Chapter Eight – Tutoring
Hermione was finishing her notes for today's Transfiguration lesson. She remained the only person with notes still out, everyone else had whisked their own notes away when the clock boasted thirty seconds until class was to be let out.
"You will find the topic for your essay on page nineteen," Professor McGonagall said as her class rushed to find somewhere to write their assignments. Class was due to let out any minute, and second, and absolutely no one wanted to hear the homework.
"Please make it a minimum of twelve inches." Groans rose from the half-hearted, sixth year listeners. Then Professor McGonagall added, looking directly at Ron as she spoke, "your letters should not be two inches tall, either, Mister Weasley." Ron turned a slight pink color, but other than that, showed no reaction.
"That is twelve inches of writing with more content than the gossip column of the Daily Prophet, understand?"
The bell rang and everyone hastened to be the first ones to make it to the door and out into the halls, a few milliseconds closer to freedom than the rest of their peers. Hermione was amongst the shuffle when she heard Professor McGonagall say, "Miss Granger, might I have a word with you?"
Sighing and thinking 'What on earth now?' Hermione disentangled herself from the queued up students all fighting to make their way out of the room and made her way to Professor McGonagall's desk. She was already getting an ache in her back where she was bent in an uncomfortable position to support the weight of her book bag. She resolved to not carry around so many books at one time.
"Yes, Professor?" she asked lightly, setting her bag down so its weight wouldn't cripple her completely as she waited. Professor McGonagall did not answer until the last student had left the room to go to their next class.
"I have a favor to ask of you." Professor McGonagall said, straightening the pile of papers she had in her hand and she put them in a drawer in her desk before straightening and looking at Hermione.
"Yes, Professor?" Hermione repeated, wanting her to get on with the point, but too polite to come right out and say so.
"I have a new first year student, Tracy Rexinson," Professor McGonagall explained, "and she is in need of some tutoring. She hasn't grasped the concept of Transfiguration quite yet, and I think with the proper one-on-one attention and some application of her concentration, she can get it. Can I count on you to help her?" The look on Professor McGonagall's face didn't leave Hermione much leeway. It was apparent that even if she hadn't wanted to, she was expected to acquiesce.
"Of course, Professor," Hermione said instantly, smiling sweetly at her Head of House. Hermione didn't see anything wrong with tutoring this girl – Tracy, was it? – after all, maybe Tracy would share Hermione's passion for Transfiguration.
"Thank you, Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall said, and gave Hermione a rare smile.
---
"You're late." A voice pointed out monotonously, almost mockingly. Hermione looked for the source of the voice and found that the only figure her eyes landed on was a small, dark-haired girl sitting at a table in the library looking up at her indifferently through her hair hanging in her face. So this must be her student.
"Yes, I'm so sorry." Hermione began quickly. "I got really caught up in my History of—"
"I don't care." The girl said dryly, looking up at her through dark locks of hair that hung across her face. "Can we just get on with this study group or whatever it is? I have better things to be doing than sitting in a library with some sixth year Transfiguration nerd."
"I'm not a nerd." Hermione said at once, remembering the names she was used to being called, both in the muggle and wizard worlds. She wasn't a nerd, or a geek, or anything else, she just enjoyed school and learning. That was all.
"I'm sure you're not." The girl said sarcastically with a wry tone of indifference. Hermione chose to ignore the tone this first year had chosen to use with her and put down her books on the table before sitting across from the dark-haired girl.
"So, you're Tracy, Tracy Rexinson, right?" Hermione asked, getting out her old Transfiguration book with which to help the girl study. It was still shiny as the first time she had gotten it, despite its age. She could remember when she had bought this book, the summer before her first year. She had been so excited—
"No," the girl said with cruel scorn, the smirk about her face reminiscent of Draco. "I just thought I'd talk to you since you're so interesting."
"Okay," Hermione said, still fighting to ignore the tone this girl had chosen to adopt. Now she could see why Professor McGonagall had been so thankful for Hermione's consent. She, Professor Minerva McGonagall, didn't want to deal with this student, so she let Hermione deal with her instead. Lovely. "Well, I'm Hermione Granger—"
"Oh," Tracy cut in, a look of comprehension dawning on her half-hidden face. "So that's why McGonagall chose you." Tracy said, looking Hermione up and down once. The expression upon her face was not too flattering or kind.
