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The first Saturday after the storming, if you can call it that, of the Selwyns' house, began as usual, and the weather promised to be sunny. After all the standard procedures, training in the Chamber of Secrets, breakfast there, practicing spells, and a couple of tough but relatively safe duels, during which Hermione showed very good skills in transfiguration and spells, along the way, finally starting to accelerate slowly, we went to Hogsmeade - Lady Greengrass should be waiting for us at the strictly allotted time.
"How nice," Hermione said quietly as we made our way out of the castle. We got out, along with everyone, but not officially, so as not to be noted in the lists.
"What exactly?"
"A qualitative leap in magic," she smiled. "Now, I can react and conjure even faster."
We had to hurry to get ahead of the bulk of the students, cheerfully rushing to Hogsmeade for their long-awaited vacation. Whoever needed to, of course, went there at any time they wanted, but this was official, and there was no need to hide.
Miraculously, though, we managed to get to the Three Broomsticks among the first. Lady Greengrass was already sitting at the familiar table in yet another dark dress and hooded robe. Once again acknowledging her magic, I didn't hesitate to sit down and say hello, and Hermione, hesitating for a second, repeated my actions.
Delphine waved her wand, and the space around us rippled for a moment — quite a strong spell of distraction and privacy.
"It's time, guys, to move on to practice in Healing Magic, but first," Delphine looked us over. "I already know Max's opinion, but you, Hermione..."
"Yes?" almost imperceptible notes of anxiety cut through the girl's voice.
"You must understand that we can't practice legally and properly. Do you understand that?"
"Yes."
"Then you must understand that we won't have ordinary patients, but..."
"Test subjects?"
"Exactly," smiled Delphine. "And again, you have to understand that to practice medicine, you need properly traumatized test subjects."
"I understand."
"Which means," Delphine continued sternly. "Someone has to traumatize them, examine, diagnose, heal, and traumatize again, to consolidate your skills. And then move on to examining other traumas, curses, and stuff like that."
"I... I understand," Hermione nodded confidently.
"Well, then," Delphine placed a parchment on the table in front of Hermione. "A non-disclosure contract."
The girl, fixing a strand of hair, pulled the parchment towards her and for a long two minutes fell out of reality, studying it carefully. She nodded silently, and Delphine handed her the Black Quill. Hermione silently signed, getting a slight scratch on the back of her palm, and the scratch healed almost immediately.
" Good," Lady Greengrass nodded seriously, matching the situation, taking the contract. "The distraction is tied to us, so let's go. It is extremely indecent to apparate from the establishment or move by a portkey."
We left the hospitable comfort of the "Three Broomsticks", glancing briefly at the contingent of students of different ages filling it, starting from the third year and older. After walking just a couple of meters and turning the corner of the establishment, Delphine handed us a silver chain - it seems that she prefers such items as portkey. As soon as we took it up, Lady Greengrass said, "Portus," and we set off on a short but dizzying journey.
A sharp gust of harsh sea wind slapped me in the face, and finding myself on a familiar rocky cliff, I held Hermione by the elbow, so she would not stumble from surprise - I'm cold-blooded, but what about her? How will she react to such a radical change of scenery?
The bright and positive weather that had reigned over Hogwarts was gone - there was clearly going to be a storm here on the rocky coast.
Delphine opened a triangular passage in the rock, and we followed her down the corridor I knew, lit by my Lumos. When we reached the end of the corridor, Delphine opened another passageway, and we entered a hexagonal hall.
"We'll work there," waving her hand to the right side of the hall, Lady Greengrass quickly reached the wall behind which the "freezer" was located and disappeared into the darkness of the opening.
For a couple of seconds, Hermione looked around with interest at the walls, the panels sticking out of them, as if for a keyboard or as stands for something. Her inspection did not avoid the vaulted ceiling, which consisted of triangles emitting a soft blue light.
"What's there to work on?" she asked a reasonable question, but the answer came from an unexpected source.
"Transfiguration," came the voice of Lady Greengrass quietly approaching from the side. "Are you wizards, or have I wasted so much time?"
The unaccustomed severity in the manner of the conversation caused Hermione to shift her eyebrows thoughtfully, and I waved my wand immediately pulled out of the holster, creating a simple iron table.
"Better a chair with arm and leg restraints," Delphine recommended coldly and shifted her gaze to Hermione. "We're not here for fun, so focus. There is no place for jokes and a caring attitude."