BANALITY : Draco Malfoy

41

He isn't here in the morning when I wake up. It is possible that he didn't come back at all last night. I couldn't be certain either way. Instead of dwelling on his absence, I get up and get all the things together that I need to shower.

When I leave the room, Harry is sitting on a chair in the hallway. He is playing with a gold ball but pockets it when I come out.

"Good, you're up," he seems to relax.

"Hermione is supposed to be watching me today," I look down the hallway, almost expecting her to come around the corner or out of any of the rooms. At least, I was expecting Ron instead of her. Harry's appearance is quite unusual.

"She needed a break," Harry says. "I offered to be here. Ron says you have your wand hidden in your bag?"

I look back at the room, where I know the wand is stashed away. While I don't want to get Ron in trouble, I nod.

"Well, I'm going to try to teach you a few basic defence spells today," he explains. "I'm not going to ask you to hide it from Draco, but he will make my life Hell if you tell him. Don't tell Hermione though."

"None of you seem to agree on anything," I point out. I try not to ask about Draco.

Draco didn't even let me know I had a wand, so it is inconceivable that he would appreciate Harry teaching me how to use it. Hermione is quite intent on keeping me in the dark and Ron wants me to know everything. Ginny would rather kick all of this nonsense out of her house, and I do not blame her. It is nonsense and it is her house.

Harry has a sad grin, "well, everyone is just doing what they think to be the best choice."

He gestures towards the bathroom, which I enter. After showering, I do all the things that are necessary to get ready for the day. Harry doesn't pour me apple juice or make me French toast, which is nice. Marty might eat breakfast, but I certainly do not. Instead, Harry leads me into a room on the second floor which he has cleared except for the piles of blankets on the floor and the pillows that are somehow attached to one wall.

"Right," Harry reaches into his belt and passes me the wand in his belt. "I got it from your bag."

It's mine. The wand is long, certainly longer than most if not all of the other wands I have seen since I came here. It is over a foot long. Otherwise, it is fairly plain. The wood is quite dark, so much so that it is nearly black. It's like my hair. It's like my eyes. The wooden end is straight and long, and the handle is a bit thicker with small carvings along it.

I expected to feel more when I saw it.

Anyway, I take the wand. It feels sturdier in my hand than I had expected. I had suspected the wood might be easy to snap in my hands, but it seems tougher. It doesn't feel like an old stick.

"Well, normally we would spend a few weeks on theory before I have you start, but I suppose we should start with the knockback jinx," he runs his fingers through his already messy hair and walks up beside me. "You're going to want to say flipendo and then copy this movement."

I watch the way his hand moves, almost like a checkmark though not quite.

"This seems absurd," I admit.

He moves back in front of me, "well, it might be. It's worth trying though."

"Remember the gesture," he says, "and say flipendo."

While I might huff, I do what he says. Holding the wand upright, I take it and aim it toward Harry.

I make the motion and speak "flipendo."