"Now, class, what is the basis of the levitation charm? What I mean is what is the wrist and wand movements required to execute this particular charm?"

"Swish and flick. And the pronunciation of the words must be very clear."

"What do you mean, Ada?"

"I can't really explain it, Professor Granger. May I demonstrate the charm?"

"If you wish. Here you go." And Hermione conjured a feather which floated gently down onto the desk in front of Ada Willcox.

"Wingardium Leviosa." The feather floated upwards again but it faltered and floated down again and landed soundly on Ada's head. She brushed it away in a slightly ashamed fashion.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of, dear. There may come a time when a faltering spell helps you, as that very spell aided myself and my friends several years ago, simply because it wavered. In fact it was that simple charm that gained me the best friends a girl could ever wish for, not to mention the fact that it saved my life and theirs."

"Would you care to tell us? I have the feeling that this is one of your marvelous stories from your school days." Ada said looking expectant, for the stories told by the staff at the present moment were legend and they never tired of hearing any of them.

"If you want to hear it. How did it begin again? Oh yes. It was the first Halloween we had at the school. I hadn't made any friends, in fact no one talked to me because I was classed as the Know-it-All. That morning we had learnt the levitation charm, and dear Ron was so sweet. He, as usual, couldn't do the spell. So I showed him, as I was sitting next to him and hoped it might make him a tad more friendly towards me. However I wasn't surprised when he scorned me, although I was upset when he later said 'No wonder she hasn't got any friends.' That hurt I can tell you. As it was the last lesson of the day everyone was going to the feast. I didn't. I was so upset that I went to the girls bathroom and cried away all I was feeling. There's nothing like a decent cry when you're feeling down, I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Well when I felt a bit better I went out to check whether I looked alright so that I could go back to the feast. You can imagine my surprise when I found myself face to face with a ten foot mountain troll. A moment later Harry and Ron ran in. By then I was screaming and terrified, you would be too as I was only a first year. The troll smashed up the bathroom and nearly hit me a couple of times. When I was cowering under the sink, Harry, obviously thought that now would be a good time to do something about our current situation, ran up to the troll and tried to hex him. He wasn't particularly strong but when the troll grabbed him he somehow managed to get up onto the troll's shoulders and somehow managed to stick his wand up the troll's nose. Then the troll realized what was happening and started swinging poor old Harry around upside down for causing him such discomfort. Harry shouted at Ron to do something, anything. Remembering the spell we had learnt that morning he aimed it at the troll's club, which was swinging dangerously close to Harry's rather gorgeous features. Oh yes girls, even then he was rather dashing. I had a crush on him for years and years, unsurprising really as puberty did both him and Ron good. Well anyway, this club hangs in the air a second and then drops onto the troll's head, knocking him out. I shall never forget the look on that troll's ugly face as he realized his club wasn't in his hands anymore. As usual the teachers arrived late and, although they were incredibly surprised to see that we had come out of it safely and in one piece, they were still angry with us. Realizing that they had in fact just saved my life for the first time, I baled them out of trouble by making up some guff about trying to go after the troll myself because I'd read a lot about them. There you have it. Our first quest and the beginning of a friendship that has grown incredibly over the last fourteen years. We went through hell and back together, and not just in the fact that it took Ron four years to realize I was a girl and that he could in fact invite me to the Yule Ball."

"You said first time? Why?"

"Harry and Ron were always saving me after that. Harry mostly, he was the real hero. Ron and I just always seemed to get ourselves into trouble for witch he had to bale us out. Mind you he got himself into enough trouble. But he always saved the day. Every year while we were at Hogwarts he was saving several people. In second year he saved Madame Weasley from a basilisk and myself from being petrified. That was the year he found out what a hero he was."

"Worst thing that could have happened to me." Harry's voice came from the door.

"Why is it that all the Hogwarts Professors come marching straight into my classroom in the middle of my lessons? What do you want this time Harry?"

"I just came to find you. The bell for the end of class went ages ago and you were supposed to meet Draco for an interview about how you coped with me through our school days."

"And now."

"Exactly. Come along. Also your class is due for a most important flying lesson with Professor Weasley. I might come along to help out."

"Harry, you know that is out of the question. You know perfectly well why Ron won't have you anywhere near his flying lessons. We all know that you were the youngest seeker in a hundred years and that you are good enough for the England national team. Besides you make him nervous when you correct him. You have the same effect on Ron as Umbridge had on poor Hagrid during his inspection in our fifth year. So don't, for heavens sake, go and interfere with his class again. Come and listen to my interview with Draco."

"I thank you, but I would rather not. I don't think I want to know what you thought of me during our school days. What did you think of me anyway?"

"Class dismissed. Go down to the pitch and apologize to Professor Weasley for me will you? Harry you must not ask me such things in front of my class."

"I'm sorry darling, but I admit I am very curious about what you thought of me."

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know?"

"That's as maybe. What did you think of me?"

"To be perfectly candid I was entirely in love with you. I watched you through the years and I couldn't help falling in love with you and Ron. Ron was a bit of an ass and I told him so many times. But you were different. I remember hearing Ron say once that I knew more about you than you did. Well, I probably did. Before we arrived at Hogwarts I had heard the story of how you defeated Voldy when you were a baby and I became fascinated. I bought every book I could find about you and read them all several times. When you saved me from that troll, I not only realized how brave you are but how much of a hero you had the potential to be. I was a little afraid that it might go to your head, as it did do a few years later. I'm sorry Harry, but in year five when I told you that you had a bit of a hero-complex I was only trying to cure you of it. The first step to solving any problem is to first acknowledge you have a problem. Mind you, by then I was so in love with you that I would have gone to hell and back for you."

"I think we did that year, what with Umbridge and all."

a/n: sorry it took so long to update. I´m in spain and my internet doesn't work so well. Also coursework got in the way.