September passed, classes falling into a routine. Homework began piling up from teachers, and Hermione was diligent in making sure she got all of it done as soon as it was assigned. Essays were often done in the library with her Gryffindor friends, spell review and practice with her Ravenclaw friends where Luna often joined in, and studying ahead with Tracey, Millicent, and Blaise while hidden in old classrooms in the dungeons.
"It's more fun if it's in secret," Blaise told them all, eyes gleaming. "Even if there's no need for it to be a secret, it's more fun if it is."
Tracey and Millie were in favor of it, so Hermione was fine with having a Secret Slytherin Study Club. As long as studying actually got done, she didn't much care how or why.
Lockhart continued to be inadequate, and Hermione continued to read other books in his class. She practiced a few of the defensive spells she found on her own, but defense was a subject that was best taught with supervision; if a charm was cast wrong, the charm failed, but if a defensive spell was cast wrong, someone could seriously get hurt. More often, Hermione read up on Legilimency and Occlumency, as well as what more she could make out from The Songe of the Beastes.
The book, which she had originally thought to be a grimoire of old spells, seemed more like a fictional tale than an informative book. In it, the wizard told of his journey through the natural world, going to each animal and learning their language, understanding their way of the world, and gaining wisdom before he moved on to the next. It seemed very symbolic, to Hermione – very The Little Prince, she thought. It was enjoyable, though, and Hermione was enjoying the challenge of making her way through the Middle English to finish the story.
In the beginning of October, Blaise approached Hermione one morning, pulling her aside in a drafty corridor.
"For your birthday, I did not give you a gift," he told her. "I did get one for you. It just hadn't arrived yet."
"Oh, Blaise, that's fine," Hermione said. "It really doesn't matter."
"It really does," Blaise said. "But it's fine; it arrived today."
He handed her a small box wrapped in silver paper, which Hermione took in her hand and turned over a few times. She shook it, hearing nothing, and she glanced up at Blaise, who wore a small smile.
"Go on, open it," he encouraged.
Hermione eased a finger under the paper to tear through the tape, unfolding the gift from the paper rather than tearing it. She folded the paper and set it aside to examine her gift: a small pentagonal box, the wood dark and smooth. A star was etched deeply into the surface of the lid.
"Open it," Blaise urged. There was a note in his voice, now – something tense. "Open it."
Curious, Hermione lifted the lid.
At first, she didn't know what she was looking at – was there nothing in this, save a black velvet cushion inside? But her questing fingers soon found several divots in the inner cushion, and she reached in and pulled an object free.
"A ring?" she asked, her eyes darting to his sharply. "You got me a ring?"
Blaise held his hands up. "It's not like that," he protested. "Promise. Look deeper."
Frowning, Hermione examined the box more. She pulled another couple rings free from the black cushion before giving up, tugging out the cushion entirely and pulling the last two from inside. She cradled them in her hand, holding one up to examine.
The ring itself was thick and silver. There was knotwork on the side, vaguely reminiscent of Celtic knots. On the top of the ring was a round face that held a silver pentacle, the background a black enamel. Hermione's eyes darted to Blaise as she realized.
"Are these…?" Her throat was dry. "Did you really…"
Blaise nodded. "They're coven rings," he told her quietly. "One for each member you choose."
Hermione stared.
Coven rings were very, very rare. They were a powerful magical artifact, when used correctly. They allowed the members of each other to share magic when necessary, as well as detect when someone else wearing a ring was in danger or hurt.
They required a coven to use, of course, and a blood sacrifice as well. They weren't Dark, but Hermione suspected the blood sacrifice required to activate such rings had played a large role in the Ministry of Magic banning the sale of all such rings nearly a century ago.
Hermione carefully reassembled the box.
"I'm sorry I was so- I just- I didn't expect this," she admitted, slotting each ring back into its place. "Coven rings… I didn't think anyone made these anymore."
"I had to get them from Italy," Blaise told her, giving her a small smirk. "But they're worth it though, right? Even though they're late?"
"Are you kidding?" Hermione said. "Of course they're worth it. This is excellent!"
Blaise grinned.
"Now you just have to decide who all you want to be in your coven," he told her.
Hermione gnawed on her lip.
"Me, that's one," she said. "You, so that's two."
"Good start," Blaise smirked. "So. Who else?"
"Luna," Hermione said. "Though… I don't think her magic is mature enough just yet?"
Blaise frowned.
"Mature enough?" he questioned. "We all did that Slytherin ritual early first year."
"The magic to unite a coven is more draining and difficult than that," Hermione told him. "There are stories… Luna should be ready by the end of the year, though, I think. She mentioned foreseeing something." Hermione peered at Blaise, frowning slightly. "…come to think of it, I might need to ask her if your magic has reached its critical point as well."
"We don't have to wait for full magical maturity, do we?" Blaise groaned. "I don't want to wait until I'm seventeen…"
"No," Hermione assured him. "It's something else. Luna can see it in auras."
Blaise shrugged and sighed.
"If you say so," he said. "Who else?"
"Harry," Hermione said, thinking. "And his magic's already mature."
Blaise raised an eyebrow.
"Potter?" he questioned. "Really? You think he'll be okay with forbidden ritual magic?"
"Whoever said anything about doing forbidden magic?" Hermione shot back, and Blaise smirked.
"Fair enough," he said. "But would he be in?"
Hermione bit her lip.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But we could ask him."