First day of the school year. With many new teachers.

HERMIONE VI

She woke up early, as always. Well, maybe not as early as she thought because Lily and Sophie stirred a minute later, and Parvati and Lavender were not long to follow. However, since Hermione did not take as long to brush her hair as her roommates did, she managed to leave the girls' dormitory quite quickly, right at the moment Lavender asked her if it was true that Harry fainted in the Hogwarts Express.

Hermione wished she could say that she was surprised by Lavender's question, but in truth she wasn't. And in truth, she wasn't interested at all in answering that question. Only thinking about how she felt when the Dementor came to their compartment made Hermione shiver in memory. They were lucky that Professor Lupin arrived and repelled the Dementor with a spell Hermione, to her shame, knew nothing about. Though at the moment, she didn't think about that. She only thought about Harry and Ginny who both collapsed and fainted on the floor of their cabin.

As she went down into the common room, Hermione wondered why Harry and Ginny blacked out. She understood that the effect of Dementors on people were horrible. She felt them first-hand, just like Ron, Neville and Hannah who were in the compartment with them. The terrible cold that devoured your bones, the sense of losing all hope and happiness, the feeling of emptiness... Now she understood why Azkaban was so infamous. But why did Harry and Ginny faint when the others didn't? For Ginny, Hermione could still understand. After last year's events, Ginny could still be frail and fragile. But Harry? He, Ron and Hermione together faced far worse than a single Dementor, and Harry faced even worse than she and Ron both did. How could a Dementor affect Harry so much when he had found himself face to face with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a basilisk?

Hermione had no idea. She had brought her bag with her, along with her books from several subjects she could have this morning, which resulted in her bag being heavier than usual. She began to read about Arithmancy, which was her favourite subject so far from what she could read during summer. She only had a few minutes to read though as Harry and Ron came from their own dormitory quite soon.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked both of them, though maybe it was more directed at Harry, for obvious reasons.

"Fine," they both replied in chorus.

They left Gryffindor's common room together. Hermione decided to direct the conversation in a way that would take them far from the Dementors.

"So, are you eager for your new subjects this year?"

"Hermione, we haven't received our schedules yet," Ron pointed out.

"So what? You took Divination and Care of Magical Creatures, Ron, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. Charlie seemed to like working with magical creatures. He says we get to spend a lot of time outside. So I picked it. As for Divination, it might be funny to predict the future."

"How are you going to manage, Hermione?" Harry asked. "You took all the optional classes. Are you sure your workload will not be too heavy?"

"Of course not," she said, feeling insulted. "I'll manage. It's just a matter of hard work and organization. I can't wait to start Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes. You chose Ancient Runes as well, Harry, didn't you?"

"I did. But I'm not sure what it's going to be. I took it in part because my mother thought it would be a good idea. She didn't seem to like Divination."

"Oh, so that's why you're not with us in this class," Ron said, as if he was suddenly enlightened. "There's still Care of Magical Creatures."

"Well, I can't wait to have our schedules," Hermione said.

When they walked into the Great Hall, some Slytherins were mocking Harry and his fainting. Hermione hoped that Ginny wouldn't see that. She ignored, and hoped that the boys ignored the silly remarks of those idiots.

"New third-year timetables," George told them as he handed them their new schedules the moment they sat down. Hermione went to look at her own right away. The boys were discussing Malfoy's imitation of Harry's fainting, mocking the Slytherin. Hermione thought that Malfoy deserved being mocked, but she wished Harry and Ron just ignored him like she tried to do. Though she had to admit herself that it was sometimes hard to ignore this imbecile. The conversation then went on to Quidditch, of course.

Hermione looked at all the classes she had. "Oh, good. We're starting some new subjects today," she said excited. Arithmancy was among those.

"I've got the first period free," Harry said.

"What?" Ron said.

"I suppose I didn't take the right classes."

Ron leaned over Harry's shoulder and placed both their schedules next to each other. "Oh, I see. It's because of your Ancient Runes class. I've got a free period later in the week me too. What are you going to do this morning?"

"I guess I'll pay a visit to Remus. I'd like to know how he ended up being a teacher."

