professor."

"Alright, come on in Miss Prince." Professor Flitwick said as he walked into his classroom, holding the door for Victoria as she followed him inside.

Seeing several puddles of water in the classroom Victoria arched her brow. "Professor I think you went a little overboard on the water puddles to prepare me for the drought spell, let me clean this up." She said as her wand appeared in her hand, slung from her holster hidden in her sleeve. She gave her wand a wave and all the puddles that were in the classroom vanished within an instant.

Professor Flitwick clapped as the water evaporated. "Bravo, Miss Prince! You have mastered Non-Verbal Spells and look you took out all six of my puddles with one spell! Color me impressed." He stated. "You don't really need to worry about your N.E.W.T exam if you can do that so easily, does that put your mind at ease, or should we examine your other spells?"

Victoria bit down on her lower lip. So, Professor Flitwick thinks I don't need any more encouragement. That that simple spell was more than enough to show that I am ready for my N.E.W.T. Exam? If I continue will he think I'm showing off? I don't want to be a showoff. It's bad enough my friends hate me now... "Professor, you don't think I need your help?"

"I doubt you will need it, Miss Prince. But I will gladly observe what you can do if you like, I love watching an accomplished Charmed Student!" Professor Flitwick boasted as he looked up to her.

Victoria smiled than, as she started to work out non-verbal spells starting from the Levitation Charm, she mastered in her First year until she reached the vinegar to wine spell. The ring around her iris glowed gold for every spell she performed. "Professor, do you have a flask of vinegar?"

"Yes, one moment, Miss Prince." He said as he walked over to his podium and pulled out his flask from the cabinet and walking back over to her and handing it to her.

She took it from him and placed it on the nearby table and opened the flask to make sure it wasn't wine. Then she performed the spell silently.

"Bravo, Miss Prince! What a treat! That was excellent Charms work!" He stated as he took the flask from the desk and took a gulp of the wine from the flask. "Such an exquisite tasting wine at that!"

Victoria blushed. "Thanks Professor Flitwick, you have boosted my confidence. I appreciate you allowing me to show you how I cast my Charms."

"Anytime, Miss Prince." Professor Flitwick smiled as he took another gulp of the wine. "Now, can I escort you to the Great Hall, I imagine our Headmaster is wondering what is keeping us?"

"Of course, Professor." Victoria smiled as she followed Professor Flitwick out of his classroom, and they headed down the stairs for the Great Hall.

"Ron are you finished yet?" Ginny asked her brother as he had fallen asleep on his books.

"No…still have the Potions essay to finish," Ron stated softly as he was still half asleep.

"Come on Ron, you need to finish the essay so we can play Quidditch!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Quidditch?" He exclaimed as he opened his eyes. "We can play Quidditch?"

"Only if you finish your essay before it gets dark out, Ronald." She said as she smiled.

"Can we have lunch first?" Ron asked as his stomach started growling.

"Of course, that is why I'm here. Mum said lunch was ready for us." Ginny smiled as she stood up. "Come on then, let's eat."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Ron said as he stood up and rushed out the library and down the stairs. "Mum, what's for lunch?" Ron yelled down as he jumped down the stairs two at a time.


"Draco, whatever took you so long? I been waiting for you to show me your new robes for hours now!"

"I'm sorry mother, I thought you only chose one for me to wear but there was a dozen on the hook for me and I had to choose, I didn't want to choose poorly," Draco said as he entered the dining hall.

"Let's have a look at you, come here Draco," Narcissa said as she pulled him by his hand, and started to examine him. "I am surprised you didn't go for the Forest Green Robes; these Sapphire Robes look really dashing on you, I swear I think we must dress you in Sapphire more often." Narcissa said as she turned him around. "They make your eyes shine brighter."

"Mum!" Draco exclaimed as his face was turning beat red, "Must you say such things..."

"A Mother must compliment his son when he chooses wisely. I think Victoria won't be able to resist you in these, my son." She said. "Have you decided what you want to do when you graduate?"

"Not exactly, I thought I was supposed to help Father run Malfoy Industries," he asked his mother quietly.

"I'm sure that is what your father would want, but is that what you would want?" Narcissa asked him as she looked up to him.

Draco sighed as he looked to his mother, "I never really thought about it, I didn't think I really had any other choice."

"Well you do now, my son. If you choose you want to continue on with Malfoy Industries, you may but I want you to also think about other possibilities, you can always be the head and have a board of governors actually run Malfoy Industries, you do not have to run the business by yourself, like your father." Narcissa said as she twirled him around one more time. "I must say our seamstress has really outdone herself."

"I will consider my options mum, and I will let you know if I should decide any differently." Draco responded as he couldn't really believe he had any options than the plans his father had for him. It just didn't seem right.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear, Draco. Now come sit down and eat. It's time for lunch. Tipsy!" She called for a house elf as Draco took a seat in the chair next to hers.

A small scrawny female house elf popped into the room next to Narcissa's chair, "Yes, Mistress Malfoy what can Tipsy be getting you for today?"

"You may serve lunch now, Tipsy." Narcissa ordered.

"Right away, Mistress." The elf disappeared with a pop and food appeared on several trays on the dining room table the instant she disappeared.

"Mum, were you expecting anyone else to join us for lunch?" Draco asked as he looked at all the different dishes that appeared before them.

"Not quite, but I suspect Victoria may be hungry when she gets back and I wanted there to be something prepared in case she got back earlier than we thought." Narcissa said softly as she looked to her bewildered son. Young and in love. I hope you can gain her heart Draco; you deserve happiness.


"Alright everyone, I know some of you may be disappointed with what I have to say," Albus announced as all the Professors stood before the podium, minus Professor Flitwick. "It has come to my attention this afternoon that Miss Prince will not be taking anymore 6th year Exams this evening." All the teachers were silenced by his words.

Except Slughorn of course, "But Albus, how will she become a 7th year if she doesn't take the rest of her exams?"

"Excellent Question, Horace. But after seeing her Performance in Transfiguration I can't in great conscious allow us to stunt her talent." All the Professors were murmuring in excitement at those words. "Silence!" All the Professors went silent. "So as of tomorrow morning, I will be taking Miss Prince to the Ministry of Magic and she will be conducting her N.E.W.T. exams."

Professor Flitwick and Victoria Prince entered the Great Hall as all the Professors turned to look at them. Professor Slughorn started clapping. "Good form dear, Girl. You must have shown great talent for Albus to change his mind about this."

Victoria bit on her lower lip as she felt like fleeing the Great hall as she hated being center of attention. She just wanted to vanish into the floor and pretend like today never happened. However, before she could begin to turn around Professor Flitwick held her hand and started pulling her towards the other professors in the Great Hall. "No need to be embarrassed Miss Prince, it's your time to shine."


Author's Note: I know it's been a really long time. I hope I did not disappoint. It took me a long time to decide where I was going with this and I am happy to say I have found my path to APH a bit more clearer. I decided to write longer chapters from now on so chapters may come every few weeks. Please let me know what you think and if you have an opinion on what Subject Victoria should per sue for her Masters let me know.

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Lost O'Fallon Girl