The Merlin Academy for the Uniquely Gifted

By: PenDiva

DISCLAIMER: I do not any of this, of course, it is simply inspired by the amazing characters and books by J.K. Rowling.

PROMPT: AU! Draco Malfoy is a squib!

...

Young Draco Malfoy peered into the study but instantly jerked his head back when he saw the backs of his parents only a few feet from the door.

Their voices were hushed but not unheard by the small ears of the six-year old blonde child. They were engaged in one of the most baffling conversations Draco had heard, and he stretched his body to hear all of it

Lucius Malfoy said, "Draco has not shown any of the signs, and I shall have him tested before-"

"Before what, Lucius? Before the rest of our family gets used to having him around? So that when you disown him they won't remember he ever existed?"

Draco's eyes grew as large as the panicky feeling in his chest. He strained to pick up the rest of their words.

Narcissa's voice got louder suddenly. "...and I will not see another family member disowned, erased from history, and never mentioned again!"

Lucius took in a deep breath. "I never said anything about disowning him, woman."

There was a tense silence. Narcissa Malfoy no doubt was struggling to maintain composure and submit to her husband, while still voicing her opinion.

She said under her breath, "Squib or not, Draco is my son." Outside the door, Draco barely managed to cover his mouth with his hands to hide his gasp. "And he's your son too, Lucius."

Does mummy really think I am a squib? Draco took a tentative step back, unsure if he still wanted to hear what his parents had to say.

Lucius said in a vicious, sharp tone, "Another year maybe, and he will show some signs of magic. I don't care what it is, but I will refuse to accept a Malfoy being born a, a s-squib!"

In the next year, Narcissa watched her son carefully, but Draco failed to show any signs of magic. Narcissa was beginning to worry about what Lucius might do if he ever confirmed that Draco was a squib.

A month before Draco's seventh birthday, Narcissa was sitting in a black leather chair, thinking about her son, and trying not to disturb her husband as he drank alcohol from a glass and wrote letters for work.

A pitter patter of feet preempted Draco's sudden entrance into the quiet living room. The rhythm of Lucius's quill abruptly stopped and Draco looked at the back of his dad's head

"Can Crabbe come over and play?"

"No," Lucius responded and then picked up his quill once more.

Draco scowled just like his father and stomped his foot once. "But I hate playing with the house elves, and I'm bored."

"Go play outside, or do something else. I'm trying to work," Lucius said without turning around. His voice was bland and shriveled, like a dried up fruit that had lost its sweetness.

Draco's face screwed up into disgust and anger, and his little childish hands were balled into fists. "No father, I want Crabbe to come over to play NOW!"

Narcissa leaned forward in her chair and pulled out her wand quickly, hiding it in her sleeves.

Lucius turned around. "I said no Draco, now-"

Tears were coming out of his eyes and Draco began to yell. "No, father!" Draco stomped his foot again and gave a growling, frustrated scream.

Narcissa wordlessly cast a few spells with her hidden wand. The glass of wine in her husband's hand shattered, spilling the alcohol on the floor. A mirror hanging on the wall cracked, and with another spell, a glass vase across the room shattered and the flowers it held fell to the floor in a wet puddle.

Draco reduced his tantrum to sniffles, startled by the sound of shattering glass. Lucius gasped and stared at the broken glass at his feet and then at his still angry son.

"Draco, did - did you do this? You just-"

Draco looked at the glass shards on the floor and a frightened look passed over his face. "I-I didn't mean to…"

Narcissa breathed a silent sigh of relief, but tried to look as surprised as her husband.

Lucius's gaping mouth turned into a smile. Narcissa smiled too even though her insides churned. She couldn't hide the fact that Draco was a squib forever.

…

"Why didn't you tell me!"

Narcissus cringed at her sons voice. "Draco I was trying to protect you from your father-"

"What does father have to do with this? Does he know too?"

"No! And we must keep it that way because I do not want to imagine what he would do."

Malfoy sighed and looked back down at the letter he was holding.

Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy,

We are pleased to inform you of your invitation to attend the Merlin Academy for the Uniquely Gifted. Our school proudly accepts all squibs, werewolves, muggleborn, vampires, and other children in a troublesome situation…

Draco stopped reading there and said, "So because I can't do magic I'm uniquely gifted?!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you until now, Draco. Whenever you did accidental magic as a kid…that was me casting spells."

Draco said nothing but his grip on the letter was tense. "There were a few times when I wondered…but I never dared to ask you about it because I know what happens to…to squibs and it's never good."

Narcissa nodded grimly and looked her son in the eyes. "I've had many years to think about this, and I don't think it's fair that people disown family members because of the way there were born. Magical or not, you are family. I have seen too many people in the Black family tree disowned because of who they are or the decisions they made, and I don't agree with it."

Malfoy was surprised to hear his mother speaking against everything he had been told as a child.

"Now you can not repeat any of this to your father. It is critical that he never find out, Draco."

Draco looked extremely skeptical. "I can't hide this forever."

"No, but we can make it work until you're old enough to leave the house. You must pretend that you go to Hogwarts for your father, but you will actually be attending this school." Narcissa gestured at the letter in his hand.

"The Merlin Academy?"

"Yes."

Draco sighed and was suddenly very thankful his father was away for work right now. He had a week to digest this information before his father returned; then we would have to pretend to be going to Hogwarts.

"How-"

"Don't worry about anything, I've figured most of it out. Hopefully your father won't ask too many questions."

"Mum, he is on the Board of Educators."

"I know, I don't know how it's all going to work out, but it will. I've spoken to Dumbledore already."

"Mum he wants me on the Slytherin quidditch team by my second year! We can't do this; we have to tell him!"

"Draco! I know it's hard, and I'm very sorry, but we are just going to have to do the best we can. Even if we can only maintain it for another year..."

Narcissa replied sadly,"Please, honey, let's just take it one step at a time. Whatever happens though, I won't abandon you because you're...a squib."

Draco nodded and didn't look at his mother as he turned around and started to walk away. Now that knowledge that he was a squib has been confirmed, his life will never be the same.