Author's Note: ATTENTION ALL READERS
Yes, I did in fact delete the third chapter I originally posted. I realized quickly that I wrote it in a rush, and that it didn't flow with how I wanted the story to progress. So, after a second and third re-write, I deemed this version acceptable. Sorry if this confuses anyone who did read the third chapter. Just let it fall out of your head, and replace it with this one. :) I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: No, my name is sadly not J.K. Rowling. If it was, then I sure wouldn't be serving tables for a living. However, Diana Stevens is ALL MINE. No touchie.
"If you don't know what you want to do after graduating," Elizabeth said slowly, "then why are you taking N.E.W.T.s? It's not mandatory, you know."
The first day of classes was just like any other. The bliss and excitement upon arriving back to school had dimmed, and students began to moan and groan as they studied their time-tables. Sixth and seventh years looked particularly weary, their legs trudging tiredly around the castle, faces hidden inside their textbooks. Social lives would be on hold most of the year if a student was going to take their studying seriously.
The empty pitcher of pumpkin juice refilled itself, and Diana poured herself a fresh glass. "My mum and dad didn't want me to coast through seventh year," she explained, slathering marmalade on some toast. It smelled heavenly to her rumbling stomach. "Dad wants me to take after him being an auror, but I only received an E in Potions, and barely an A in Transfiguration… so I think that option is out." She sighed, biting into her breakfast. "I didn't even bother asking Snape to be accepted into advanced potions. He would laugh in my face."
"Does Snape even laugh?" Elizabeth asked blankly.
This earned a smirk from Diana. "Doubtful, but I'm not about to find out."
Elizabeth was eyeing her time-table, brown eyes calculating behind her wire-rimmed spectacles. "Speaking of the slimy git, it looks like I'm off to double potions. What about you?"
"I got an owl this morning. McGonagall wants to speak with me privately before first lesson." Diana glanced towards the staff table as she mentioned the head of Gryffindor house. "Probably to talk about my grade, or something. Otherwise, I have a free period."
"Lucky." Elizabeth sighed, taking one last sip from her goblet. She gathered her things in her book-bag. "I'm heading off early. Merlin knows if I'm even a minute late, Snape will have my head on a platter."
"Exactly the reason why I wanted to avoid him this year," Diana said. "Good luck, Sandy. You'll do fine."
The rest of the hall was slowly but surely getting their things together as well. Figuring it was also safest to arrive early to the transfiguration room, Diana followed a gaggle of giggling third year Hufflepuff girls out of the hall. Three staircases later, and Diana turned left off the landing towards the end of the hall. According to the distant chime of the clock, she was right on time.
A brief knock later, and Professor McGonagall's voice called for her to enter. The professor flicked her eyes to the doorway as Diana closed the door behind her. "Hello, Ms. Stevens. Did you have a pleasant break?"
Not sure what to expect from this meeting, Diana sat down in the seat opposite McGonagall carefully. "I did, yes. Thank you for asking, Professor. And yourself?"
Minerva McGonagall gave a little sigh, her face falling into it's usual thin-lipped expression. "Tiring, but good," she replied, setting aside the parchment she had been reading over.
Diana chanced a glance, and saw a familiar purple capital M emblazoned on the top. Her father's stationary had the same symbol: it represented the Ministry of Magic.
Clearing her throat, McGonagall sat back in her wing-backed maroon chair, a single brow raised. "Now, onto why I asked you here. I'm sure you're aware that you didn't make top marks in my class, yes?"
Diana nodded mutely. A hint of guilt played in her mind, knowing that even though she had tried, she hadn't tried her hardest when it came to studying for the O.W.L.s. Especially transfiguration.
As if reading her private thoughts, McGonagall clucked her tongue. "Professor Flitwick tells me that you are one of his star pupils in his class. That is why it surprises me that you find it so difficult in mine." She pushed her spectacles up the bridge of her nose, staring Diana down with a critical eye. "I understand Transfiguration requires a great deal more concentration and finesse. But, according to Professor Flitwick, he believes you're most capable. Do you agree with him?"
