Chapter Text

Chapter 1: The restricted Section

“Please, Harry.” Hermione made puppy eyes towards Harry.
“Tell me again. Why do you need my invisibility cloak?”
“I want to get a book from the restricted section.”
Harry frowned. “But with your reputation, you could easily get permission from one of the professors.”
Hermione sighed. “Not for this kind of book.”
“Hermione….”
She grabbed his arm, gently guiding him to a private corner. She looked around nervously.
“It’s okay. You can tell me.” Harry said in a soft voice.
“I will. But you have to promise me that you won’t judge me or tell anyone.”
Harry nodded.
"Not even Ron."
Harry raised an eyebrow but nodded again.
“Okay. I want to practice wandless magic.” She whispered.
He let out a deep breath. “Minnie, it's dangerous.”
Hermione rolled her eyes and poked him in the chest.
“Oh please, you’re the last person who is allowed to tell me something about the danger.”
Harry chuckled. As always, she was right.
Hermione grinned. “Also, it’s not the first time I performed wandless magic. I already can cast some elemental spells.
Harry’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, congratulation! But there is something else, isn’t it?”
“I’m particularly interested in wandless magic for dueling.”
“Dueling?” He frowned. “But you never had any interest in dueling. You didn’t even join the dueling club.”
Hermione fumbled with her hands. “You know me. I love to learn new things.”
“Please tell me that it hasn’t to do something because of…?” Hermione cut him off with a hand movement.
“Harry, please, I don’t want to talk about it. At least not now.”
Harry sighed again. He couldn’t refuse his best friend's request.
“Fine, you can borrow it.” Hermione smiled instantly. “But. You need to promise me that you’ll be careful.”
“Of course, Harry. I always am.” Hermione said with an enthusiastic nod and hugged him tightly. “You are my lifesaver.”
Harry chuckled. “ Don’t exaggerate.”

“What’s going on here?” Ron looked between Harry and Hermione back and forth.
“Nothing. Just a little private talk.”, said Hermione, still with a grin on her face.
“Okay…” Ron scratched his head, looking a bit confused. “Soo...do you want to hang out?”
Hermione shook her head. “No, I can’t. I haven’t finished my essay for Professor Black.”
Ron and Harry stared at her. “Minnie. The deadline is tomorrow.”
She chuckled. “I know, I know. I finished the essay a week ago. But I’m not happy
with it, so I want to rework it.”
“Well, your loss. Harry and I will go to the common room if you want to join us later.”
Ron gave her a wink, and Hermione tried not to cringe at it.
Unfortunately, Ron still had a crush on her. She already told him that she didn’t feel the same. “You will, Minnie. We would make such a great couple. You know what they say opposites attract. I give you all the time you need.”
How can he be so sure? They were good friends, and this could ruin their friendship. Hermione wasn’t willing to lose that. She hoped that one day the crush would vanish, but she wasn’t so sure about that after six months.
Ron’s flirt attempts were getting bolder, perhaps because he thought she wouldn’t realize for the first tries. Harry gave her a sympathetic smile. Hermione felt once again so happy for their friendship. Harry always supported her decisions. When he noticed that Hermione felt uncomfortable with Ron’s comments, he immediately changed the topic. It wasn’t Ron’s fault. She hadn’t found the courage to turn him down. Only because she was afraid of his reaction. Ron had already turned around, so Hermione mouthed to Harry, “Tonight.”
He nodded and left with Ron.

