Hermione knelt motionless staring at the door.
Oh no.
Thinking fast, she rolled underneath Dean Thomas’s bed and held her breath. A student walked in and seemed to be confused as the person walked around the room. Hermione felt a sneeze forming from the rising dust she stirred up.
Don’t sneeze. Hold it in.
“Hermione?” the student asked.
“Beatrix,” Hermione asked back. She crawled out from the confined place and wiped the dirt off of yesterday’s clothes. “What are you doing back here?”
“I told Ron and Harry that I forgot something and I’d meet them in the Great Hall. Did you put the stuff back?”
“Yeah, I just did when you walked in. You scared me to death!”
“Sorry.”
“Well, I better go get changed. I’ll meet you guys in the Great Hall later.”
“Okay, bye, Hermione.”
Beatrix left the common room while Hermione went up to her dormitory to change.
Why is she being so nice? Does she think I’ll be nice to her? For being bright, she’s sure thick-headed. Maybe she soon won’t be able to stand me and go back to her old school.
Hermione grabbed her knapsack and headed down to the Great Hall.
Wait. She can’t go back to her school? They only go to their fifth years. What kind of school only goes up to five years? Hold on. She’s not”can’t be”
Hermione turned around as she reached the first floor and began walking up the Grand Staircase again to the library. She entered the massive room with bewitched books flying about and walked straight to the card catalogues. As she thumbed through them, she found a book called Description Detail of Diverse Magical Schools by Gargo Gilson. Hermione set off down the aisles searching for the last name Gilson, which Hermione knew was extremely rare for he only had written two books in his life and the first was quite dodgy. Her eyes frantically searched the shelves.
Where is it? It’s supposed to be right here.
She left the aisle and searched for Madam Pince, the librarian. Hermione found her putting books away and eyeing students thumbing through her books.
“Excuse me, Madam Pince, but could you please tell me the whereabouts of the book Description Detail of Diverse Magical Schools?” she asked, watching Madam Pince’s every move.
Madam Pince quickly looked at Hermione as if she had said something insulting.
“Sorry dear, but that book is checked out. Permanently.”
“Why permanently?”
“Because someone is in much need of it. Now I have another excellent book on schools somewhere here,” she said, searching throughout the stack of books. Hermione glanced at the books on the trolley, but quickly jumped back when Madam Pince shoved a book into Hermione’s stomach and shouted at a few third years, “Please do not tear the pages of the books! They are very old and worth much more than all of you put together!”
Hermione began backing up and said, “Well, thanks.”
Madam Pince hadn’t heard her; she swept passed Hermione towards the third years sniggering behind their books. Hermione sat down at a nearby table, read the title: Magical Schools and their Surroundings and searched for schools in Germany.
Dragonarches Academy is a well developed school…diverse lot of children…
Hermione turned the page and noticed it began talking about a new school.
Uttergowes School? This doesn’t tell me anything!
She set the book aside and decided to go down for breakfast in the Great Hall. Walking passed Madam Pince’s desk, she noticed a book with the title: Description Detail of Diverse Magical Schools. Hermione looked back to see Madam Pince in deep conversation with the same students. She reached behind the desk, grabbed the book, and stuffed it into her bag as she left the library. She changed her mind about eating breakfast and rushed back up to the Gryffindor Tower. The portrait swung open and she walked into the common room and threw her knapsack beside the couch. Sitting down, she opened the book and searched for schools in Germany.
Uttergowes…Dragonarches Academy. The Dragonarches Academy, set in the countryside hills of southern Germany, educates the gifted with special conditions”
“Special conditions?”
”Some conditions include Transparentition, Seers, proprius Legilimens, Werewolves, and Metamorphmagus (for more information on these conditions please refer to Marian Gilson’s All Knowledge of Magical People). It is not a mandatory school, but a chance for children to learn more about their ability as well as their basic education. Dragonarches delivers a homely feeling to the students for those who may not receive it in other schools in their earlier years. Because so little wizards and witches contain special conditions, classes are closer in relation and the fear of feeling left out is uncommon. For the students to become socialized with their peers, Dragonarches descends up to five years, then their final two years are spent at their local hometown school. When entering a new school, Dragonarches students tend to us their conditions to re-socialize into the young community. For more information you can send an owl to Headmistress Merr”
The portrait swung open and Hermione hastily shoved the book back in her bag. Seamus and Dean, along with several other students walked in. Some went straight up to their dormitories and other lingered about the common room. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and walked down to the Great Hall.
As she entered with a most emotionless expression, Hermione waltzed up to the Gryffindor table and took her seat next to Ginny and across from Harry, Ron, and Beatrix. A plate of breakfast appeared in front of her and she began eating silently while Harry, Ron, and Beatrix studiously worked on Defence Against the Dark Arts. Occasionally, Ron peered over at Hermione and whenever she noticed him out of the corner of her eye, she’d shoot a glare at him that forced him to look back down. Harry noticed the connection between them and said aggravated, “Will you two stop this. It's getting really old.”
“Honestly, it’s none of your business, Harry,” Hermione said rudely.
“It is my business because I’m the one who has to sit here and listen to the two of you bicker about each other and when you’re not doing that you’re silently arguing with each other. You may not say anything, but we know what you’re thinking.”
“Harry, you have no idea what I’m thinking.” Beatrix whispered into Ron’s ear and he snorted. “What’s so funny, Ronald?”
“Why do you care?”
Hermione, stunned by his sporadic comment, answered, “I-I don’t.”
“Then don’t ask.”
Hermione stared angrily at him while Beatrix pulled out a tiny metal bottle with eccentric designs on it, shook out a tiny green pill, and inserted it into her mouth.
“What’s that,” Hermione asked.
“Nothing, just medicine.”
“For what?”
“Headache.”
“Bloody hell, Hermione,” Ron said irritated. “What’s with all the quest”oh wait never mind. I forgot who I was talking to for a moment.”
Hermione curled her lip at this statement, slamming her goblet onto the table, and stormed out of the Great Hall.
“Ron, could you be any more insensitive?” Ginny asked.
“Come off it, Ginny. So anyway, Beatrix, next weekend on Halloween is our first visit to Hogsmeade.”
“Sounds like fun,” Beatrix said drearily.
“Don’t worry about Hermione. She doesn’t understand.”
Beatrix looked over at Ron and then Ginny.
“I’m going to go for a walk.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No. No, it’s okay. I’d rather walk alone.”
Beatrix left the Great Hall and Ginny sneered, “Relationship”or whatever you want to call it”on the rocks, Ron?”
“Shut up,” Ron said and continued working on his homework.