Chapter 80 — Progress and Preparations
Chapter 80: Progress and Preparations
"Draco?"
Penny came over to me and looked at me with a faint note of concern.
"Yes?"
"Er... what are you doing?"
"Reading."
I looked at her and gave a slight shake of my head.
"But..."
"Penny, believe me, I know exactly what you want to say. If you want to discuss it, the best time is this evening, when we can be alone."
Not a trace of uncertainty in my voice.
"Draco..."
"Over here and over there, I know."
I caught Penny's eye, and once she understood what I meant, she let out a breath.
"This evening."
"All right."
Penny nodded and left me to it. I went back to the book I needed to work through as quickly as possible.
Several hours later.
"So then, Draco?"
"Simply put, this is one very useful spell, and I intend to pass it on exclusively within the family. It allows you to create a copy of yourself capable of studying theory while you attend to other things. In practice, my learning speed has already roughly doubled over the past three days compared to what it was before."
"Kh..."
Penny stared at me.
"Damn. Draco, I keep thinking there's nothing left that could surprise me, and then something happens and I'm standing there again like a complete idiot trying to work out what you did and how."
"Well, occasionally it's very useful to give one's mind a proper workout."
"Yes."
She gave me a dark look.
"And sometimes it's very useful to talk to your parents, who have each received a set of clothing from your mother. Not ordinary clothing, mind: Basilisk-skin. What on earth is going on?"
"Nothing."
I shook my head.
"Nothing I'm prepared to discuss with an attractive girl who is nevertheless not yet part of my family. You can ask Fleur; she's equally in the dark."
"So... this is a topic you'll only discuss with a wife?"
"Yes."
A single, unhesitating nod.
In my head I was adding it all up. It had taken just over a month to master the Projection spell. And throughout that time I had been doing everything else as well: studying under Flitwick's program, developing my Gift, working on the Founders' portraits: only one so far, Helga Hufflepuff, who was now deep in conversation with her sister in all but blood as they laid out a plan to restore Hogwarts to its full original rights and responsibilities.
I had also visited Vasilisa again, and she had happily shared more venom in exchange for a few goats.
And naturally I had continued training as a duelist and combat wizard; the next international tournament was approaching, and I needed to be ready.
"I just don't understand..."
She shook her head.
"I've already told you what there is to tell. Believe me, you already know more than most of my acquaintances, and that's precisely because I do genuinely like you. As does Fleur, who will learn more in due course, when we can meet. But telling you everything..."
I looked into Penny's eyes.
"I understand."
She gave a short nod and sat down beside me in thoughtful silence.
"Actually, you know, there's something I've been wanting to propose. A declaration of intent."
I looked at her questioningly.
"A betrothal agreement of intent. You're a good person, Draco. Very good. And I can see that if I let you go I'll be the biggest fool alive. You look after me, you look after my family. No one else would ever do that. Anyone else would put me in a position where I'd have to choose between my future husband and the people I love. You never make me choose."
"Only the most extreme sort of person would put someone in that position."
I shook my head, remembering how I'd told our mothers what Rowena believed was coming. They had gone straight to the library the moment they heard about the Convergence.
There were only references in our library: footnotes and old tales. But when I passed the information to Jean, he had found more.
Twenty-four hours later he sent back a short message: "Probability of accuracy: ninety percent."
In other words, he confirmed that what Rowena had told me was true.
Things were, in short, very bad. There had been some encouraging developments, though: our mothers had managed to purchase nearly three dozen homes from residents across Britain, creating an entire district under the Black family's patronage, and had reached an agreement with the Crown that all land beneath those homes would pass into our hands. The taxes had gone up considerably as a result, but it made our future considerably more stable, or at least I wanted to believe it did.
The mothers were now looking for builders, or rather, they had approached the goblins, asking them to demolish everything and replace the old three-entrance townhouses with somewhat smaller two-entrance buildings, larger flats, and a small garden in front of each. Several plots were also set aside for relocating the homes of noble families.
The work was in full swing.
"Still, Draco. I can see you've been working even harder lately. That's clearly connected to something you've found out."
"It is."
I nodded.
"Did anyone read you the tale of the Coming of the Other Peoples when you were small? The one that begins, 'And the worlds met, and from one came others into the next...'"
I looked at Penny. She gave a slow, slightly thoughtful nod, and then, a second later, her eyes went wide.
"You're saying..."
"I'm saying it plainly. It is not a tale, and we are living through those times right now. This information should already be in the hands of every Department of Mysteries and every Minister of Magic."
I sighed.
"I don't know what the Ministry will do about it. All I can do is prepare, and look for capable people who will come to depend on my family."
"My parents..."
"A three-bedroom flat is already being prepared for them in one of the houses closest to ours. The interior can be expanded; a three-bedroom flat becomes something very close to a small manor. Everything is being built from the finest materials."
