PRECEDENT : Draco Malfoy II

26

I end up researching love magic in the library. It is the most mysterious branch of magic, practically the most potent. I have just one simple question though. Can a kiss be spotted? I shouldn't think so, since the idea that it could be seems like such ridiculous Christian purity nonsense. Even though wizards in England celebrate Christmas, they are a modified sect of Christianity that shares some broad similarities with different branches of muggle Christianity but is ultimately quite different, magical knowledge pulls from a variety of different traditions. There are Ancient Greek truths, often studied in divination in Ancient Runes, but all the same, there are truths to Mesopotamian beliefs, in Jewish thought. No matter what far corner of the globe a witch could find herself in, there would be some magical theories that have been derived from local folklore and tradition. Surely, the beliefs about tainting yourself before marriage do not hold magical truth, since many cultures do not believe in such things. Certainly, no one would be able to trace who has kissed me.

As it happens, I don't come up with many results. No more can a wizard know who has shaken my hand than who has kissed me. It is still experimental magic to try and identify who cast any specific spell. Obviously, wizards can force a wand to show the last spell it cast, but without the wand in question, tracing spells becomes nearly impossible. The most talented wizards can only hazard a guess as to what make-up of wand cast a spell. Their skills are based in pattern analysis of the spell and might be able to ascertain wand length and perhaps core. In rare cases, wood can be found. That might indicate type of wand rather than who owns it.

The worrying doesn't make sense. No one can see a kiss. I don't even really feel different about it. After looking and looking, I decide that I'm only searching because I'm putting off work on the Sagum. That's definitely it.

Hermione Granger sits down opposite me at the library, and I shut the book. We never sit together. She takes the book from me opening the first page. Her fingers slip something inside before she passes it back.

I open the book. It's a Galleon.

"Did you know the Protean Charm will warm an object when one of the copies is altered?" Hermione says it like a statement more than a question. "I've been reading about advanced charm theory. You're good at that, right?"

I nod. Charms is my best subject. According to Flitwick, I'm one of the top performers in our year. Surely, Anthony and Hermione have me beat anyway.

"We should study for O.W.L.s together," she points out. "No one seems as serious about it as you do."

"They don't know why we need to work hard," I explain.

She looks at me and then nods, curtly, "well, I'll arrange a date at a later time. I'm sure you'll manage to figure out the book though."

With that, she leaves the room.

I study the Galleon, unsure what she means. I assume it has to do with our secret studying together through the DA, and I will figure it out when I feel it warm up. I go about my day, and sure enough, I feel it warm near my time for bed. I peer at it, unsure of what has changed. It looks basically the same. I spend ten minutes looking at it under candlelight, much to the irritation of Mandy. The colour is the same, the grooves ripple over the service in the same way as well. Then, I read the serial numbers. It's a date and time. Tomorrow.

The DA's meetings continue much the same. This week, after running quickly through the material covered in the last two meetings, we work on our shield charms. Michael typically pairs up with Ginny. Anthony and Terry are sparring partners often. Luna is alone though, and she's pleasant enough so I go along with her. She's much stronger than I am. Even Neville has me beaten toward the end of the lesson. Robbie Browning is struggling just as much as I am though, even though I keep catching the Weasley twins sneakily intervening on her behalf. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to cast one.