your cold hands

Chapter Six

Walking into Defence was something close to mortifying, and Harry could feel Kennedy's burning gaze on him as he walked to his desk. Pansy Parkinson practically squealed with laughter when she saw him, nudging Malfoy and pointing at him wildly, miming a fainting fit. The blonde boy laughed with equal malice, and Harry wanted to punch him in the mouth.

"Right, class," Kennedy said once they were all seated. "If you could all turn to page two hundred and ninety-six, you will find today's topic: Magic Transfusion!"

Next to Harry, Hermione looked intrigued. "I wonder if he's teaching us this because of what was in the paper."

"What was in the paper?" Harry asked.

Her eyes widened. "Didn't you read it, Harry? They said that one of the employees for the Angel has been found dead, and they're saying there might be signs of Transfusion on the body! It's only ever been theorised about - "

"Right you are, Miss Granger!" Kennedy said cheerfully. "Magic Transfusion has only ever been theorised about, never seen in practice? And can anyone tell me why... go on, Miss Granger!"

Hermione flushed under his praise as her hand shot up. "Because the incantation has been said to drive the caster mad, and they risk becoming a Squib. Not even the greatest of Dark wizards attempted it."

Kennedy nodded. "Take five points for Gryffindor. Miss Granger is right; the incantation is so dangerous that it is forbidden to teach."

"But what is it?" someone asked. "What does it do?"

"It steals someone magic," Kennedy said. "A Magic Transfusion is a spell that was created thousands of years ago, before the creation of Hogwarts, when wizards got too greedy. They thought that certain wizards had more magic than others; this has now been disproved. Magic is not a quantifiable object, of course, as you all know. But the spell never saw completion, and the incantation is one of the deadliest in the Wizarding World."

There was a yawn at the back of the class, and Harry saw that Ron had his head on the desk. Ron probably knew all about Magic Transfusion, having grown up in a Wizarding household. But Harry... this was the first he had ever heard of it. To steal someone's magic. It sounded even more formidable than taking a life.

"Note down your homework for next lesson everyone!" Kennedy said. "An essay on the problems associated with Magic Transfusion, both ethical and practical, all of which can be found in your textbook. Now, if you please..."

Everyone let out excalamtions of surprise as the desks moved and split apart and flew about the room, matching up with different halves and leaving people with completely different partners. To his utter disdain, Harry was separated to be put with Pansy Parkinson of all people. She looked disgusted at the sight of him, going pale.

"You all need to learn to get along with others from different backgrounds, cultures, even Houses if you want to pass NEWT level Defence Against the Dark Arts," Kennedy said sternly. Harry looked around and saw that all Gryffindors were paired with a Slytherin. Ron with Theo Nott, and Hermione with Draco Malfoy. "Some of you might be considering becoming an Auror after Hogwarts... well, you meet all sorts of people in that department."

Rufus Scrimgeour and Mad Eye Moody were the first people Harry thought of, and he grudgingly, silently admitted the professor had a point.

Pansy cried out, "I don't want to become an Auror, sir! And why did you have to pair me up with Potter? Any other Gryffindor would be... tolerable compared to him!"

"When I need your input or opinion on my seating arrangements, Miss Parkinson, I will ask you," Kennedy said witha smile. "These will be your seats for the rest of the year, so I suggest you suck it up, or maybe take advantage of this opportunity to become more open-minded..."