"That's..."
Penny looked a little lost.
"Draco, we need to sign the agreement."
She met my eyes.
"That is, if you genuinely want me as your wife, and you're not simply treating me as a rather ridiculous admirer you can string along and discard."
She bit her lower lip.
"Just... please don't..."
I raised a hand to stop her.
Whatever you were about to say, judging by your expression, it was something rather foolish. We don't need that. So, here is what I propose: I agree to signing the declaration of intent. However...
I held her gaze.
"Not now. We sign it during the winter holidays: between myself, you, and Fleur. Assuming Fleur wishes to."
"I... yes. All right."
Penny nodded, and I smiled at her.
"Good. Now come here. Let's just sit for a bit."
When Penny had settled next to me with her head against my shoulder, I quietly cancelled the privacy charms. After that, no important topics came up at all.
Some time later. Just before the winter holidays.
"Now then, my students."
I had gathered the first three years in the room used for Duelling Club meetings.
"You have all worked very hard, and over the past week those of you who were most dedicated received their rewards for excellence in Charms and Enchantments."
I looked over the students, who were visibly keyed up, but catching every word.
"Also, during the past month I ran a small tournament within each year group, with the option for the winner to challenge the champion of the year above. And we all know who our champions are." I paused. "Champion of the first year: Simon Tower, Slytherin!"
The applause that erupted across the room made me smile.
"Champion of the second year, or rather, champion of the second year: Tracy Davis, Ravenclaw!"
More applause.
"Champion of the third year: Arthur Shaw, Hufflepuff!"
Applause again.
"As you can imagine, I couldn't let students this dedicated go without a proper reward. So I have arranged tickets to the Duelling World Championship, which takes place during the winter holidays."
The children exchanged glances. The delight in their eyes was impossible to miss.
"Naturally, the tickets aren't just for you; they cover your entire families. I hope that attending the Championship will inspire you to work even harder. And with that, the awards ceremony is concluded."
I looked over the students: some watching the winners with barely concealed envy, the winners themselves practically glowing. They began drifting into groups and filtering out. I made my way calmly to my office, and Susan Bones fell into step behind me.
"Miss Bones."
I nodded to her and held the door open.
"I'm pleased you came on your own initiative and I didn't have to send for you. I take it you're here to report on your progress?"
"Yes, Professor."
She nodded. I smiled at her and gave a light hop up onto the teaching desk, perching there and tilting my head with an air of mild interest.
"Let's have a look, then."
I watched her expectantly. She drew her wand and looked at me with slight uncertainty.
Clothing-removal spell.
With a flick of my wand, a set of clothing appeared on one of the dummies that stood idle in my office. To anyone watching it would have looked as though the clothes had materialized from nothing, but I had simply Transfigured part of the mannequin itself.
One spell from Susan, and a sleeve was detached and slid off the dummy's arm.
"A little imprecise."
I shook my head, watching her carefully as she pressed her lips together.
"Ideally your spell should not merely separate one part of the garment from another; it should also split the garment itself. Put differently, you didn't visualize fully."
I moved my wand, and the second sleeve not only detached from the shirt but was also cut lengthwise, so instead of bunching up around the mannequin's wrist, it simply fell to the floor.
"Do you see the difference?"
"Yes."
She nodded. I restored the sleeves.
"Again."
This time her spell was better. The cut in the fabric wasn't as clean as my demonstration, but the sleeve didn't catch at the wrist; it fell straight down.
"Excellent. Now the same on the torso, but with one condition."
A flick of my wand and the dummy was lying on its back on the floor.
"You need to clear the fabric from the chest."
She moved her wand in four precise cuts across the dummy's chest, then cast a Levitation Charm on the freed piece of fabric. I sighed.
"Susan."
She heard it in my voice immediately: she had done something wrong.
"Remember what the guide said. Regardless of what anyone tells you, you do not yet have the skills to work independently with a patient. There is a difference between fabric falling to the floor on its own, as with the sleeve, and you actively lifting the fabric yourself. I said nothing about the nature of what's underneath. What if it's a cursed wound, a burn, gangrene, an infection: any number of things could be under that cloth."
I shook my head.
"You make the cuts, then you step back and say: further work is outside my competence. At this stage you provide only the help a Healer has specifically directed you to give. If they told you to give the patient something to drink, you do that. If they said to knock them out for anesthesia, you do that, but nothing beyond your instructions, and no contact with any wound."
"I... understand."
She swallowed.
"Continue."
I took Susan through the rest of the guide's material, and on the whole I was more than satisfied with her progress, which I told her plainly, handing over a second short workbook for her to complete before the end of the academic year. I also gave her a letter for Amelia, containing my recommendations on how Susan should spend the holiday.
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