Classes. Head Duties. Study. Sleep. Repeat.
The week had gone by leaving Hermione feeling more and more like a robot. Every day she did the same thing, well almost the same thing. A few classes were different. The girl couldn't decide if she hated seeing the wolf in Professor Langdon's classroom, looking perpetually happy, or the potion in Professor Slughorn's class. At least today they had finished with the potions. Hermione had been particularly proud of hers, after all it had been the brightest blue out of everyone's.
Slughorn had instructed them all to take their potions, which terrified Hermione as Harry's had been a deep blue, not the bright blue it needed to be. Slughorn wanted full reports on how the potion affected them, which sense became the strongest, how long it lasted, full details. Of course Harry groaned about it the entire time, though Ginny whispered something to him which brightened him up. From the smile on his face though Hermione was positive she did not want to know what her best friend had whispered.
"I have to go and talk with McGonagall for a bit." Ginny, who had been named Quidditch Captain, seeing as Harry would be too busy to be both the Quidditch Captain and Deputy Head Boy, smiled brightly kissing Harry on the cheek.
"Oi, do you have to do that right in front of me?" Ron grumbled though his sister ignored him. Ginny had explained it to Hermione once, after the girl had made a plee on Ron's behalf who hated seeing his best mate and sister being so 'cuddlly'.
"McGonagall wants me to turn in my list of hopefuls this afternoon." From the reports that Hermione had forced herself to pay attention to, for the sake of her best friends and the man who held her heart, Ginny was quite pleased with the turn out she'd recieved this year. Though of course Harry and Ron resumed their position as Keeper and Seeker.
"I need to go up to the library and study." Hermione informed her though no one found that to be shocking. "Actually," A slow, malicious, smile spread across the girl's face. ", we all need to go up to the library and study."
"Come on 'Mione!" Even though he stood a good four inches over her, the short girl wrapped her arm around his shoulder, ensnaring Harry with her other arm." It's the first Friday of the school year! Do we have to go study? Honestly?"
"Ron's got a point Hermione, it is the very first Friday." Hermione shot a glare at Harry. Of course he took his side, little traitor. Already turning towards the library, Hermione conceded.
"Fine, fine, if either of you can tell me what the Gliphor Charm does, the charm in which we have to have perfected by Monday, I'll leave you both alone all weekend. Well," Hermione smiled sheepishly looking up at Ron through long, dark lashes. ", I won't bug you about studying."
"Of course! The Gliphor charm. It um. Yeah, um you remember Harry, it does that thing with the um, you know gliphors." Ron's voice trailed off, Hermione looked to Harry, the smile on her face sweet. She'd seen the glazed look in both boy's eyes when Professor Flitwik had been teaching. She knew that neither of them remembered what he said. With a groan Harry began walking without Hermione and Ron.
"Come on Ron, we have some studying to do." Harry muttered as Hermione smiled triumphantly. She did enjoy winning.
"Excuse me, Miss Granger." The terrified first year who had approached her quivered in his shoes.
"What is it?" Hermione snapped impatiently not taking a moment to see exactly who'd spoke to her. All she knew was that they had interrupted her reading. Though most people would assume she'd be used to it after several years of being best friends with Ron and Harry.
"I'm so sorry. P-p-professor Langdon a-a-asked me to give this to you." The first year didn't wait for Hermione to look up, shame faced, Instead he put the parcel on the table she was at and ran quickly despite Madam Prince's strick instructions to stop running.
Harry and Ron, who had been forced to come study with her, they needed to after all. Neither of them knew the first thing about the Gliphor Charm, and they had a test coming up on it next week. They watched the entire exchanged, bursting into laughter as the kid ran off, poor Hufflepuff, not an ounce of bravery in him before the big bad Head Girl.
"Geeze 'Mione, you probably gave the bloke a heart attack, before he turned 12. Probably the youngest known heart attack in all of England's history." Ron laughed holding on to his sides. Hermione's cheeks went pink, though so did her ears, a dangerous sign of anger.
"Didn't even give the poor kid a chance." Harry added in wiping a tear away from beneath his glasses. "What did he give you anyway?" Harry asked effectively distracting Hermione. He'd seen the look on her face, even if Ron missed it through his laughter. The girl was stewing, rather quickly.
"I have no idea." Hermione's interest got the better of her and she picked up the parcel, breaking the strange blue seal on it. From the L on it though, Hermione guessed that the seal was that of Professor Landgon. As she unrolled the parchment, Hermione found she'd guessed correctly.
Miss Granger,
Tonight is the night that you will be getting accompanied with your animagus animal. You will report out by Hagrid's cabin at 9 p.m promptly. I understand as Head Girl you might have duties, I have already spoken with Mr. Longbottom and he has agreed to handle any matters that might arise. Also, Professor Slughorn asked me to remind you to take your potion. He thought the affects might be more interesting around your animagus animal.
