A/N: As you can see I really am trying to keep to a schedule. Thank you to those who are leaving reviews, and thank you to those who aren't. I appreciate y'all.

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"Oi," Harry stopped her as she raced down the stairs. "Where ya going?"

"I have that," she glanced around. "Meeting, remember?"

"Oh, yeah okay." He grinned. "Have a good time."

"Write to Snuffles, will you? And do your homework," Hermione quipped. "Ginny," she smirked as he blushed. She'd seen him watching the youngest Weasley, he wasn't very subtle at the best of times. "Make sure he does it, yeah?"

"Pfft." Ginny rolled her eyes. "What do you think I'm supposed to do?"

"You'll figure it out," Hermione smirked, looking at Harry. "I'll see you later."

She wandered through the Castle, nodding politely to the odd teacher she saw but staying out of most people's way by taking the long way. She greeted Minerva's portrait and requested entry. He disappeared for a moment, then came back with a smile.

"My mistress requests that you meet her in her classroom. She will gladly attend you there."

"Thank you," Hermione smiled. She did like the man in Minerva's portrait, even if he was a bit formal at times.

She knocked on the door to the classroom and was ushered in without a word.

"I suppose I should ask you to prove yourself?" Minerva said, taking a few steps back. Hermione didn't flinch as she waited. "How many points did I award to your friends after the incident in the bathroom in your first year?"

Hermione grinned at her.

"Five points," Hermione giggled as she stood tall and pretended to look over a pair of glasses. "To each of you, for sheer, dumb luck."

It was a passable impression and even Minerva snorted as she heard it.

"Professor, what did you suggest Transfiguring those same friends into when they were late to class one day?" Minerva smirked and stood to her full height.

"Perhaps it would be more useful if I were to transfigure Mr Potter and Mr Weasley into a pocket watch?"

"We still joke about that," Hermione chuckled.

"I am glad to be of service," Minerva quipped. "Now. I thought today we would go over some defensive spells, as we have a little less time than I would like; I have last-minute duty at 10. Then, when we have a little more time over the next few sessions we'll mix in some offensive ones and then, after a time, we shall begin the process of learning how to duel."

"Oh, cool," she smiled. "That sounds great."

"Good," Minerva nodded. "Right."

She turned around to her classroom and with a lazy wave of her wand, moved all the chairs and desks to the side of the room, piled neatly in the corners.

"I have a question about wandless magic," Hermione asked as Minerva put up a few protections to prevent any errant spells from damaging her room.

"Hmm?"

"I assume wands are like," she considered. "Lightning rods? They direct the magic where to go?"

Minerva paused and thought about it for a while.

"Yes, that is a fair assumption. There is obviously more to it than that, but it is a simplified version, yes."

"So there is, or should be, a loss of power then, when you cast without a wand?"

"Most times, yes. If you were to try Wingardium Leviosa, without a wand, the object may float just a little above the surface, but it would be highly unusual for the spell to be as powerful as if you were to use a wand."

"Even for you? Professor Dumbledore?"

"Ah," Minerva chuckled, dropping her hands and turning. "We come to the point of the matter."

"So, and I assume this is kept very very quiet because I can't find anything at all in the library about it, there are magic users who are above and beyond the capabilities thought to be the norm, then?"

"Hermione, I need you to be very careful with information like that."

"Which gives me all the answers I need, really, doesn't it," Hermione grinned. "That's okay. Obviously there are more powerful magic users and obviously we know the names of a few but without a wand is different, right?" Minerva didn't nod but she did look expectantly at Hermione as she continued. "And look, I figured that out on my own, so I'm not going to tell anyone, am I? That sort of thing, I wouldn't even tell Harry. He is good at magic, but he is not as powerful as others. I don't need to make him feel less than he is. It's okay that I know it."

"I have seen your magic, Hermione," Minerva said quietly. "And we will speak of this, at some point at a later date when we have more time, but if we get caught up in discussion now, we will have nothing for you to teach Mr Potter and the youngest Weasleys when you sneak into whatever disused classroom you can find tomorrow."

