Change In A Star's Alignment
Chapter 16:
Harry woke up the next morning to someone jumping excitedly on his bed and calling his name. That someone ended up being Draco.
"What do you want?" Harry mumbled into his pillow.
Draco, apparently not getting the memo, continued bouncing on the bed.
"It's time to get up Harry! It's time to start my training." When Harry only mumbled for him to go away, Draco continued his relentless pestering, "Oh come on Harry! It's only six o'clock! Besides, you promised!"
"Eugh!" Harry said, rolling over to face the blonde. In truth, he hadn't had any intentions of getting up. That was at least until he saw the excited look on the other boy's face. The blonde looked so happy, smiling openly and Harry found himself not wanting to ruin such a brilliant smile.
"Fine," Harry said, "I'm getting up."
He was rewarded with a breathtakingly gorgeous smile that he couldn't help but return.
"Thanks so much Harry! I can't wait to get started! What will you be teaching me first? Will it be hard? Will I be able to do it? Come on Harry, get up already!" Draco said extremely fast.
"Woah! Slow down there, I need to shower first! Then we'll go to the practice room" Harry said while getting out of bed, "I think that we'll start with something simple for the first lesson."
"Oh? And what might that be?" The blonde asked, confused.
"You'll see."
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Draco's POV:
"Expelliarmus?" Draco asked, having just been told by Harry what he was going to be taught, "I know you said simple, but I can already do that spell! I've done it before I even started going to Hogwarts! I mean, it's helpful and all, but shouldn't I be learning, you know, real spells?"
"Don't underestimate the spell, Draco." Harry said seriously, but then he rolled his eyes and said, "Anyways, I figured you had learned it before, but tell me, what does the spell actually do?"
"That's easy, it takes the wand out of the opponent's hand, of course." He responded, smugly.
"Wrong" Harry said casually while taking a seat on a chair which had appeared before him in the practice room.
Draco was beyond confused at this point. What does he mean 'wrong'? Draco wondered, That's what I've been told my whole life. It's what every book, every teacher has ever told me. Hell, I've performed the spell myself! I should know what it does! As Draco thought everything over, Harry remained silent in his chair with an amused look on his face as he watched Draco struggle for the answer. Eventually, Draco came to the conclusion that Harry was just crazy.
"Harry, the both of us have done this spell before and we both therefore know that it does, in fact, cause the opponent's wand to fly out of his/her hand." Draco said slowly, as though that might make the raven-haired boy understand.
Instead of realising that he was wrong like Draco had expected, however, Harry simply gave a small laugh before saying, "Oh, you were correct about that Draco, but there is one thing that seems to always be overlooked when teaching spells."
"What is that?" Draco asked, highly curious about what Harry had to say.
"Everyone seems to forget to mention the fact that wizards make the spells, rather than the spells making the wizard." Harry said.
Draco thought that one through for a while before saying. "I don't believe I entirely understand what you mean."
Harry motioned for him to sit down on a chair that had just appeared across from him. Once he sat down, a table appeared as well and Harry poured a cup of hot chocolate for himself. After a long pause, in which Draco assumed Harry was gathering his thoughts, the teen in front of him finally spoke.
"It's just that people seem to forget that it was the wizard who made the spells. Therefore, if a wizard could create a spell, then why could we not modify them? Why could we not change them so that they would still do the same thing, but just be more powerful than before?"
Draco was silent for a while as he tried to process what Harry had just said. "So are you saying that you aren't just teaching me Expelliarmus, but you're teaching how to make it as strong as it can be?"
"Exactly." Harry said. "You'd be surprised how powerful a simple Expelliarmus can become once you know how to modify it."
"But," Draco began slowly, "aren't you just making a whole new spell anyways? Shouldn't you just be creating new spells?"
Harry shook his head. "I thought about that, but no. You see, it is still the same spell, it's just that I'm using it at its full potential. Also, if I were to say Expelliarmus at you in the middle of a duel, would you be concerned?" at Draco's shake of his head, Harry continued, "Exactly! That is exactly why this is important for you to learn. Until you can master non-verbal spells, you won't have the element of surprise. That is, unless you can learn to make simple spells more powerful than people think they are."
Finally, Draco understood what Harry meant. He was giving him the element of surprise, which could end up being the difference between life and death for him.
"So if they think I'm using a simple Expelliarmus, then they will put up a weaker shield because it would seem like less of a threat." Draco started,
"Exactly, which means that if you make the spell more powerful, then it will break down that shield and get to the opponent." Harry finished for him.
"That's brilliant!" Draco exclaimed! How had Harry even figured that out? Draco wondered.
"Alright," Harry said, getting up and motioning for Draco to do the same, "let's get started, shall we?"
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Harry's POV:
Harry was thrilled that Draco had figured things out and thought that his idea was a good one. Once Draco got up from his chair, the room vanished the table and two chairs and changed the room so that it was padded on the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. Thank goodness for that, Harry thought, I really didn't feel like getting thrown against a stone wall all morning. Harry got Draco to perform the spell as he normally would so he could see what needed to be improved on.
"First thing's first," Harry said, "you need to practice your wrist movement."
"Why?" Draco asked, confused.
"Because you need to be more aggressive if you want the spell to perform at its best."
He had Draco work on the wrist movements until he was completely satisfied. Once Harry was happy with it, he had Draco try it again. It was closer this time, but it still didn't make it through Harry's shield.
"Why won't it work?" Draco asked after his fifth try, "I thought you said it was just my wrist movements?"
"Draco, I said that that was the first thing, not the only thing!" he replied. "Now you need to work on the power you're using. You need to be able to control your magic in order to modify spells."
"Okay," Draco started, nodding his head while thinking, "so how do I do that?"