Hermione went to the library. It was her favorite place in the castle and the place where she spent most of her time. Hermione loved the atmosphere, the books, the quiet.
Madam Pince greeted her with a smile, but as soon as she heard a few students laughing, her expression changed. “Silence!” She hissed to them, and the laughter stopped immediately.“As always such a charmer.”
Luckily the library was almost empty today, so her favorite seat was still free. She took her essay from her back and began to work on it. Carefully she skimmed through every sentence till she was satisfied. If Black refused to give her the grade she deserved, she would inform McGonagall. Black couldn’t hate her more, so it wouldn't matter. Frustrate, she let out a groan. Through the seven-year Black frequently gave her E’s or A’s instead of O’s.
It wasn’t arrogant to say that her essays were O-worthy. It was simply a fact. She put so much work and sweat into reports, but the only class she wasn't on top of was Black’s Defense against The Dark Arts class. Except in the sixth year where Harry found the book of the Half-Blood Prince, he beat her in potions.
It felt hopeless. Hermione had tried everything to please Black. Still, every time Black handed out the essay’s she looked at her with a smug grin like she would enjoy annoying Hermione.
“As she has nothing better to do than ruin my future career.” Hermione thought, frustrated she pushed too hard on her quill, that the point broke. “Shit.” She mumbled.
Black wasn’t worth her thoughts. She only got angry when she thought of her.

The clock was already seven p.m, and Hermione went to dinner in the Great Hall.
Her friends were already there. Ron waved at her.
“Minnie! I kept a seat for you!” She smiled at him gratefully and sat next to him.
“So, are you done with your essay?” Harry asked.
“Yes. I’m much happier now. And so will hopefully Professor Black.” She said while glancing over to the High Table. Professor McGonagall was in a heated argument with Professor Black, who looked uninterested like always.
“Weird, how can she stay so calm?” If McGonagall talked to Hermione like that, she would know that it was something urgent. But Black doesn’t seem to care. “Typical.”
Their views met, and Black frowned on her. Hermione quickly averted her gaze.
“I tell you, she’s holding a grudge against me,” Hermione said while crossing her arms.
“She holds a grudge against anyone who isn't in Slytherin,” Ron answered grimly.
“I know—she and Professor Snape. My essay is excellent. I mean, can you believe it? In my last essay, she wrote that I should use my brain instead of relying on my reputation. I can’t use my brain even if I try to!” Hermione said angrily. “She is such a….”
She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Ron and Harry knew what she meant and started laughing.
“Definitely, but I hate to say it. Black is an outstanding professor. I learned so much in Defence against the Dark Arts.” Harry said with a chuckle.
“Don’t defend her.” Hermione pouted. “Only because she’s not incompetent doesn’t apologize for her poor behavior.”
Harry chuckled and held his hand up in defeat. “It wasn’t my intention to defend her.”
“Good. Otherwise, we would argue.” Hermione said, but her tone was playful.
“I surrender!” Harry grinned.
“Very wise, Mister Potter.”
“So we hang out after dinner?” Ron asked Hermione, and Harry agreed with a nod.
“Nice, I have the perfect plan for later.” He rubbed his hands together.
Hermione shot a questioning gaze at Harry, but he only shrugged.

