It had been a week since Esmeralda's odd meeting with Lockhart and she could proudly say that she had spotted a couple of people Lockhart could add to their fabulous group, but at the time, the only thing occupying Esmeralda's mind was her homework.
Being years ahead of her fellow students was no excuse for her teachers and even with her excellent debating of it, she had gotten the same homework as her fellow first years, but the problem with that was that it was far too easy.
One positive thing was probably the fact that despite her habit of transfiguring Creevey, Benji and a couple of Slytherins into ducks on a daily basis, she still managed to not get a single detention, in fact, Lockhart seemed to award Ravenclaw house points for each time she transfigured people. The other teachers were not as amazed as they used to be, but somehow could not bring themselves to giving her a detention for her excellent spell casting.
"Hermione?" Esmeralda asked.
She and Hermione found themselves in the library that day as they used to meet in the library after dinner to do their homework most days, but a lot of the time was used for talking about different areas of magic as they often finished their homework quickly.
Hermione stopped writing and lifted her head to see her. "Yes?"
"I was just hypothetically wondering what would happen if Gilderoy Lockhart and I started a fabulous group and I asked you to join?" Esmeralda asked.
Hermione Granger was fabulous if you just looked past her buckteeth, which at times could be a bit hard, but if you looked at her in the right angle, she was not that bad, and she had excellent persuasive abilities, which would make Lockhart's mission on getting Harry Potter to join their group a lot easier.
Hermione blushed slightly at the mention of Gilderoy Lockhart and said, "Well, hypothetically I would ask why you would want me to join."
"Hypothetically, it's because you would be an excellent member, both because of your fabulousness and your mind, being fabulous isn't all about appearance," Esmeralda said, balancing her quill between her upper lip and nose.
Hermione's eyes brightened. "Hypothetically, I would say yes."
"Hypothetically, the meetings are each Thursday at six o'clock and I'll show you where it is," Esmeralda said brightly before her quill lost balance on her lips and fell down, tracing her chin with its tip, leaving a black line on her pale, freckled face.
"Oopsy daises," said Esmeralda laughing slightly.
"Essie, what exactly do you do in your fabulous group?"
"Lockhart mentioned something yesterday about learning a couple of new spells and giving each other tips about fame and fabulousness, he's a bit self-absorbed, but the first suggestion sounded pretty good, I can teach you Ducklifors," Esmeralda said nonchalantly.
"Oh, well that sounds lovely," said Hermione. "Who else are members of your group?"
Esmeralda picked up her quill from the floor and said, "Our members are so far, Gilderoy Lockhart, Luna Lovegood, Cedric Diggory, I believe, Cho Chang, Denise Donaldson, Fred and George Weasley, Peeves, you and I. We're still trying to gather more members."
"That's a lot of different people," Hermione commented.
"Yeah, as I said, fabulousness isn't just looks; they're all members because of their different ways of thinking. However, Peeves just started attacking Lockhart because he denied him a membership; he gave in after five days of books flying after him. I think he said something about it being his own books and that it would ruin the illustrations of him," Esmeralda explained.
"I see," Hermione thought for a while. "There's a thing that's been bugging me for a while ..."
"What's that?" Esmeralda asked.
"Why does Lockhart refer to himself as Moi and not I, me or just his name?"
Esmeralda thought for a while. "I think it's because he believes French is a very beautiful and elegant language and therefore uses a bit French in his everyday language, even if it is just Moi."
"But he's pronouncing it wrong!" Hermione said frustrated, this really did seem to have bugged her for a while.
"I know, it's pronounced MO-a, not MO-ee," Esmeralda said.
"He's a bit stupid don't you think? He's cool and fabulous and all, but just a little bit stupid maybe?" Hermione asked.
"I kind of agree with you, but when it all comes to all, he's not that bad, but I can't exactly say he's got a very high IQ though," Esmeralda said as she looked at her watch on her left wrist, it was quarter to six.
"We have to go to the meeting," Esmeralda said as she started packing her books, parchment, quills and ink back into her rucksack with Hermione who joined her a little later.
Together, the two of them walked through the halls of Hogwarts toward the Ravenclaw common room, past Sir Cadogan who followed them for a while, bragging about himself, past Peeves who miraculously did not attack them, past a woman singing, but could not actually sing, and soon they neared the corridor leading to the Ravenclaw common room.