Ron nodded. He then went to look at Hermione's schedule. "Hermione, they've messed up your timetable. Look. They've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."

"I'll manage," she assured. "I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."

She couldn't totally hold back a smile, feeling the small chain around her neck, hidden under her robes.

"But look." Ron was laughing as he spoke. "See this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And, look, underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one is that good. How are you supposed to be in three classes at once?"

"Don't be silly," she retorted. "Of course, I won't be in three classes at once."

"Well, then..."

"Pass me the marmalade," she cut short to his words. She wasn't supposed to tell anybody about what Professor McGonagall gave her yesterday.

"But..."

"Oh, Ron," she interrupted again. "What's it to you if my timetable is a bit full? I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."

She couldn't tell him about her Time-Turner. She couldn't tell about it to anybody. McGonagall had been very clear with her on that matter. Hermione had to admit that she was excited with the idea of using it. It was a dream come through. She couldn't remember how many times she found herself lacking time to learn. Not that she didn't have enough time to do her homework or to prepare for exams, quite the opposite. She was very well organized. But she always found herself wanting to learn more, and there was never enough time within a single day for that. This Time-Turner would help her to study almost twice as much as the other students.

"All right?" There was no mistaking the voice behind her. She turned to look at Hagrid, whose smile might be even wider than it was yesterday, if that was indeed possible. "You're in my first ever lesson! Right after lunch! I've been up since five getting everything ready... Hope it's okay... Me, a teacher..."

As he walked to the staff table, Hermione realized he had to be at least as excited about his first class as she was about her new subjects today.

"I wonder what he's been getting ready," Ron said, a note of fear in his voice. Hermione didn't see why they should be afraid. After all, Hagrid would be teaching them how to take care of magical creatures, something he was especially good at, considering his gamekeeper's duties. So unless he wanted to present them to a three-headed dog or a baby dragon... For a moment, Hermione shared Ron's anxiety, but she recovered immediately. Dumbledore would never allow Hagrid to make them work with dangerous creatures. She looked at her timetable, to verify once more that they indeed had their first class of Care of Magical Creatures after lunch.

"We should go, look," Ron said all of a sudden, looking at his own schedule. Hermione looked over his shoulder. He was pointing at his Divination class, which was at nine o'clock, just like for Hermione. They had the same class. "Divination is at the top of the North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there."

He was right. In all the excitement surrounding her new courses, Hermione forgot this detail. She finished her breakfast very quickly, and was the first one to stand up, Ron following.

"We see each other in Transfiguration," Harry told them. He didn't have Divination this morning.

"Bye, Harry," Ron said.

"See you soon, Harry," Hermione told him, on Ron's tails.

The journey to the North Tower was everything but eventless. Neither she nor Ron had ever gone to that part of the castle. It was a long trip, where they didn't recognize most of the corridors and places they came upon. They lost their way more than once. Hermione panicked at the idea of being late for her very first class of the year. They needed help from a portrait, a knight by the name of Sir Cadogan, to finally find their way to the entrance of the tower. Hermione would have found this knight quite hilarious if they hadn't been so close to being late. When they finally arrived at their destination, Hermione was out of breath, sweaty, and Ron was in no better state. And what frustrated her even more was that the door to the classroom was nowhere to be found. But many other students had gathered there as well. There was Neville, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Lavender and many others. They couldn't all have gotten the same non-existing classroom.

Ron nudged her at this moment. "Hey, Ron!" she protested.

He pointed the ceiling though, and by following his finger, Hermione saw the plaque with their teacher's name.

Sybill Trelawney, Divination Teacher

The plaque was upon a circular trap in the ceiling. Hermione supposed there was a way to get into the classroom. She just thought about it when the trap opened, and a silvery ladder came out of there. Parvati was the first to climb it, followed by Lavender. One by one, they climbed it and arrived into quite a strange classroom. A little like in Potions, outside light didn't enter the place, as curtains were closed, and lamps were covered by red scarves. However, any resemblance with Snape's classroom stopped there. Instead of desks, small circular tables populated the place. Instead of chairs, students were to sit on old armchairs and pouffes. A large fire burned in the hearth, propagating a strong perfume that made Hermione cough when she walked in. The atmosphere was tainted in red.