After they finished dinner, they gathered in the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Hermione sat on the couch while Ron nestled in front of the chimney.
“So tell us from your plan,” Hermione said.
“We will play.” He made a dramatic pause. ”Fuck, Marry, Kill.” He said, eying Hermione playfully. Hermione rolled her eyes.
“Ron, please tell me that this is a joke.”
“Of course not. It’s fun.”
“It’s immature... Harry, please tell him.” She gave him a pleading look.
“Actually, I think it’s kinda funny, Minnie.” Harry grinned. “Give it a try. If you don’t like it, we’ll play something different.”
She grunted. “Well, okay.”
“Okay, Minnie, you will start. What about…” Ron’s lip formed into a sly grin. “Slughorn, Flitwick, and Lupin.”
“God.” She twisted her face in disgust. “I think I would kill Slughorn, fuck Lupin, and marry Flitwick.” Ron snorted, and Harry couldn’t suppress the chuckle. Even Hermione needed to grin. “Nice choice, Minnie. Now I finally know why you won’t date me.”
Hermione’s laugh faltered. That was the reason why she didn’t want to play. She knew that Ron would make a comment again. Her choice made logical sense. She chose Flitwick because of his intelligence, Slughorn was just revolting, and Lupin was left.
“Stupid game.” She didn’t understand the appeal of the game, anyway. She hadn’t spent much thought on romancing her professors or men in general. “Is it something I should think about?” Ginny talked about Harry all the time. Parvati and Padam gushed about Cormac McLaggen. Maybe something was wrong with her? No, she just focused on her exams. Hermione was sure that she would have plenty of time for dating after that.
The only question was who? She hadn’t paid attention to Ron and Harry’s answers.
Somehow it was her turn again. Ron wiggled with his eyebrows. “For the great finale, I have something kinky for you, Minne.”
“Kinky? Isn’t this whole game kinky?”
“The lovely selection is. McGonagall, Black or Trelawney.”
“This is kinky for you?” She asked, confused.
“Duh. Yeah, lady on lady action is like super hot.” Ron grinned.
For a moment, she was speechless, and Harry looked at her confused. Why was she so offended by Ron’s statement? It didn’t make sense. “So, how do you decide?”
Hermione sighed. “Kill Trelawney, fuck Black, and marry McGonagall.”
Both were silent for a moment. “What?” Hermione asked.
“I mean, Black is kinda hot, but she is a Slytherin. I would never share the bed with her.” Ron said. Hermione raised an eyebrow. Did she need to explain her choice? It was the first thing that came into her mind. “Well, Ronald, it’s just a game.” She huffed.
“So, do you think Black is hot?” Ron teased.
Her cheeks flushed. “Why do you ask such a question?” Hermione rolled her eyes.
“So you do?” His grin morphed into a shocking expression.
“Of course not.” She said a little bit too fast. Harry gave her a curious look. Did she find Black hot? Well, yeah. Hermione loved the dresses which Black wore. She showed a lot of skin. No, that she would pay attention to her professor’s breasts. No, it was just an observation. Great, now she thought about Black boobs. Her cheeks flushed again, and she averted her gaze under the sudden attention of the boy's curious looks.
“Minnie. Minnie.” Ron’s tone was mocking. “And here we thought you were a prude, but you secretly fancy the evil professor.”
“A prude.” The word hit her like a train. Her mind took her back to a memory she had desperately tried to bury. Pansy Parkinson. Her face lost all the color. “Breath in breath out.”
She wasn’t here, and she couldn’t hurt her. Harry’s face looked worried, and he shuffled closer to Hermione. “Hey Minnie, are you alright?”
Ron looked confused. Hermione knew he didn’t want to hurt her with this sentence. It was supposed to be a joke, but they both didn’t know the story with Pansy. She hadn’t told them.
Hermione twisted her face into a concerted smile. “Of course.”
Ron looked guilty. “I’m sorry, Minnie. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“It’s fine, really. It was just a long day.”
Harry gave her back a tight squeeze. “I bring you to the Girl’s room.” Ron wanted to get up, but Harry shook his head. “I will come back soon.” He said to Ron.
They walked in silence to the girl’s bedroom. Due to Harry’s closeness, her breath steadied again. “Are you sure that everything’s fine?”
Hermione nodded. “It was just...a bad memory.”
Harry’s gaze darkened. “Pansy?” His voice was full of anger. Hermione nodded again, and Harry snorted. “Minnie, we need to….”
She held her hand up. “Please, not now, Harry.” She gave him a half-hearted smile.
Harry sighed but nodded. “I will get the invisible cloak. Give me a second.”
He returned after a few minutes with it. Hermione pressed the cloak against her chest. “Thanks again Harry, you’ll get it back tomorrow.”