Professor C. Langdon
"What is is 'Mione?" Ron asked after a moment of silence.
"It's a letter from Professor Langdon. I get to go interact with my animal tonight." Hermione couldn't help the excitement that crept into her voice. spend time with her animal inside the container.
"You'll tell us what it's like won't you?" Ron asked his blue eyes bright. Hermione couldn't help but stare at them for a moment. "Right 'Mione?" He asked not noticing the heart felt way in which the brunette gazed at him.
"Yes, yes of course I'll tell you what it's like. Though I don't think it'll be the same for me as it will for everyone else. After all, every animal is different." Hermione rambled snapping out of her thoughts of Ron. Though day dreams being a more correct term.
"Do you think they'll have more than one animal?" Harry asked. As he had attended a muggle school for half his life, he'd been forced to learn rudimentary things about animals.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked though Hermione's curiosity piqued. She hadn't thought about it.
"Well, they are pack animals, I suppose it's only fitting there be more than one of them." Hermione admitted as she thought about it.
"Pack animals?" The expression on Ron's face almost made her want to slap him. He could be so impossibly thick sometimes.
"Yes Ronald pack animals. They travel in packs, typically between five and twelve. Though larger packs have been spotted. Wovles are, a majority of the time, lead by an Alpha male, the leader who's fought for dominance and won, and occaisonally a beta." Hermione couldn't help but sound like a text book at times, it was how she remembered things, by reading them.
"Oh." Came the intelligent response.
"Professor Langdon wants me there by nine." Hermione added pulling the vial of potion she'd bottled in Slughorn's class. Uncorking it, Hermione took a sniff, Merlin's beard it smelled good.
"Why are you taking your Sensi Potion?" Ron asked looking at her incredulously. Harry's eyes were bright with understanding though.
"Brilliant Hermione! I wonder if Professor Slughorn will let me have some of yours for when I get to be around the stag." Hermione smiled humbly.
"It actually wasn't my idea, it was Professor Slughorn's." Hermione drank the vial in one gulp, it sent electric chills through her viens, slowly warming her from her toes up.
"I hate when I don't know what the bloody hell you guys are talking about." Ron muttered darkly turning his eyes to the book before him.
"I'm going to go shower before I have to be out there with Professor Langdon. You two finish studying." Hermione glared at them as she closed the book she'd been reading, stowing it away in her bag. "I will ask you about the charm tomorrow!" She threatened, though the threat was a light one.
"Hey, do you think that's why you and Malfoy were both chosen? Because wolves are pack animals." Harry asked Hermione's back. The girl stilled for a moment, having almost forgotten that Malfoy would be out there with me. Hermione's throat felt dry as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.
"I don't know, maybe."
Walking out to Hagrid's cabin, Hermione could make out the contours of a glass container, though she couldn't see in it at all. Everything around her felt alive, she could smell the hint of some exotic lotion, pine, soil, Hagrid's gruff scent, something dark, animalistic, the wolves she assumed, and Malfoy. Rubbing her hands together sent sparks through the girl. The cool air of the night againsts her cheeks, like loving licks up a mysterious stranger. Even in the dark, Hermione could make out things she wouldn't have been able to before. She could see why, if brewed properly, the Sensi potion was so addictive, so dangerous.
"Good evening Miss Granger!" Professor Langdon smiled at Hermione, from the vivid blue of her eyes she could tell that the girl had indeed taken her potion as suggested. "Tonight you and Mr. Malfoy," Langdon gestuered toward the equally blue eyed man. ", will be spending the night with four wolves, as they are nocturnal and pack animals. As I'm sure you've both already discovered."
"We'll be spending the night?" Hermione heard her voice, soft, melodic, it hadn't ever sounded that way before, not to Hermione.
"The area inside the container has been bewitched to resemble two miles of terrain. You and Mr. Malfoy will be hunting, eating, and sleeping with the wolves tonight. I will return for you in the morning." Despite the affects of the potion Hermione was still of a sound mind.
"But Professor, how are we to do these things?" Hermione asked opening her mouth to add more Hermione blinked, she could see the Professor better, though everything had turned grey. Immediately Hermione began to panic, she could smell everything! Everything. Opening her mouth in protest a yip, high and frightened, escaped her.
"Calm down Miss Granger. I've transformed you into a wolf is all!" Professor Landgon was on her knees in front of Hermione. "The spell will wear off when the magic of the container does. It's just so you have a better feel for what it's like being a wolf." Hermione's heart rate slowed, though she barked angrily at Professor Langdon, at least she attempted to bark angrily. From the calmness of Malfoy's heart, Hermione could hear it beating, steadily, he had been aware this would happen. With a wave of her wand, Professor Langdon opened the container.
"Go, join your new brethern." She ushered watching as the two wolves, previously students, headed into the container. One impossively black with a silver crest, in the shape of an M on his chest, the other snowy white with one big amber eye and one big green one.