"What do you mean, chose me?" Hermione asked, copying Tracy's hateful tone. "What have you heard about me?" She demanded.
"I've heard… things about you." Tracy said simply, and offered no more of an explanation.
"Okay…" Hermione said slowly, and when Tracy did not offer up any more information, she opened her Transfiguration book. "What part of Transfiguration are you having trouble with?" Hermione asked, flipping to the table of contents.
"All of it." Tracy offered helplessly, shrugging in a manner that showed she didn't really care, either.
"Well," Hermione said, flipping to the first chapter. "Then maybe we should—"
"I don't want to study Transfiguration." Tracy declared, looking to Hermione for a reaction.
"Then… what are we going to do for the next hour?" Hermione asked, confused. Tracy looked over Hermione again, but said nothing to her. This was starting to get annoying. Okay, so it was really annoying.
"You're Hermione Granger." She said eventually.
No way. Hermione thought. "Yes, I know."
"And your boyfriend is Draco Malfoy." Tracy laughed quietly. "Sort of an ironic relationship, isn't it? I mean you and him." Tracy said and laughed again. Tracy found this more humorous than Hermione did.
Hermione eyed Tracy. How did she know? Hermione had started to concoct strange stories about Tracy and where she got her information before she told herself to 'drop it' and decided that 'any first year could have heard about her and Draco'. From anyone, practically. She was just reciting stories. Bully for her.
"I know his father." Tracy declared.
"So do I," Hermione said quietly, not allowing herself to think of Lucius Malfoy.
"I spoke with him before school." Tracy continued. "Well, actually, my father did. But same thing, really, if you're into specifics. Everything my father sees, I see. I do what he does. Know who he knows. I basically am my father, if you catch my meaning."
Hermione said nothing, mostly because Tracy had confused her.
"He's not happy with you." Tracy continued, playing idly with a lock of her hair, twisting it around her finger lazily. "Lucius, I mean." She looked smugly pensive for a moment before she turned back to Hermione, making eye contact once more.
"Not happy with his son, either." Tracy pointed out. No duh, was all Hermione could think. Upon getting no reaction from Hermione, Tracy said, "So I was right, then."
"Right about what?" Hermione demanded.
"Trouble in paradise," Tracy said haughtily, almost enjoying herself. "I knew it would happen, I mean, come on, you had to realize it would, too. You're not stupid. Not according to all my teachers, anyway. I have found evidence to the contrary. So, why is it that you couldn't see this one coming?"
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked again. She wasn't used to feeling lost, and didn't like it.
Tracy smirked. "You're into those stupid muggle phrases right? Let's see…" she thought. "'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree', Hermione. Did you really think that he would be this 'knight in shining armour' for you? Tch. Even you couldn't be that naïve."
Hermione said nothing. The truth was she had tried to be that naïve.
"He's going to be just like his father." Tracy said. "He is just like his father. A liar, personal mercenary, a damn good actor, apparently."
"So, Transfiguration." Hermione said, changing the subject. She didn't need to talk about Draco with some smart-mouthed first year.
"You're changing the subject." Tracy pointed out.
"And you're avoiding it." Hermione said simply. "Transfiguration is the art of transforming things…" she began, and refused to speak about anything but Transfiguration the remainder of the tutoring session.
---
Hermione walked along the soggy Hogwarts grounds, making her way to Herbology. She had no idea what they were doing today, but hoped it would be inside as it was beginning to rain. The clouds overhead didn't exactly promise light showers, either.
"Hey, Hermione," said a voice.
She turned around and saw Tracy. "Why aren't you in class?"
"I'm shadowing you today." Tracy said. "McGonagall suggested it. Haven't you ever heard of the buddy program?"
Hermione stared. "No…"
"Shit." Tracy said. "I need to work on my lies. Look, I'm cutting class."
"And you're going to follow me into mine?" Hermione asked. "Don't you think you'll get caught if you do that? Don't you think you'll get caught no matter where you go in this school?"
Tracy shrugged. "Not really."
