Hermione realized during her first few classes that she was going to have to really work hard this year in order to perform well. She witnessed Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher, turn into a cat, and turn her desk into a pig.
Hermione knew in an instant that Transfiguration would be a useful tool in the wizarding world, and tried her hardest to change the match on her desk into a needle. It changed a bit, the end got pointed, and it got a little shiny, but it wasn't even close to looking like a needle as far as Hermione was concerned.
Despite the fact that History of Magic was taught by a ghost, the creepiest class was Potions. It was set down in the dungeons, where chains hung from the ceiling and made clanging noises when there was a draft.
The classes were fairly easy in the beginning. Hermione had read enough to be caught up with kids from wizarding families, (and sometimes a bit ahead of them).
But, there was one class that Hermione was NOT looking forward to at all. Flying lessons. She was dreadfully afraid of heights, but most of all, she couldn't find a book anywhere that actually taught you how to fly. They all explained that every person's broomstick flying experiences are different, and the only way to learn is to try and fail, try and fail until you get it right. Failing wasn't on Hermione's list of things to do.
That Thursday, the Gryffindors and Slytherins met outside on the grounds. Hermione walked with Lavender and Parvati and half-listened as they chatted about something that Seamus Finnigan had said to Lavender during lunch.
Madam Hooch arrived and began the lesson in a hurry
"Everyone stand by a broomstick." Hermione obeyed Madam Hooch and stepped forward. Her knees began to quaver as she stared at the broom.
"Stick out your right hand..." Hermione tried to keep her hand steady, but her fingers seemed to have minds of their own. "...and say, 'UP'!"
"Up!" Hermione said along with everyone, and her heart jumped when she saw her broom move, but sank again when it lulled back to the ground. She was embarrassed to see that a few people got their brooms on their first try. After a few more tries, it finally lifted very slowly from the ground and barely made it into her hand.
"On my whistle, fly up a few feet, then come back down." Madam Hooch instructed. "Three, two..."
Hermione felt a rush of air to her left, and turned to see that Neville, who was there a moment ago, had shot up toward the sun.
"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted.
"Get down, Neville!" Hermione yelled, but she knew he was screaming to loudly to hear her. He fell off from about twenty-five feet, and landed with a crunch. Madam Hooch escorted him to the hospital wing, leaving the students out alone with their broomsticks.
Hermione turned to talk to Parvati, but Parvati's attention was directed toward a Slytherin boy Hermione knew by sight as Malfoy.
"Did you see his face, the great lump?" He jeered
"Shut up, Malfoy," Parvati shouted. Hermione could see this wasn't going to be good.
Malfoy continued to insult the Gryffindors, and got into a squabble with Harry Potter about Neville's Rememberall. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. 'Boys are so dumb...'
Then, Malfoy mounted his broom and took off. Hermione couldn't believe he would deliberately disobey a teacher like that. Harry grabbed his broom, and Hermione jumped forward and grabbed his arm.
"No!" She scolded, "you'll get us all into trouble!" It was one thing to disobey a teacher during a normal class, but flying was highly dangerous, and Harry said earlier he never flown before. If no one stopped him...
Harry Potter ignored her warning and jumped onto the broom. 'What an idiot!' she thought to herself. Harry and Malfoy jeered at each other from their brooms, and Malfoy threw Neville's Rememberall way into the air.
Hermione whipped out her wand and mumbled a few words, causing the ball to slow almost to a stop about a foot from the ground. Harry grabbed it a split second later, and toppled into the grass. Hermione saw Professor McGonagall and hid her wand in her robes quickly. No one had seen her wand, or noticed that the glass ball had magically hovered.
Professor McGonagall was very upset at Harry, and took him off the field. Malfoy and his sidekicks were laughing hysterically when they left.
"I'd like to see you do a trick like that, Malfoy!" Ron Weasley said to the sniggering boys. "You wouldn't be able to do something like that if your life as a wizard depended on it!"
Hermione almost told Ron that Harry didn't even really do it himself, but then saw the face of the Slytherin boy. It gave her a kind of guilty pleasure to have helped make an unpleasant person like him so mad.
