"No one will know you are a candidate for the Transcendents. They will
think you are just a transfer student."
Hermione fluttered her hand dismissively, still wet from her time spent outside. "Yes, I gleaned as much."
"So we must create a back-story on the off-chance someone will ask you where you were from."
The Head Girl simply stared at him. Did he think she was daft or something? Of course she knew that. "How 'bout I say I'm an inbred drone from Slytherin House at Hogwarts Castle? You know, hounding after anything male, three-inch heels. I think most people call them purebloods around here, but they're basically synonymous."
She knew she wasn't being nice, knew that he didn't deserve this kind of treatment from her. But she was trapped in all of this, coerced into accepting something she could not explain the true meaning of to her peers, and he was the only outlet for her anger.
To her utter surprise, the Headmaster smiled. "Why, that's a wonderful idea. Of course Granger will no longer be your last name. Cherle will suit you fine though. Hermione Cherle it is."
At once her aloof façade disappeared. She wasn't happy about this, yes, but what was he thinking? Shoulders tensed, she sprang out of her chair, leaning urgently over the desk. "But Headmaster Dumbledore! My grades! You can't possibly expect me to throw away my perfect marks for this!"
Dumbledore looked pointedly at her. "Miss Granger, I don't think you understand how important this is. If you are for one instant suspected to be hiding something, every student will be running searches on you. They are not a friendly bunch at Durmstrang, at least not in its best definition. A, if you'll pardon the term, know-it-all from Hogwarts will be scrutinized much more closely than a simpler girl."
Hermione clenched her hand into a fist, the trimmed nails nearly gouging her palm. But she let out the pent up sigh she'd been holding back, when she could find no fault in that argument. "But must I act stupid?"
"Not stupid. Just do not put all your cards on the table at once. Don't' study for a test or two. It'll be fun." He smiled reassuring at her, blue eyes holding a sympathetic sparkle as he continued. "Now, it's obvious that if you go in there mid-year, all their attention will focus on you. But if you remember, Hogwarts started organizing a student-exchange program for any interested. We have selected eight others from their applications we think would make a good group. They have already been notified and are on their way to Durmstrang as we speak."
Hermione nodded. "Okay, nine of us total. So who are the other eight?"
Dumbledore smiled. "We want to keep it a surprise. It's not important."
The girl shrugged indifferently. "Suits me well enough. Not like I care who's going."
"Well, we're all squared away then. You're scheduled to leave in exactly seven hours."
The bewildered, waspish glare she shot him could have withered a redwood tree. She opened her mouth, then shut it abruptly, the muscle in her cheek jumping slightly. Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "Is there anything else you would like to tell me?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Nothing you need to know as of this moment."
The girl moved quickly to the door. Just as she had her hand on the knob, he called out. "Oh, and Hermione? You must remove that glamour you have on."
Hermione fluttered her hand dismissively, still wet from her time spent outside. "Yes, I gleaned as much."
"So we must create a back-story on the off-chance someone will ask you where you were from."
The Head Girl simply stared at him. Did he think she was daft or something? Of course she knew that. "How 'bout I say I'm an inbred drone from Slytherin House at Hogwarts Castle? You know, hounding after anything male, three-inch heels. I think most people call them purebloods around here, but they're basically synonymous."
She knew she wasn't being nice, knew that he didn't deserve this kind of treatment from her. But she was trapped in all of this, coerced into accepting something she could not explain the true meaning of to her peers, and he was the only outlet for her anger.
To her utter surprise, the Headmaster smiled. "Why, that's a wonderful idea. Of course Granger will no longer be your last name. Cherle will suit you fine though. Hermione Cherle it is."
At once her aloof façade disappeared. She wasn't happy about this, yes, but what was he thinking? Shoulders tensed, she sprang out of her chair, leaning urgently over the desk. "But Headmaster Dumbledore! My grades! You can't possibly expect me to throw away my perfect marks for this!"
Dumbledore looked pointedly at her. "Miss Granger, I don't think you understand how important this is. If you are for one instant suspected to be hiding something, every student will be running searches on you. They are not a friendly bunch at Durmstrang, at least not in its best definition. A, if you'll pardon the term, know-it-all from Hogwarts will be scrutinized much more closely than a simpler girl."
Hermione clenched her hand into a fist, the trimmed nails nearly gouging her palm. But she let out the pent up sigh she'd been holding back, when she could find no fault in that argument. "But must I act stupid?"
"Not stupid. Just do not put all your cards on the table at once. Don't' study for a test or two. It'll be fun." He smiled reassuring at her, blue eyes holding a sympathetic sparkle as he continued. "Now, it's obvious that if you go in there mid-year, all their attention will focus on you. But if you remember, Hogwarts started organizing a student-exchange program for any interested. We have selected eight others from their applications we think would make a good group. They have already been notified and are on their way to Durmstrang as we speak."
Hermione nodded. "Okay, nine of us total. So who are the other eight?"
Dumbledore smiled. "We want to keep it a surprise. It's not important."
The girl shrugged indifferently. "Suits me well enough. Not like I care who's going."
"Well, we're all squared away then. You're scheduled to leave in exactly seven hours."
The bewildered, waspish glare she shot him could have withered a redwood tree. She opened her mouth, then shut it abruptly, the muscle in her cheek jumping slightly. Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "Is there anything else you would like to tell me?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Nothing you need to know as of this moment."
The girl moved quickly to the door. Just as she had her hand on the knob, he called out. "Oh, and Hermione? You must remove that glamour you have on."