"Well you're not coming with me." Hermione said, turning back to walking to class.
"No one will notice me." Tracy said.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "Of course they will. You won't exactly look like a sixth year."
"Don't worry," Tracy said, "I—" She broke off and Hermione looked around. She saw a couple of Hufflepuffs staring at her.
"Who are you… talking to?" They asked. Hermione looked at them like they were crazy and said, "This girl named—" when she turned to look back at Tracy, she was gone.
Stupid first year.
---
Her next class with Slytherins, Defense Against the Dark Arts, did not go well. Mostly because she was partnered with Draco and spent the entire class not talking to him. They got into an argument about who was going to turn in the project they had been assigned in class, as they had managed to break one of them, and the fight resulted in demolishing the other model of a Hungarian hex-system as well. Professor Lacunami was not impressed and gave them both twice the amount of homework to make up for their.
This did not serve to make Hermione and Draco more civil toward each other. Glaring at each other the entire way out, Professor Lacunami called them back just as they were leaving.
"Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, I will see you in detention. Two weeks from now. Meet me in my office." She said and then dismissed them.
Hermione glared at Malfoy. "Thanks." She said sarcastically.
"Like I want to be stuck anywhere with you." He said back. He sneered at her. He started to turn and go to his dormitory, in the Slytherin dungeons but Hermione spoke first.
"Why are you such a jerk all of a sudden?" she demanded.
He shrugged, not turning to face her or even stopping.
"What's your problem?" Hermione called after him, but only got another shrug before he disappeared into the dungeons below.
---
During her third or fourth tutoring session with Tracy, Hermione had asked her to demonstrate her technique, and had been given quite a shock. Tracy had withdrawn from the folds of her robe a wand that Hermione recognized very much. A wand that she had used for the first five years of her schooling. A wand that had mysteriously vanished during the summer.
"Where'd you get that wand?" Hermione demanded.
"What, this one?" Tracy asked, twirling it between her fingers, as if there were hundreds of other wands about which Hermione might be talking.
"No," Hermione said sarcastically, picking up some of Tracy's bad habits.
Tracy shrugged, still twiddling around with the wand, seemingly unimpressed with the blue and purple sparks that fountained from the end. "Mum bought it for me." She said nonchalantly, and Hermione was almost inclined to believe her. She would have, if that wand didn't look so darned familiar.
"It's not yours." Hermione told her again.
Tracy stiffened and bristled slightly. "You saying I stole it?" she challenged, turning to look at Hermione.
"I don't know where you got it, but it's not yours." Hermione explained.
"Then whose is it?" Tracy asked.
"Mine." Hermione said. Tracy cocked an eyebrow and looked at Hermione like she was mad.
"You've already got one." Tracy said, gesturing needlessly at the wand in Hermione's hand. True, she did have another wand, but as Mr. Ollivander had said, the first wand is always the best, sometimes wizards are never able to find another wand that will work for them. Hermione had been lucky to find a wand that would accept her.
"That one was mine before I bought this one." Hermione said. "It was stolen when I was in Diagon Alley."
"Maybe you just lost it." Tracy offered.
"Are you saying I simply misplaced my wand?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"I might be." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Look, it's got my initials carved into it, and I can prove it's mine, if you just let me have it for a moment." Hermione said, stretching her hand out to take the wand from Tracy. Tracy looked at her suspiciously.
"Why should I believe you?"
"It's got my initials in it!" Hermione said again. "Look, read the initials carved just above the handle."
"TR." Tracy said.
"What?" Hermione said and snatched the wand from Tracy before she could protest. And there they were, clear as day, the letters 'T' and 'R', carved into the handle where Hermione had known her initials to be. "But… that's impossible…"
"It's not your wand." Tracy said, plucking it out of Hermione's fingers.
"But it… it is mine, I'm sure." Hermione said.
"It's not." Tracy repeated. She seemed agitated, and her demeanor had definitely taken a turn from her usual, annoyed and monotonous self. "Can we just get on to studying?"
"Sure…" Hermione said, and they worked through chapter three, Hermione glancing up at the wand she would have sworn was hers every few minutes.
Something was wrong.
---
If anyone is still reading this story, I hope you enjoyed this!
- -Saquoia- -