Chapter 19: March 10 – Friday Night Fun

While it had only been a few weeks since their trip to Diagon Alley to buy a wand, Ron had been helping Hermione several evenings a week begin to work through the basics of learning magic. While he had expected her to learn quickly given her obvious intelligence, he had been blown away at the speed at which she managed to master every charm or spell he taught. He was worried she would wear herself out between working all day and then studying and practicing magic in the evenings. But, she insisted that she was thoroughly enjoying it, so he tried to take her at face value.

They'd decided to get takeaway that Friday evening so they could spend more time on magic. As Hermione listened to Rose and Hugo natter away over egg rolls about the various antics and social dramas that had occurred at school that day she felt the stress of her legal work begin to melt away from her shoulders. Her clients' stories were always so tragic that Hermione found it very hard not to absorb their pain and sadness herself. She tried very hard not to bring it home, and since the car accident she tried even more to be upbeat in front of Hugo and Rose both. But she also realized how soothing and healing they were to her. The drama and energy with which they re-told stories from their days fueled Hermione's spirit. And it was hard to hear them tell some of the stories and not laugh out loud.

Once they'd all finished eating, Ron had asked the kids to leave their dishes on the table because they were going to practice levitating charms on the Chinese takeaway. Naturally, the kids wanted to watch so they could laugh at Hermione, but Ron knew it would fluster her to fail so miserably with an audience. So, he sent them out of the line of sight.

Hermione was nervously fingering her wand, still a new feel in her hands. But, she liked how there seemed to be little indentations that were somehow made in perfect anticipation of how her hand would fit into it. Her thumb fit perfectly in this shallow pit on one side, and there were similar hidden spots that fit her other fingers as they curled around the otherwise smooth wood. She fingered it nervously, mentally reviewing the charms in her head that she had been reading about and trying to picture the diagram in the text book that showed the associated wand movements.

"Relax, Hermione," smiled Ron. "It's an empty take away container. It either works, floats or falls to the ground. And any combination of those is not going to be disastrous, I promise. Just swish and flick. Give it a go."

Hermione sighed, pointed her wand at the white container, took a deep breath and said, "wingardium leviosa", while moving her wand like Ron had. Nothing happened. In frustration, she tried again while flicking her wand with more force, as one would put more power into a hammer.

"You're not batting it to the counter, Hermione. You don't have to throw your shoulder out doing it. Just swish and flick. And careful of the pronounciation - it's levi-oh-sa, not levi-o-saah, said Ron patiently. Try it again. You can do it."

"levi-oh-sa,"repeated Hermione as if committing to memory. "Ok, wingardium levisoa," she declared as she flicked her wand. Suddenly the container floated up off the table and hovered in the air.

"Oh! Oh! I did it, look!" she declared as she turned to Ron to be sure he was seeing it. Of course, as she turned her gaze from the box, it suddenly clattered to the ground, scattering the few remaining grains of white rice across the kitchen.

"Brilliant!" Ron declared. "Outstanding!"

"But it fell," she said defeated.

"Only because you shifted your focus away from it for a moment. Now you know you can do it. Try again. And this time, once it is floating, keep your concentration on it and slowly move it with your wand by directing your wand towards the counter where you want it to go, and then slowly place it down."

She looked at him as if he had asked her to tap dance in the middle of Buckingham Palace.

"You can do it, Hermione. I know you can. You have no idea how quickly you are picking this all up. Really. When I was learning this it took me forever just to float a feather in the air for a minute. You are doing brilliantly. That's why I am sure you can do this. Try it, come on."

Taking another deep breath, she focused on the little white box, and with a swish and flick declared, "wingardium leviosa!" The box levitated into the air, and then with her complete focus, she slowly moved the point of her wand up further into the air, and then slowly but surely across the space to the other side of the kitchen, and then slowly lowered it to the counter, where it fell on its side gently as it touched down.

Ron was beaming with pride, and quickly engulfed her in a hug. "That's excellent!" he declared.

"But it fell over," she said.

"Hermione! Give yourself a break. You are doing better than anyone I have ever seen at learning this. You just levitated something across the room! 2 months ago you didn't even know that was possible, and know you are making it happen with nothing but a piece of wood, your mind and your magic. You are doing so well. I wish you would let yourself celebrate a little."

