Author's Notes:
Hi everyone! I hope this story finds you well. We've been good here and I'm still job searching. Have some good leads though! ALSO! This chapter puts my story at just over 100,000 words! Yay! Excitement!
This week I drank Sam Adams Summer Ale while writing this chapter. I think it went well with the lovely weather we've been having here. Warm and slightly cloudy!
Reviews: MMax: I figured! Your presence has been missed though! Midnitewanderer: I'm looking forward to that moment myself. Only 2 more chapters! I agree with you; Harry is extremely intelligent and powerful, but he's not crazy powerful or OP. To be honest I haven't totally decided on a type of relationship for Dumbles/Potters/Marauders. I definitely see him as the sort of person who only does anything for himself and meddles wayyyy too much, but I haven't decided how to twist that yet. We'll see where this goes. And after being compared to the amazing Breanie, how is there no pressure? lol. I hope you like this chapter! I called in a buddy of mine for some ideas for one part since I'm a woman and don't have the relevant knowledge/experience for it. Hopefully it plays out as realistic.
Anyway! Enough rambling. Enjoy the next chapter of Ignoring Desitny!
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Protego
Moony,
We're having an emergency father meeting at the Manner Saturday after dinner. I have more information on Voldemort's eventual return.
Prongs
~ID~
Bucky,
I just finished speaking to Dumbledore about having you come to Hogwarts and work on some wandless, defensive magic and he agreed to allow you to have those lessons. I'd like you to please finish reading the chapter on the shield charm before Saturday morning—we'll be working on that charm for the day. Because you'll be doing it wandlessly, you really need to focus on the mechanics behind the spell work and the wand movements. If you understand those, you should be able to learn how to use the charm without a wand.
And I don't want you bragging about this to your friends—it's not common practice for Hogwarts to allow younger students to learn magic and if your friends found out there could be issues with them wanting to learn or parents upset that their kids aren't having an early start. So just keep it between us, your dad, and Padfoot, ok?
Saturday morning you'll floo to Hogwarts into my office. After your lesson Minerva wants to spend some time with you so you'll go to her office until dinner. She'll bring you back then.
Love,
Uncle Moony
~ID~
Harry,
Did you want to come over this weekend? Mum and dad said it's ok and we haven't seen you in a while and we're missing you. Write back soon!
Ginny
~ID~
Draco heard a scratching at his bedroom window late in the evening and threw his quill aside. He was beyond frustrated with the outdated writing instrument. He understood that quills are the writing tool for the wizard, but surely someone has come up with a way to make it self-ink. He knew quick quotes quills existed but to use them you had to speak and that was not often inducive of a properly written paper and could be more time consuming. Draco sighed as he pushed the paper he was working on aside and stood up and stretched.
He looked back at the document he had been working on and shrugged before heading over to the window and throwing it open, letting the tawny owl fly into his room and land on his bed. The owl held out his leg and waited for him to untie the letter, annoyed with Draco's delay.
Rolling his eyes at the impatient bird, Draco quickly untied the letter from his leg before the owl flew away. Draco quickly opened the letter and began to read.
Draco,
I'm planning on having Ron and Ginny over later next week for some hang out time. My dad is going to do a weather resistant dome in our backyard so we can play with the slip n' slide and water balloons and stuff. Want to come over? Dad says you can stay over for the night if you want—Ron and Ginny are too and we have more than enough space.
OH! And dad has me doing research into defensive spells. Isn't your dad having you research some spells, too? Maybe we can discuss them when you come over.
I've put a letter to you from Hermione in this envelope, too. I didn't read it, but I did take it out of the envelope so it would fit in this one. I'm glad you guys are still talking, I know she was worried about losing all of us as friends when she moved. I worry about her sometimes—she gets so caught up in her class work and extracurriculars that sometimes she forgets about herself. Thanks for looking out for her.
See you soon.
Harry
Draco smiled at Harry's letter. It still surprised him that there were other kids his age that not only thought about and liked him but that they actively and voluntarily invited him to do things with them. Sure, Blaise, Ted, Goyle, and Crabbe invited him places and it seemed like Blaise and Ted actually liked him, but he was sure that was more so because their parents required them to have playdates much like his father did. He didn't mind Blaise and Ted so much, they were definitely much more interesting than Crabbe or Goyle, that's for sure. But Ted's father made Draco feel extremely uncomfortable the few times he happens to be home when Draco visits. Normally it's just Ted's stepmother supervising them when he visits but…Draco couldn't help but wonder why Ted's father was so nerve wracking.
