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Hermione nods. "If your father's wand has a unicorn hair at its core, those are always most loyal to its first master. They generally make quite poor secondhand wands."
"She's right, mate," Ron says. "Our first two years I was using my brother Charlie's old unicorn hair wand. My new one is still unicorn hair, but I'm the first one to own it. It's so much better."
Neville's shoulders slump. "I-I think that's what's in mine – or rather my father's."
"Don't worry about it, mate," Harry says, clapping the insecure boy on the shoulder. "We'll get you a new wand as soon as we can."
"By working with this one in the mean time, you'll see a massive improvement when you get one that matches," Hermione says.
The insecure boy's confidence is obviously bolstered by this, and he practices the Stunner several more times with determination.
"You know, you three should think about tutoring people in defense," I say.
"You two should," Daphne says to Harry and Hermione, the latter of whom blushes at the compliment. "I wouldn't have the patience."
"I'm sure you'd be—" Harry begins to argue.
"No thanks, Potter," she says firmly.
I sit back in my chair and smile as the group continues to work. It's a bittersweet smile, though...seeing the normal Hogwarts students together, teaching each other, having fun, laughing...it reinforces the notion that I don't belong here.
Stori and Luna team up on Harry, showing him their twin puppy dog eye attack asking him to show them the Shield Charm.
Hermione steps a blushing Ron through the wand movements of both, since he isn't getting as much energy behind them as he should be. Blaise and Daphne take turns blasting each other's Shields with Stunners as Tracey and Neville watch closely.
Taking my eyes off the group in favor of leaning my head back against the top of the chair and staring at the ceiling, I wonder what exactly my purpose is for being here, if there is one at all.
After our experiment, Hermione had idly hypothesized that magic has some measure of sentience, so I wonder if magic itself brought me here. If so, am I doing what it wanted? I shake the thought away as both silly and unproductive.
Surely I would have had gotten some sense of purpose, but I've always felt like I was on my own on that account.
Besides, how would an incorporeal, only questionably sentient...presence, I guess...arrange for my matriculation at and transportation to Hogwarts?
A hand on my shoulder startles me out of reverie. "You okay, William?" My head jerks up to find Hermione looking at me in concern, with most of the others looking my way as well.
I think Hermione must have dashed over when she saw me lying bonelessly on the chair.
"Oh yeah," I say in what I hope is a chipper voice. "Sorry 'bout that...just thinking, is all." She lets out a relieved breath as I sit up and stretch, both physically and mentally. My magic isn't all the way recovered, but it's close enough.
"Well, I'm feeling pretty good," I say, slapping my knees as I stand.
"Who else is up for a game of Break Harry's Shield Over and Over Until He Learns to Make it Stronger?" I hold my hand out, palm up, let a ball of swirling red magic form above it, and shoot Harry an evil grin.
We quickly discover a smattering of facts. Firstly, it's way more fun when the target tries to dodge the incoming Stunners and only block the ones that are about to hit him. When I say more fun, I mean for everyone except the one dodging and Shielding.
Secondly, all of us who tried it so far – that is, Harry, Ron, Daphne, Blaise, and myself – are awful at it, though hopefully I'm going to end up getting a lot out of it once I can adequately control the size of my Shields.
I can already make one with both hands, a feat which impresses the others...especially the Slytherins, who haven't seen exactly how much different my magic is. I plan on doing this exercise as much as possible up until the Third Task.
Thirdly, nobody can add magic to a shield like I can, so with my special brand of magic I can in fact block more Stunners than a single one of Harry's Shields. Of course, he can pretty much recast his Shield at will, indefinitely.
The only way to beat this is to put enough magic behind the Stunner to break through it in one shot, which only I can do, but that's only by making myself quite uncomfortable in the process.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, at least one person needs to sit out from attacking shields to ready Cushioning Charms.
Not just for the target, but also for the attackers that may hit each other when the target slips between them.
Blood Replenishing Potions still taste awful, by the way.
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"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Delacour, Mrs. Delacour," I say, shaking the hand of the former and kissing both cheeks of the latter. Greeting unnaturally gorgeous French women makes me happy.
"You are looking well, M. Lerner," Apolline says.
"Thank you, I feel much better."
Harry, Hermione, and Fleur greet the Delacours as well, then we sit down to lunch talking of inconsequential things. Well, mostly inconsequential...I have to suffer through uncomfortable questions about my family.
Mr. Delacour diplomatically remarks upon the similarities between Harry and me, an observation which startles all three of us. It isn't long before the six of us retire to a private room for the real discussion.
I walk to the windows and push out a stream magic with the intention of locking them, which is verified with a flash of silvery light.
I start to walk to the door after Mr. Delacour closes it and repeat the action, but it occurs to me that I should make sure both that it works and that I can actually undo it.
I try to open the window but it holds fast, so I push out another stream of magic with the intention of unlocking it, which takes hold with a similarly silvery light. I verify I can open it, then I close it and repeat my action.
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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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