Ever since Hermione had given Malfoy a piece of her mind that day, she had been miserable. Between her heavy course load and helping Hagrid prepare his appeal, she had so much on her plate she could barely breathe. She had nearly missed Professor Flitwick's Charms Class.
In the Third Floor Corridor, students streamed toward the Great Hall for lunch as soon as Charms Class ended. They laughed and chatted, their faces bright with the pleasure and contentment brought on by the Cheering Charm.
"I almost missed class. Good thing Jerry reminded me in time!" Hermione laughed briefly, then her smile faded. "But don't cast the Cheering Charm on me again. I felt like I'd turned into a complete idiot. It was so strange!"
Jerry thought the Cheering Charm was strange too. It felt like losing a hundred points of intelligence in exchange for a thousand points of happiness.
"Hermione, I honestly think you need a Cheering Charm more than anyone." Back in the bustling Great Hall, Jerry took an apple pie from a House-elf and bit into it. "You've been under so much pressure lately. You're trying to do too much. You've practically worn out your Time-Turner! I've lost count of how many times I've walked you back to the Common Room, only to head downstairs and find you standing right in front of me again."
"No, Jerry, I'll be fine." Hermione toyed with a strand of hair, a stubborn resolve in her voice. "I just nearly made a small mistake. I'll be more careful from now on."
Malfoy had been quieter lately, but whenever Jerry wasn't around, he would appear beside Harry and make a few sneering, sarcastic remarks, trying to get under his skin. After all, the Quidditch final between Slytherin and Gryffindor was coming up soon.