Chapter Five

The class quieten as I walk in, the subject teacher wasn't in yet "Hermione." Glinda whispers, waving at me from the back.

I stroll to where Glinda sat, ignoring the hundreds of eyes on me "... There's been a lot of rumors about you lately." Glinda starts saying

"Oh, okay." I say half-heartedly, dropping my books on the table

"A lot of students are saying that..." Glinda starts to say

"Please don't, Glinda. I am not interested in whatever they have to say." I say to Glinda, halting her

"But these are serious allegations, Hermione!" Glinda whispers again.

"... Now, look who it is..." Ketura calls, her minions cheering her. She walks over to Eros; who is seated two seats from Glinda and I, and plops her buttocks on his laps.

"Little cousin, I'll show you what you can never get." She utters, grabbing Eros' face and kissing him hardly, all the while not moving her eyes from me.

The whole class watch on anticipatingly, expecting me to run out in tears or something. But strangely, I felt completely normal.   

Too normal. 

Even Eros snatches his lips to look at me, I return his stare. Maybe just a pinch of hurt, but I feel okay...  and powerful.

"Yes! Now, where were we?" Mr. Toloefretus interrupts loudly, disrupting the atmosphere. He drops a bowl of dried flower on the table.

A girl at the front row, lifts up a hand "Yes, Grachi?" Mr. Toloefretus points to her.

"Last week, we stopped at you showing us on how to make plants do our bidding." She answers

"Most definitely! Thank you, Miss Grachi." Mr. Toloefretus smiles at her. Grachi sits happily

"... Still on making plants do our bidding, I will be teaching on how to give life to a plant and how to take it back." Mr. Toloefretus says. We all listen with rapt attention. "Now, everyone say:

Okle fes te ra nos le toi."

"Okle fes te ra nos le toi." Our voices echo.

Mr. Toloefretus did a clap. His wand appears in his hands "Okle fes te ra nos le toi." he chants at the dried flower, pointing his wand towards it.

A low crack meets our ears. Swiftly the flower springs up, blossoming colorfully "Woahhh." The class murmurs

"Okle fes te ra nos le toi!" He chants again. The flower instantly dries up completely, from it roots.

A loud round of applause fills the air.  Mr. Toloefretus bows proudly, matching the grin on our faces.

"Now, who would like to give this a try?" He ask. The class goes silent.

 "Anyone?!" He calls, scanning through our faces.

"Grachi, Circe, Hera, Eros, Ketura?" He calls. They all look away.

Ketura stands up with a smile, as the class gives her a round of applause. We watch on expectantly, but she didn't move an inch. Instead she gestures towards me, saying loudly "Mr. Toloefretus, I beseech thee. How about we let my little cousin give it a try, I am so sure she'll gladly want to..." She smirks, sitting down.

"Devil." Glinda mumbles underneath her breath.

Mr. Toloefretus rubs his beard thoughtfully "Alright, Miss Hermione! Do come forward please..." He tells me. The class shoots up in a shrilling applause, Ketura's minions the loudest.

"You can do it Hermione, besides what's the worse that can happen?" Glinda whispers hopefully

What is the worse thing that can happen?  Everything! Every single thing. My heart beat races up rapidly.

What if I embarrass myself again? 

I am just never good at this things. No matter how hard I try ...How do I even tell the world that I have never met my cat yet. How?

"Miss Hermione, please can you come forward quickly. We do not have all day!" Mr Toloefretus say frustratedly.

Calming my breath, I walk to the front of the class.

"Okay?" Mr. Toloefretus sighs, leaving the podium for me.

I clasp my palms "Feki sa mon tua elon kizo!" A wand appears in my hands.

"Tsk. Too easy! and she still had to recite the spell." Someone hollers from the back.

The class erupts in series of laughter, making Glinda to cower her head in embarrassment. Eros shifts uncomfortably as Ketura minions' giggle excitedly.

"You can do it Hermione, you can do it." I tell myself, inhaling before pointing my wand towards the dried flower.

"Okle fes te ra nos le toi!" I chant. The flower springs up colorfully, sprouting fruits.

My lips part in shock.

"Unbelievable..." Mr. Toloefretus utters, looking at me in utmost astonishment. "Yours even has fruits."

"She did it! Hermione did it!" Glinda hollers loudly, standing up.

"Hermione is an amazing witch."

"Maybe she's was just pretending after all."

"I wish, I can be friends with her..." Chatterings fill the air as Mr Toloefretus leaves the classroom. For the first time, I felt really proud of myself.

"Oh goddness, I still can't believe that you were able to do that." Glinda says happily as we carry our books to leave the classroom.

"Neither did I." I utter, still surprised at the whole thing.

"...Maybe after all, your being good at witchery, has to do with a little more push and encouragement. I am so happy for you Hermione! Finally." Glinda does her flappy dance.

I let out a laugh "You really suck at dancing Glinda"

"No more underestimation Hermione. If you could do what you did, even better than Mr Toloefretus, then I can be a good dancer too." She says

"Oh my goddess!" I laugh harder, nudging her gently.

"I know you cheated Hermione, and I will prove it!" Ketura and her minions' stops Glinda and I at the exit door.

"Cheated?" Glinda ask exasperatedly

"Yes, Maybe you two decided to connive and to fool the class; including Mr. Toloefretus... But I, Ketura Crofus, will not be fooled Hermione." Ketura utters boldly, drawing the attention of the rest students in the class.

"Shoo Ketura! Get out of the way, your claims aren't valid." Glinda mutters with furrowed eyebrows, waving her hands.

"Hey, I wasn't talking to you, Miss Goody two-shoes. She can talk for herself!" Ketura tells Glinda angrily. She turns to me, clapping her hands for a wand "Little Cousin," She spats "... I challenge you to a duel, right here and right now!" 

How dare she? I start to feet heat in my chest. Something inside me seethes. My vision tinge red, slowly I hear the rapid thundering of her heart. I crave to rip it out.

"Hermione, your eyes..." Glinda panics, shaking me gently "It is red..."

"What?!" I hiss at her

"Woah." Glinda swiftly shifts back in fear.

"Do. Not. Dare. Me. Ketura." A voice not sounding like mine said. I push her roughly out of the way. She falls with a thud.

Her minions quickly rush to help her, when a knife suddenly slices close to my ear. It lands at the wall.

"You should know better than try me Hermione, My dread should fill your lungs... Now, Run little cousin. Run! Now that I have decided to pardon you..."  I turn to see Ketura angrily pointing her wand towards me.

Fleetly I advance towards her, raising my hand in the air "Mecaz Telus oblim feztor Kara e!" A ball of fire suddenly erupts from my fingers, hitting Ketura.

She crumples to the ground, blacking out instantly.