The Heart Is Not Black or White

Chapter 17

~Tracey's POV~

Marissa was different. It wasn't just her striking appearance... she had a rare form of magic. Before doing research, I had no idea what it could be, but even then I knew she had special abilities.

When the troll was running toward us on Halloween, Marissa held her hands up and a moment later the troll was knocked off it's feet. Somehow she had used magic to knock the troll down without her wand. Which is impossible. Wizards and witches can't do magic without their wands.

Finally the troll was gone from the castle and I took the first opportunity to research in the library. It had taken me a couple weeks to have a real break-through. And when it happened, Marissa was there.

We were in the library working on a Transfiguration essay, and I found a book on rare types of magic in the Restricted Section. I was starting a chapter called, 'The Manus Force'. The very first sentence on the page said, "The Manus Force is the ability to manipulate objects magically with your hands." The moment I read that sentence I let out a gasp. Marissa, working on her essay next to me, nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Marissa!" I whisper-shouted. "I figured out how you knocked that troll down!"

"What?" she said. "You... you haven't been researching this, have you?"

"Of course I have. You know me," I answered. "Anyway, you have a special ability! It's called the Manus Force! All you need to know about it is in this-"

"L'amare!" someone called out.

Marcus Flint, fifth-year and captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, was making his way toward us. Or just Marissa.

"Yes," Marissa said, seeming very tense.

"Peregrine Derrick got injured at practice today. Swung the bat a bit too far and conked himself in the head. He's in the infirmary now with a horrible concussion," he explained. Reluctantly he continued, "Anyway, since Derrick will be for a while... and you had the next-highest score at tryouts... I-I want you to go in for him until he's well enough to play."

"Blimey," Marissa said, barely containing her excitement. "Of course I'll do it!"

"Good," Flint responded. "Practice starts in ten minutes, and we need to get you the right equipment. Plus, we have a match against Gryffindor tomorrow. Come with me."

"Ok. Bye Tracey!" Marissa said, quickly gathering up her books and trailing after the older boy.

I smiled after her, proud that she was going to play. She would be the only first-year playing on a Quidditch team, other than Harry Potter. It wasn't much of a surprise, since his father, James Potter, was also a seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team in his time at Hogwarts. But it was still impressive.

I went back to reading the chapter about the Manus Force, jotting down notes that would be useful to Marissa. There was once sentence that made my stomach churn. It said, "The Manus Force, if someone who has obtained it is not properly trained, can become uncontrollable and the person who holds the power can suffer death from the strain it puts on your body."