Traitor: A Draco Malfoy Story

twenty-three

A few days had passed and Jenna still wasn't speaking to me. I'd chatted with Ethan and Ashton too, but they both shared Jenna's opinion that I shouldn't get involved with Malfoy. No one seemed to understand that I wasn't.

The only solace I had gotten was DA lessons with Luna. She was a good witch and had really only joined the DA because she was sympathetic to the cause. She didn't need the extra help. I was glad she was willing to spare her time to teach me magic. As much as Harry wanted to, he couldn't teach the others and me, it was just too much.

So far, I'd almost picked up Levitation, the Body-Binding Curse, the Wand-Extinguishing Charm, and the Unlocking Spell. My mind swirled with all the different spells, Wingardium Leviosa, Petrificus Totalus, Nox, Alohamora. It was a lot to remember but I was getting the hang of it.

"You're so tense, Azalea, just relax!" Luna coached as I pointed my wand at the metal dummy in front of me. It was becoming a regular command from her. I couldn't help being so worked up. "Think of how you want his wand to go flying out of his hand, say the word, and wave your wand in a downward spiral. Like this." She demonstrated the Disarming Charm she was attempting to teach me. "Expelliarmus."

One of the other students replaced the wand in the dummy's hand as the blonde girl turned to me with a smile. "Your turn!"

I rolled my shoulders back, took a deep breath with my eyes closed, and readied myself to disarm the dummy. I swirled my wand in a downward motion, and said confidently, "Expelliarmus."

Nothing happened. Absolutely jack-shit happened.

With a frustrated groan, I shoved my wand in my pocket and ran my hands through my hair, my fingers getting stuck on tangles and gently pulling. I sat down on the floor, and let myself roll back onto my back so I was laying down, my hands resting on my stomach as I stared at the ceiling.

Luna laid down next to me, assuming the same position. "It's okay, Azalea. I'm really proud of you. It's been three days and you've mastered charms that took us a few months to learn in our first year!"

"But I'm not a first-year," I grumbled. "I'm a fifth year."

Luna giggled. "Maybe in age, silly. But not in magical ability. Think of it this way. You've already done better than most of us when we were at your level. Something a Muggle shouldn't be able to do. I don't know why your magical abilities were dormant for so long, but you're gaining a lot of traction. Don't be too hard on yourself."

She turned her head to look at me. "Magic isn't a one and done, learn it once and you're good to go. It takes practice. Refining. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to go to school for seven years."

I sighed. She was right. But at the same time, I hated not being able to pick things up quickly. That was the one thing that got me the principal roles at my dance studio--I picked up choreography fast. Movements come naturally to me, so why was this so hard? I definitely didn't have as much magic as the others. I didn't know if there was a way for me to get more.

Luna rolled onto her side, propping her head up with her hand. "Maybe we're approaching it wrong," she said. "Do you have your special Muggle shoes for dance?"

I nodded. "They're in my bag."

Luna pushed herself off the floor and stood, holding her hand out for me to pull myself up. "Great! Let's choreograph you a routine!"

After an hour of us combining our efforts; her wrist movements for the spells and my ballet steps, we'd come up with a pretty short, and yet pretty beautiful routine. Not only had it helped with my nerves, but I'd finally disarmed the dummy. I'd only done it once out of the four run-throughs, though. The trick would be doing it again. "Ready to perform?" She asked.

I beamed. "So ready."

"Let's try it one more time then!" Luna called.

Luna put the record on the machine that she had found back behind one of the pillars. It was "Dance of the Swans" from Swan Lake. I don't know how Swan Lake had ended up at Hogwarts, but it was probably just the Room of Requirement giving me what I needed. It gave me even more confidence. I smiled as the music started, and I began to dance with the lighting of my wand. "Lumos."

The other DA members started to notice, since music had begun. Some of the boys smirked and crossed their arms, and the girls giggled with each other. I could tell who had seen ballet and who hadn't. The ones who had were beaming, ready to watch the variation.

Having a sudden audience was a little nerve-racking , but I felt the most relaxed when I danced. The firing of my muscles as I popped up to relevé, the breathlessness I fought as I glided through the pique turns. There were impressed gasps as I levitated a feather while in relevé, then whispered, "Petrificus Totalus" in an arabesque. There wasn't really anything to unlock, so Luna hadn't put it in there, but after my triple pirouette, I waved my wand in the downward swirl that Luna had taught me and after saying "Expelliarmus" the wand soared out of the metal dummy's hand and clattered to the floor in front of Harry.

There was silence in the room. Finally, Harry beamed and began to clap. The rest of the group joined in and rushed to me, lifting me up and chanting my name. Some of the girls fired dim, quiet fireworks. I laughed a true, happy laugh. I'd done it.

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As I walked with Hermione and Luna through the halls, still laughing and talking about my spectacular dance, Professor McGonagall greeted us with a serious look on her face. "I'm sorry to interrupt ladies, but I need to borrow Miss Beckett."

"I'll catch up with you later," I said to my friends and followed the Professor as she hurried down the hall. She really did walk fast.

When we stopped in front of the griffin statue, I turned to her in confusion. "Dumbledore is gone, Professor. What are we doing here?"

"You'll find as soon as you go up that he's come back," she whispered. "And he needs to speak to you. Immediately."

I nodded and when she said the password, I took the stairs two at a time, bursting in the door. "Professor, I--"

"No time," Dumbledore said sharply. "I'm going to ask you a few questions and you are going to answer to the best of your ability, do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Are you, to your knowledge, a Muggle?"

"Yes."

"Are you, after your time at Hogwarts, capable of magic?"

"Yes, but I didn't--"

"Have you ever been involved in the Dark Arts?"

"No, sir, never, I--"

"Have you, during your time at Hogwarts, stolen anyone's magic?"

"What?" I ask, my mouth dry. "Stolen someone's magic? I didn't even know I had magic until a few months ago!"

"I can't explain now, Miss Beckett. But you need to be more careful about who sees that mark on the back of your neck. There's no telling who might think what."

"Okay, I've known this, Headmaster," I said in exasperation. "What do you mean, 'have I stolen anyone's magic'?"

"There is a legend," Dumbledore said. "Of a Muggle who can extract the magic of a witch or wizard and either harbor it for themselves, or give it to another witch or wizard. It has been just a myth until this point. But now..." he trailed off. He turned towards the window. "Get to your next classes."

"Professor, I--"

He whirled around to face me. "Keep your head down. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Do not mention this conversation to anyone. And get. To. Class." He turned back to the window.

Taken aback and visibly shaken, I hurried out of the office to leave Dumbledore to his thoughts.

I didn't know what scared me more: that I had magic, or that the magic I was using might not be my own.