At midnight the door of the girl’s room opened, and Hermione slipped through the door. Fortunately, her roommate Ginny was a deep sleeper. She put the cloak on. Her whole body was invisible now. With quiet steps, she managed to get to the first floor unseen.
When Hermione went around the corner, a meow let her shudder. Mrs. Norris, the cat of Argus Filch, sat in front of her. “Damit.” This probably meant that Filch wasn’t far away.
“Did you find something, Mrs. Norris? Are some naughty children out of their bed?” Filch's scabious voice echoed through the hallway. Hermione held her breath.
The cat meowed again but fortunately walked past her. Filch held a torch in his hand and used it to lighten up the floor. He looked down on his cat. “It’s like they communicate.”
Hermione found it oddly fascinating how the Caretaker and his cat interact with each other.
Filch’s brows furrowed. “Nobody is here, Mrs. Norris. Come now.”
Hermione watched the two leave and waited for another minute before opening the library’s heavy door. The familiar scent of books instantly calmed her nerves down.
She walked to the end of the library. Locked gates guarded the restricted action. It was kind of funny how badly the security was. She chuckled at the thought. The trio had often broken in, and they never got caught. She cast Alohomora and the door unlocked.
She took her wand out of her pocket. “Lumos.”
A bright light appeared from the tip of her wand. Books about the Dark Arts, rare potions, and sometimes horrible spells were hidden in the section. She scanned quickly through the bookshelves, trying to make as little as possible noise, even though she was sure that she was alone. ”Cant be careful enough.”
She had to pull herself together so she wasn’t distracted by the exciting amount of books.
She could spend days here, absorbing the precious and forbidden knowledge.
“Only for one second.” She thought when a particular book about potions caught her eye.
She skimmed through the book, stopping by a page, which described the preparation for the Veritaserum. A potion that was a powerful truth serum. The Ministry of Magic strictly controlled it. “They should hide these books better,” Hermione thought while imagining what damage could cause if the book fell into the wrong hands. Like Pansy or Draco’s. Fortunately, both were too bad to brew these advanced potions. A creaking noise reminded her that she probably should hurry up. She left the book open on the table before the shelf. Fastly she searched the book for what she was here for. After a few minutes of searching, she found it. The collection of “Wandless Magic: Duel Spells.”
She grinned to herself, tucking the book under her arm. She left the restriction section when she remembered that she didn’t put the potion book away. As she turned back, two female voices sounded.
“Bellatrix, wait.” McGonagall's voice echoed through the empty library.
Hermione gasped. “What the hell were they doing here?”
“Minerva, I can’t. What he demands is too much.” Professor Black’s voice sounded tired.
Black walked towards the restricted section and immediately stopped. The door was slightly open because Hermione stood in the gap. “Shit.” Her eyes widened in horror, and she quickly stepped inside the restricted section again.

“Dumbledore’s methods are sometimes questionable, I admit.” McGonagall stepped beside Black. “What’s wrong, Bellatrix?”
“I’m not sure if we’re alone,” Black said and frowned.
“Shit, shit, shit. I can’t get caught. Not with this book. Especially not by the professors.”
She sneaked to the end of the corridor, pressing her back against the cold stone wall. Hermione held her breath as she heard that Black and McGonagall entering the restricted section. The Professors began to sweep through the bookshelves before they reached the end of the corridor. They were standing in front of the passage where she’s hiding.
“Maybe Madam Pince forgot to close the door,” McGonagall said. Fortunately, she didn't seem to worry.
“Unlikely. She always locks the door.” Black’s tone was severe.
Hermione pressed herself even deeper against the wall. Her face was red from holding her breath. She felt like she would suffocate.
A small gasp escaped her. Black’s head snapped into the direction of the noise.
Dark brown eyes stared right at the spot where she was hiding. Black stepped inside the hallway. The lantern lightened her face, and Hermione was shocked at how tired she looked. Dark circles around her eyes, her lips appeared pale without the dark red color of her lipstick. “What did Dumbledore ask her to do?” Hermione asked herself. She hadn’t seen her Professor like that before. “Has this something to do with Voldemort?”
Before Hermione could think further, McGonagall put a hand on Black’s shoulder.