"Sorry. I know. You are right – and you have been incredibly patient with me. But, well, you can probably tell I have always been a bit of an over achiever. I am just used to getting everything on the first try, you know. I haven't ever really tried something that I couldn't just figure out through reading. And this is all different. It's pronunciation and wrist movement and concentration all together, and well, it's just aggravating. I already feel several decades behind, and I am rather impatient to figure this stuff out."

"Believe me, Hermione. You are doing so well. You really have no idea. You would have blown everyone away at Hogwarts with the speed you are mastering this. You will be fully caught up in no time at the pace you are learning."

"I know – I guess maybe that's part of it. I want to learn it quickly so I can help Rose later, you know? Seems like something a mother witch should be able to teach her daughter witch or something. Does that sound ridiculous?"

"I don't think that sounds ridiculous at all. And you will be able to help her with all kinds of things – both muggle and magical, I promise. She already knows, quite correctly, that she has the most amazing mum on the planet. You not mastering this charm in five minutes instead of ten minutes will not change that. She doesn't love you because you are the best at everything. She loves you because you are her mum and you love her unconditionally. Just the same as you love her."

Hermione looked down at her lap slightly embarrassed. "You are right. I'm sorry. It's just rather overwhelming, you know?"

"Oh, I know. Don't forget I am in the same boat just learning different things. That's why we are in this together, right?"

"Right," she smiled. "Ok. Let me try again." And with that she pointed her wand at another container on the table and successfully shifted it to the counter. Smiling, she proceeded to clear the table of all of the dishes and containers. When she was done, she looked back at Ron and saw him beaming at her, which sent a ripple of gooseflesh across her body.

He hugged her in congratulations. "I am telling you, you are a bloody brilliant witch, Hermione."

She laughed, "I never thought I would take that as such a compliment."

"Well, it is," he said with a smile. "I cannot believe how quickly you are picking this up. Have you thought anymore about going up to Hogwarts to meet with some of the professors?"

"I guess I don't know what I don't know," she mused. "I feel like you are teaching me a lot. What would I do there do you suppose?"

"Well, I think you should go just to see it so you feel better about Rose going in September. But, I also think you would get a lot from meeting the different professors and seeing how they approach things differently."

"Can't you just keep teaching me?"

"Well, of course I can for now. But, Hermione, I wasn't exactly the best student when I was there. And, I technically never graduated. After Fred died I ended up leaving school early and went straight into the aurors. And, let's face it – you have probably read more books on magic in the past month than I have in my entire life. I just don't want my lack of educational prowess to limit your magical education."

"Hmm. So, what do you think I should do?"

"I think we should go to Hogwarts one of these days. You can meet more with Professor McGonagall, and talk some with some of the other Professors about how they would recommend you proceed. At the very least they could suggest texts for you to read or give you a bit of a syllabus to follow."

"I guess I am just nervous. How many other middle aged witches can't do basic spells? I am not used to not knowing how to do things. I know that sounds so swotty and ridiculous, but it's just true."

"None of these people will judge you. And when they see the pace at which you are picking all of this up, they will all be blown away. But, these individuals are as smart and energized by learning things as you are. I think as soon as you get past your nerves that you will love it."

"You really think so? I don't believe I could handle it if any of them laughed at my inability to do things yet."

"Oh, I can guarantee that they won't laugh at you at all. You've already met Neville, he is as nice as they come. You've met McGonagall, I think I have only seen her laugh maybe once or twice in my whole life. I really think you should do it. It doesn't have to be a weekly jaunt to Scotland. But, I think a first trip that could at least outline a suggested course of study would be good. Otherwise it will just be me teaching you how to float takeaway boxes."

"But I like that. And with our cooking skills and busy lives, there are a lot of takeaway boxes around to play with," she laughed.

"Fair enough. We can keep playing in the kitchen. But will you go to Hogwarts?"

She considered what he asked and finally said, "If you set it up for us to go together for an initial visit I think I would be up for it."

"Brilliant. I'll talk to McGonagall and set it up for this week if you think you can get away from work for a morning."