Harry smiled a little and said, "It's extremely hard to explain. So instead I'll let you feel it for yourself."
"What do you mean?" the blonde asked, obviously extremely confused by what Harry was saying.
"I think you need to lose a little control before you can gain it." He said. At Draco's startled expression, he continued. "Just trust me okay?" At the blonde's nod, he began speaking again. "Okay, I want you to imagine that I'm someone you absolutely despise. Or even someone you are just angry at."
"Okay," Draco said, "what now?"
"Imagine that I'm that person. I want you to get angry. Get furious. Now let that anger build slowly until you feel like you are going to burst from it. Think of how this person affected you… Your family..." His words started to turn into a whisper now. "Get angry, let it build, then hit me with all of that anger."
Harry watched as Draco gripped his wand tighter and prepared himself. He created his shield and waited for Draco to burst. "EXPELLIARMUS!" the blonde yelled. Harry was flung hard into the padded wall behind him. Draco was standing with Harry's wand in his left hand with a surprised look plastered on his face.
"Well… That's going to hurt in the morning." Harry said, wincing when he moved to get up. "Or right now." He said with a small, breathless laugh.
Harry's comment seemed to snap Draco out of his trance as the blonde hurried to help Harry up and take him to a couch that appeared next to him.
"Harry, I'm so sorry! I didn't know that would happen! I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear!" Draco rambled.
"Draco calm down! I knew that would most likely happen. I did that on purpose."
Draco looked shocked again before quietly asking, "Why would you do that on purpose? I thought we were trying to have control, not have me lose control."
"Because sometimes you have to lose control before you can gain it." At the blonde's confused look, he continued to explain. "Look, this is all about the power behind it. The hardest thing for people to grasp is controlling that power because most people don't even know they have it and they can't feel a difference. Tell me, did you feel anything change from when you failed to use your power?"
"Well, this time I was definitely angry… And I felt this… pressure move throughout my body. It was so intense it almost hurt. But I had this feeling that it wouldn't hurt me. When I went to cast the spell, I felt the pressure move to my hand and then into my wand." Draco said.
"Exactly! Good Draco! See, that pressure you felt was your magic at one of its most powerful moments. That's why it felt so intense. Now you just need to learn to reach out to that magic and to control it as best as you can." Harry said happily.
The boys both smiled at each other before Draco got up and left the defense room.
"Where are you going?" Harry yelled.
"To the potions lab to get you something for the pain." Draco said. "It's the least I can do after throwing you into a wall." He said when he came back a minute later, holding a yellowish-brown potion in his hand.
"That looks vile…" Harry said.
"Just drink it, Golden Boy." Draco said teasingly.
Harry smiled and then made a face after downing the potion. "Yup… Tastes absolutely disgusting."
Draco rolled his eyes before saying, "It'll work in a minute and then you won't be complaining about the taste anymore."
Harry did in fact feel better a minute later. He got up and stretched a bit before saying, "Well, I think we'll call it a day for defense. We can practice again tomorrow if you want."
"Sounds good to me" the blonde said with a smile.
Soon the two boys had a routine. They would start the day with a very much awake Draco trying to get a very much asleep Harry out of bed (which is no easy task). Then they would work on getting control of Draco's magic.
The next three days went by quickly and Draco was making great improvements. Every day the boys spent together, the closer they became. The old animosity was put in the past and they found that they actually enjoy the other's company. However, they couldn't live in their personal dormitory forever as was made evident by Narcissa.
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Harry's POV:
"Good job Draco! You did it!" Harry exclaimed.
Draco had just managed to properly control his magic and Harry could tell the blonde was thrilled.
"Yes! Thanks Harry!" Draco said excitedly as he flung his arms around Harry's neck and hugged him.
At first Harry tensed, but he quickly relaxed into the hug. He put his arms around the blonde's waist and said, "Anytime Draco."
A cough from the doorway made the two jump apart quickly, "Oh, hello Mrs- I mean, Narcissa." Harry said, remembering that she had wanted him to use her first name.
"Good morning Harry." She said with a knowing smile on her face. What she knew however, Harry had no clue. "Draco, darling, good to see you are well."
Harry noticed that Draco had moved away from Harry when Narcissa had entered the room. Not only that but, is Draco blushing? Harry wondered, Whatever is happening must have to do with whatever happened at their dinner last night. Harry concluded. He decided that he'd ask the blonde later.
"Yes Mother, I am well. Harry and I were just celebrating that I had mastered the spell we've been working hard on for the past few days" Draco quickly said, still blushing slightly.
"Uh-huh…" She replied doubtfully. "Anyways, I'm here to tell you that you will be starting classes shortly."
"Do we have to!?" both boys asked simultaneously.
Narcissa chuckled before replying, "Yes, I am afraid so. But it's still Saturday! You have all of tonight and tomorrow before you have to go back! Have fun." With a wave, she left the room, leaving the boys alone again.
"Well this sucks…" Harry said. When the blonde didn't respond and looked upset, he asked, "Are you okay Draco? What's wrong?"
"It's just… I don't have a house anymore… And people hate me… Where am I going to go for classes?" Draco asked, unsure of himself.
"Hey, I'm your friend. You'll sit with me of course!" He said with confidence and a smile, making the blonde look up, surprised.
"But won't people talk about you behind your back and stuff because you're hanging out with me?" the blonde asked sadly.
"Please, I'm used to it by now. Besides, you're worth it." he said with a smile.
"Thanks Harry." The blonde said, smiling back, a light blush showing on his cheeks and neck. "So… Our last few nights of freedom…"
"What should we do?" Harry asked.
"I think I have an idea!" he replied with a devious smile.