When they stopped by the door with the bronze knocker, Hermione looked at Esmeralda with a brow raised. "You do realise there's no way of getting into that room."
Now it was Esmeralda's turn to raise her eyebrow, she was so used to the bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle, she had forgotten the fact that not all Hogwarts students knew that the bronze knocker asked you a riddle and then let you into the common room.
The bronze eagle's beak opened and the soft musical voice spoke, "This old one runs forever, but never moves at all. He has not lungs nor throat, but still has a mighty roaring call who is he?"
Hermione yelped.
Esmeralda ignored this, as she knew Hermione was only shocked and would not exactly be scarred for life, "Um ... Runs forever, but never moves at all ... no lungs, nor throat ... Clearly nothing alive then, something that moves ..."
Esmeralda thought for a while. "Water moves ... and a waterfall is pretty loud ... is it a waterfall?"
The eagle did not reply, but the door opened so Esmeralda estimated that it was correct.
"Are you coming, Hermione?" Esmeralda asked, looking at Hermione who stood in amazement, staring at the bronze knocker that looked like an eagle.
She nodded and walked behind Esmeralda hesitantly.
"Are you sure I'm allowed to be here?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Probably not, but the others won't mind and definitely won't tell the teachers, they all know that there's an excellent reason for all our actions so they won't meddle, now come," Esmeralda explained while walking across the common room to the bookshelf in the darkest part of the common room, which didn't say a lot as everything was pretty bright.
Hermione half-ran behind her like a scared mouse, probably because she had not believed Esmeralda's statement about the Ravenclaws not meddling with other people's business without a good reason.
Esmeralda walked up to the bookshelf and removed the old blue book Benjamin had removed a week earlier and just like last time, the shelf opened just like a door, revealing a corridor.
"Wait!" a soft voice called behind them, Esmeralda and Hermione turned around and saw Cho Chang walking up to them with a smile on her face.
"How nice of you to join us, Cho," Esmeralda said kindly. "I believe you two haven't met before," Esmeralda said, indicating to Hermione. "This is Hermione Granger."
Cho shook Hermione's hand and introduced herself with a smile before the three of them walked through the corridor, which got darker and darker until they reached the dormitory, which now looked a lot bigger, someone seemed to have used an extending charm.
In the dormitory, Fred, George, Peeves, Cedric and Luna were already present and seemed to have an interesting conversation about whether or not Nargles actually existed (Luna and the Weasley twins coming with excellent arguments supporting their Nargle theory).
"How did Fred and George get here? I seriously doubt that they got into the Ravenclaw common room." Hermione said.
"Yeah, that's the thing, every house has an entrance to a corridor leading to this room, the only reason as to why you had to come with me to the Ravenclaw common room was because I had no idea of where the Gryffindor entrance was, I still have no idea," Esmeralda explained. "I suppose the teachers had some kind of entrance as well, but I don't think anyone else than Lockhart knows of it, maybe Dumbledore does, but he's no threat, he would just laugh and award all Gryffindors in the room fifty points each."
"He would?" Hermione asked happily.
"Yeah, he's a real bias," Esmeralda said. "But he's cool and it's a real pity he's not a Ravenclaw, because he's bloody brilliant."
"MOI HAS ENTERED THE ROOM!" Lockhart announced, doing several pirouettes, bowing at the end.
"Now where's the remaining girls, Denise and that blonde snake?" Gilderoy asked.
"Denise said she would come five minutes late, said something about shaking off a friend who desperately wanted to take a picture of someone and as for Draco Malfoy, he's not a girl, but I don't know where he is," Cedric answered.
"He's not a girl?" Gilderoy asked, shocked.
"Nope," Hermione said through gritted teeth.
"Too bad, he would have been a fabulous gal," Gilderoy said. "Well, Moi can't exactly throw him out of the group now can Moi?" Gilderoy asked rhetorically. "That would be extremely sexist and discriminating, not to mention disrespectful ..."
"DID SOMEONE SAY DRACO MALFOY?" A voice said in a bitchy tone.
A blonde-haired second year Slytherin with long light blonde hair entered the room, seeming very pleased with himself.
"Yes, we said your bloody name, douchebag." one of the Weasley twins remarked dryly.