"Welcome." A voice, soft, foggy, came out of the red shadows that surrounded them. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Hermione had many teachers since she arrived at Hogwarts, each with their own personality and particularities. However, she wasn't prepared for this one, and stood agape at her sight. Sybill Trelawney was a very thin woman, comparable to Professor McGonagall on that aspect, but like for her classroom and Snape's, the resemblance stopped there. She had very huge and round glasses that made her eyes look thrice their size. She wore a heavy shawl around her neck, and so many chains, necklaces, bracelets and rings that they produced a tinkle at every single small movement she made.

"Sit, my children. Sit," she told them with the very same voice. Hermione did so, even though she found this teacher quite odd. Ron came to sit right in front of her.

Hermione felt strange all of a sudden. It was the first time she was in a course where Harry wasn't. She knew she would have classes without him this year, of course, but she didn't really realize it. It was strange to find herself alone with Ron in a course, even stranger to have him sitting in front of her because of the way armchairs and tables were positioned.

"Welcome to Divination," the professor resumed once everyone had taken place. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before." Indeed, Hermione never met Professor Trelawney before. "I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

This woman was definitely the weirdest professor Hermione ever met.

"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field."

At this declaration from the teacher, Hermione was stunned. Wait, studying wouldn't help them in this subject? What was the point in having a subject where you couldn't study? Wasn't Hogwarts a school? What Trelawney said next didn't make Hermione see her in any better light.

"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings..." Hermione felt particularly targeted by the last words. "... are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future. It is a Gift granted to few."

As Professor Trelawney then cast doubts to Neville about his grandmother's condition, Hermione got more and more the impression, while listening to Trelawney's monologue, that she was listening to one of those storytellers who pretended to be able to see the future. The strange woman then went to give them their plan for the year. They would begin with tea leaves, then move to palmistry, to end with the crystal ball. Hermione rolled her eyes when Trelawney warned Parvati about a red-haired boy and her roommate pushed her chair away from Ron as a result.

They then split into pairs. Hermione remained with Ron. Professor Trelawney gave them instructions to read their tea leaves. As a result, the whole class ended up drinking tea. Hermione had the distinct impression to be back in one of those tents during a circus or a fair. She wasn't impressed by Trelawney supposedly predicting that Neville would break his first cup only a few seconds before it happened. She had seen much better tricks performed by people without real magical powers, who caused an event by simply predicting it. It was easy to see that Neville would break something the moment someone would tell him he was going to break it.

Hermione ended up looking into Ron's cup.

"So, what can you see in mine?" he asked her, probably expecting her to give him the answer like he always did.

Hermione felt ridiculous, looking at the remains of Ron's tea, trying to discern anything that might look like something tangible. However, all she could see were patches of brown stuff. Frustrated, Hermione looked into Unfogging the Future, trying to discern any shape.

"Broaden your minds, my dears! And allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" If only the professor left them to work, she might succeed in seeing something. Her studious nature pushed Hermione to keep looking for something.

After turning the cup again and again, checking in all directions if there was any symbol, Hermione thought she might see something. "I'm not sure, Ronald, but I believe you have a mace." She turned the cup. "And again, I'm not sure, all that is really just messy, but you may have a moon." She looked into her book, but the answers it provided didn't make much sense. "These two mean attack and end. So that would mean you're currently suffering from some kind of assault, but that's about to end."

Ron looked at her incredulously. "You need your Inner Eye testing, if you ask me."

Hermione frowned. Ron found that quite funny. But really, all that looked futile. How could they be sure that what they saw in the cup was accurate? There were a million ways to interpret the brown patches at the bottom. It wasn't like in Transfiguration or Charms, where they were asked to perform a spell and the result was easy to gauge. Here, everything was a matter of interpretation, and there was no way to verify it.

"My turn," Ron said while looking deep into Hermione's cup. He seemed to be providing a huge effort, and Hermione watched, not without satisfaction, as he tried to guess what her own cup was hiding. "There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat. Maybe you'll become Minister of Magic. Think about giving my father rise when you do."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"But this way..." Ron had turned her cup a little. "It looks like an apple." He looked into their book. "That means temptation, but it could also mean love. Oh, wait. There's a second globe next to it. Looks like glasses. That means great discovery. Well, perhaps you're about to find true love."

