Chapter 61 - 60: Learning Achieved

Bang! Two spells hit Malfoy square on. His legs snapped together, glued tight, impossible to separate. Losing his balance, he crashed to the ground. Malfoy's nose started gushing blue snot like a burst dam. Daphne let out a disgusted yelp, quickly stepping aside. "Why's it always me who gets hit?" Malfoy shouted, sniffling furiously. "Undo this spell already!" "Finite Incantatem!" "Scourgify!" Edward flicked his wand twice, freeing Malfoy's legs and stopping the snot, while also cleaning the mess off his robe's front. "Sorry, the Shield Charm can sometimes deflect spells unpredictably. It's just bad luck," Edward explained with a hint of apology. Malfoy struggled to his feet, muttering. So I'm just supposed to accept I'm cursed with bad luck? But he quickly forgot his embarrassment. Say what you will, the Shield Charm was seriously effective! Updates are hard work—don't forget to share 101 Reading Network! If he could master this spell, he'd be able to prank others without worrying about retaliation when Edward wasn't around. The thought barely crossed Malfoy's mind before Edward's knowing smile made him uneasy, and he dropped it. "So, any special tricks to this spell?" Daphne asked, eager to try it herself. "You need to pronounce it clearly and confidently," Edward said, raising his wand to demonstrate. "The Shield Charm takes practice to use in high-pressure duels." "There aren't many technical details, like wrist movements. Just picture an invisible shield in front of you, blocking all attacks." With that, Edward had Daphne and Malfoy start practicing. "Protego!" "Puh-tego!" "No, it's Protego. Enunciate clearly." Being sorted into Slytherin already proved the two young snakes' sharp intelligence and ambition. If a Slytherin wanted to do something, they'd pour their all into it. Getting the pronunciation and movements right was no challenge for them. Soon, they moved on to practical application. But this was a fifth-year spell, after all. No matter how talented, first-year students couldn't master it as smoothly as Edward. By the fifth time a pebble thrown by Edward hit Malfoy's head, he was visibly annoyed. "Focus, Draco. Patience. Those are your weak spots," Edward said. "Imagine casting this in front of others—especially Harry. What kind of look would he have on his face?" Edward's taunt was basic but brutally effective. Malfoy's distracted gaze sharpened instantly. "Protego!" His shout echoed through the secret passage. The pebble Edward tossed hit something invisible in midair and ricocheted with a ping. "I did it! I did it!" Malfoy jumped up, dancing with excitement. Edward nodded approvingly. "Not bad. Forming the spell in such a short time is impressive." Daphne, watching Malfoy's over-the-top celebration, couldn't believe this was the same arrogant Malfoy heir she'd known for years. The haughty pureblood prince seemed like a different person. Before, he'd never get this excited over learning a spell. He'd probably be busy bragging about his family's status instead. In just two months since the school year started, these changes seemed to stem from Edward. How strange. But since Malfoy had succeeded, Daphne's pureblood pride wouldn't let her fall behind. She took her stance. "Protego!" The thrown pebble bounced off with a satisfying clink. Edward smiled, pleased with their progress. "That's enough for today. It's getting late, and we don't want to play hide-and-seek with Filch again." He checked his pocket watch. Sure enough, it was nearly curfew. "A few more practice sessions, and you'll both have the Shield Charm down. Then we can move on to the next spell." Time flew by, and the days leading up to Christmas were some of Edward's happiest at Hogwarts. He'd been bracing for trouble from Flint and the Slytherin Quidditch team after their hospital stay, but he hadn't seen the fifth-year since. Other team members steered clear of Edward, terrified he'd conjure that magical greatsword again. Live and learn—Flint might look like a troll, but his brain wasn't that thick. With Dumbledore and Snape keeping an eye on the shadowy figure causing chaos at school, Edward felt a weight lift. He decided to follow the professors' advice and stop obsessing over the mystery. But that didn't mean doing nothing. He'd shifted his focus to coaching Daphne and Malfoy on the Shield Charm. Their secretive sessions naturally sparked curiosity among other Slytherins. Pansy had asked Daphne more than once what she was up to with Edward and Malfoy, but Daphne always dodged with vague excuses. Malfoy, too, kept his lips sealed. Spill the beans on private lessons? Never. Slytherins were nothing if not shrewd. As for Edward, he stayed quiet too. This was his way of making up for dragging Daphne and Malfoy into the mirror incident. Until they spilled, he wouldn't either. Though he did think, in these dangerous times, more students learning self-defense spells would be a good thing. But the conditions weren't right. First, the secret passage was too cramped for more people. Second, he wasn't confident teaching a larger group. One or two students? Fine. More? He might not be up to it. Finally, on the eve of Christmas break, Daphne and Malfoy mastered the Shield Charm. Edward, Daphne, and Malfoy were all basking in joy—partly from the upcoming holiday and partly from the thrill of mastering the spell. For Edward, there was an extra layer of satisfaction: fulfilling his knightly duty. He had a feeling his humility blessing would soon level up. "Just one more day until break. Any plans?" Malfoy asked after their last Potions class before the holidays. "Going to southern France with my parents and sister. You?" Daphne replied, then turned to Edward along with Malfoy. "Heading home. I also want to visit Glastonbury Abbey," Edward said briefly. He couldn't shake the vision from the Mirror of Erised, and since Glastonbury was so close to Bedivere Manor, it was an easy trip. "I'm going home too, obviously. Get ready—I'm giving you both Christmas gifts that'll be the most expensive things you've ever received," Malfoy said, strutting up the stairs with his usual swagger. But as they rounded a corner, they found their path blocked by a massive fir tree. "Watch out! Move! The tree's falling!" Hagrid's booming, panicked voice echoed through the corridor. Harry and Ron's voices chimed in too. Though, when they saw the falling tree was about to hit Malfoy, their panic seemed to... ease up a bit.