Draco set that thought aside. It wasn't worth agonizing over a feeling that he not only couldn't place but also couldn't explain. He shook his head and pulled out the second letter from the envelope and smiled when he saw Hermione's small, neat handwriting.
Draco,
I was so glad to hear from you! I definitely got your letter. Well, obviously since I'm mailing you back. It's more than ok that you lent the book to Ginny—she had asked to borrow it and I planned to mail it to her anyway so that saves me the postage. Thank you for sending me Hatchet. I read it literally in a day, it was so good! I just sent a package to Ginny with another book I think you'll like and she said she's happy to pass it along to you. It's called The Outsiders. You remind me of one of the characters in there—Ponyboy. You both have the same kind soul and love for literature and a strong loyalty to your friends. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the book.
I have no idea when I'll be back in Scotland. Mom and dad started their own dentistry practice here and it's doing exceptionally well. I don't see us moving back anytime soon and it's so difficult to find the time to travel with them right now since they're still establishing themselves in practice. It sounded like mom is going to let me go to Harry's party this year, but I guess that's going to depend on when it is and if they can get off.
My new school is alright. I don't think it's nearly as challenging as my last one. The level of demand for work is exceptionally lower and I've already finished most of the lessons we'll be doing this year at my last school. It's quite dull. But, after telling mom that both you and Harry have started learning new languages, she agreed to let me learn French! She agreed that being bilingual is an integral part of a child's education. She and dad hired a French tutor that I get to meet with twice a week to work on the language. I think it's going to be a lot of fun.
I looked into the Greek Myth about Persephone and my goodness it was captivating! You were absolutely right, I loved reading about her and I can see why she would remind you of Ginny—she definitely knows what she wants and isn't afraid to take it. Not to mention that Persephone basically ran the underworld for Hades; Ginny definitely has the leadership skills to do something like that.
How have you been doing? Has your father been as strict as he had been last school year? He's not still making you visit those boys is he? And did he finally let you start spending some time at the Burrow with Ron and Ginny? I think it's so wrong that he refuses to allow you to visit them just because they aren't as well-off as your family is. That's just so horrible and classist of him.
Please write back soon, I miss you.
All my love,
Hermione
Draco smiled at the words on the page before him. He gently ran his fingers over the writing, his eyes lingering over Hermione's signature.
He jumped as he heard someone calling for him from downstairs. He quickly dropped to his knees by his bed and pulled up a loose floorboard there and carefully lifted a box out of it. glancing at the door to his room, Draco lifted the lid to the box and revealed all of the letters that Hermione and Ginny had sent him over the last few years. He carefully folded his letter back up and placed it lovingly in the box before replacing the box under the floor board and leaving his room to meet whomever was calling him.
~ID~
Harry stepped into the fireplace Saturday morning to floo to Remus' office at Hogwarts. Every bit of him was alight with anticipation for their lesson today; the thought of being able to control and use his magic in a way that will benefit him, purposefully, excited him more than anything ever had before.
As he stepped out of the fireplace he brushed the soot off of himself and looked up at his uncle who was sitting patiently behind his desk.
"Morning Uncle Moony!" Harry exclaimed excitedly, "Ready to get started? I did the reading you asked me to do. I brought the book, too."
Remus smiled at Harry and gestured for him to sit across from him, "Take a seat, Harry. Before we start I want to review what you've learned from your assignment. Does that sound good?"
Harry's smile faded as he nodded and reluctantly took the seat across form Remus, "Why do we need to talk about the reading first?"
"Well, I think you'll find you can pick these spells up better if you understand the theory behind them. Doing a spell with a wand is easier for a witch or wizard because we use our wands to channel the magic already inside of us. Most magical people can learn to do a spell even without fully understanding the theory behind said spell work. Obviously, it's easier and more effective if you understand, but it's not completely necessary. But to do spells without your wand becomes complicated as your magic is harder to channel. It can often splinter as it moves through the different parts of your body. Some witches and wizards pick up on using wandless magic much more easily and effectively than others—some never seem to pick up on the skill at all. Whether that's from lack of trying or from lack of power no one is really sure.
"So, tell me what you learned about the shield charm, Protego."
Harry shifted in his seat nervously. Of course he had read the assignment like Remus had asked him to, but that didn't make him any less nervous to explain what he had learned in detail. What if he had misunderstood the theory?
"Well," he began tentatively, "I read that, in order to create the shield charm, you need to imagine protecting yourself. You need to want to keep yourself safe and you need to maintain that concentration for the duration of the spell. And the wand movement is an upward flick of your wand. Or, I guess in my case, my…hand?"