Diana felt utterly on display in front of the Professor's hawk-like gaze. Honesty bubbled up inside her throat, and she chewed her bottom lip. It was a nervous habit she had inherited from her mother. "I… I don't know, Professor," Diana admitted truthfully. "I agree that I'm quite good at charms. But with Transfigurations, I'm not as confidant. At all."
"And why do you believe that is, Ms. Stevens?" Mcgonagall inquired, lacing her fingers together atop her desk. The tone wasn't accusing at all, and Diana felt herself loosen up.
"I'm terrible at mathematics. I understand the basics for the equation you taught us first year, but anything after third year I can't wrap my brain around," explained Diana. "Especially switching spells."
McGonagall nodded. "Yes, you do struggle with the switching spells most. They're quite vital for passing your exams. You did very well on the written portion of your O.W.L.s, but failed at the performance. But really, the reason I called you here is to see if transfigurations is something you wish to pursue?"
Diana blinked, confused. "I didn't think I would be allowed to take your class with only an A?"
"In most cases, no. I wouldn't let a student into advanced transfiguration with anything less than an E." Professor McGonagall's thin lips quirked into a smile. "But, I do permit it at times, if I believe a student truly wishes to learn. However, it would require a tutor on your part. If you're going to keep up with the course load this year, it is the only way to do so."
A tutor? Just the sound of the word made Diana's face flush in embarrassment. "Do you know who that tutor would be?" she asked, weary. If it somehow wound of being her ex-boyfriend, Josh Cutter, she would run screaming for the hills. He was one of the reigning transfiguration students in all of Hogwarts, ever since second year. It would be a sick joke if he was assigned to her.
"First, I need to know that you're serious about this." Professor McGonagall's gaze hardened again as she peered at Diana over the brim of her glasses. "I went over your schedule with Professor Sprout, and you have Tuesday mornings off. You would have double transfiguration, and go straight into double Defense Against the Dark Arts. It won't be an easy course schedule."
Indeed it wouldn't. But for the most part, her schedule was fairly spread out throughout the week. One day of the week to run herself thin was nowhere near as bad as Elizabeth's schedule. She did two double classes nearly every day, and was taking extra private courses with Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout to focus on healing charms and which plants to use for injuries. Diana's course schedule would be much more manageable. Plus, having most of Wednesday as an off day would still allow some down time.
She resumed chewing her lip. Why not? A tutor wasn't the end of the world. Unless it was Josh, of course…
After another moment's pause, Diana gave in. "I would love to carry on with transfiguration, Professor. I want to prove it to myself that I can do it."
Professor McGonagall nodded curtly. "Very well. I'll arrange Ms. Spinnet to meet with you this evening before dinner."
The surname was vaguely familiar. A wave of relief swept over Diana knowing her tutor wouldn't be Josh, and she nodded. "Where should we meet? The library?"
The professor mulled the question over. "Sometimes Madame Pince doesn't take kindly to conversation, so perhaps not in your first session."
"I usually study at the Black Lake, if the weather is nice." Diana glanced out the window to her left, noticing the bright sunshine for the first time that day. The grounds would be decent enough. "It should be fairly warm still by the time we meet."
"Yes, that shall do," she replied, giving a curt nod of consent.
Diana smiled slightly. "What time, exactly?"
"Half past five, sharp." Professor McGonagall smiled, extending her hand towards Diana. "I look forward to seeing you in class, Ms. Stevens. I do hope your confidence improves."
Shaking the offered hand, Diana smiled shyly. "Thank you, Professor. I look forward to it, too."
The first day of lessons flew by. Diana's first class of the term, a double round of Charms, had gone swimmingly. During the brief break between periods where you could grab some fresh air, Professor Flitwick had waved Diana over to his little desk. He was excited to hear she was attempting transfiguration once again, and praised her skills, saying he had no doubt she would succeed with at least an E when it came to the N.E.W.T.s. She tried her best to let the compliment reassure her, but it didn't quite work.
After lunch, and her first History of Magic lesson (where she caught up on a quick nap in the back of the classroom, much to her table-mates irritation) it was nearly time to head down to the Black Lake.
Elizabeth was about to head to Ancient Runes, but stopped her best friend mid-step. "McGonagall assigned you a tutor? Really?"
Diana let out a hum of agreement. "Strange, right? I've never heard of such a thing for transfiguration. McGonagall seems like too much of a hard-ass."
