"It's fine." Lucius said, brushing it off with ease. "But I expect it on my desk by tomorrow morning." He said sternly, his smile taking the threat out of his words. He pushed off her desk, a flick of his wrist sending all of the assignments onto his desk.

"Now, you students haven't done wordless spells yet, correct?" 

"Um, ok," she said in confusion, but she thanked Merlin she hadn't gotten detention. That smile unnerved her.

"No, we haven't done wordless spells," she heard a Slytherin call out, and she felt excitement rise in her. Wordless spells? They were very advanced magic! She hadn't practised them since she first read up about them, though, being extremely busy. The textbook had said that only highly skilled and trained wizards and witches could perform the art.

As predicted, Hermione raised her hand.

“Sir,” Hermione said clearly, “a wordless spell is one where said spell is cast without saying the incantation allowed, with or without the use of a wand. Instead, the caster will concentrate on the spell that they wish to use, and if they are using a wand, will demonstrate the correct wand motions associated with the particular spell.” 

"Recited straight from the book, no doubt." Lucius smirked. He loocked around the class, eyes landing on a Slytherin. "Crabbe, catch." He tossed his cane out, wincing as the boy almost missed. He growled as the boy raked his eyes over the jewel encrusted snake head. Lucius flicked his wrist, the cane flying back into his hands forcefully.

"What you need to do it say whatever spell it is in your mind. Envision the spell as if it were a... tangible thing. Do not be ashamed if some of you cannot achieve this right away. Now, anyone who thinks they can, I want you to try and take my cane without uttering a word." 

Hermione was offended. Did she always sound like she was reciting from a book? As she watched the Professor throw his cane to Crabbe (why he threw it to him, Hermione would never know), she whispered to Harry and Ron.

"Do I always sound like I'm reciting from a book?" she asked.

"Hate to be the one to tell you so, Hermione, but yes, you do," Harry said apologetically.

Hermione hmphed.  

"What you need to do it say whatever spell it is in your mind. Envision the spell as if it were a... tangible thing. Do not be ashamed if some of you cannot achieve this right away. Now, anyone who thinks they can, I want you to try and take my cane without uttering a word." 

Sounds easy enough, she thought. Accio cane.

The whole class was staring at the cane in Crabbe’s hands with narrowed, focused eyes, but it moved towards no one.

Accio cane! Accio cane! Accio cane!

But it didn’t move.

“Accio cane!” she heard Neville Longbottom say out loud, and there were snickers from around the classroom. Neville mumbled a quick ‘sorry’ and went back to staring at the cane.

After five minutes, it still hadn’t moved an inch, and the class were now looking dejected. Some people, like Ron, seemed to be in a trance, staring at the bejeweled eyes of the snake.

“Ron, snap out of it!” she whispered, smacking him on the head.

“Ow!” he howled. “That hurt!” The whole class turned to look at him, and he stared back rudely. “Nothing to see here.” 

Hermione cleared her mind, until the only thing in her head was a great expanse of darkness. Slowly, the words Accio cane appeared, and she concentrated on them.

Accio cane! Accio cane! Accio cane!

And then the cane began moving towards her. A millimetre, and then another. Another, and then...

"Accio cane!" Ron barked in frustration, and her concentration was lost.

“Ronald!” she cried shrilly. “It was moving towards me!”

“I’m sorry, Hermione!” Ron ducked, covering his head. “Please don’t hurt me again!”

Hermione dropped her hand, which was getting ready to smack him again, but she glared at him intensely. “I might have done it, if it weren’t for you!”

Hermione smirked at her boyfriend. "Go on."

"Fine, I will," Ron huffed. He narrowed his eyes at the cane, picturing it in his mind, and then closing his eyes. Accio cane, he thought, and pictured that same cane moving towards his hand. And then suddenly, something hard hit him in the shoulder and clattered to the ground.

"What the-" His eyes snapped open, and he was astonished to see the cane lying on the ground beside him. He looked from his hand to the cane, and a shout of triumph escaped him. "I did it! I did it!"

The rest of the class's faces mirrored Ron's shock.

"Oh, my God," murmured Hermione. "You did it..." She turned to look at him, and she a wide smile graced her face. "You did it!" She threw her arms around Ron.

"Good job, mate," Harry called, and the rest of the Gryffindors patted Ron on the back, while the Slytherins watched on, mixtures of surprise and disgust on their faces.

"No," Pansy Parkinson said smugly. "We'll make you proud Professor!" But try as they might, they couldn't do it any better than Neville.

None of the other Gryffindors could do it, either. Even Hermione, a genius in her own right, could not do it. Ron seemed to be the only one, and now that he had gotten over the shock, it came to him with perfect ease. Now that Hermione had gotten over the shock as well, she was rather irritated and bitter.

"Work, you stupid spell," she muttered under her breath, getting more frustrated. 

"Alright, alright, calm down." Lucius said, seeing the concentrating faces of his students. "Let's try something easier." He turned, grabbing a random piece of paper off his desk. He placed it on the desk closest to him; Hermione's.

"Take a few minutes to calm down, relax and clear your mind. Then try to levitate the paper." 

Hermione steadied her breathing, and couldn't help but glare at Ron, who was now sitting back, enjoying the show. He grinned back sheepishly.

If I don't do it this time, Hermione thought viciously, I'll snap my wand.

She turned her glare to the paper on her desk. Wingardium leviosa.  

To her amazement and delight, the paper levitated instantly. She concentrated on it, willing to to float into her hand, and when it did, she put it down and clapped.

"I did it!" she squealed like a child at Christmas. 

Hermione ignored the looks of disbelief and fury sent towards her and the Professor. Obviously the class was taking this the wrong way, and were deeply offended. Harry was the only one who seemed to accept it as fact, and Neville, who was looking deflated.

"Um, ok?" Hermione replied weakly. She willed herself to focus on the cane. Wingardium leviosa.

Now that she had gotten the hang of it, it floated instantly into her hand. She beamed at Professor Malfoy.

The students in the class just weren’t as talented as Hermione and, they grudgingly admitted, Ron. No matter who stood up to take the challenge, Slytherin or Gryffindor, no one could do it. As Hermione and Ron watched from the side, they talked quietly.

“Malfoy’s missing out on a good lesson!” Ron whispered gleefully.

“You admit it’s a good lesson then?” Hermione asked, delicately arching a brow.

“Only ‘cause I could actually do it,” Ron replied. He grinned. “Although I guess Malfoy’s lessons aren’t that bad.”

“Harry doesn’t seem to think so,” Hermione muttered gloomily.

“Nah, he’s coming ‘round,” Ron said. “You can see he’s trying just as hard as everyone else. At least we’re learning something this year.” Hermione nodded in agreement.

((Fail.))