Hermione rolled her eyes again. Really? This was just like the charlatans amongst Muggles. It seemed that predicting the future was just as likely among wizards as it was among Muggles. She should write about it to her parents in her next letter. She would like to see their reaction to the fact her Divination class was just like Divination in their world. She could already hear her mother telling her, like she did a few times this summer, why did you take Divination? It's impossible to predict the future.

"Oh, Hermione. You also have something that looks like a boot," Ron added.

"Oh, let me take a look at it." She snatched her cup away from Ron and stared down at it. "You think it looks like a boot? It's just as likely to be a Dementor."

"You can't read your own cup," Professor Trelawney said with reproach. "Let me see that, my dear."

Without any enthusiasm, Hermione let the woman take her cup. Everyone had stopped to watch. "The hanging man," she said very mysteriously. "Oh, my dear, the day of judgment is coming for you."

Everyone looked terrified. But Hermione laughed. "I doubt about it. Even if I have the hanging man, that means balance. If you saw a balance though, it would have meant judgment," she said.

The classroom went totally silent. Professor Trelawney looked at her with reproach through her enlarged eyes. "One cannot predict his own destiny."

"Well, according to the book you had us buy, that's what the hanging man means."

Finally, it was useful for her to read Unfogging the Future. She heard some people looking into their copy. In the meantime, Professor Trelawney had gone back to consulting Hermione's cup, but just as she was about to say something, Dean raised the voice.

"Professor Trelawney." The enlarged eyes turned to the black boy. "Hermione is right. The hanging man does mean balance, and the balance symbol means judgment, or trial."

The atmosphere grew thick for a moment. But then, another voice raised. "Professor Trelawney," Lavender said, "there's something in Parvati's cup, but I can't find out what it is."

All the attention of Professor Trelawney turned to Lavender. "Oh, my dear, why didn't you tell me before." She laid back Hermione's cup on the table and rushed to Lavender's help. For once in her life, Hermione really felt grateful to Lavender.

Lavender and Parvati sat right ahead of Ron and Hermione, and as a result, as Ron went back to look into Hermione's cup and the other students went back to their business, she heard everything Professor Trelawney said to her two roommates.

"A lightning, in the middle of a cube. Oh, you're going to experience some deceptions in love, my dear." Hermione couldn't help but smile at Parvati's expression. "And you've got a wig. And from the shape of it... Red hair. Yes, beware of red hair." Parvati moved even farther from Ron and Hermione. "A skull. There is a danger on your path, my dear."

This time, Trelawney had spoken so high that everyone turned to look at her. Parvati made a strange sound with her voice. A moment later, after the cup made another rotation, Professor Trelawney opened her eyes wide, made a few steps backwards, and fell in her own armchair not far. She put a hand on her heart. "My poor child."

"What did you see, Professor?" Lavender asked, sounding excited. Parvati, on her side, didn't look like she wanted to know.

"You... You have the Basilisk." Everyone gasped in the room. Everyone but Hermione. She wasn't impressed. She leaned over their table and seized Parvati's cup. "This a grave omen, my dear. The omen of a long and painful death."

Parvati let out a small scream and also let Lavender's cup fall and smash on the floor. Hermione looked into the cup in Lavender's hands, whose brown patches at the bottom were not that different from her own or Ron's.

"I don't think it looks like a Basilisk," Hermione said. Again, Professor Trelawney looked at her. Hermione surprised herself by how she behaved with that teacher. She was always respectful of all of them, even Snape. But around Trelawney, she didn't really have the impression to be standing in front of a professor. It was more like talking to one of those charlatans in a circus. "It looks more like squirrel, with the tail behind."

"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future," the professor said.

Seamus, however, had come to look at the cup as well. "It may look like a Basilisk this way." He tilted his head to the right. "But it looks more like a sausage dog from here."

Ron couldn't hold back a nervous laugh, and Hermione barely managed to do so.

"Hey, show some respect!" Lavender said. "It's Parvati's cup! If there's a Basilisk inside, it's very grave!"

