Capítulo 23: Chapter 23
She was nervous.
Occlumency was fascinating. She could feel her mastery over her mind growing day by day. Homework that used to take an hour was now dispatched in a quarter. Revising for tests had become a joke. A single pass over the material, filed into her mental library, was all she needed. She now had even more time to practise.
Her willpower seemed to be improving too. Before, she'd had to drag herself from her books to do things she knew she must, but now, she seemed better able to prioritise activities based on rational thought. Harry had started her on an exercise program — "It helps develop your body's ability to process magic," he'd said, — and she thought it would be hell, but retreating into her occlumency made it surprisingly enjoyable.
But this?
This was frightening.
Harry continued talking. "Once I'm in your mind, I will be able to both test your defences, and help you improve them."
"Are you sure about this?" Everything Harry had taught her suggested letting someone play around with her mind was a bad idea.
"You have my word that I will not make any changes without your explicit permission. I may end up seeing memories you're not comfortable with me seeing, but actively testing defences is the only way to be sure they are doing their job properly."
She fidgeted on the hard floor. There were memories she definitely didn't want Harry seeing. In the last few months, she'd felt closer to him than anyone else in her life—except her parents. The idea of losing him, terrified her.
"We can put it off, but if we do we'll have to push back your education in other areas."
"No. I'm okay. Its just…"
"You're nervous about me seeing certain things."
She nodded and bit her lower lip.
"Hermione. I will never think less of you for anything I may end up seeing. You're far too amazing a person."
She smiled. She knew he didn't mean it. She may be intelligent compared to her peers, but she was far too plain in everything else to be amazing. But it still felt good to hear him say it.
"Thank you, Harry."
"…"
"Okay, do it."
Harry raised his wand at her forehead.
"Legilimens."
Hermione stood in the trunk Harry had bought her for her birthday. It was amazing, like having a second room in her room. Bookshelves covered the walls, filled with hundreds of books from the mysterious magical world. It was the most amazing gift anyone had ever given her, and part of her wondered how rich Harry must be to be able to afford this kind of thing.
Harry had said learning the culture of the world she'd be entering was the most important, and most difficult, part of her education. The books she now possessed ranged from legal practices, to politics, history, adventure, and romance.
Like the trunk, every book had been charmed both with notice-me-nots, and illusions, so that anyone looking at it would see a non-magical, or 'muggle' book. Magic was incredible.
Harry had given her one instruction. In the next twelve months, he expected her to have read every book in the trunk.
At the end of those twelve months, he had a test for her. When she'd asked for more information, Harry hadn't explained — just smiled, and said if she prepared properly she'd be fine.
Well, never let it be said that Hermione Granger was ever unprepared for a test.
Occlumency at the ready, she pulled the first book from the first shelf, 'The History of the International Statute of Secrecy,' flopped down on the comfy armchair in the corner, and began to read.
Hermione was agitated. "I don't see how anyone can stand it," she said.
Harry sat in the armchair in the opposite corner of her trunk, sipping on orange juice and practising wandless magic — the showoff. "You know, it wasn't that long ago that affairs in the non-magical world were similar to the magical one."
"I know that, but it seems these family magics exist specificity to stop anything from changing."
"Well, when Merlin created them, stability was the most important thing on everyone's minds. Remember, this wasn't long after the Romans left, and the English kingdoms were still forming. War was rife, and magicals were seen as strategic assets to any kings who could find them. The family magics enforced a structure on the magical families, ensuring they'd work together in the interests of magicals as a whole."
She shuffled her feet. "And now we're stuck with it?"
"Yep."
"And it can't be changed?"
"All the books with the rituals to manipulate the family magics were destroyed centuries ago. There may be some copies left, but if there are, we don't know about them, and the people who hold them sure don't have any incentive to change things."
"What about the rune stones? The family magics are ward based aren't they?"
"In theory yes, you could reprogram the family magics by hard altering the rune stones, but good luck finding them. No-one's ever managed it. Many have tried."
She sighed and slammed the book she'd just finished shut. "Well that sucks."
"Yep."
She stood and walked over to a bookshelf. The latest pile of finished books was starting to become unstable again. Book piles merged into book piles, and occasionally toppled down forming book rubble piles. She'd have to put them back on the shelves soon. She picked out another book, Fashion and Clothing of the Magical World. She sighed. She had enough of this kind of thing from the girls at school.
She slumped lengthways across her armchair, and started to read.
Hermione's face was crimson. She looked at Harry over the top of the romance novel she'd been reading, A Muggleborn and a Lady. She'd just learned her best friend and teacher was also one of those all-powerful lords she'd been ranting about for the last six weeks.
"You're Lord Slytherin?"
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