(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Chapter Forty

Pixie fiddles with the charms dangling from the bracelet on her wrist, she's nervous. Trying to work out why Dumbledore wants to talk to her. He's shown no interest in her beyond the occasional greeting in the hallways when they pass, just as he does with all the other students. Now he is actively seeking her out to talk to her in private. They don't leave the library. Instead, he leads her towards the darkened sections at the back, towards the restricted section.

"Ah, here we are" He states, Pixie frowns and looks at the roped-off area.

"The restricted section?" She asks him, he hums and nods, floating forward. The way he moves is definitely like that. She blames the robes. Too long to see his feet moving. Too floaty and oversized to see his knees when he takes a step. So every move he makes, makes him look like he's gliding. Pixie swallows a little as she looks up at the restricted sign.

"I head you had a rather eventful Christmas" He voices as he leads her through the restricted stacks.

"More so than usual, sure" She agrees, he gives her a look, staring at those eyes. "It's not one I would have chosen, Headmaster" He nods in agreement as he peers through the bookshelves and then turns down another row, Pixie following behind him, curious and nervous at the same time.

"Professor Snape came to me" He stops at the end of a stack and turns to her. "Informed me of what you went through, and..."

"The bear" She finishes for him, he inclines his head with a nod.

"The fact that you moved the bear is not of interest" He offers, she pulls a face. "It is the way you moved it" She relaxes her face, that makes sense because she didn't use her wand or an incantation. She just looked at it funny. "I believe you applied the use of an orb to move it"

"An orb?" She draws out. That's not something she's ever heard of happening in magic.

"A very unique, very specific, very....old application of magic" He explains and motions to the stack next to them. "Long ago, witches and wizards of old would have access to Arcane magic" He continues as they walk through the shelves. "It was difficult to control and master, often reacting to the users' emotions..." She looks up at him. "You have been starting fires at night" She nods. "Because you have been having nightmares" She looks down. "It is understandable, what you went through...."

"I don't mean to do it" She defends.

"Of course, you don't" He agrees and takes a book from the shelf.

"You said, it's difficult to master" She starts and sighs. "So I can't stop it?"

"Difficult, yes, but..." He holds out the book to her. "With your mind and magical proficiency," She takes the book from him, touching the cover, tracing the symbol there. "Professor Snape assures me that you can take control of your new abilities"

"So no pressure" She mumbles under her breath. She doesn't want to prove Severus a liar. That's not going to help people's perceptions of him.

"This entire stack is filled with books on the Arcane," He tells her. "I am sure that in one of them, you will be able to discover a way to aid you...."

"But what is it?" She asks. "What is the Arcane? Why....why is it...." She lets out a breath. If this is magic, then why does no one else use it. Why is it such a big deal that she has?

"All of those questions can be answered through these books" He offers. "But in its basic explanation" He turns to her. "Arcane is the manifestation of your will." He voices as she looks around at the books. "You could do....anything." There are shelves upon shelves of books on the subject of Arcane magic. She's never heard of it before. Severus and Tatiana obviously didn't know much about it because they both had to turn to Dumbledore for help identifying what was going on with her. For the books on it to be tucked away in the restricted section means that this magic is dangerous. And the concept of being able to do anything does kind of explain why this magic is hidden back here. Dumbledore pulls a piece of parchment from his robes and holds it out to her. She sets the book down on the shelf and then takes the parchment from him. "It is a blank permission sheet" He offers. "Should you require a book on the subject from the restricted section, but..only a book on this subject" She nods a little as he taps the parchment where it does say that the book has to be on Arcane magic. "I look forward to seeing how you adapt to this, Miss Stark," He tells her as he walks away. Pixie looks around at the books, trying to decide where to start, suddenly vibrating with the excitement of something new to toy with. She wonders if Tony felt this way when he first created Iron Man.

........

The curtains around Pixie's bed are pulled closed as the other girls in the dorm sleep, soft snoring coming from somewhere over near Millicent, but it is not enough to distract Pixie who sits cross-legged on her bed. Kaa slithering around her shoulders to get comfortable. There is a book on Arcane magic at her side, open on a page about the history of the magic. Pixie has her hair pulled back and tied up, her wand slide in, the tip lit up to provide her with a bit of hands-free light as she works with the screwdriver in her hand. She might have a new project in her magic, but she was already working on something else first. But she can multitask. In her hand is an old camera. At least 30 years old. But she's not after it as a camera, she is pulling it apart to fish out the inside workings of it. She knows that magic can work with older technology. She knows that the really old cameras and the gramophones work, so she is going to start with them, to take out the insides to make something new. Something modern. Hopefully. She's not sure it is going to work, the old technology isn't strong enough or powerful enough to do what she is looking for, but if she can imbue that technology with magic, then maybe she can make up the shortfalls with that. Using old tech, to make new tech, to be powered by magic. Hopefully.