"We're not even sure if this is a Basilisk. It could be anything," Hermione said. Even if it really showed a Basilisk, how could they be sure that Parvati would truly have a painful death? And what was considered to be a painful death to begin with?

"I think we will leave the lesson here for today," the odd woman finally said. "Yes. Please pack away your things."

Hermione was not displeased that the class was over. She put back into place her cup and Parvati's. Oddly enough, most students, even Ron, seemed to have been deeply affected by Professor Trelawney's predictions about Parvati. Hermione would have rolled her eyes, but on the other side, it gave her the opportunity to slip undetected into a corner of the corridor. Ron didn't even notice her absence. Anyway... Hermione noticed at this moment a girl with bushy brown hair running towards Ron. She was the same height as she was. Hermione opened her mouth... She would need to be more careful in the future. She took her Time-Turner, and turned the hourglass once.

It was the first time Hermione used it. She felt like she was very light all of a sudden. A mix of colours and shapes went around her. When she felt normal again, she looked around her. She was back an hour sooner. There was no one on the horizon. But it wouldn't last long. She came out of the corner, and turning, she came face to face with Parvati and Lavender. Her heart made a jump.

"Hermione! You managed to get here before us," the Indian girl said.

She was all smiling, unaware of the prediction Professor Trelawney was about to make about her. Hermione would have liked to tell them in advance how this class would be stupid, but she couldn't. First, because she couldn't change time. Second, because she didn't have time. Her class of Muggle Studies was about to begin, and she would need to rush with a bag full of books to it.

"Yes. Excuse me. I forgot something. I'll be back soon," she said very quickly, avoiding the two girls.

Hermione had to almost run in order to arrive in time. When she did walk into the classroom, there was barely a minute left before it would begin. She took the last table that wasn't occupied, and sat down heavily, removing some hair from her forehead while she began to unpack her material. Another girl arrived right when the class began, winded. She sat next to Hermione at the same table.

"Hi, Hermione," Hannah Abbott said, out of breath.

"Hi, Hannah," Hermione replied, still focused on preparing her stuff.

"Hey, are Harry and Ginny alright? I mean, I haven't heard of them after we left the train."

"They're fine. They're fine," Hermione replied absently, taking out her copy of the course's book.

"Good thing. That Dementor... It was really..."

"Please, everyone. Silence now," a loud but kind voice said. A woman of a certain age, with long blond hair and who dressed quite simply, just arrived in front of the classroom. She had her wand in her hand. "I am Charity Burbage, and I will be your Professor of Muggle Studies this year." She spoke fluently and clearly, a freshening contrast to Trelawney.

"I am glad to see that so many students have chosen my class among their options for third year. And before we go any further, I'm going to call you one by one. Please confirm your presence when I call your name."

She took her register, and started.

"Hannah Abbott."

"Present," the girl next to Hermione replied, raising her hand.

As Professor Burbage went on calling each student, Hermione looked around the classroom. It was filled with objects from her daily life, the life she had with her parents, but for most people in the classroom, they were subjects of curiosity. Many of her classmates looked at them, some wondering what the purpose of an ironer or a television could be.

"Hermione Granger."

"Present." Hermione shot her hand in the air at the same occasion.

Among other students who attended the class were Ernie Macmillan, Wayne Hopkins and Sally-Anne Perks from Hufflepuff. There were a few Ravenclaws, such as Padma Patil, Parvati's sister, and Michael Corner. To Hermione's surprise, there were even two Slytherins, girls who went by the names of Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. They were not part of Pansy Parkinson's gang but still, Hermione was surprised to see them here. She didn't want to imagine how their comrades in their house would mock them for taking such a subject.

"Very well, you're all there," Professor Burbage said as she put back into place the parchment with all their names on it. "Now, you have chosen Muggle Studies as one of your class this year. Let me ask you something. What do you think is the goal of this course?"

Hermione shot her arm in the air immediately. "Yes, Miss Granger."

"The goal is to study Muggles and their way of life in order to better understand them."

"Exactly. That is the objective of this course. But I have another question for you all. What does it mean to understand Muggles?"

