A Forbidden Birthright

Chapter Twenty Seven

"Between France and here, when on earth did you find the time for all that?" Draco said as she withdrew a thick folder from deep inside the charmed pocket of her teacher's robes.

She dropped it onto the table in front of them and flipped it open to reveal pages upon pages of notes. She tapped her finger where Protego totalum had been scrawled across the top of the page, along with several other charms and enchantments that protected the Hogwarts grounds from unwanted visitors.

"I've compiled a list of each spell that is used to guard Hogwarts," she began.

"Of course you have," Draco muttered.

She either ignored him, or didn't hear him and went on as if he hadn't spoken at all.

"Under each spell, I've written the effects of spells against it, as well as the affect it has on people if somebody were to attempt to break through it. Magic folk, more specifically. I've included their histories, development, recorded use."

"Is there anything you didn't write down?" Malfoy asked sarcastically.

She made a face. "It's not like I copied over textbooks word for word, alright? Anyway, I've concluded that it would be impossible for any of them to be breeched."

He waited for her to continue. When she didn't, and instead only stared at him expectantly, he said, "Well? If you're waiting for the right time to do a big reveal, now's the time to do it, Granger. You've successfully confused me."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but then perked up as she leaned forward and said triumphantly, "It's impossible unless Caspian is mimicking the magical signature of a witch or wizard who is allowed access on Hogwarts grounds." Her tone and bright eyes, mouth pulled into a self-satisfied smile that she was failing to suppress, made it sound as though this conclusion had been obvious the entire time.

"A magical signature?" Malfoy repeated.

Hermione nodded and began to explain what they were, but Draco interrupted her. "I know what they are. I'm not completely dim, you know. You're not the only intelligent one in the room, even if you are a little Know-It-All."

Hermione scoffed but made no objection.

"I'm assuming you've already come to the conclusion then that it's my magical signature he's somehow copied because I was the first wizard to attend Hogwarts he came in contact with," he said.

"That was my initial thought, yes, but actually, Caspian befriended Ron while Ron was in Bulgaria or Romania, I don't remember where. I think it might have been Spain, actually. And because it was his friendship with Ron that led him to get a job at the Ministry," she corrected.

"Is there a way for us to remove his signature? I've never heard of anybody mimicking one before. I don't even know how it would be done," Malfoy confessed.

"I suspect its a spell that has similar characteristics to the Polyjuice potion," Hermione explained, looking over her notes. "I might be able to reverse-engineer the spell, and then create a counter-spell from there."

Draco was silent a moment, considering everything she'd said.

"I'd hate to find out you were right," he said.

Hermione looked at him quizzically. "Why?"

"Because it would mean Caspian is bloody brilliant. He would have to have developed a spell like that himself, correct?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "It would."

"How did you discover that?" He asked.

Hermione dropped her eyes to her hands resting in her lap and then glanced back up at him. "It was the only logical conclusion."