Posted: 26 September, 2009

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story that is recognisable from the Harry Potter books, movies, etc. Everything else however (eg. story plot, original characters, etc.) stems from my own imagination and belongs to me. No copyright infringement is intended and I am not profiting financially from this story in any way.

Chapter 4 - Of Advanced Students

Thursday, 3 October, 1991

Once she had finished her lecture, Professor McGonagall walked around the room handing out beetles. Harry absently used his wand to corral the little creature from crawling away as the professor demonstrated the wand movement and incantation one last time and told them to give it a try. A twirl of his wand later, Harry's beetle was replaced by a shiny black button. He turned to see how Neville was doing but a voice sounded from behind his shoulder.

"Excellent Mr Potter, simply excellent. It seems you have truly inherited your father's talent for Transfiguration. Can you now change it back? Very good," McGonagall complimented him and he noticed Hermione off to the side looking rather jealous. "Well, as with previous class assignments, I would like you now to add some complexity to your work please. You should always keep challenging yourself Mr Potter."

When she returned to him five minutes later, he had transfigured the beetle into a brass button with an embossed and enamelled Gryffindor crest. She complimented him and awarded further points and then gave him permission to relax for the rest of class. The very suggestion was the height of praise from a teacher who usually punished lazing about quite harshly.

He'd thought long and hard about how to act in lessons. Should he play down his strengths? He'd decided however that knowing his luck, he would quickly give himself away, thereby making people suspicious. It was a much better idea to simply do his best from the start and allow everyone to believe there was something to the whole boy-who-lived hype after all.

He spent the rest of class helping Neville to accomplish the assignment. Transfiguration was his second worse class, after Potions, but with Harry's determined instruction Neville had managed to change his beetle by the end of class. It retained the beetle's patterning and was slightly oblong like its former beetle self, but it was a button all the same, and the boy was proud of his efforts and grateful for the help.

"Mr Potter, please remain after class," McGonagall requested as she dismissed the lesson.

"I'll wait for you outside," Neville said and disappeared.

Harry remained seated and the professor came and took a seat in front of him.

"Professor?"

"Mr Potter, it seems to me that you are finding the class material too simple. You are always the first to accomplish your Transfiguration and can do so with a degree of elaborateness."

"Yes Professor. The magic just seems easy."

"I thoughts so. I would like you to consider two things: an accelerated learning program, and a tutoring position."

Harry blinked, then immediately objected. "Please professor, I want to stay in classes with Neville."

"You misunderstand me. I will provide you with a spell or topic for study. You will be expected to study both the theory and practical in your own time. Then, when you have mastered the spell you will come to see me, demonstrate your casting, and hand in an essay on the topic. Once I have assured you are competent, I will assign a new spell or topic for private study."

"Oh," Harry said, surprised at the idea. "So what will I be doing in classes?"

"That is where the tutoring position comes in. Since your learning will be accelerated, and I will already have ascertained your competence, you will spend the lesson helping the other students to master the day's task. That is of course for the practical portion. For the theoretical portion, you may work on your independent assignment."

Harry just sat blinking at her for a time. Not even Hermione had ever been offered this opportunity. He really must be impressing with his decision to work to his actual abilities.

"Well Potter?" McGonagall asked impatiently. "I know you're certainly capable. I've seen you assisting your friend Mr Longbottom. You have the knack for teaching, it's plainly obvious."

Harry considered for a moment. One the one hand, it would mean extra work. On the other, he really was bored out of his mind in class. The decision was obvious.

"I guess … okay, I'll do it."

Once she had assigned his first spell topic, he wandered out of the classroom looking a little dazed.

"Are you alright Harry?" Neville asked with concern, clambering to his feet from the floor where he'd sat to wait.

"I'm fine," he replied. "You won't believe what I just agreed to."

He explained the situation to Neville and was pleased when his friend congratulated him and assured him he'd do well. After all, the blond asserted, hadn't he already proven to be a good teacher in assisting Neville with Potions?

..ooOOoo..

The next Charms class, it became apparent that McGonagall and Flitwick had been exchanging notes and discussing his progress in both their classes with one another, as he was asked to remain behind and given a very familiar offer. It seemed he would be doing accelerated independent study, as well as tutoring during lessons, in both Transfiguration and Charms.