Black flinched and turned around to McGonagall, who was looking at her worried.
“Bellatrix, what did he demand from you?” McGonagall asked. Her voice was full of caution as if she tried not to spook the other professor.
“Not here, Minerva.” Black turned around to her. “I have the feeling that somebody is watching us.”
“You’re paranoid.” McGonagall chuckled, tapping Black’s shoulders lightly.
“Excuse me?” Black’s eyes widened. “I am not paranoid.” Black’s voice went cold.
“I’m sorry, I didn't really think about my choice of words,” McGonagall says conciliatory.
“My office?”
Black shook her head. “No, my chamber. I really want to drink some glasses of fire whiskey.”
McGonagall eyed her critically but nodded and headed towards the exit.
Professor Black turned around one more time. Her view went down to the potions book’s opened page on the table. Curious, she stepped inside the passage. Hermione wanted to facepalm herself for leaving the book there. Black took the book in her hand, reading the open passages. Her brows furrowed, and she looked around.
“Bella? Are you coming?” McGonagall was already at the entrance.
“Sure, I come at once.” Black put the book back on the bookshelf and starred right to the end of the corner. Hermione felt the piercing eyes of the professor directly on her. She shrank together. “No way. She can’t see me.” Hermione held her breath again.
Black lips curled into a smirk. “Well, well. Someone should be really more careful.” She hummed. Hermione’s blood froze. Luckily Professor Black turned around to leave the library with McGonagall. Hermione heard the door shut, but she didn’t dare to move. She waited at least ten minutes before she left the restricted section. Hermione was too scared that Black was waiting at the front door. Hermione let out a heavy breath. This was way too close.
She didn’t reckon with Black and McGonagall. What were they even doing here? They left without picking a book.

After returning to her chamber, she was glad that Ginny was still asleep. Hermione loved her best friend. But it wasn’t Ginny’s strength to keep a secret before her brother. Also, Hermione didn’t want to put Ginny in the situation. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t trust Ron enough at the moment. Hermione only told Harry because she needed his invisible cloak. She felt guilty about using him. Practicing wandless magic was her thing. Hermione didn’t want to share it. A few weeks ago, Harry told her that he and Ginny started dating. Ginny was surprisingly quiet about their dates. But after reassuring her that Hermione hadn’t had a crush on Harry. Which was gross, by the way, because she saw him as a brother.
Ginny talked more openly about it.
After every date, Ginny’s face was flushed, and Hermione couldn’t hide her grin. She was so happy for the two. They were the perfect match.
She put the book on her desk. Black words were still on her mind. She was curious what Black meant with it. “He demands too much.”
She didn’t judge Black as a careful person. No, she was reckless. So something weird must have happened. “Maybe something with the dark lord. Could he be back?”
Hermione needed to speak with Harry about that. Maybe he would know something. She hid the cloak under her bed. Hermione would return it tomorrow.
After that, she turned her desk light on and opened the book.

Hermione gulped. Wandless magic was dangerous. But the feeling she experienced when she succeeded in her first wandless spell was something she wanted to feel again.
Although it was her last year at Hogwarts, her brain needed something to do. She already learned the stuff that she needed for the finals.
And with Voldemort being quiet for a while, she missed the adventure, the thrill.
Of course, she could deepen the knowledge, but she loved learning new things more.
It was the most satisfying thing in her life. She began reading, absorbing every little detail. Her brain cells were happy to work, although it was in the middle of the night.
A tingling rushed through her hands, ready to get the theoretical knowledge into practice. She mimicked the hand movement that was described in the book. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow to pace fast.
“Tomorrow, after school. Control yourself.” She was too excited to sleep. Instead of lying sleepless in the bed, she continued studying. Hour after hour elapsed.

