Sammy had grown fond of her tutoring sessions with Hermione. Slowly they became less and less about magic and more of a dialogue. Sammy found herself talking about feelings and concerns she never felt comfortable talking about before. Hermione helped her with schoolwork and gave her advice about Cassandra. Sometimes Hermione talked more than Sammy.
But today, Sammy walked into the headmistress's office and dropped a heavy tome on the desk. It was the first time Hermione had seen Sammy willingly read a textbook.
"Broomology 310: A history of magical flying," Sammy said, flipping through the pages. "Chapter 14, fourth paragraph. 'Broomhilda the Batty once bewitched a broom in 1674 so that even the most inexperienced wizard — or possibly even a non-magic — could fly.' See, Hermione? Do you think you can recreate the charm?"
"I'm aware of the textbook," Hermione said. "Did you read to the end of the paragraph? Broomhilda, in an effort to prove how safe her invention was, put on a blindfold and hopped on the broom. It shot straight into a wall, killing her. No one has ever tried that charm again. Even I couldn't pull that charm off. It's just not safe."
Sammy picked the book off Hermione's desk and put it back in her bag.
"Can't you just try the charm and see?" Sammy asked glumly. "I want to be part of the team. A real part of the team."
"Do you know how many kids have come to Hogwarts determined to be the Seeker on Gryffindor like Harry Potter?" Hermione said. "Life isn't about trying to be someone else. It's about finding out who you are and being the best version of that person."
Sammy held her head in her hands and looked down at the floor.
"C'mon," Hermione said. "Let's practice Wingardium Leviosa again."