Shape of Magic 8: Desiring Catharsis

Chapter 9 will also be posted next week. Enjoy.

[center]<<<Taylor Rose>>>[/center]

In all fairness, Taylor had expected magic school to be like mundane schooling, and she was right as much as she was wrong. While Hogwarts followed the traditional ‘formula’ of a school it was also wildly different, what with magic being at the epicenter and well… the magical forest not far from the castle grounds.

Days started off with lessons, then lunch break, then some more lessons, and finally the day ends and you are allowed to relax in the common room or do some exploring or self-study. That was how the day-to-day boiled down to really. But what made the school so interesting (besides the classes of course) was the sheer amount of shenanigans that happened without her having to nudge things to make things interesting!

The meeting with Dumbledore was rather interesting, the old man looked so surprised to hear young people taking interest in Alchemy (the subject he taught… not that many enrolled in the class, according to Dumbledore), and even wondering if he could get Flamel to give a lecture on the subject! Honestly, after the befuddlement passed, the man was tickled pink and, while he couldn’t promise the Flamels would guest lecture, he was going to look forward to having some students to teach after so long.

Pity the classes wouldn’t be available until they were in their Sixth year at the very least.

Another surprise was actually in the Slytherin common room after our first potions lesson, and given the admittedly biased information Taylor had gotten from… just about everyone else she didn’t know what to really expect. So hearing Professor Snape (and he was in full Head of House mode) having words with the entire house about the Slytherin House should be united in the face of the school and keep internal conflicts strictly in house. Though he quite possibly painted a target on Taylor’s back when called her a quintessential Slytherin making inroads and allies regardless of House or their personal politics! 

Much more importantly than that, however, was a request (more of a requirement, in her mind) to visit with the Headmaster in a few weeks to clear up some of his worries. Taylor didn’t see much of a problem with it, if he’d wanted to hurt her he’d had ample opportunity to do so, so she accepted. It helped that he’d requested Amy and Hera to come along and didn’t ban them from taking others along.

Susan wouldn’t be a bad option, she was quite nice and her aunt was important enough that problems would filter up the chain to those that could solve them.

Of course, the meeting being late at night, after curfew, would pose a problem as only those directly invited would have explicit passes… The Headmaster was fond of encouraging minor rule breaking, if she didn’t miss her guess.

Eh, she’d just ask the girl after their next Herbology class. She knew Hera was bringing Ron, at the very least.

Still, time came and went and she slowly absorbed more and more knowledge. She’d even started helping the others learn Defense Against the Dark Arts because it had become clear Quirrell wasn’t going to be doing it properly.

Though the knowledge that Dumbledore was investigating the matter did put her mind at ease.

It didn’t stop her from borrowing charm, hex, curse, and countercurse books from older students and the library to read though. Nor did it prevent her from spying on those same upper year members of Hogwarts to gather even more spell knowledge.

It was rather cute that some of the fifth year Slytherins were plotting against her, to put the ‘uppity mudblood in her place’, honestly it made her feel vaguely nostalgic. Almost like back in the Bay, only her future victims were spoiled rich kids with a very… almost nazi-like ideology.

So really she was just fighting Nazis again, fun.

Eventually, the day did arrive and, with a deep breath, Taylor snuck out of the common room; her bugs spreading through the castle to search for Filch. He was on the other side of the castle from her and her destination. Susan was getting up and following Taylor’s map, Hera, Amy, Ron, and Hermione were doing the same.

It was simple enough a map to follow, mostly just a trail of flies with warnings floating in front of passages with people patrolling in them.

Eventually they had all met up in the agreed on spot, and of course Amy was the first to say anything. Crossing her arms she looked at her with her usual look of exasperation tinge with fondness, “What’s up, Ladybug?”

Taylor shrugged, “Headmaster’s inside this room alongside a mirror,” She said gesturing to the door, “He’s waiting for us.”

Hermione just sighed, “Good, so we won’t get expelled for this?” She asked, making Taylor roll her eyes at her very one-track mind.

“If we were, Hera, Amy, and I would have been told to not bring anyone else along,” She replied with ease, poking the girl on the nose and earning a squawk.

“Owl, you really need to relax,” The fact that it was Hera that suggested it was surprising enough, “Not… everyone is as academically minded as you…”

Hermione sputtered at the obvious truth.

“And most of us have a better sense of priorities,” Ron added, “Expulsion was your worry about going to confront a giant three headed, possibly man eating, dog too. Honestly Hermione, there are things more important than school.”

He looked like he wanted to have gotten that off his chest for a while.

“Hermione, we love you. You’re our friend,” Amy said, “But girl… it’s not healthy to stress out so much, and I would know.” She added wiggling her fingers at the girl.

Susan was giggling next to them, “You know… standing around like this and stalling won’t help us not get in trouble, right? Even if magic bug girl knows everything that goes on here, Peeves could show up!”

