Chapter 74: Mrs Norris
Hermione had a wonderful birthday. That much was beyond doubt.
When her family's faces appeared before her, she was so overwhelmed she nearly cried.
Shawn and Justin took the hint and slipped out, leaving her in the room with her family. Shawn read in the corridor while Justin, unable to help himself, chattered excitedly.
After a while, they heard Hermione's hushed voice calling them back in.
The warmth on Mr and Mrs Granger's faces all but overflowed. They praised Justin until he turned scarlet, and, of course, Shawn got caught in the splash of it too.
Under her parents' fond gaze, Hermione unwrapped her presents.
Justin's gift was a set of lunar charts and astronomy instruments, perfect for the little Granger currently buried in Astronomy homework.
Shawn gave her a set of notes he had compiled. Even Hermione would admit that Shawn's notes were a weekend-saving miracle for any first-year. Their system, clarity, and spark made them unlike those dull, blurry books. Not to mention his nearly polished, widely circulating History of Magic.
Late at night, a slip of paper surfaced at the top of the notes. Hermione blinked, checked that her roommates were asleep, and unfolded it.
I want to say, Hermione, that no matter how others judge you, your worth does not change. I know you already understand this, but please allow me to say it once more.
—Your friend, Shawn Green
It brought a sting to the corners of her eyes, lifting some of the gloom that had dogged her of late.
Sharing something special bound the three of them closer. In that little classroom, their friendship took a firmer root.
It also made Justin and Hermione notice how much busier Shawn had become.
He was out early, back late, face-planted in the common room the moment he entered, then revived himself with a strange potion only to work until he dropped again.
In return, his Transfiguration and Levitation Charm grew markedly stronger.
Justin saw with his own eyes as Shawn floated the classroom chairs and even turned a pebble into a tiny stone man with a sharp sliver for a blade, though it only managed two steps.
In Transfiguration class, Shawn changed a desk into half a wild boar with razor tusks. He collapsed onto his bench two seconds later, but that was enough to scare the Slytherins passing the door witless.
Goyle could only imagine what a hit from that boar would do. Even Theodore, who was already serving detention, gave up the thought of revenge in silence after Goyle told him. He doubted his Dance Jinx could outdo a boar's charge.
...
It was a bright Saturday.
Owls brought a sea of mail as usual. Justin received a gold-edged envelope. He opened it carefully and found a letter from Mrs Finch-Fletchley.
Dear Justin,
In your letters, I saw moments worth remembering. My dear, you have found good friends, and that is what pleases me most. As I have said, treasure them—because gentle, decent people always struggle to get by in a world that is neither.
—Ever proud of you, Liliana
Justin tucked the letter away, dazed, and looked toward the figure constantly hemmed in by owls.
He thought of the talk by the fireplace.
"Shawn, I mean, there is a fireplace here now, connected to the Floo Network, if you..."
"I have no one to contact."
Shawn had said it and gone back to Transfiguration practice.
...
The Great Hall buzzed. Students loved to be there. Perhaps it was the warm hearths, perhaps the lively crush.
In any case, the place brimmed with sweets, games, excited debates, and homework.
"Hermione, have you noticed?" Justin's voice had gone low. "Aside from that letter from... Shawn never seems to get any mail."
Hermione stilled, flicked her wand, and cast a quieting charm. "Of course I noticed... so..."
On both their faces lay the same weight.
...
Once the Levitation Charm reached Proficient, an unforeseen problem broke into Shawn's plan.
Before Proficient, practicing a spell at Entry-level earned 3 points of proficiency. After Levitation reached Proficient, that same practice only yielded a measly 1. Even Proficient-standard practice now gave just 3.
But Expert-standard still granted 50.
He could feel the returns dwindling from low-standard practice. The simpler the drill, the less there was to glean. The places he needed to improve multiplied, and insights came fractured and sparse.
It pushed him to chase higher technique and climb the next rungs.
But that made time painfully tight.
To grind Levitation to Expert within the week, he slashed hours in the dungeon and the Transfiguration office. Hearing Neville had returned and Bruce had practically moved into the greenhouse, he even asked Professor Sprout for a few days off.
On Saturday afternoon, Shawn left the Transfiguration office pale. He had squeezed himself to the edge these last days.
It was working.
Name: Shawn Green
Proficiencies
Summoning Charm: Entry-level (3/900)
Water-Making Spell: Entry-level (2/900)
Levitation Charm: Proficient (1200/3000)
Proficient drills no longer sufficed for Levitation. Shawn began to think hard about what the Expert would demand.
He reviewed his Charms notes and flipped to Professor Flitwick's words.
But I say, if you can make the feather spin, why not try it on that little table? Once you have barely mastered the spells a first-year needs, you will find the arcane world of nonverbal spellwork waiting—knowledge is never too much!
"Nonverbal, then," Shawn murmured.
If Charms posed a steep climb, Potions offered no rest.
Professor Snape had grown ever more severe. More guidance. Less sarcasm. This, unfortunately, had one effect. By the time Shawn finished a Proficient Deflating Draught and lurched out of the dungeon, he was giving himself pep talks. He had survived another round of Snape's infernal training. Amazing.
The pace of instruction left him no time to test his theory about emotions and potions.
He glanced around and sighed. For someone who had memorized the school rules, he was night-wandering, plain and simple.
Trouble rarely arrived alone.
He had barely stepped out when a soft cat's meow sounded right by his neck, drowning the hoots of owls.
He looked down into two lamp-bright yellow eyes.
Mrs Norris.
For all that she was keen and rather adorable, Shawn, a stickler for rules, usually felt nothing but goodwill toward her.
Tonight, everything was different.