Chapter 6: Malfoy is no friend

Finally the weekend came. He might just have had 5 days of lessons but he was still shattered. He had enjoyed almost everything they had done but to his annoyance his ability to do complicated and difficult spells with ease had gained him some unwanted fame. Merlin did not want to be talked about. He did not want to be remembered. He had been an odd one out all his life and didn't want to stay one in a place where he had hoped he might be quite normal.
"What are the properties of moonstone?" Albus asked next to him.
"I have no idea," Merlin replied which was quite true.
"What about the stuff for professor Enford?" asked.
"Also, no idea," Merlin said again. He found theory just as difficult as everyone else apart from Grace who seemed now determined to outshine Merlin in something. He didn't care. In fact, he welcomed it that the teachers attention would be one someone other than him.
Albus dragged a book towards him looking disappointed. Merlin did the same and began to read.
They were in the library trying to complete the homework they had been given over the past week. Merlin might only have been hear that short time but Hogwarts already felt like home even though he still had difficulty finding his way around its corridors.
Then from behind him came a cold snide voice:
"Oh look, its Merlin, studying from a book you'd expect the boy who can make dragons appear wouldn't have to study from a book."
Merlin looked behind him. There stood Malfoy flanked by Goyal and Snyde who was the ugliest girl Merlin had ever had the misfortune to meet.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Albus said forcefully turning round too.
"Oh nothing Potter," he said with a laugh.
"Are you in the quidditch team yet. I've been told your father got in a week, or have you chosen not to got fathers root, good thing too I'd say."
Albus went red and muttered something angry and indistinct.
"What is it with you Malfoy, why are you only doing this in front of a teacher," Merlin said softly for it was true. Madam Pince was standing a little way off cleaning the book cases. "Or are you scared I'll hex you? Because big friends don't help much with magic, do they?"
"Oh yeah" Malfoy retorted looking at Goyle who immediately came lumbering forward.
Merlin however was too quick for him. The book Albus was holding zoomed out of his hand and directed by Merlin's eyes shot straight for Goyle who tried to swerve but wasn't fast enough. The heavy leather bound book hit him in the shoulder. He let out a howl of pain and scampered. Malfoy and Snyde followed. In a few seconds they were out of sight.
But someone else took their place.
It was Grace.
"Coleman I want a word," she said meaningfully.
Merlin just looked at her. The book he had made chase Goyle was still hovering. He could use it to get rid of Grace. He could feel Albus's eyes boring into him as if to say:
"Do it."
Merlin didn't however. He got up and followed Grace around the corner instead. She wasted no time at all.
"Can you teach me?"
"Teach you what?" Merlin asked although he knew only too well what.
"You know, magic."
"Why don't you got the teachers to do that?"
Grace looked at him. "Why can you do magic so well?" She demanded.
"I have no idea," Merlin replied.
Then round the corner came Albus. Grace however didn't seem to have seen him. As she continued.
"Please will you teach me, I bet you can do magic better than the teachers."
"Yeah Merlin why don't you teach people," Albus said.
"Look," Merlin said patiently. "I can do all this stuff but I have no idea how I can do it or why I can do it. Its just like when I need a spell it's just there in my head."
"Yes but," Grace tried to argue. But this time it was Albus who continued the argument.
"But what if you do the spell and then just write down what you have to say?"
"Look it doesn't work like that," Merlin said exasperated and slightly surprised. This was the first time Albus had been near Grace and hadn't tried to ignore her.
"Go on," Grace said, "if you hold our hand and tell us what to say …"
Merlin sighed.
"I'm going first," Albus insisted and to Merlin's surprise Grace agreed.
Carefully Merlin curled his fingers round Albus's wrist and lifted Albus's hand who did not resist.
"The words hocus pocus fidibus" Merlin said looking quite serious.
"Hocus pocus fidibus," Albus said confidently.
He felt his hand go hot. Then cold but somehow he could tell the magic was coming from Merlin's hand round his wrist. Then out of the palm of his hand came a steady stream of white liquid.
"What is it?" Grace asked.
"Condensed milk," Merlin said grinning. Then he let go of Albus's wrist. The stream stopped immediately.
Luckily Madam Pince was nowhere to be seen as there was a large wet puddle on the floor.
"Did I really do that?" Albus asked incredulously.
"I don't know did you? Why don't you try again?" Merlin said knowing Albus wouldn't do anything do anything.
He was right. When Albus tried nothing happened.
"You do it again" Grace ordered.
"Okey," Merlin said still grinning, "hocus pocus fidibus."
a stream of condensed milk poured and then he raised his hand and it started to rain. It rained condensed milk.
"Why can you do it?" Albus asked.
Merlin knew exactly why he could do it. It was because hocus pocus fidibus was not the spell he had used. Although he had said that he had been thinking:
Wolke, wolke, einze zwei drei
dunkle wolke come herbei,
ofne weit dein wolken fass
und mach unsere erde nass.
Schwollei bollei wollei bum
wolken fass nun dreh dich um.
Grace turned away and muttered in Albus's ear:
"Have to try again some other time."
"You and Grace talking then," Merlin asked smiling.
"Yeah sort of," Albus said reluctantly.
"Help me clean this up then," Merlin asked.
"What's the spell?"
"Scourgify."
Albus tried, and it worked after a few tries.
Once their area of the library was clean again the picked up their books and headed back to Gryffindor tower.
It had been no go with the homework. Oh well they still had one day left to Finish it. And maybe now Albus was talking to Grace they could get some of the answers off her.