“Hermione?” Ginny’s voice sounded dozy.
“Ginny? You’re awake?” Hermione tried to hide her surprise, but as she lifted her head and looked at the clock. It was already six in the morning.
“Shit, I studied all night.”. Her back hurt from the uncomfortable sitting position. She stretched and let out a yawn.
“Since when are you awake?” Ginny asked, stepping out of bed.
“Ehm, I think since five. I couldn’t sleep.” She hated lying to Ginny, but there was no other way. Curious, Ginny stepped beside her. “What are you reading?”
“Oh, just something for the N.E.W.T’s.”, said Hermione, casually covering the book with her arm. Ginny didn’t notice and said, “Alright, I’m going to take a shower. Breakfast after?”
“No, I wanted to go for a run. If you want to wait for me, we could go together at seven-thirty?”
Ginny nodded while grabbing a towel. “Okay, see you later.”
Hermione changed into her sports clothes. She decided upon leggings and a t-shirt.
She started her sports routine over a year ago, and she never felt more comfortable in her body. Also, running helped her get her mind at ease.
The cold morning air hit her in the face as she started running. Immediately she regretted her dressing choices. After thirty minutes, her mind was still full of the newly gained information about the wandless spells. She couldn’t help herself not to practice the hand movement while she kept running. It messed her rhythm up, but she didn’t care.
“I can’t wait to practice this afternoon.”
Anticipation rushed through her. Suddenly something felt off. She stopped, and she couldn’t shake the feeling off that somebody was watching her.
Hermione looked around, but she couldn’t spot anyone. Still, the feeling remained.
She continued her run, feeling uneasy.
It wouldn’t be the first time Pansy, an evil and rude Slytherin, and her weird group of friends showed up. Still, they usually annoyed her when she jogged in the afternoon.
That was the reason why she ran now in the early morning. Hermione was pretty sure that Pansy developed an obsession with her. It was one thing to dislike somebody, but Pansy hated her with all of her heart, even though Hermione never did something to her.
Over the past year, the insults got worse, making her wonder if Pansy would go ever that far to physically hurt her. Harry had noticed it once or twice, and he defended her from Pansy. Hermione found it embarrassing. She hated that she felt so weak.
Fifteen minutes later, she returned to the dorm. The run only made her thoughts worse.
After taking a shower, she felt the fatigue taking over her. When she paced the mirror, dark circles under her eyes greeted her. Her pale skin seemed even paler. She looked sick. The only good thing was that her hair had become less bushy over the years, so she didn’t need much time to tame it. But Pansy Parkinson still bullied her by calling her ugly, mud blood, and other insults. At first, she believed her, but now Hermione knew she wasn't ugly.
She became pretty, and through the sport, her body was in good shape. She felt confident, mainly after practicing wandless magic. Not that was the reason she started to practice wandless magic in the first place, maybe a tiny bit.
She sighed and looked one more time in the mirror. Even make-up couldn’t fix her tired look. Hermione put her school uniform on and headed with Ginny to the Great Hall.