"No bitches in Moi's group! Here in Moi's and Esmeralda's group, we will forget our past with each other and just be friends and if Moi hears any racist shit, my father will hear about this shit, prejudiced or disrespectful shit, you are no longer fabulous. That means you too Miss — I mean Mr Snake." Gilderoy said sternly, pointing at Malfoy.
"Why ME?" Malfoy asked.
"I've heard lots of crap about you, now let's start! Go into p — oh, how nice of you to finally join us, Denise!"
Denise had appeared in the doorway, seeming exhausted.
"Did you hear our ground rules of shit not being said?" Gilderoy asked.
"Yeah."
"Fabulous, let's start this meeting!" Gilderoy cheered.
"Now, we need to recruit older members than fourth years and of course, HARRY FREAKING POTTER!" Gilderoy said. "Anyone have any idea of how to lure him into our group?"
Hermione's hand shot into the air. "I can, I always succeed at things like this, especially when it comes to Harry, just don't use fame against him or even mention fame, because he sort of hates it."
Gilderoy smiled. "Now, older members! Does any of you know anyone who could be fabulous members?"
No one answered. "So be it, MOI will get some fabulous OLDER members into this group," Gilderoy said annoyed. "Well, we can start off by learning a couple of things from each other, Esmeralda, for instance, knows how to transfigure people into ducks!"
"I don't think we're supposed to transfigure each other into ducks, Professor," Cho said.
"Fuck rules, now transfigure each other into ducks! Remember, fabulousness doesn't only lie in looks, but also the mind, just remember looks are very important for Moi as well, especially teeth!" Gilderoy said enthusiastically.
Esmeralda froze, she had never frozen in situations like this, but she had never tried teaching anyone anything and she had never liked standing in front of an audience either. "Ummm ..."
"Go on, Esmeralda, show us your awesomeness." Gilderoy encouraged.
"Er ... this spell is called Ducklifors and will turn things into ducks, like humans, chairs, stones and actual ducks, I suppose. The movement is a downward slash ... and its light is banana yellow." Esmeralda said hesitantly.
"Try it out! This shall be fun; it could be our group's signature spell! Moi will personally make sure you won't lose house points for it!"
"What about detentions?" Draco Malfoy huffed.
"Moi will have detentions with you, which I assure you will be like a free period, now let's start this fabulousness!" Gilderoy said, splitting up the group into pairs.
Two hours later, everyone, including Gilderoy had succeeded in transfiguring a pencil into a duck (Gilderoy being the last one and Cedric being the first, followed by Hermione); some had even managed to transfigure books.
"I would call this a successful meeting, now remember, if you wish to include an extra person in this group, consult Moi first; next meeting's theme will be how to behave fabulous, adios!" Gilderoy said as he started dancing ballet, probably until dusk.
"Want to go back via the Ravenclaw common room or Gryffindor?" Esmeralda asked when she and Hermione walked out of the dormitory.
"I think I would like to know where the entrance is in the Gryffindor common room, but you're more than welcome to join me," Hermione said.
"Super, I've wondered where that entrance was anyway," Esmeralda said, going to the left instead of the right where the Ravenclaw common room was.
"What happened to Peeves?" Hermione asked after a while of walking, the Gryffindor common room was a bit further away than the Ravenclaw common room.
"I don't know, he showed up, but he didn't do any pranks and was almost, I don't know, invisible," Esmeralda said.
"Yeah, we were wondering about that as well." one of the Weasley twins said.
"He's never very quiet," the other one said.
"Or missed out on a chance to prank." said the first one.
"Again, odd," Hermione said.
After a little while of walking, they all reached a door that one of the twins opened, leading to a maroon and gold common room that looked a lot messier than the Ravenclaw common room and not as airy. At all.
"Welcome to our common room, Esmeralda." The Weasley twins and Hermione chorused. Denise was already sitting on a couch with Creevey, talking about something.
"It's — nice," Esmeralda said before remembering that Creevey could turn around at any time, trying to take a photo of her. "I — I got to go."
Esmeralda was just about to turn on her heel and walk back to her common room before Hermione grabbed her wrist and said, "Please stay for a little while, it's awfully boring to be with boys all the time."
Esmeralda looked from Hermione to the corridor behind her and with a concerned look on her face, she agreed.
"I'll make sure, Colin won't know you're here," Hermione whispered.