Hermione was taken aback by this question. This wasn't the kind of question you could find the answer in a book. She felt that it was somehow a trick question. To Hermione's surprise, it was Tracey Davis, a Slytherin, who rose her hand first, timidly.

"Miss Davis?"

"It means... knowing what it is to live without magic."

Professor Burbage frowned while looking straight at the girl. "An interesting answer. And what do you think it is, to live without magic?"

"I... I don't know," the Slytherin confessed.

"I suppose both your parents are wizards," the professor said empathetic.

"No. My mother is a witch. My father is a Muggle, but... I rarely see him."

"Oh. Sorry, Miss Davis." The Professor Burbage looked like she felt quite guilty all of a sudden. "Who else here has at least one Muggle parent, aside from Miss Davis?"

Hermione raised her hand. She soon realized that she was the only one to do so.

"Miss Granger. Is it your father or your mother?"

"Both. I'm Muggle-born."

Professor Burbage seemed quite surprised, but she soon smiled. "Well, you are a very pleasant surprise, Miss Granger. It's been a very long time since a student came to my class when both his parents were Muggles. So, you must have a very good idea what it is to live without magic."

"Yes, I do."

"For all the others, now, imagine that tomorrow, you happen to live in a home where magic simply doesn't exist. No flying broom, no Floo powder, no wand. Perhaps some of you may think this doesn't make much of a difference because you cannot use magic while outside the school, but imagine that your parents and everyone else in your family cannot use it either. That also means no Quidditch, by the way. How would you go on with your life? Can you imagine your life without all those things?"

Hermione saw that everyone was at a loss of words. For her, it wasn't a big deal. She grew up like a non-magical girl. She was used to cooking, organizing her chamber, moving and doing all her daily tasks without magic. The others were probably all used to having their parents use magic to take care of most, if not all chores in the house.

"Well, let me give you an example," Professor Burbage said.

She went to the side of the class, moved a big television in front of them, made a few adjustments, then she turned it on. Immediately, a deafening sound filled the classroom. Hermione was probably the only who reacted normally and remained impassive as a game of hockey played in front of them. The others jumped on their chair, covered their ears over the unexpected sound, and Sally-Anne even screamed and went to hide under her desk.

Professor Burbage laughed at their reaction, but it wasn't an evil laugh. This one was pleasant, and forgiving. "You have nothing to fear. This thing is not going to eat you. You can come out from under your desk, Miss Perks. Now that the moment of surprise is gone, can someone tell me what this is? And please, Miss Granger, give a chance to the other students to answer."

Hermione dropped the hand she just raised, disappointed.

"I think this is a sport the Muggles play at. They call it... okay?" Ernie tried.

"You are close, Mr Macmillan. But this is actually hockey. The sport happens to be very popular in countries like Canada and Russia, even among wizards. But my question was about the device. What is it?"

"A televisor, is that it?" Daphne Greengrass tried.

"Again, you were close, Miss Greengrass. It is a television. Muggles use it, among other things, to watch the games of their favorite sports. It would be a little as if you could see your favorite Quidditch teams play without actually being in the stadium."

Some people, especially the boys, looked particularly interested by this all of a sudden. "Why don't we have stuff like that?" Michael Corner asked. "I mean, Muggles have radios, just like we do. Why don't we have those... televisiens?"

"Because, so far, there is no mass production of magical televisions among wizards. You must understand that producing this kind of instrument and making it work only with magic is quite a challenge. Radios are simpler. Magic is only necessary to reproduce sounds. When it comes to televisions, it requires sound and images, which is far more complicated. Some attempts have been made in the past to make televisions work without electricity, but so far, no magical television could work more than a few weeks before breaking up."

As if to emphasize her point, Professor Burbage turned off the television. This was probably a good thing, because some students were beginning to be hypnotized by the colored screen. To Hermione, it all made perfect sense. It explained why Ron didn't understand Harry and Hermione back in first year, when he surprised them discussing about characters of the TV show Sesame Street. He didn't even understand the concept of a TV program.

Hermione raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Professor, how can this even work here, at Hogwarts? I thought there was too much magical interference for Muggle technologies to work."