"My thoughts exactly." Shrugging her book-bag over her shoulder, Elizabeth eyed the door that led out onto the grounds. "Any idea who the tutor will be?"
"Do you remember the name Spinnet at all?"
"You mean Alicia Spinnet?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but a grin tilted her thin lips. "She's a Gryffindor in our year, and on their quidditch team. Don't you remember? She and I were paired in Herbology last year?"
An image of a black haired, athletic looking Gryffindor with dark brown eyes flitted across Diana's mind. Being the somewhat shy girl that she was, Diana couldn't remember if they had even exchanged two words the previous semester. That would explain recognizing the name at first. "Oh," Diana finally said, embarrassed. "I guess I'm not as observant as I thought."
"That's an understatement." Elizabeth patted Diana kindly on the head like a cat. "She's sweet, though, so I'm sure you two will get along," she comforted. The bell chimed distantly, and Elizabeth gave a hasty goodbye. She ran off in the direction of the third floor. Like their roommate Samantha, she tended to have a poor judgement with time.
The air was still warm yet crisp as Diana left the castle. Tying her yellow and black scarf around her neck, she made her way leisurely down the hill towards the shore of the Black Lake. The water was smooth as glass today, and reflected the surrounding hills and trees in perfect clarity. It was days like this that Diana loved best to curl up at her favorite tree along the lake, put on headphones to her muggle cassette player, and read a book.
The tree wasn't too far from the main shore, so she picked her way over rocks and tree roots to reach it. The tree was set back just far enough to keep the rocky soil beneath dry, and the boughs of the oak tree shielded her from the brightest of the sun's rays. Dappled light still filtered down, but only enough so she could still read as the sun lowered on the horizon.
Diana rummaged through her bag and fished out her yellow cassette player and headphones. With a glance inside, she saw that her new TLC cassette was still set up. Happily pressing play, Diana settled against the tree trunk.
Growing up predominantly in the muggle world, Diana was constantly surrounded by muggle literature, music, and movies. Even after her numerous years at Hogwarts, Diana still preferred Fleetwood Mac to The Weird Sisters, and Emily Bronte to wizarding fiction. Elizabeth, who had grown up in a pureblood household, still teased her for it, though Diana didn't mind. Any reminder of home was always welcome while she was away at school, and her cassettes and books were the perfect medicine.
A soft breeze swept by, and the glassy water rippled slightly along with it. A sigh of contentment passed Diana's lips, and the nervousness of her tutoring melted away in the wind. The lake was a sort of haven to Diana. It wasn't a common place to find people unless the weather was hot, or if a student wanted to try and convince the local giant squid to play fetch.
It was one rainy, cold afternoon in first year that Diana had stumbled across this particular tree. Aside from her roommates, Elizabeth and Samantha, Diana kept to herself while at Hogwarts back then, and still did to this day. Quiet, dutiful with her schoolwork, and shy, it was no surprise bullies found her fun to mess with back then.
A Slytherin girl by the name of Cassidy Richmond, one of the few students Diana truly hated, had been picking on her that day. Pureblood and haughty, Cassidy cast a spell on Diana which caused her fingernails to grow at an alarming rate, and her hair and skin to turn a brilliant shade of green. Cassidy laughed and pointed as the young Hufflepuff cried and fled towards the infirmary; the students in the corridor were cackling along with her. Even after Madame Pomfrey had patched things up and turned Diana back to her normal appearance, she was far too humiliated to go back to class. Instead, she ditched history of magic, and disappeared onto the rainy school grounds.
Even though the ground was slick with mud and the wind was harsh, Diana ran towards the lake, not knowing where else to go. It was then, through the haze of rain and flurry of falling leaves, that she found the old oak tree. Curled beneath its boughs, the thick branches shielding her from the worst of the rain, she had cried for what felt like hours. Diana only returned to the safety of the castle when the sun was gone and she was thoroughly numb from the cold. Ever since, whether she needed space, to relax, or just time to think, the Black Lake was always there for her.
After flipping the cassette tape over for the next set of tracks, Diana was just settling back against the oak tree when she noticed a figure heading her direction. The girl's black, glossy hair seemed to shine in the sunlight as she made her way to the lake shore. She looked around as if searching for someone, and Diana watched as Alicia's gaze settled on her. Even from a distance, she could see the smile that lit her face.