..ooOOoo..

Thursday, 31 October, 1991

As always, Harry's first 'student' when tutoring in class was Neville. He didn't care if it seemed like favouritism, his helping his friend first all the time. After all, it wasn't like he was an actual teacher. Charms being one of Neville's better subjects, the boy's feather was soon, if not floating freely, at least doing a jerking sort of hop. Confident Neville could manage from there, he decided to leave him to it and find someone else to assist.

He was about to head towards Seamus, who had somehow set fire to his feather, when a loud incantation from down the row drew his attention.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

With a start at the familiar conversation, Harry abruptly realised that it was Halloween. This incident, he remembered from last time, is what precipitated Ron's comments about Hermione's lack of friends and the girl's subsequent flight to the girl's toilet, where she was attacked by the troll. Wanting to avoid living that little disaster a second time, he quickly intervened. Ron was glad to have him take over his instruction, but Hermione, he saw, looked huffy and offended, and sent glares his way for the rest of the lesson.

When class let out Harry waited behind to hand in his latest essay to Flitwick and display his ability to cast a Cheering Charm. Task accomplished he left the classroom, expecting Neville to be waiting for him. Instead he found both Neville and Hermione.

"You! I want to talk to you," she announced angrily the moment he appeared.

"Oh?" he asked, and sent a questioning glance at Neville, who only shrugged. "Well, go ahead."

"I realise you're the top of the class Potter, but I'm good at Charms too-"

"I know that," he said and she pursed her lips at him for interrupting. "Sorry." He held his hands up defensively. "Please, continue."

"Well, as I was saying, I am decent at the subject myself, so you had no right to just barge in and take over like you did."

"Barge in and take over?" he feigned confusion, though he had a fair idea of what she was talking about.

"With Ronald Weasley!"

"Ah."

"Yes, 'ah'. And it's not like there weren't other people in class who needed help. But no," she snapped, "you just had to help the person who I was clearly already assisting."

"Ron didn't seem to mind," Neville said, trying to defend his friend.

"I noticed that too!" she shrieked. "Is this some sort of boys only thing? Come on now, explain yourself."

Harry stared at her wonderingly. He had forgotten just how bossy and high strung she'd been before he and Ron befriended her. It was really rather annoying. Seeing her glare racketing up a notch, he hurried to respond.

"Do you want truth or tact?" he asked bluntly.

"Can't I have both?" she asked, thrown, and he frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head.

"No, not really."

"Then truth."

"Well the reason that I took over is the same reason Ron didn't mind. You see, I'm sure you don't mean it but you come across bossy as condescending. You were making Ron feel stupid and he was about to blow up at you."

At hearing his explanation, Hermione looked taken aback.

"I do?"

"You do."

"He was?"

"Just seconds away."

"You're not just saying this to be mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, I promise," he responded, and then she looked lost.

"Oh," Hermione finally said after an awkward pause, and then wandered off without a word.

..ooOOoo..

When Quirrell announced the troll's presence this time, and students were led to their dormitories, all the children were accounted for. Rather than chasing after and being forced to battle a highly dangerous creature, Harry spent the rest of Halloween sitting by Neville in the common room, eating of the portion of the feast that had been sent up to their to their common room. Hermione spent the evening sitting by herself in the corner looking somewhat miserable. But at least she wasn't in danger of being clubbed to death.

..ooOOoo..

Over the next few weeks, Harry noticed a change in Hermione. Quite often, when she was off on one of her lectures, she would stop mid-sentence, looking considering. Then, to the surprise and pleasure of her 'victim', she would back off. She also seemed to be trying to be more humble, toning down her aggressive confidence a little. It appeared that she had really heard what Harry told her and taken it on board, and was now trying to correct the problem. With her temperance, she was starting to remind him more of the Hermione he remembered.

He wasn't the only one to notice the change either. Neville commented to Harry about it and Ron was heard to rather tactlessly comment that: "She was a nightmare at first, but she's really gotten better, hasn't she?" Also, the other two Gryffindor first year girls had started including Hermione more in their conversations and free time. The part of Harry that had lost Hermione in the future was glad to see her doing so well and making friends.

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