"Minnie. You look tired."
"Yeah, maybe I overdid it, staying up all night."
"You told me you woke up at five." Ginny gave her a questioning look.
"Sorry Ginny, you know the N. E. W. T.s get on my nerves. I need to achieve good graduation so that I can work in the ministry."
Ginny nodded but seemed a bit hurt, and Hermione instantly felt terrible about it. They became roommates in the 5th year and immediately were good friends. Ginny was a person Hermione could always talk to. Even her crush problem with Ron, though it wasn’t a pleasant theme to talk about. Ginny felt torn between her and her brother. Hermione couldn’t take offense at that. With Harry, she shared a special bond, they were close as siblings, and sometimes Ron teased them for being too close. Hermione suspected that Ron was occasionally jealous of him. At first, Hermione had considered telling Ron about the wandless magic, but she felt that he wouldn’t understand her motives. He would probably want her to quit it. Their relationship was a bit tense, and she was still mad about his statement from the other night. But she decided to bury her anger for now.
Once more, she felt as if somebody watched her. Hermione scanned the Great Hall till her gaze stopped at the High table, where two hungry eyes stared at her, just the same as the night before. A shudder ran over her back, and she quickly turned her head around.
"Professor Black surely looks like she wants to eat you," Ginny said with a smirk and poked her playfully with her elbow.
"Ginny!" Hermione looked at her, shocked, and blushed.
"What? I can't remember the last time she gave a student this much attention."
They found an empty spot at the Gryffindor table and sat down.
"Well, not all attention is good attention."
"What did you do to gain her attention in the first place?"
"I have no idea," Hermione said uncomfortably. There was no way that Professor Black saw her last night, except when she suddenly developed an x-ray vision. Which shouldn’t be possible. "Well, I assume you will soon find out. You have Defences against the Dark Arts today, haven't you?"
Hermione nodded while she put an apple down on the table. Her appetite was suddenly gone. “I’m sure looking forward to this lesson.” She said while rolling her eyes.
Ginny raised her eyebrow, but then she saw Harry and Ron at the front door, waving them over. Harry sat down next to Ginny and Ron next to Hermione. Ginny and Harry shared a sheepish smile, which caused Harry to blush. Hermione smiled. Her best friends were too sweet together. “You look awful, Minnie,” Ron said with such a casual tone that Hermione almost overlooked the insult.
“Well, thank you, Ronald. Good morning to you too.”
“Oh, it wasn’t meant like that. What I meant is that you look tired.” He gave her an apologetic smile.
“Then say it like that next time.” Hermione raised from her table. “If you excuse me now, I need to go to the greenhouse.” She couldn’t stand Ron’s “humor” this early in the morning, especially not today. The friends looked after her.
“Is she on her period?” Ron asked. Harry and Ginny just sighed.

The first subject of the day Hermione had was Herbology. Professor Sprout started explaining something about Venomous Tentacula, but Hermione didn’t listen. Her mind was occupied with thoughts about wandless magic and of Professor Black. She couldn't think of another explanation for what other reason she gained her attention. But also, it was impossible. That she discovered her in the library.
Of course, there was the potion book. but it wasn’t Hermione’s best subject anyway, thanks to Snape’s grading. “Just ignore her, and act naturally. She will lose her interest soon.”
Also, Pansy wandered through her mind. Was she the person that watched her this morning? And if yes, what the hell was Pansy planning? Hermione decided that she didn’t want to find out. Not now.
An elbow nudged her, and she looked beside her. Neville watched her worried, and she noticed the lesson was already over. She assured him that everything was fine and quickly left the greenhouse. “Get yourself together. Otherwise, you will bust faster than you know it.”
She needed to talk with Harry. He could always calm her down. And the worst event of the day hadn’t even happened yet. Defense against the Dark Arts was her last subject of the day. Muggle Studies and Charms were uneventful. Hermione got a headache. All she wanted was to throw herself in her bed. But Hermione had a lot of work to do. She wanted to train after school. It would be the highlight of the day.

As the last lesson began, she thought about skipping,
“No, you are Hermione Granger. You don’t skip classes. She doesn’t have any proof that you were in the library. So don’t be a coward.” She tried to calm herself down, but as she entered the classroom with Ron and Harry, she started to feel sick.
“You look unwell, Minnie. Did something happen yesterday?” Harry whispered to her.
“Not here.” She whispered back. “Are you up for a walk in the afternoon?”
“Sure.” Harry patted her back.
Ron watched both suspiciously. “Something you want to tell me?” he asked, sounding pissed. Sure it wasn’t nice to keep secrets from him, but Hermione trusted Harry more.
“No need to feel guilty. You don’t need to share secrets with everyone.”
But he wasn’t everyone, was he? He was a close friend. But she still remembered the time where he was mean to her because of Crookshanks. Of course, they made up after that, and she didn’t hold a grudge. But something had changed.
At the moment, Hermione wanted to answer Ron, the door flew open, and Professor Black stormed into the room. The students flinched, quickly going to their seats—no need to give the Professor a reason to remove house points.
“Today, we will learn about an important spell.” Professor Black paused dramatically.
“Cave inimicum. A protective charm that allows the caster to hide them from view. With simple words, it makes them invisible. If you master the spell, others won’t see, hear or smell you. It’s one of the strongest defensive spells.”
A murmur went through the class, and Hermione winced, barely noticeable after she felt the attentive eyes of her professor on her. This couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Maybe some of you already know the spell that I’m talking about.” Her eyes were still fixed on Hermione, and Hermione felt the sudden urge to disappear.
“For those who don’t know the spell. Imagine creating a protective barrier, and you can cast the barrier on yourself or a place.” Harry darted a worried glance at Hermione.
She decided to ignore it, and suddenly her blank paper became the most exciting thing in the world. “So you can hide a whole place with this spell?” a student asked.
“Theoretical, yes. But practical, almost impossible. The spell is tough to master. If you are gifted enough, you could hide a house, maybe even something more significant. Noteworthy is the spell not only conceals you, but it also warns you if enemies are nearby.”
“A spell for invisibility. Black knows something,” Hermione thought, and the sick feeling in her stomach became even more vital. She fidgeted her quill between her fingers. She took notes now because otherwise, it would be suspicious if she stared at a blank paper.
Professor Black explained more details of the spell and handed out a little cube to everyone after that. “Try to cast the cave inimicum on the cube.”