Taylor shrugged, “Eh, Filch is on the other side of the castle, I’ve got Miss Norris bugged, so… we're actually good.” She said, “Besides… can you think of a better time to give a friend a reality check? Trust me, there are worse times.”

“Yes,” She replied, “When it isn’t in the middle of the night, that’s usually a better time.” Susan grinned as Ron laughed.

“Yeah but this way we have privacy! Well ignoring the nosy Headmaster who is listening in, clearly amused,” Taylor quipped, “He thinks he’s sneaky, but he should know that invisibility doesn’t help when I can feel throu-and he’s intangible now. That is impressive magic.”

Taylor was very impressed, beyond Shadow Stalker she didn’t think she had ever encountered someone that could go intangible like that.

Hermione clearly didn’t know if she should laugh or start fretting.

“Let’s go then!” Taylor announced before pushing the door open and walking in, “We’ve arrived, officially I mean! Now, you were very vague about what we’d be doing, only that it could reveal something private about us if we let it. So… what are we doing?”

Dumbledore chuckled as he reappeared, “My dears Rose, Carlson, Potter… and guests, I wanted to see if you could solve the mystery of the Mirror of Erised,” He said with an amused twinkle in his eye. “You are advanced students, so I’m sure you can solve it. If you can’t… I’ll be happy to explain.”

Taylor shrugged, “I’ll go last,” She offered, “I think I recognize the phrase from one of my books, so it would be cheating.”

“Who wants to take their first swing at it?” Amy asked, content to go next to last.

“I’ll do it,” Ron said as he stepped forward and looked into the mirror. “Oh, I’m head boy! And Quidditch captain!” He announced, “Does this show the future?” He asked, stepping away from it.

Dumbledore just smiled and didn’t answer, instead he gestured for the next to try.

Hera stepped forward and sniffled, “I see Sirius and all my friends and… two other people, I think they’re my parents…” Her voice was thick with emotion as she stared at the mirror no doubt trying to commit her parents' faces to memory. “There are more too, they all look like me… I think they’re my family.”

Amy gently pulled Hera away from the mirror as she turned around and buried her face in her shoulder, trembling. No doubt the image of what she wanted more than anything else would haunt her for some time to come. It actually made Taylor think whoever created this Mirror of Erised was something of a sadist… and an uncreative one too.

Erised, Desire spelt backwards. Much creative, such wow.

Hermione was after that, though she didn’t say what she saw. Taylor didn’t blame her, not really. It was kinda private.

“Oh, it’s my family…” Susan said with a frown, “My aunt seems happy, they’re all hugging me…”

“I wonder what Amy will see?” Taylor wondered, she also wondered if anyone was starting to figure the mirror’s trick out… besides Hermione, anyway.

Taylor didn’t count herself or Amy though.

Eventually it was Amy’s turn, she stepped in front of the mirror and didn’t say anything. But you’d have to be blind and oblivious to not see the longing in her eyes alongside self-loathing. If Taylor were to take a guess, Amy was probably seeing the rest of the Dallons… if things weren’t fucked from the very beginning.

Supportive parents, a family, and the love of her sister. Things she would desire possibly until the end of her days. Trufully, Taylor felt that the mirror should’ve been destroyed, how many people had wasted away staring into it wanting what they couldn’t have.

“Amy,” Taylor whispered, hand going to her shoulder, “You good?”

“It’s… it's fine,” Amy said, her voice rough with emotion, “Just… things…” She added before stepping away and moving to a corner of the room to pull herself together.

Slowly, Taylor took her own breath. It was clear, at that point, that Dumbledore was testing them. She knew what she was going to see, what she wanted more than anything else.

Her eyes looked up as she swallowed. “Hi mom… hi dad…” She whispered, vision starting to blur already. “I’m ok, I have friends… I think… I think I can be happy here.” She was shaking a bit, unable to see but through her bugs through the tears she was trying to blink away. “I’ll be ok… don’t wait up… I won’t be there for a long time…”

She could see that whatever was in the mirror shifted as she walked away, but she couldn’t tell what it was. As cruel as the mirror was… it gave her what she wanted, in a way.

A chance to talk to them, see their faces, one last time.

“The mirror shows your greatest desires,” Taylor said, her voice tightly controlled and almost monotone, “It doesn’t show the future or a future. Just a vision, nothing more…”

“Correct,” The Headmaster whispered, looking into it himself, “It’s tantalizing, many a wizard and witch have wasted their lives away looking into it. It’s dangerous… and it is what at the end of that gauntlet you were so eager to throw yourself into, Taylor.”

“Did you learn what you wanted?” Taylor asked, trying to not let herself feel resentful as she understood why he did this.

