"The Dark Arts are many, varied, ever-changing and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, and indestructible," Professor Snape says as the class of Gryffindors and Slytherins stare at him.
"Your defenses must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. These pictures give a fair representation of those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse —," I shudder and think about the brief period of time I experienced it. "— feel the Dementor's Kiss, or provoke the aggression of the Inferius.
. . . you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is one advantage of a nonverbal spell, someone tell me?"
Hermione's hand shoots up in the air instantly, along with my own. Other than that, the class looks confused. Snape surveys everyone's expressions before calling on me.
"Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to perform, which gives you a split-second advantage," I recite, remembering the exact sentence from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six.
"Twenty points to Slytherin," Snape gives. "You will now divide into pairs. One partner will attempt to jinx the other without speaking. The other will attempt to repel the jinx in equal silence."
Draco and I partner up, in addition to Crabbe with Goyle, Pansy with Millicent, Blair with Daphne, and Zabini with Theodore Nott.
"I'll start," Draco suggests, standing in front of me and looking quite confident.
After around twenty seconds of nothing occurring, he results to whispering the incantation under his breath. Nothing happens either.
"Draco — I forgot we can't perform jinxes on each other," I whisper to him.
"Millicent! How dare you! You little cheat!" Pansy cries from the floor. She stands up with a distasteful look on her face. "She said the word, Professor!"
"Now, now, Miss Parkinson, no need to fret. Miss Bulstrode, perhaps you'll work better with Miss Grey over here. Parkinson, you can take Malfoy," Snape says, switching the partners up for us.
Millicent smiles mischievously at me. "I'll start."
Surprisingly, I manage to repel her jinxes silently and without much thought. While the rest of the class struggles, the magic comes easy to me.
"I guess it's my turn to try some spells?" I ask after Millicent tries to silently curse me around ten times. She's resulted to whispering the incantation aloud, like the rest of the class.
I take the chance to perform some Jelly-Leg jinxes on her, which again, I do quite easily and without much effort at all.
"Pathetic, Weasley — let me show you how it's done," Professor Snape says after reaching Harry and Ron in his rotation.
He turns to Harry so fast that he instinctively yells "Protego!" and knocks Professor Snape to the ground. The class gasps while Snape rights himself and scowls.
"Do you remember me telling you that we were practicing nonverbal spells, Potter?" Snape asks.
"Yes," Harry responds stiffly.
"Yes, sir."
"There's no need to call me sir, Professor," Harry snaps, his face turning red once he realizes what he has said. Even Ron and Hermione gasp in surprise.
"Detention on Saturday night, Potter. I do not take cheek from anyone . . . not even 'The Chosen One.'"
The remainder of the class drifts by much slowly after that. Twenty minutes later, the only people who can successfully do nonverbal spells are myself and Hermione Granger. Hermione, however, has just barely grasped the concept while I seem to be relatively proficient at it.
"Class is dismissed," Snape tells everyone once the lesson is complete. "Potter, do not forget about our little arrangement this Saturday — and you, Miss Grey. May I speak with you for a bit?"
The Slytherins give me nervous looks and Seamus Finnegan, feeling bold, shouts "She's in trouble!" before being shushed by Hermione.
I turn around and slowly walk over to Snape's desk, where he is still seated. Instead of looking cross with me, he studies me carefully.
"I must say, Miss Grey, I'm quite intrigued at your ability to perform nonverbal magic easily. Have you had experience with this before?" He asks me.
I shake my head. "Er — no."
Snape stands. "A lot of your teachers have come forward to Dumbledore by expressing your extreme proficiency in magic. I've always doubted it, considering your mediocre potion making, but now that I've witnessed just part of your powers, I'm impressed," He tells me.
"Thank you, but can I ask why you've decided to tell me this after class hours?" I ask curiously.
"I suspect that you may be a Petrinedum," Snape says quietly. "It's extremely rare. You don't have any petrinedum genes in your bloodline, do you?"
"Not that I know of. What is a Petrinedum?" I ask Snape curiously, my eyes sparkling.
"When a wizard or witch possesses a keen, overwhelming ability to learn and perform magic. You aren't just brilliant or quick-learning — it's a specific trait you have that, if used correctly, can bring you extreme power," Snape informs me. "It's extremely rare, less than ten have ever existed in history."
"But, Professor, how do I know if I truly am a Petrinedum? Could it just be mere coincidence?"
"We won't know that. You're sixteen, correct?"
I nod, unsure of where this is going.
"The full characteristics of a Petrinedum will exhibit once you are seventeen, that is if you truly are one. Keep this a secret for now. Like I said, there have been nearly none. I only know of one — the Dark Lord is one of them but I'm unsure if he knows you are one also."
My eyes instantly trail to my left arm. "Y-You know?" I ask him quietly.
"Of course I know. Now, get to class before I have to take away those twenty points you've earned," Snape says curtly. "Oh, and Amelia?"
"Yes?" I say, stopping in my tracks.
"You don't have to make a decision just yet. If you play for both teams, you'll always end up on the winning side."
—
Yooo semi plot twist
QOTC: Would you rather be a part of the Marauders or Golden trio?
:)