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"Are you sure, Will?" Harry asks quietly.
"Have you seen Harry cast spells, mate?" Ron asks incredulously.
"Is he stronger than a normal Fourth Year?" Astoria asks.
"I saw Harry cast a corporeal Patronus that drove off dozens of dementors," Hermione says, turning toward the Slytherins and smiling, "and that was as a Third Year."
"Impossible," Blaise says evenly, crossing his arms as he breaks his silence for the time. Daphne and Tracey look disbelieving as well.
"It's true, but you don't have to believe me," Hermione says with a shrug. "Just wait and see."
"To answer your question, Ron: yes, actually, I stopped one of his Stunners with my shield earlier this year, though it brought me to my knees," I say, "I want to see if that's changed."
Ron and Neville gape openly at us. "Harry will be stronger, too," Luna points out.
I shrug. "Yeah, but I have a hunch."
Harry shifts uncomfortably. "Look, Will, I'm not sure—"
I whip my arm up toward their group and gather a swirling ball of sickly green light in my palm. "Do you need incentive again?" I ask with a grin.
"Stupefy!"
Damn, he's fast; I didn't even see him draw.
"Stupefy!" The twin voices of Daphne and Blaise follow soon after.
Oh shit.
As before, the green light quickly shifts to blue and expands into a shield plenty large enough to absorb the angry mass of red plunging toward me. I brace my right arm with my left, thinking that I need to work on optimally sizing my shield to avoid wasting magic.
Harry's Stunner impacts my shield like a magical sledgehammer, followed swiftly by the not-insignificant kicks from the Slytherins.
Once again I have to pour more magic into my shield until all three bursts of red dissipate in crackling arcs of energy, after which I quickly reel in the river of magic I'd been pushing out.
I feel the same ache as I usually do when I use too much magic, but at least it's not enough to double me over or send to my knees this time. "I yield!"
"What was that about, Lerner?" Blaise growls, still holding his wand on me despite Hermione having jumped out in front of them with her arms out.
"Training," I say with a an attempt at a grin, though it's part grimace as well. "Harry, was that your strongest?"
Harry shrugs. "Maybe. I knew that wasn't a Killing Curse this time, though."
"I-it wasn't?" Neville asks. Just then I realize he has his wand pointed at me as well, and so does Ron.
Luna just nods as if that was what she was expecting to hear, but I feel pretty bad that Astoria is hiding behind Daphne looking frightened and Tracey is trying to peer around Blaise, who is holding her behind him.
I laugh nervously as I walk back over to them. "Sorry about that, I forgot you didn't know about my fake Killing Curse. Thanks for holding back, by the way, that was why Harry shot the Stunner at me the first time."
"Bloody hell, William, that was scary," Ron says, shakily putting away his wand. "I'd appreciate it if you don't do that again."
"I don't know, Ronald," Luna says, tilting her head thoughtfully as she looks at me. "It would make for a nice distraction against someone who didn't know."
I beam at her. "Thanks, Luna, I think so, too. Also, Ron, I'm pretty sure I can't cast the Killing Curse at all, let alone at you guys."
"You're still standing," Hermione says in surprise, as if she just noticed.
"Sorry to disappoint you," I say with a grin.
She snorts and ignores that. "Oh, hush. How do you feel?"
I scratch my head as I poke and prod at my magic. "I could probably take the same three Stunners again, but I wouldn't be standing afterward, if I would be conscious at all."
I look over at Daphne, who is still glaring at me, but at least she had lowered her wand. My heart drops a little at the sight of Astoria still hiding from me.
"I'm sorry, Daph, you know I'd never put Stori in danger like that."
"Do I?" she asks hotly.
Her sister breaks away and throws her arms around me. "I-I know you wouldn't, Will, but that light...you scared me."
I crumple a little at the hurt in her voice and hug her tightly. "I'm sorry, honey," I whisper, kissing her on the top of her head and rubbing her back.
"You should tell her, William," Luna says dreamily. "You should tell her why you could not have possibly used the Killing Curse on us."
My hand freezes in the process of rubbing her back. "Um, my wandless magic works a little different than you're used to..."
Luna smiles. "Not that, silly. The real reason."
Damn it, not her too! Can't a guy just lie to save his own skin once in a while? "Um, I don't think that's such a good idea at the moment, Luna," I say, deliberately not looking at Daphne.
"Why not?" Luna asks, tilting her head in confusion. "Harry, Hermione, and I all know and that's why we weren't afraid. It is a really nice thing to know."
"Know what, Lerner?" Daphne asks. I'm still not looking at her, but I can practically feel her arms cross in front of her and her eyes trying to glare a hole in my head. I get the distinct impression she knows exactly what.
I don't say anything, instead frantically searching for an out.
Luna takes care of that for me, though. "That he loves Astoria, of course," she says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
Oh, damn. I stiffen and squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for impact, but Luna's not done trying to get me killed.
"Yes, Daphne, he loves you, too, you know," she adds matter-of-factly. "That's why it couldn't have been the Killing Curse. It can't be used on somebody you love."
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Hey guys if u like the fanfic and want to read ahead by 27+ chapters or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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