“Did you?” He asked, “You wished to know what the journey resulted in, I simply sped things along.” The Headmaster paused, “But yes, I was wondering what you’d see. If you wish, I could tell you what I see at some other time?” It was a genuine offer, and there was pain in those deep eyes of his…

“I think I did…” Taylor said quietly, she wasn’t one to regret actions she brought on herself but… she was regretting this if only slightly.

As cathartic as it was, it also tore open some emotional scars she thought had healed.

“Perhaps… another time,” Taylor said feeling emotionally exhausted, if still crying, “Just have to get to bed without having to deal with nosy politicking Slytherins now…” She added dryly as she rubbed her eyes on her sleeves.

“I will take Susan to her own dorms,” Dumbledore replied gently as Taylor stumbled from the girl hugging her. Hera was hugging Amy alongside Ron, Hermione looked awkward… so Steve decided to hug her, getting a squeak of surprise from Susan and Hermione both.

“She felt left out,” Taylor said with a snicker, which caused her to start shaking again ever so slightly.

“I will also be waiting outside,” The headmaster said, slipping out of the room for their privacy’s sake.

Taylor took one final deep breath before forcing herself to relax, something she had a lot of experience doing, “Well, this was enlightening,” She said after a few seconds of silence. “I’m going to bed. If I’m needed, tell Steve.” The spider gave a cheer through body language alone. “Goodnight and… thank you all, for being my friend.”

She gave one last look at the mirror and laughed, of course it would change to that. She didn’t stop laughing until she got back to her common room. “Purity,” She whispered to the snake, the door opened.

Entering with the intention of heading to bed, thankfully it was Sunday so there were no classes to be had, so she easily made her way to the first year girls dorms and proceeded to collapse face first in her bed and fell asleep minutes later.

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The morning came suddenly, the noise of the school waking up trickling into her ears, physical and bug formed, and she woke.

“God, I never thought I’d miss public school but here I am.” Don’t get her wrong, she loved everything about Hogwarts but… that didn’t mean she liked the whole boarding aspect of it all.

It made it harder to sleep in on free days, maybe she should invest in some earmuffs and blackouts to sleep in?

Taylor snorted as she slipped out of bed, thankful that at least her direct dorm mates tried to be discreet and quiet for her. She knew she’d never be able to sleep in, not really. Her internal clock was screwed and had been for quite a long time.

Her eyes still hurt, feeling puffy, but that was fine. She could still see, could still get dressed quickly, could still greet people through bugs and body alike. Even the ghosts, Moaning Myrtle always enjoyed being given a good morning’s greeting from the swarm.

She went through her morning routine easily enough, none of the other girls she shared the dorm with were present so she could take her time. After washing up and getting dressed in some casual clothes Taylor felt mostly ready to face the day. She just hoped that nothing too exciting would happen, she’d feel a little guilty if she blew up on someone for irritating her.

Maybe she could give this Occlumency thing a try? It couldn’t hurt at any rate, but she’d need a teacher. It wasn’t part of the official curriculum…

Slipping into the great hall for breakfast, she was pleased to find a pile of letters for her from the orphanage with a similar pile waiting for Amy. She was more than happy to focus on going through them and answering their inquiries on how she was doing rather than on what happened the night before.

“Lovely,” Taylor said, and she meant it… it was ironic given all the stories she heard about orphanages in her last life and here her time in the orphanage were some of the best years of her life.

Funny how things worked out.

She was halfway through them when she heard a laugh, “Looking for another school then?” Draco asked from the other side of the table. Taylor studiously ignored him until… “Were you expelled? It would serve you right and would explain the crying last night.”

So… violence was on the table then? Well, unfortunately for him she was feeling rather vindictive and creative.

“It’s not your fault, I suppose. You didn’t have anyone to teach you right from wrong, did you?” Malfoy was rather adept at digging his own grave.

Her bugs buzzed, loudly, her swarm writhing and swarming overhead and silencing the room. The teachers looked concerned, but their opinion didn’t really matter at that moment as she cut the noise off, the only sound left was the slight crackle of flames from the candles floating overhead and the breathing of students.

“Draco Malfoy,” Taylor whispered, sure everyone in the hall could hear it, “I have had enough of your mouth. You, me, courtyard. I will duel you, you will lose, and you will never open your mouth to spew your bile in my presence again. Do I make myself clear?” She asked, “There will be at least one prefect watching and I will not use my bugs, wand magic only. I expect to see you in five minutes, unless you’re a sniveling coward like your father is.” Yes, she did her research and yes she did in fact go there.

If there was one thing she learned about Malfoy it was that you just had to poke fun at his family to make him do something stupid.

Granted, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice, the entire school had heard her challenge so not showing up would have been cowardly and would obliterate his reputation.

Plus, the fact that Dumbledore looked amused and Snape just gave a quiet sigh just made things even better.