"You wound me, Minerva, that you think I would hold your rules in such disregard," Hermione simpered.

"Be on wichya, troublemaker," Minerva laughed. "Now, on the subject of lesser known information; information we keep very quiet." Hermione took the warning and nodded. "Magic is in the air around us, it is in every part of the earth," she winked. "If you ever need more power than you can physically create, connect yourself to something organic."

"Oh," Hermione blinked. "That makes so much sense. Why aren't we taught that?"

"Because it is dangerous," Minerva cautioned. "You must use the information wisely. It is possible to boost your magic, for example, using a thunderstorm, or water or even the ground outside. However, in doing so you create a," she frowned and paused, like she couldn't find the word.

"Feedback loop? Echo chamber?"

"Precisely," she smiled. "That can betray your understanding of your own magic. It is possible to deplete your magic completely, which is why after a heavy magic usage session, a person can be quite tired and sometimes even end up at St. Mungos."

Hermione was suddenly struck by how long she slept after she sent her parents away. She must have used a lot of magic that day and it made so much more sense that she woke up nearly 20 hours later hungry, thirsty and demoralised.

"Okay," Hermione nodded, trying not to let the upset show. "So if you must do it, be careful when you do."

"Just so." Minerva strode across the room and stood almost to attention. "I assume, given your escapades, that you would know how to create a shield?" Hermione didn't deny it and nodded. "Perfect. I will attack and you will defend. Only shield for now, if you please, so we can work on the strength of it."

Hermione rolled her shoulders and then squeaked, throwing up a fairly weak shield as a spell crashed into it and destroyed it.

"Please make sure you are paying attention," MInerva smirked.

"Did you -"

Minerva laughter accompanied two more spells, the second of which skimmed across the shield with an audible whistle and slammed into the wards around the classroom.

"Whoa, how did you -"

Another, faster than the first few screamed towards her and she realised Minerva was doing it on purpose. Instead, she logged away her questions and truly concentrated on what was happening.

"Good," Minerva smiled. "Much better."

She set a spell forward at Hermione, but then sidestepped and swirled her wand in an arc and Hermione's mouth dropped open as the spell seemed to curve around the circle she'd created for them and narrowly miss Hermione's back.

"Stop, stop," Hermione said, cancelling her shield. "How the hell did you do that?"

Minerva chuckled.

"I promise I will teach you."

"Can we not do that now? I can conjure a shield."

Minerva looked at her affectionately and rolled her eyes. She laughed a little and beckoned Hermione over.

"Alright Trouble, come on."

Hermione walked over to her and Minerva created a target at the opposite end of the room.

"What is a spell you know very well? Something you would use without thought?"

Hermione thought about it for a while.

"Bombarda comes in handy most often," Hermione shrugged.

"Good choice," Minerva chuckled. "Right. Send one straight down the middle, as fast as you can."

Hermione did so, frowning at the difference in speed between her's and Minerva's.

"What do you see?"

"It's slow."

"That will come with time and hard work. Do it again and instead of worrying about what it isn't, watch what it is."

Hermione did so and concentrated on watching its path.

"Tell me what you observe."

"It flies straight," Hermione said, sending a new one and watching it a little longer. "But it spins."

"Precisely," Minerva nodded. "What I did, was manipulated that spin with some of my own."

"Can you show me the movement?"

Minerva stepped up beside her, her wand in her other hand and motioned with her casting hand the path it would take.

"The classroom is warded the whole way around isn't it?" Hermione said, looking at the bookshelves.

"Yes," Minerva chuckled. "Have a try."

"Wait," Hermione stopped herself. "Is there a chance I can create a different spell?"

"A small one," Minerva shrugged. "Though the wand movement for that spell is one that your body instinctively knows, which is why I asked you to think of that one in particular. The worst that should happen is that you send it at the bookshelf, rather than our friend over there."

"Whoa," Hermione breathed, feeling the thrum of excitement under her skin. "Alright then."