Hermione knew in an instant that Transfiguration would be a useful tool in the wizarding world, and tried her hardest to change the match on her desk into a needle. It changed a bit, the end got pointed, and it got a little shiny, but it wasn't even close to looking like a needle as far as Hermione was concerned.
Despite the fact that History of Magic was taught by a ghost, the creepiest class was Potions. It was set down in the dungeons, where chains hung from the ceiling and made clanging noises when there was a draft.
The classes were fairly easy in the beginning. Hermione had read enough to be caught up with kids from wizarding families, (and sometimes a bit ahead of them).
But, there was one class that Hermione was NOT looking forward to at all. Flying lessons. She was dreadfully afraid of heights, but most of all, she couldn't find a book anywhere that actually taught you how to fly. They all explained that every person's broomstick flying experiences are different, and the only way to learn is to try and fail, try and fail until you get it right. Failing wasn't on Hermione's list of things to do.
That Thursday, the Gryffindors and Slytherins met outside on the grounds. Hermione walked with Lavender and Parvati and half-listened as they chatted about something that Seamus Finnigan had said to Lavender during lunch.
Madam Hooch arrived and began the lesson in a hurry
"Everyone stand by a broomstick." Hermione obeyed Madam Hooch and stepped forward. Her knees began to quaver as she stared at the broom.
"Stick out your right hand..." Hermione tried to keep her hand steady, but her fingers seemed to have minds of their own. "...and say, 'UP'!"
"Up!" Hermione said along with everyone, and her heart jumped when she saw her broom move, but sank again when it lulled back to the ground. She was embarrassed to see that a few people got their brooms on their first try. After a few more tries, it finally lifted very slowly from the ground and barely made it into her hand.
"On my whistle, fly up a few feet, then come back down." Madam Hooch instructed. "Three, two..."
Hermione felt a rush of air to her left, and turned to see that Neville, who was there a moment ago, had shot up toward the sun.
"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted.
"Get down, Neville!" Hermione yelled, but she knew he was screaming to loudly to hear her. He fell off from about twenty-five feet, and landed with a crunch. Madam Hooch escorted him to the hospital wing, leaving the students out alone with their broomsticks.
Hermione turned to talk to Parvati, but Parvati's attention was directed toward a Slytherin boy Hermione knew by sight as Malfoy.
"Did you see his face, the great lump?" He jeered
"Shut up, Malfoy," Parvati shouted. Hermione could see this wasn't going to be good.
Malfoy continued to insult the Gryffindors, and got into a squabble with Harry Potter about Neville's Rememberall. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. 'Boys are so dumb...'
Then, Malfoy mounted his broom and took off. Hermione couldn't believe he would deliberately disobey a teacher like that. Harry grabbed his broom, and Hermione jumped forward and grabbed his arm.
"No!" She scolded, "you'll get us all into trouble!" It was one thing to disobey a teacher during a normal class, but flying was highly dangerous, and Harry said earlier he never flown before. If no one stopped him...
Harry Potter ignored her warning and jumped onto the broom. 'What an idiot!' she thought to herself. Harry and Malfoy jeered at each other from their brooms, and Malfoy threw Neville's Rememberall way into the air.
Hermione whipped out her wand and mumbled a few words, causing the ball to slow almost to a stop about a foot from the ground. Harry grabbed it a split second later, and toppled into the grass. Hermione saw Professor McGonagall and hid her wand in her robes quickly. No one had seen her wand, or noticed that the glass ball had magically hovered.
Professor McGonagall was very upset at Harry, and took him off the field. Malfoy and his sidekicks were laughing hysterically when they left.
"I'd like to see you do a trick like that, Malfoy!" Ron Weasley said to the sniggering boys. "You wouldn't be able to do something like that if your life as a wizard depended on it!"
Hermione almost told Ron that Harry didn't even really do it himself, but then saw the face of the Slytherin boy. It gave her a kind of guilty pleasure to have helped make an unpleasant person like him so mad.