Chapter 5
***
Just as she had promised, Arielle was ready and seated by the time Edouard and Hermione arrived at Transfiguration. Despite their previous argument, Edouard took a seat right next to her, while Hermione sat a little further away. After all, she couldn't be seen sitting with Slytherins now, could she?
Out of the corner of her eye she could already see the irritable looking tabby cat perched on the edge of McGonagall's desk, the distinctive circles around its eyes giving away its identity.
As usual Harry and Ron were the last to arrive, sliding into their seats next to Hermione just in time for the start of class. For once Hermione ignored their late arrival, keeping her eyes fixed on the tabby.
"Doesn't she ever get tired of it?" Hermione asked. The question directed at no one in particular.
Surprisingly, Ron actually caught on to her train of thought, "What, McGonagall?"
"The first class of every year!" Hermione complained, "It's getting rather tiresome."
Ron blinked at her "S'pose it's meant to... inspire?"
"It's just an animagus transformation."
Harry and Ron were now looking at Hermione as if she had sprouted another head. Both boys had always believed Professor McGonagall to be Hermione's idol. Never before had Hermione spoken a single word against the Professor. Hermione sighed; this double life was already getting harder to maintain than she thought it would. She would have to watch herself.
After McGonagall's predictable transformation, their first lesson of the year consisted entirely of revision. As usual Hermione was the only one who paid attention to McGonagall's lecture, or at least she seemed to be paying attention. She had, in fact, learnt everything they had practiced in fifth year several years ago, before she had even come to Hogwarts. So instead, she was discretely watching Arielle doodle on the corner of her paper.
Hermione was entranced; Arielle had always been an amazing artist. Rather than drawing with her quill as one might expect, she was drawing with her wand, holding it as if it were a quill. Instead of ink, however, Hermione knew she was using raw magic to shape the squiggles and loops which filled the page.
"Miss Stevenson!" Professor McGonagall had finally caught on that Arielle wasn't paying attention. Arielle's shoulders slumped slightly as she let out an inaudible sigh before meeting the Professor's glare with a very convincing innocent expression. McGonagall blinked, looking a bit put-off. "Since you have been paying so much attention, you can demonstrate our next spell to the class."
"As you will remember students, the last spell we were working on before the summer break was the transformation of a turnip into a toad. I trust not too many of you have forgotten it." She glared at the class, while placing a turnip on Arielle's desk. "Miss Stevenson, if you will."
Hermione grinned; it was a spell both of them could perform, wordlessly and wandlessly in their sleep. She watched as Arielle, still looking bored, lazily waved her wand and said the incantation "Transus Verto"
In a flash of green light the turnip was gone, replaced by a rather hansom (in toad standards, of course) looking toad wearing a crown on its head. Much to McGonagall's obvious displeasure many of the students laughed.
"What was the incantation you used?" McGonagall questioned her, "It's not the same one we use here."
"Oh, I'm sorry Professor," Arielle was once again the picture of innocence, "It was Transus Verto."
McGonagall's lips disappeared into a thin line, "We don't use the 'Transus' incantation until seventh year here."
"Oh, really?" Arielle continued to feign innocence, "In Australia they teach it in your first year. It prevents later confusion." Hermione smirked; Arielle hadn't mentioned that their first year had begun at the age of five. Honestly, muggles didn't wait until their children were eleven to educate them, why should wizards?
McGonagall frowned, obviously torn between awarding Slytherin points for a perfectly performed spell and putting Arielle in a week's worth of detentions for daring undermine her teaching authority.
"Ten points to Slytherin" she managed to force out rather stiffly, before angrily banishing the toad.
***
"Brilliant!" Hermione whispered over the din of the Charms classroom.
Arielle smirked, "Someone's got to put McGonagall in her place."
"About time too," Hermione agreed. She'd been getting tired with their Professor's stubborn mindedness about the way things should be done.
Thankfully with all the other students thoroughly occupied with trying to conjure water out of thin air, Hermione and Arielle were unnoticed at the back of the room.
"Tonight's the full moon," Arielle whispered, glancing at Edouard, "You coming?"
Hermione's eyes widened with excitement, "Where?"
Arielle shrugged, "Edouard thinks the forbidden forest looks nice"
"Seriously?" Hermione raised her eyebrows, "Only Edouard could find a treacherous forest teaming with dark and dangerous creatures nice"
Arielle snorted.
Spotting Harry and Ron struggling with the charm, Hermione sighed. "Well I'd better go make my move before I'm missed."
Arielle mock-saluted her, "I'm not one to stand in the way of a genius" she said as Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Ron, it's Agua-menti, not Auga-menti," Hermione corrected resignedly as she approached. Honestly, couldn't he read?
Predictably, Ron was red in the face from exertion. "I haven't seen you do it yet!" he retaliated.
Hermione was tempted to perform the spell wordlessly to shut him up. So, surprisingly, she did. Harry and Ron stared at her and the perfect bubble of water floating in front of her. Flitwick was just as excited as usual when he realised she had performed the spell awarding Gryffindor 15 points. Thankfully due to the noise the rest of the students were making he hadn't realised she performed it silently.
Releasing the spell, she sighed exasperatedly. "Now will you listen?" Leaving them she went back to her desk pulling out her charms book and reading chapter eight probably for the fifth time.
"Someone's been studying over the holidays," Harry mumbled to Ron
Ron shrugged, "Nothing unusual about that really, is there?"
Harry shook his head. They were completely clueless.
Preparing himself once again, Ron took a strong stance, gripping his wand firmly. "I'll get it this time," he told Harry, "AGUAMINTI!"
Hermione barely had time to react before bucket-loads of water crashed down on her, completely soaking her clothes and books.
Aguamenti, not Aguamenti, she thought tiredly, her hair dripping onto the open pages of her book. Suddenly, she couldn't wait for tonight's full moon. Perhaps Edouard was right. A nice long run in a dark and dangerous forest would do her good.
Harry, however, was hiding a grin. "Well," he shrugged, "it's a start."
***