Remus nodded, "You've definitely done your reading. I think it's also important to note that this is a difficult spell. Many fully-trained wizards are incapable of correctly performing this spell. I do not anticipate you being able to properly and fully perform this charm today. But that doesn't mean we can't work on the basics of it.
"Now, your understanding of the theory is pretty accurate but I think you're misunderstanding a key element. Yes, the shield charm is intended to protect you and block most jinxes, hexes, curses, and spells, but that's not what you're supposed to imagine when you create it. When performing the spell, you need to imagine yourself drawing a shield up with your magic. Pull your magic around you, let it morph and solidify to block whatever comes your way. Think of it more of you bending your magic rather than creating something. Does that make sense?"
Harry nodded, "I think so, Uncle Moony."
"Ok. I want you to stand in the middle of my office here and imagine moving your magic and solidifying it so it can become a shield for you. Take however long you think you need. Once you've concentrated on that, we can try performing the spell and I'll send some simple jinxes and spells your direction and see if you can block them. Alright?"
"Yeah, that sounds good."
"Alright, then go ahead. Just let me know when you're ready."
Nodding, Harry stood up and walked to the center of the room. He spent the better part of an hour looking within himself and feeling his magic coursing through him. He imagined drawing it up and out, solidifying it in front of him. Once he felt he was ready he looked back at his Uncle who had begun marking papers while he waited.
Remus looked up at Harry and smiled, "Ready to give it a go?"
"Yeah I think so."
"Remember, don't expect to be able to do it right away. Like I said, most fully grown wizards can't perform this spell even with a wand and you're so young, untrained, and trying to do it without one."
"I know. I want to try, though. I'll figure it out eventually," Harry replied confidently.
"Alright," Remus said as he stood up and walked to Harry, "We'll give it a go."
Harry nodded, a fierce look in his eyes as he stared into the whiskey colored ones across from him. He held his hands up, defensively, as he concentrated on that flowing feeling of his magic coursing through his veins. He breathed in through his mouth and out through his nose as he concentrated and then, very deliberately and exactly, brought his hand down on a slashing motion and shouted, "Protego!" as he imagined an invisible shield rising up before him.
Remus nodded solemnly before raising his wand and drawing what looked like a leaf in the air and saying, "Rictusempra!"
Immediately Harry felt like invisible hands were tickling him all over his body and he couldn't stop laughing. He doubled over and laughed until he couldn't breathe and the spell wore off.
As he stood up, he couldn't help but feel slightly disheartened—he had hoped to prove his Uncle wrong and be able to perform the spell right away. Then he felt a sudden wave of determination and put his hands up again.
"Bucky," Remus said wearily, "Don't feel discouraged, ok? Remember what I said, even most fully grown—"
"Again!" Harry shouted at Remus. He once again slashed his hand through the air, determined to protect himself, while shouting, "Protego!"
Remus' eyes narrowed as he looked at Harry before drawing a spiral in the air before him and saying, "Flipendo."
Harry felt something weakly pushing at him, forcing him to take a step backwards. His eyes, now a deep, dark emerald, bore into Remus' face as he gave his Uncle a confident and cocky smile before slashing the air again, concentrating on what he had done before, amplifying that feeling.
Remus smiled back—this was going to be an interesting lesson.
~ID~
Prongs and Padfoot,
You should have seen Bucky today at his lesson. I've never seen a display of raw power like he has. I know he wasn't able to fully master the shield charm by the end of our lesson, but he's pretty damn close. Producing a shield is difficult enough with a wand and he's nearly fully mastered it without one. Can you imagine what he'll be able to do once he's got a functional wand and some training? I really think we should consider having him work on more wandless spells at home. The Ministry allows younger children to work on basic spells wandlessly at home with their parents under Educational Decree Number 9—I really think you should consider giving him some foundation for when he begins at Hogwarts.
Padfoot, I was hoping you might be willing to come sit with me on Tuesday during the full moon? I've been getting lonely during the changes and I know Prongs has practice in the morning. I'll treat you to breakfast the next morning if you want. I don't have a lesson until the afternoon.
I think Ms. Nymphadora Tonks' crush has persisted into this school year. I keep finding papers she leaves behind with our names surrounded by little hearts and her name as "Tonks Lupin". Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of it. I mean, she's 14 for gods sake! Well, maybe she's 15 by now, I don't know. Maybe I can talk Charlie into having a word with her, they seem to be pretty good friends. Do you two have any advice? And, no, Sirius, I don't want advice on how to seduce a woman—I want advice on how to make her understand that this is highly inappropriate.