"Calm down," Minerva laughed, squeezing her shoulders. "Just breathe for a while. It is possible that it won't work at all for you. It is not complicated, but you have to have a particular understanding and hold over your magic. So," she drew Hermione's focus with a warm hand to her cheek. "Do not despair if it does not work the first time, or any time after that."

"Okay," Hermione grinned. "But it will."

Minerva laughed and stepped back, leaving Hermione to stand looking at the dummy in front of her and then looking off to the side of her as well. She motioned a few times and recalled a memory from her childhood.

"Oh," she muttered. "Top spin, like tennis."

She heard Minerva start to speak but she started the movement with her wand and tuned it out. She flicked out her wrist, taking a step to the side as she seen Minerva do, and at the very last second, added a twist to her wrist and a flourish with her wand and almost whooped in delight as she saw the spell leave the tip of her wand and head towards the bookcase.

"Go," she whispered, watching it. "Turn."

She grumbled as it hit the wards beyond the bookcase, but Minerva stepped up beside her again and held her still.

"Stay exactly where you are and send a straight one."

Hermione did as she asked and her eyes widened as it hit in a completely different area.

"I did it?"

"You did," Minerva said, looking pleased. "You said something before you started, what was it?"

"Oh, it's like tennis."

"I have not played tennis in a very long time," Minerva chuckled.

"Okay well these days, everything is about spin. You make the ball bounce a different way to what it is expected, you make it drop quicker or rise higher. It's like that. I want to add some spin to the spell."

"Precisely," Minerva nodded.

"I need speed."

"Yes," Minerva nodded again. "You do. But for your first attempt, my dear, that was rather impressive."

"How do I speed up?"

Minerva threw her head back and laughed, cupping Hermione's cheek to take the sting off.

"You sound like I did the first time I started duelling. Come, it is nearly time for you to go so let's sit while we chat."

Minerva drew up two armchairs and passed Hermione some chocolate as she sat down with a groan.

"Magic is hard work," Hermione grumbled as she sucked slowly on the bar. "And I don't even feel like I did much of it."

"I did warn you," Minerva teased. "Speed comes with time. And power. And knowledge. Albus has some of the fastest spellwork I've ever seen, but he has an innate understanding of magic that suppasses that of my own. Filius," she winced. "Professor Flitwick too, has rather an impressive casting rate as well, though he was a Duelling Champion in his youth."

"Oh I read that! Do they still do that?"

"Yes but mostly in Universities nowadays. Too many young ones got hurt and too many were taught spells that were beyond their ken before their time."

"You get more Scottish when you're tired," Hermione said quietly.

"Ha," Minerva grinned, finishing off her chocolate. "Aye, I cannae deny it."

"I like it. I think you'd send them spinning if you just spoke full Scots tomorrow."

"I'd get nothing done and my reputation would be ruined."

"Nah, you'd just be even cooler than you are now."

Minerva made a noise but didn't reply, smiling at Hermione in thanks, instead.

"You need to be off. Do you want me to walk you back?"

"Nah," Hermione smiled. "I'll be okay. Can I help you with anything before I go?"

"No," Minerva said, getting to her feet as Hermione did. "Thank you for the offer."

"Do you have a lot of work to do after your duty? Did I make it harder?"

"You worry a lot, you know," Minerva grinned. "I usually leave my marking for after lights out anyway, so it is not so different from any other night. Be on widya and I'll see you on the morrow."

"Alright," Hermione shrugged. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Minerva, trying to convey her thanks in the best way she knew how. "Thanks Min," she whispered, before disappearing out into the corridor before Minerva could reply.

She knew it would take her a lot to get to sleep tonight and she knew it wouldn't be helped tomorrow either after her talk with Harry. Her brain was firing with all sorts of things and she simply couldn't wait to experiment more with it. As it was, she made her way straight back to the Common Room and up to bed, pulling the rest of her homework into bed with her where she sat up and finished the majority of it before she fell asleep over her Runes.