Affinities
—Harriet PoV
Settling down in my ministry funded room at the Leaky Cauldron I lay down my trunk and take a deep calming breath. Today has been a long day.
‘Understatement of the century.’ Murmurs Riddle tiredly, but with a lot more vigour than before as she’s had some time to ‘rest’ since the whole magical outburst.
‘Speaking of. How were you so-‘
‘Good with controlling instinctual magic? Practice and a bloody lot of it in fact. Rituals could be used to accelerate the process but they all have nasty side effects even if they don’t seem to. I’ve always found that the only real way to get better at something is to practice it until you just can’t anymore.’
Blinking sheepishly at my first thought of it being rituals or some sort of Dark Magic being shot down I merely sit down and murmur. “Huh…”
‘Potter, I’m no saint, but the answer for all your problems isn’t always Dark Magic. All Dark Magic is, is a specific type of combat magic. Specifically dealing with the most powerful or potent varieties.’
‘So what? No raising the dead, no blood rituals, no creepy voodoo nonsense?’
‘Of course not.’ She snorts out amused. ‘Sure it includes torture magics under its pedigree, which admittedly aren’t the most shining example of Dark Magic, but by all definitions Dark Magic merely is types of magic that exist solely to harm another human being. The Mind Arts is another branch of Dark Magic for instance but it isn’t deemed illegal at all since the ministry relies on it to enforce the Statute of Secrecy.’
‘Huh. I mean having your memory erased and altered is pretty nasty but Dark?’
‘What you’re talking about is the ministry regulated Dark Arts. Which is entirely different from Dark Magic. And defined as magic that is deemed illegal to cast by the ministry.’ Lectures Riddle without any of her usual flourishes or sarcastic wit.
‘I guess that makes sense.’ I reluctantly agree.
‘It’s a simple distinction that tends to get lost in translation a lot. However a lot of Dark Magic has ended up being deemed Dark Arts by those who don’t know that difference. Making the entirety of the two overlap in such a way that it’s harder for people to tell the difference in the future.’
‘Leading to more Dark Magic being labelled as Dark Arts.’ I conclude firmly with a mild speckling of distaste.
‘It’s a vicious cycle of persecution. One I had planned in some part to end. But it seems at some point I slipped up myself, managed to botch or mistranslate enough rituals to drive my future self insane.’
‘And you still take pride in it?’
‘Merely on the outside. It wouldn’t be wise to revolt openly against my older self, who is much wiser and more powerful than I myself am.’
Yeah… I recall the brief encounter I had with Voldemort in my first year. They don’t seem that sane, but definitely dangerous.
‘Indeed. I could likely go toe-to-toe with most Auror’s upon graduating, at my older selves age I’m rivalled solely by Dumbledore himself. Which is no small feat to achieve.’ She muses dreamily for a moment. Mind lost in a daydream before she suddenly adds. ‘Oh and regarding what you thought earlier rituals and Necromancy are completely different disciplines. I think they touch on affinities in second year correct?’
‘Affinities?’ I confusedly ask as she growls.
‘Dumbledore likely struck it form the curriculum. Or moved it back to prevent children from getting the ‘wrong ideas’. Affinities are an integral part of any witch or wizards magic. They deem what subjects you will naturally excel at.’
Huh. ‘Then what are mine?’
‘Necromancy, Dark Magic, Alchemy and the Ice and Wind Element branches of Elemental Magic. So four in total.’ She declares straightforwardly.
Stunned I lay back and roll the subjects around in my mind. ‘How the hell do I have Necromancy or Dark Magic as Affinities?’
‘First off I will point out you were likely born with an Affinity for them. Alchemy feels mildly weaker so it was likely dormant until you came into contact with a powerful alchemical regent or tried some Alchemy once before. Lastly I’ll say that Elemental Affinities cannot be developed or changed, they are always determined at birth.’
‘I see.’ Still mildly caught off guard by my rather shocking Affinities. ‘And what were yours?’
‘Last I knew I had an Affinity for Charms, the Mind Arts and the Wind Element.’
‘Last you knew?’ I thought Affinities couldn’t change.
‘It’s rare, but some people’s magic is flexible enough to mould into developing further Affinities. But never more than Seven in total, that’s a rule of magic itself none have surpassed. Dumbledore for instance was born with two and developed three more in his lifetime. A feat I doubt most could accomplish.’
‘And I was born with more than you and Dumbledore?’ That’s unbelievable.
‘So too is you surviving being bitten by a Basilisk. And I will also note getting stricken by a killing curse, and living by some miracle, likely also affected your Affinities in some way. It’d be more responsible for the Necromancy one awakening than not. Needless to say I doubt you were directly born with four Affinities, more developing some through dumb luck than anything else.’ Deadpans Riddle as I roll my eyes at her obvious jabs towards my unbelievable lucky streak. ‘Anyway enough about all that. I’ve been out of it for the past few hours, what did I miss?’
Well. Inwardly I recount my brief run in with the dog, the Knight Bus - ‘Damn it! I love riding that masterpiece…’ - and lastly the small talk I had with the Minister.
‘Well that was interesting. Sirius Black… I wonder why people seem to be hiding details about him from you.’
‘Yeah… But it’s not like I can just go out and ask people about it. It’d be drawing way too much attention to myself. Not like I can just go and pluck the information straight out peoples heads.’ I joke lightly as she falls silent for a moment.