For the rest of the class, the students practiced the spell, but Hermione was too nervous. Every time she tried to perform it, it failed. “Not that I mind. Don’t want to give Black any proof.” She didn’t like to fail, but today she didn’t even make an effort. Black already thought that Hermione wasn’t smart enough; now, she could finally see it.
“Problems, Granger?” Professor Black sarcastically asked as she stepped in front of Hermione's desk.
“I have trouble imagining the barrier.” She said, and a yawn escaped her mouth. She was so tired. Her hand flew on her mouth to cover it up.
“Or my lesson doesn’t entertain you. I’ve never seen you fail a spell before. Interesting day to start with.”
Hermione didn’t dare to look up. Black always seemed to know when a student was lying, at least this is what the rumors implied.
“I mean, even Weasly could do it.” Professor Black watched Ron disparagingly.
Ron wanted to say something in return, but Harry quickly put a hand on his arm to stop him. Ron huffed, annoyed, but kept his mouth shut.
“For your incompetence, I remove 10 points from Gryffindor.”
“But…” She searched for an explanation, but Black interrupted her.
“Yes, Miss Granger? I am thrilled to hear your objections.”
Hermione bit her lip and shook her head. “Nevermind.”
“Smart girl. And next time, look me in the eyes when I speak with you.” Professor Black returned to her desk.

“What was that?” Ron asked Hermione and Harry.
“Seems like she has a bad day,” Harry said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Not her. Hermione, since when can't you cast a spell?” He looked at the still visible cube on her desk.
“I...I just don’t feel good today.” Hermione said quietly.
“Maybe you should skip your morning routine and get more sleep,” Ron suggested.
“Yes, maybe.”
“Sure, it’s nothing else?” asked Ron. He didn’t believe her.

“Something, the Golden Trio, want to share with the class? Maybe you figured out a reason why Miss Granger is incapable of completing an easy task?”
The Slytherins sniggered at Professor Black’s comment. Hermione lowered her head even more. “No, Professor.”, Harry said calmly.
“Then be quiet. Or do you want to lose more house points?”
The three got back to casting the spell. Hermione decided that it would probably be wise to make an effort this time. Not willing to give Black more reason to suspect her.
On Hermione’s first real try, the cube turned invisible. “Are you kidding me?” She looked up, noticing that Professor Black was still watching her. The dark curls fell into Black’s face as she shook her head. Her eyes looked like she found her prey. “I’m so fucked.”

Luckily the school day ended after this lesson. Hermione stormed out of the room, leaving Ron and Harry confused behind. She needed a short break to sort her thoughts.
After that, Hermione would look for Harry. She threw herself on her bed.
Hermione decided to sleep for half an hour. Otherwise, she would need to cancel her practice. And that was the last thing Hermione wanted. She closed her eyes for a moment and quickly fell asleep after that.