It didn’t take long for the school to arrive at her location, several teachers at their head. She had to hand it to them, if she wasn’t sure that duels were permitted she’d have assumed they were trying to stop her. As it was, Dumbledore announced that Professor Flitwick, owing to his dueling experience, would be overseeing it; even creating what looked like a narrow arena for it.

Not that Taylor minded, hopping up and, with clear reluctance, bowing to Malfoy. “My second is Crabbe,” The boy said aloud, making Taylor’s eyebrow raise.

“I will not need one,” Taylor replied as she brandished her wand.

“Are you sure, Miss Rose?” Professor Flitwick asked, looking at her and silently questioning her reasoning.

“I am, sir,” She replied, “He does not have the capacity to harm me.” 

“Very well,” Professor Flitwick said before flicking his wand upward making an echoing boom quieting the crowd, “This duel is between Draco Malfoy of Slytherin with his Second Vincent Crabbe against Taylor Rose, also of Slytherin.”

Professor Flitwick gave them both a very serious look, “The rules are simple. No Unforgivables, no Dark Arts, and no maiming. The first to three wins. Are these rules understood, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Rose?” He asked in a stern voice.

“What counts as a win, and does his surrendering mean only one bout is needed?” Taylor asked.

“Each side is awarded a point on a successful strike that would end a battle or if they’re knocked out of the lane.” Professor Flitwick said, “And surrendering counts as an instant win, are there any more questions?”

Taylor shook her head as Malfoy scoffed, “Very well, begin.” His wand waved and emitted a second bang.

Taylor moved instantly as Malfoy attempted to cast the leg locker curse, “Protego,” She cast, forming a shield against the spell and deflecting it up into the air, “Levioso,” up into the air he went, “Accio!” Towards her now, “Flipendo!” Away, spinning now, “Accio!” Towards, “Depulso!”

It became very clear what she was doing after a few moments. She was playing tennis with the boy, her opponent invisible as Malfoy flew through the air, looking very sick and unable to get Taylor in his wand range for long enough to cast anything.

It started with the uproarious laughter of the Weasley twins, but gradually it started to spread through the entire House. And eventually even the other Houses started laughing, with Slytherin for the most part remaining quiet; though Taylor was well aware that outside his two thugs Malfoy hadn’t exactly been the most cunning of Slytherin.

In fact, she overheard from quite a few students talking about how Malfoy got away with so much simply due to his father’s position.

“Give up yet, Malfoy?” She asked him, “Arresto Momentum!” She froze him mid air, facing away from her and upside down, “You can use words, right?”

But the thing that escaped from Malfoy’s mouth weren’t words, he… also seemed to have fainted as well.

“Oh, well,” Taylor started, cutting off her levitation charm and letting him float to the floor once more, “I think that’s my win?” She asked, “I was going to stun him if he didn’t surrender there, just to end things with a bang.”

Professor Flitwick tried to contain his amusement but Taylor could see his shoulders trembling, “Indeed, Miss Rose. Mr. Crabbe? Are you going to step in?” He asked.

He shook his head, clearly not feeling very confident in his ability to deal with… any of what Taylor had done.

“Very well, then. Miss Rose is the victory of the duel!” Professor Flitwick announced.

There was a loud cheer from the rest of the Houses as she bowed, though Taylor could tell a lot of Slytherins looked rather pleased with this outcome as well. No doubt hoping that this incident would curb Malfoy’s rampant arrogance, Taylor had her doubts personally, but she was open to being surprised.

Though in truth, she was willing to bet that Malfoy would be back at it in a few days… though perhaps that was the pessimist in her thinking that.

“Miss Rose?” Dumbledore started, “Where did you learn those spells? Most of them aren’t on your first year curriculum…”

“Ah, busted,” Taylor thought with a small blush before saying out loud, “I’ve been, uh, spying on all of the other classes? Constantly. Since I arrived. And a lot of the students. And I borrowed a lot of books from the library and my classmates to read them all at once?”

Dumbledore didn’t look surprised at all by that information, though Flitwick looked rather surprised.

“Well, I think we will need to look over your grades but… if you are doing as well as this duel showed, you may well find yourself learning with much older classmates soon.”

Taylor just rubbed the back of her head, “Perhaps Professor, but if it's all the same I’d like to stay with my friends and help them,” She said.

“When did I say otherwise?” He replied, sounding surprised, “For some reason, I doubt your potions master will let you skip ahead…”

“I wouldn’t either,” Professor Sprout noted, “There’s far too much that can’t be taught by observation and book learning.”

“... Yeah, sorry I was thinking of mundane school,” Taylor admitted with a cough. “Right, um… I’m going to go and explore the school a bit… and maybe the forest if no one objects…” When no one did, she just left with a blush.

She did hear Dumbledore chuckling, “Mundane? Oddly fitting,” He mused.

Taylor just walked away faster.

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