I feel like we need a guys night. When's the last time we had one, anyway? Harry is staying over at the Weasleys soon, isn't he? Why don't we plan for one that night? I think we could all use the relaxation, couldn't we?
Moony
~ID~
Moony,
Now why would you think that I would give you advice on how to seduce a woman? I mean, it's not like I'm the expert or anything? And, of course I'm not writing this while I have a sexy lady in my bed or anything. Right?
But, if you want advice on how to pick up chicks…you put your hand on the ground and then let them hop into it so you can pet their little yellow feathers. Get it? Pick up CHICKS? Like, baby chickens? Ha!
Anyway. I'm sure that it's just a crush Tonks has and that it'll pass as she gets old and starts to date boys her age. Or, maybe, as she gets older, you'll find her attractive too. Never know, Moony! She sure is a spitfire—it'd work well once she was of age!
If you're really concerned about it, though, maybe talk to Andy—I'm sure she could give you some advice on how to handle Tonks.
As to guys night. I'm SO in. I've already hired strippers. And I know what you're going to say. "Why would you hire a stripper? It's just the three of us, we don't need one." Fuck that, you ALWAYS need a stripper. And she's got a delicious name. What was it…I think it was Cinnamon? Sugar? Er, it was something sweet. I'm sure she'll be delicious.
We can get you guys some good beers and get me some fancy juices. I heard of this new thing called Kombucha. It's gaining in popularity and it sounds super fancy. Maybe I'll buy a case of it for guys night. Or I heard of this muggle stuff called marijuana—that sounds fun! I'm going to try to find some of that shit.
Padfoot
~ID~
Padfoot,
Ok, I'll admit that guy's night was a blast. I feel like we need to make this a twice a year thing. Caramel was just as delicious to look at as she was to eat. I honestly cannot believe Moony and I did body shots off of her. And then conjuring a stripper pole for the rec room was absolutely brilliant. Though, I think the everlasting, no-melt ice cream really did the trick; still didn't top that brisket you made in the smoker. I've never been more thankful to Moony for making us get, and learn to use, that muggle contraption. It's so worth what I paid for it.
How did you convince Caramel to go flying naked? Or, better question, how much did you pay her to do it? I mean, I don't regret watching that strip tease, but that must have cost a fortune. And then the bloody brilliant idea of skydiving off of the brooms at high altitude? It's a good thing we can do the cushioning charm…that could have ended badly.
And what the hell were you smoking all night? That stuff reeked and I can't get the scent out of my clothes.
Wait. Why am I owling you? You live literally down the hall from me. Eh fuck it. I'm shoving this under your door. See you at dinner.
Prongs
~ID~
The rest of the year went smoothly for the Marauders as they each spent time furthering their careers. It was finally the last weekend of the school year when Harry met Remus for their last lesson before break. Harry had been working hard on mastering the shield charm to no avail. He had somewhat managed to lessen the impact of the spell directed at him, but hadn't managed to fully block anything yet.
Harry looked up at Remus, sweat pouring down his thin face as he breathed out heavily and held his hands up once more and shouted, "Again! Protego!"
"Bucky," Remus said carefully as he looked at Harry, "It's late and you've bee at this for two hours now. You must be exhausted. Let's take a break, ok?"
"No, one more time, ok?" Harry asked stubbornly.
"Bucky—"
"One. More. Time."
Remus furrowed his brows in frustration before sending the leg-locker jinx at Harry. Both Harry and Remus' eyes widened in shock as the spell ricocheted off of an invisible force in front of Harry and flew up and into the ceiling where the jet of light dissipated. Harry and Remus looked at each other in shock before yelling in excitement.
"I did it!" Harry shouted as he threw a fist into the air, "I finally did it!"
"Yes, you did! I'm so proud of you, Bucky! This is an amazing accomplishment! Let's try it again; until you have it consistently."
Harry nodded and stood up straight and performed the charm again. After a dozen more tries, Harry and Remus felt confident in saying that Harry had mastered the spell.
In their excitement, Remus flooed James and Sirius to come and see Harry in action. Both men were extremely impressed and proud of Harry's progress as they watched him block several spells with his shield before it shattered. And, before they all headed out for the day, and for Remus, the summer, they agreed that the next spell Harry would work on was the disarming charm. Harry suddenly couldn't wait until the next school year.
End Notes:
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