บท 85: Intellectual Pursuits
Harry grinned. "Oh, I've done loads of reading. It's all I really have to do, you see? Well, besides gardening and cleaning and whatnot. I started by reading some history – on the Vietnan War. It was rather upsetting, but I managed to pull through. Then I read some mathematics. It's very fascinating. In Year 10 they study these things called functions – they're actually really clever, and I like them a lot."
"You've been doing...muggle school?"
"Well, history is an important subject for any witch or wizard, and maths are crucial for arithmancy, which I'm definitely taking in third year. I'm not actually going to school – just reading things from the library."
Hermione looked at him with appreciation in her eyes. "That's actually...a really good idea. I think I'll do the same - wait, did you say you were doing Year 10 maths?"
"Well, yes, I'm quite ahead with the maths stuff. I rather like it."
Hermione's eyes were wide. "They bumped me up a year, back in primary school, but I've never even seen the Year 10 stuff."
Harry shrugged. "It's not too hard. I'm sure you can learn it."
At that moment, Cayla came and poured them both a cup of tea.
"Enjoy!"
"Thanks Cayla -"
The girl was already gone. Oh well.
Drawing her attention back to the conversation, she nodded at Harry avidly. "And have you been reading any magic books?"
Harry perked up even more at that. "Oh yes, of course! I've started reading the fourth year potions text."
"Fourth year?"
"Well, yes. I never know what Professor Snape will throw at me, do I?"
Hermione scowled. "I honestly don't know why he insists on picking on you so often. It's not fair!"
Harry looked at her blankly. "Well, he hated my father and was in love with my mother."
"What?"
"He hated my father and was in love with my mother," Harry repeated.
"So, wait, he treats you so badly because of your parents?"
Harry shrugged. "I guess so."
"That's horrible, Harry!"
"Maybe. Anyway, I've been reading through next year's Charms text too...I'm almost done. That's been pretty fun. I practice everything I can wandlessly, but I can't wait until I can practice in earnest."
"Wait, I thought we can't do magic outside of school!"
"Not with our wands, no. But if we do simple magic without a wand, it gets written off as harmless accidental magic."
Hermione gaped at him. "And how would you know that?"
"Er, trial and error?"
"Harry James Potter! What if you had been expelled?"
"Ah, the fate worse than death, you mean?"
She was never going to live that down.
"They would have given me a warning first, Hermione. Besides, aren't you glad I tried? Somebody had to."
She huffed. "I guess so. But how do you even do magic without a wand? I've tried it. It doesn't work."
"Lots of concentration, hard work, sleepless nights, and hair pulling," Harry laughed. "Honestly, it took me forever to get even the levitating charm right."
Harry could levitate things wandlessly? No wonder he found their classes so easy! Half the stuff they learned he could already do without a wand. "What other spells can you do with out a wand?"
"Um, alohomora, incendio, diffindo, expelliarmus, bombarda, and the disillusionment charm, but only kind of. It more just makes me...unnoticeable, not quite invisible... and that's it, I think."
She was pretty sure she was gaping, now.
"I've been practicing this sort of thing for a long time, but it's still not as good without a wand, of course. I'd never be able to decapitate anyone without a wand!" he said humorously, "And my bombarda is still pretty weak. Well, I say 'pretty', but I mean 'very'."
Was Harry really this powerful? He could do second year charms without a wand, even the fourth year disillusionment charm, and now that she thought about it...he said that he discovered magic when he was 8...that he used it to scare his family. Had he been controlling his magic since back then? How strong was Harry?
"Um, Hermione...are you ok?"
She blinked. "Oh, yes, I just...you're really amazing, you know that?"
He grinned bashfully. "Oh, not really. Not yet, anyway."
She wouldn't come to understand the full meaning behind those words for quite some time.
They'd chatted for another hour or two - Hermione had recounted all the books she'd been reading and told Harry about the cousins she was going to visit in France, and then they discussed You-Know-What - before Harry sadly informed her that he needed to go meet his Uncle Vernon soon.
"I have no doubt that he'd leave me in London, given the chance."
Before he left, she reached into her backpack.
"I know it's your birthday next week. I got you something."
He blushed. "Oh, Hermione, you didn't have to -"
"I wanted to," she interrupted placing two objects on the table. "Don't open them until July 31st, though! No cheating!"
He grinned. "Cross my heart, hope to die. Thank you so much, Hermione, you're an amazing friend."
And with that, he dashed out the door of the tea shop, leaving her there, smiling.
The first present was a book. A Structural Analysis of Magical Contracts, by Eviatar Erlinger, and the second was her old discman, a pair of headphones, and several mixed CDs she'd made herself. Bach's Preludes and Fugues, and his Cello Suites. It would be his first introduction to how wonderful the muggle world could really be.
Little did she know, Johann Sebastian Bach had been a wizard.
....
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