"Hey!" she cried happily, making her way over. As she picked her way across the rocky shore, Alicia wrapped her gold and scarlet tie around her neck. "How are you, Diana?"
Diana let her headphones rest around her neck. "Fine, thanks," she replied, always the polite Hufflepuff. Now she felt even worse for not remembering Alicia Spinnet by name. It was obvious the Gryffindor girl knew who she was. "And yours?" she asked kindly.
"Exhausting." Alicia sat down beside her against the tree, heaving a sigh as she did. "The course loads this year are almost worse than they were for O.W.L.s."
Diana grimaced. "And this is only the first day back. Aren't you on the quidditch team, too?"
A similar grimace pulled at Alicia's soft features. "Don't remind me," she said, moaning slightly. "Angelina Johnson," another name Diana somewhat recalled, "was made Captain of the team. She's my best friend, but I still fear for my life. She can be downright scary when it comes to sports."
Admittedly, Diana wasn't one for quidditch. She couldn't remember the last time she had even attended a match, and therefore couldn't understand the intensity some students had around the game. She fumbled to put her cassette player away, feeling suddenly out of place with the fellow seventh year girl.
"Sorry to blurt that out," Alicia apologized, smiling sheepishly. "Besides, we should be talking about other things. I was surprised McGonagall assigned you a tutor."
"Me too," Diana admitted. "I'm sorry. You didn't have to agree. With exams and quidditch, this is probably the last thing you need on your plate." A twinge of guilt settled in the pit of her stomach. One of her least favorite things was to feel like a burden to someone else, friends and family included. Strangers and classmates? Even more.
Alicia held her hands up, laughing at Diana's earnestness. "I don't mind," she replied easily. "Honestly, I really don't. I'm just still in shock the professor even thought of me in the first place. McGonagall's been my Head of House for seven years, and I still can't tell if she likes me or not."
McGonagall's sharp face came to mind at the mention of her name. She had a feeling most people felt that way about the head of Gryffindor house. "Well, I'm sure you're an ace at transfigurations if she chose you."
Alicia's smile turned bashful. "True. I've been near the top of her class since third year."
She tossed a rock into the lake. The following plunk as it sank made Diana glance away, embarrassed again. "I really am thankful, though. My dad wanted me to follow through with transfiguration this year, and it looks like I finally can."
A tanned hand was suddenly thrust into her line of vision. Looking back, Alicia grinned. "I promise to get you at least an A," she said, giving Diana's hand a firm shake. "From what I've heard, you're at the top of the class for charms. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon enough."
Diana wasn't so sure, but chose not to voice her worries aloud. "What time works best for you?" she asked.
"I'm free Mondays after five o'clock, Wednesdays after lunch, and Thursday mornings." She ticked the times off on her fingers. "Quidditch practice may mess my schedule up a bit, but we'll figure it out."
Diana went over her own schedule in her head. "I have Mondays after five o'clock, and Wednesdays after lunch free as well. So let's aim for meeting in the library this Wednesday at 1 o'clock?"
"That sounds great." Alicia shoved her hands into the pocket of her robes as a colder, harder wind blew past. The two students got to their feet, brushing off their bums from the dirt and pebbles underfoot. "I was just heading to the Great Hall for dinner," Alicia said, nodding up to the castle. "Want to join?
Diana shook her head. "I'm just going to stay out here a bit longer. It's quite peaceful on the grounds today."
Alicia didn't seem to take the rejection personally. Quite the contrary, she grinned widely and slung her book-bag over her shoulder. "Then I'll see you bright and early in class tomorrow. I'll save you a seat next to me!" And with that, Alicia made her way back up the gentle slope of the hill towards the castle, leaving Diana to her thoughts once again. Maybe, just maybe, this year wouldn't be as bad as she thought.
Author's Note: If you'd like to, please review! Otherwise, I hope everyone is doing well. Life's been a bit rough, but that's okay. I've acquired my plane ticket to the UK in August, and inspiration has been strong for this story. I'm so excited! Harry Potter Studios Tour, here I come!
-Hope