Not everyone was as good at teaching as Harley. Ron and Hermione, for example, were on the verge of arguing at the other table.
Just a little over ten minutes earlier, Ron had been shouting, "Wingardium Leviosa!" while swinging his long arms like a pair of windmills.
Hermione had mercilessly pointed out every mistake he made, from his incorrect wand movements to his mispronunciation.
"It's Wingardium Levi-o-sa. You have to draw out the 'gar' and say it clearly!"
Hermione pointed at the textbook. "Read the instructions. They're perfectly clear. Don't tell me you've never read a book!
"And how many times has Professor Flitwick taught us this?
"You flick your wrist, then give it a swish. You don't rotate your wrist like a gorilla turning a windmill!"
Ron retorted that if Hermione was so clever, she should try it herself.
And Ron was promptly proven wrong, because Hermione easily levitated the feather to a height of four feet above their heads.
Professor Flitwick had also noticed, and awarded Hermione a point.
Hermione held her head high and looked down at Ron. "See? I did it on my first try!
"Being loud doesn't make you good at magic! You should pay attention in class and learn the right techniques!
"And you should learn to admit when you're wrong and recognize your shortcomings!"
Hermione didn't notice the gloomy look on Ron's face. She kept lecturing him, repeatedly bringing up his mistakes.
"Just look at how many people are asking Harley for help!" Ron finally couldn't take it anymore. He spoke in a near-shout.
"Do you know why everyone's managed to cast the spell, yet they're all asking Harley for help instead of you?
"Because nobody can stand you! You're a nightmare!
"You only know how to suck up to teachers! You never care about your classmates!"
Hermione froze in place. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. Then she slumped back into her seat.
For the rest of the class, Hermione sat perfectly still, staring straight down at the desk.
The moment the bell rang, Hermione left without saying a word, grabbing her bag and rushing out of the classroom.
She didn't show up for the entire History of Magic lesson that followed, either.
But not many Gryffindors noticed. And even those who did weren't particularly concerned.
After all, ever since that Flying Class, Hermione had been seen as someone who sucked up to professors while acting haughty toward her classmates.
Just as Ron had said, "She's a nightmare!"
Only Hermione's best friend, Harley, was concerned about her disappearance. She planned to look for Hermione as soon as class was over.
After History of Magic ended, Harley started asking around to see if anyone had spotted Hermione.
But the Gryffindors didn't seem to care at all about a girl who paid little attention to house pride and only knew how to suck up to professors.
Harley wanted to use one of the castle's mirrors to open her Spirit Vision and search for Hermione.
But the castle itself was protected by incredibly powerful magic, so Harley could only search a small area nearby.
In the end, Harley learned where Hermione was from Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones, two Hufflepuffs.
"She's crying in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," Hannah said.
"I wanted to go in and comfort her, but she locked the stall door from the inside and won't open it or tell us what happened.
"So I couldn't do anything but leave.
"Oh, and Harley, thanks for teaching me the Levitation Charm. Otherwise, I'd have had to spend the whole Halloween break practicing like crazy."
"You're welcome. Helping my classmates is the least I can do," Harley said gently.
"Actually, I should be thanking you for sharing such useful information with me.
"See you. I should go find Hermione."
With that, Harley hurried to where Hermione was, thinking that the Hufflepuff Little Badgers really were kind.
Harley easily found Hermione in the bathroom on the first floor. Hermione was still sobbing, and Harley could hear her crying even through the bathroom door.
Harley glanced at her watch. It was already past six in the evening, and the Halloween Feast had begun.
That meant Hermione had been crying for nearly two hours, and still hadn't run out of tears.
Harley couldn't help thinking that this was the first time she'd met a girl with so much "water."
Even with all her practice using the Demoness of Pleasure's abilities, she'd never encountered anything like it!
As Harley's thoughts wandered, she reached out to open the door. But halfway there, she stopped.
"Something's wrong," Harley thought silently. "How did my thoughts jump so far in an instant?
"Am I losing control of my thoughts? Or... No, that can't be..."
Harley parted her red lips, her expression troubled. A word had come to mind, a word that terrified every Beyonder.
"Losing control!"
"No. I have to examine myself when I get back tonight! I don't want to become one of those Lunatics!"
Harley stood there, looking gloomy and hesitating for a long while. In the end, she decided to comfort her best friend Hermione first.
Harley had once known a Psychiatrist from the Spectator Pathway, and she had also repeatedly managed her own emotions while fleeing alone, resolving her psychological problems.
So she was confident that she could handle a twelve-year-old girl without any trouble.
Harley pushed open the bathroom door and went to the stall where the sobbing was coming from. She gently knocked on the closed door.
"Hermione, are you in there?"
"...Harley?" After a long pause, a slightly hoarse voice answered. "Why... why are you here?"
"Of course I came because I was worried about you, my dear Miss Hermione Granger," Harley said gently.
"Open the door, Hermione. I've been looking for you all afternoon."
"Just leave me alone. Let me rot here by myself! I'm only a nightmare, after all..."
At that, sobbing rose from the bathroom again.
Harley was taken aback. Given Miss Granger's social awareness and self-perception, she would never have guessed that her classmates were talking about her behind her back.
That meant someone must have said it to her face.
"...How could you be?" Harley thought for a moment and decided to comfort Hermione first. "You're so wonderful, Hermione. How could you possibly be a nightmare?"
As she spoke, Harley easily used one of her own hairs to pick the lock on the stall door.
It was a basic skill for Marauders, but Assassins occasionally used it too.
Hermione was curled up on the toilet, her chin resting on her knees.
The girl was clearly startled, and a little flustered, when Harley suddenly entered.
She quickly lowered her head, not wanting Harley to see her face.
But Harley had already seen Hermione's red, swollen eyes and the tear tracks on her cheeks.
Harley smiled. Time for a part-time Psychiatrist and former Demoness of Pleasure to get to work!
Before you continue