"That is a very good question. Well, I chose a class in a corner of the castle where magical interferences run lower, and I also cast a few spells to reduce them further. As a result, all those devices can work for a certain time, though they will not last as long as in a conventional Muggle house. This is in fact why Muggle technologies are not as much used as they could be by wizards. We don't want to buy something if it is to break within months."

Professor Burbage went on to make her class discover other tools and technologies used by Muggles to replace magic. As a result, Hermione was treated to many devices she already knew, but she could see that the other students were very curious, even sometimes enthralled by what they saw. They were treated with a demonstration of a Mario game, an excerpt from the movie Aladdin, a remote controlled car, a radio who played the song You Can't Hurry Love by Phil Collins, which Hannah made sure everyone in the classroom knew about, the demonstration of a lamp being turned on and off, and many other things. Professor Burbage even had Michael and Ernie go to each extremity of the class, then have them whisper in talkie walkies. They were both surprised to hear each other's voice so clearly.

After maybe an hour of fun for most of the classroom, the professor went on to explain them how these various devices could work, showing them batteries, electric wires and outlets, and explaining them the vital role that electricity was playing in the life of Muggles. This was no new information for Hermione. She already knew most of what Professor Burbage told them. Still, it was fascinating to listen at how a witch described utilities that Hermione used in her daily life during the holidays. Hannah Abbott was quite excited herself, and she wanted to talk to Hermione about everything they just learned at the end of the class, but Hermione had no time. She left the classroom quickly, then found a quiet spot from where she went back into time once more.

The day definitely went better as time went on, as strange as it may seem for someone who travelled to the past again and again. If Divination was disappointing and boring, while Muggle Studies were interesting and pleasant, Arithmancy proved to be fascinating and a real joy. Professor Septima Vector, maybe the youngest teacher in Hogwarts who was barely at the beginning of her thirties, seemed like a very intelligent woman who brought them in the thick of the subject right away. Her third class of nine o'clock satisfied her beyond measures.

Right when the course ended, Hermione made to leave and return to the Divination class in time to follow Ron and Harry after she would have used the Time-Turner for the first time. However, Susan Bones, who she sat next to during the course of Arithmancy, held her back.

"Hermione, do you have a minute?" She looked at her watch. The course had ended a little in advance.

"Okay, if it's only one minute, Susan. I'm in a hurry."

"Thanks. You know that new teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts? Remus Lupin?"

"Yes."

"Do you know him?"

"Not really. I met him for the first time on the train. Harry knows him better. He's a friend of his mother. Excuse me, Susan, but I really have to go."

Hermione ran to the outside, leaving the Arithmancy classroom behind her. She made it just in time to hide into a dark corner and see lots of students, including herself, leave the North Tower. She remained in the shadows until she saw herself hide in another corner, then she left hers and hurried to join Ron. She did well, because Ron turned to look over his shoulder right when she was close to him.

"So, what do you think?" he asked her.

"Think about what?" she asked in return.

He looked at her very strangely. "That Basilisk in Parvati's cup. Do you think it really means that something grave will happen to her?"

She scoffed. "We're not even sure that it was a Basilisk. I didn't see one for myself."

"Bur Professor Trelawney just saw one."

"She says that she saw one. It's not quite the same thing."

"Since when don't you believe everything teachers say."

"Perhaps because, unlike Professor Trelawney, the other teachers actually know their subjects."

"She seemed to know her own quite well."

"Why? Because she predicted that Neville would break a cup mere seconds before it happened?"

"Well, yes, for a start."

"It only happened because Neville was anxious because Professor Trelawney told him he would break a cup."

"That's not the only prediction she made."

"So what? You believe that Parvati should be afraid of you because you have red hair?"

"She must have been talking about someone else."

"That's the thing, Ronald. She says things in a nebulous way so that many interpretations of her predictions are possible, and this way, she can pretend that this prediction has come true, no matter what happens."

They continued to argue long after, all the way to the Transfiguration class, where Harry was waiting for them.

I had forgotten it had been a long time since we had a Hermione chapter. And for that, we saw her doing the same hour, again and again. I guess it is better than spending months being Petrified. Hermione went from doing nothing to doing way too much.

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Next chapter: Harry