Draco Malfoy and the Mirror of Ecidyrue

Part 6: Draco Malfoy and the Prisoner of Nurmengard (2)

: Astarte Noir, Part Two

Notes:

Hey all! As I warned, chapters will be coming out later in the day for this book. Sorry I can't give an exact time, though they should usually be out before midnight, two days after the last chapter. This time, it will be three days. Sorry! :)

Anyway, thanks for reading, and please enjoy Astarte Noir, Part 2 of 3!

PS- is AO3 acting up for anyone else? It's been very recalcitrant today :(

Chapter Text

"Who are you, Daniel Shaw?"

The world changed from the Hogwarts Great Hall to one of its many hallways. This one looked much like the one outside Charms class, which Dorian Malfoy's complaints would soon confirm. Dorian had Dantanian stopped outside the door, holding up the flow of pupils like no one had anything better to do than listen. The other first-years were gathering around with such interest, he was probably right.

Dantanian waited until Dorian elaborated. "Who are you, 'Daniel'? Because you're not a Muggleborn. That much is for sure."

"Why do you say that?" Dantanian asked, inspecting his fingernails. A long curl of dark hair escaped its tie and fell across his face. He pushed it away absently, and Dorian watched him before answering.

"Because you've done that charm before," Dorian said haughtily. "And you are being a shameless liar, showing us all up, pretending you hadn't- no one could learn Incendio so powerfully without previous magical practice. For more than just a summer!"

Dorian's friends in the crowd nodded and made agreeing noises, enthusiastic in their resentment. It sounded as though Dantanian must have been immoderate in class, demonstrating his command over fire. It must have rubbed many wizards of more illustrious bloodlines wrong, to be 'shown up', as Dorian had at least had the grace to openly put it, by a mere quiet 'Muggleborn'. For his part, Dantanian did not seem inclined to explain that actually, in this case, Incendio as a charm might even be superfluous for him, as a blood-born pyromancer.

"It's in other classes too," Dorian proclaimed, as if this incident was just a last straw. "You have experience. It's obvious. And you don't act like a Muggleborn."

"What does a Muggleborn act like?"

Dorian didn't seem to have a good answer, but he acted like he did. "Naive, and curious. Impressed. They've never seen anything as glorious as Hogwarts. You just spend all your time in the library looking at books by yourself! Being all mysterious, like you're too good to be anyone's friend! You're weird!"

Despite the crowd of children who seemed in agreement, like some kind of high-pitched, low-stakes proto-lynch mob, Dantanian could not have seemed less intimidated. "Thank you," he said, and brushed past Dorian with a curious half-smile.

From Charms to Potions class, with the Slytherin and Ravenclaw first-years again together. The curriculum here seemed similarly unaltered from what it was a century later. Just as all wizards needed to know how to make fire, it appeared they all needed to make Herbicide Potion too, and were nearly done. Back then, even with first years, it looked like everyone brewed alone. Everyone was settled in before their cauldrons, with Lamia Periander assisting Dantanian quietly in the addition of Horklump juice to the brewed mixture, application of heat and Flobberworm mucus, and stirring and final wand-wave to complete the potion.

"Thank you," Dantanian said, and she smiled before turning to whisper with one of the Ravenclaw girls who had also completed her potion. Clearly a popular girl, Lamia, despite that remarkable name. Perhaps Lamia was more a common piece of Muggle than wizarding mythology, although the two often overlapped.