‘Maybe you can…’ She eventually mumbles with mild amusement.
‘Huh?’
—Tamelyn PoV
‘This is a horrible idea.’ Groans Potter as she jitters lightly in place. Spurred on by a cup of coffee I ordered for her when she wasn’t paying attention. Though considering how she’s had three more since I have no doubt she’s taken a liking to the bitter beverage. Not that I blame her, it is a nectar of the gods themselves.
“And it’s not really.” I sigh at her obliviousness to basic fact. “Muggles barely have even the slightest degree of mental defences. Plus if you can get achieve enough success at it I might be able to abuse our unusual situation to shift your instinctual magic to be closer to mine. Artificially granting you an Affinity for the Mind Arts with barley any true effort required!”
‘Still it’s rather difficult to hold eye contact with wandering passerby’s for an extended period of time.’
“True. And Legilimancy is hard to begin with. I was a natural at it, thoughts practically leaping out from even the slightest moment of direct contact. Of course I was exception even amongst wizard-kind so it’s no surprise.”
‘Narcissist.’
Huffing to myself, I simply remind her. “Pay attention. As I was saying, because of this fact I never really had to build up my fundamentals on the subject. Otherwise I’d be much better at teaching you than I currently am doing by relying on second hand knowledge learnt from textbooks. Anyway enough talking! Get to mind reading already!”
Rolling her eyes the Gryffindor - who really should be in Slytherin but that’s merely my own thoughts on the matter - goes back to flickering her gaze towards anyone and everyone around her. Searching for somewhat stable eye contact as she lightly ripples magic across her eyes.
Locking on to a target she barely whispers. “Legilimens.” As she slithers into the strangers mind. Roughly and a little awkwardly but in the end it worked. If using a Bombarda to open a door for any purpose other than dramatics is ‘worked’.
But it worked and that’s all that mattered. Cutting off my connection to her I go deep into our shared magic reserves and just feel everything. Every inch of magic, it’s shifts and turns as it rims around her eyes and floods outwards wildly despite her best efforts at control.
As expected, unfortunately. Shrugging off my dry expectations I simply get to the task at hand. Moulding her magic so steadily as she pours it into Legilimency wholeheartedly. A few hours later and we were done. A faint Mind Magic affinity had settled inside her Soul.
“I’m finished over here, the affinity has finally taken hold.” And that’s all that needs to be done in one session, over time her affinity will strengthen and grow naturally due to the proximity between us but it will never leave her. That makes five affinities now. Leaving two more to for the future.
‘So now what?’ She asks quietly to me.
If I had a body I’d have been grinning as I declared pridefully. “Nothing. We simply take it easy and practice on occasion, I don’t particularly remember the details on basic Legilimancy as I had no need for them being the prodigy that I am. Unless there’s anything else you wish to learn more about of course.”
Pausing she hums for a moment as she started heading off from the Cafe, after finishing a fourth cuppa. Eventually though she spoke - or would it be thought - up. ‘I was wondering about Sirius Black.’
“I don’t know him.” I state offhandedly. “From what I can tell he’s long after when the real me put memories into the diaries pages. I think I recognise the family name but they’re pretty much just rich Slytherin’s, less arrogant than the Malfoy’s but more insane and skilled.”
‘Insane?’ She queried as she stepped back into the Leaky Cauldron from the Muggle-side.
“Yeah, mostly inbreeding and some family magics twisted by poorly done rituals over time led to it. Most tend to be very trigger happy with their wands at the slightest provocation or insult, they’re also very prideful. A bad combination to the ill prepared.” Just the memory of Walburga pisses me off, she was a real bitch sometimes. The only good thing I learnt from her was Crucio, which is thankfully not from experience.
‘So he’s dangerous.’
“Very much so if he truly escaped from Azkaban of all places, spending even a week there would drive most mad enough to kill themselves.” One of the many reasons I utterly loath those parasitic Dementors, a twisted breed of monstrous that very few others in the whole world can compare. “The fact he retained enough rationality to escape so long after his imprisonment is ludicrous in and off itself. Then again the Black’s haven’t ever been particularly sane so it’s less of an issue to begin with…”
‘That’s… concerning.’
“Agreed.” Having a deranged madman out of the most secure prison in the Wizarding Word is no small matter. “I suggest if you’re looking into him checkout the old library on Flutterbook’s Road, it’s just to the left past Gringott’s. I frequented the place when I attended Hogwarts due to wealth of materials it held, including past Daily Prophet issues.”
‘Uh, yeah. Thanks, I’ll do that.’ Harriet thought warily, her doubts towards me and her concern with Black no doubt warring away inside her pretty little head.
“Also while we’re on the subject of books, the electives you picked for Hogwarts. I have a few… suggestions to make.”
Sighing outwardly in the solitude of her rented room she asked aloud. “What is it?”
-Omake 2-
Tamelyn: Everything you’re doing is wrong.
Harriet: How?
Tamelyn: Your robes are horrid, you’re not even trying in your studies, and worst of all you picked Divination of all things as an elective.
Harriet: And? I thought seeing the future helps prepare you for it.
Tamelyn: From personal experience the only things you’ll ever forsee are my victories, it’ll get boring and unnecessary after a week.
Harriet: …