Draco could have wished that the initial symptoms were all of them, and that they would simply fade away.
He didn’t, though. The initial symptoms, which included spontaneously needing to use the bathroom every couple hours, were very, very draining- both to him and to Madam Pomfrey. He couldn’t eat anything without vomiting it back out less than half an hour later.
Fortunately, they only lasted three days, before they all vanished very quickly… Except the fever, it only reduced.
And of course, had he wished such, it would have been in vain. The sudden disappearance of the initial symptoms was accompanied by fresh symptoms: He was perpetually dizzy, to the point where he couldn’t stand up at all, and he also had a splitting headache.
Fortunately, he could handle that, so long as he could lie still.
At least he could eat. And drink. And, of course, lie down for more than an hour and a half at a time.
Even if the pain kept him up at night.
“Expelliarmus!”
“Good job, Neville!” Harry congratulated, his wand floating back to him in the light blue aura of Rarity’s strange, totally-not-cheating levitation. After Professor Quirrell’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class turned out to be a bit of a joke on Wednesday of the first week, he’d written a letter to his co-instructor, Rarity, and asked Hedwig to deliver it as quickly as possible… without interrupting any classes.
He’d gotten a reply back less than fifteen minutes later, and met up with the Hufflepuff in the school library fifteen minutes after that. There, they’d encountered pretty much all of the other Defense Against the Dark Arts student instructors, from all four houses- and they all agreed, up to and including Princess Luna (who was most definitely not subtle), that Quirrell’s classes were sub-par.
And that they needed to find something else to teach their students.
Fortunately, one of the Ravenclaws had quickly discovered some of the simplest self-defense spells there were. They’d studied, done a touch of practice… and then he’d left with Rarity to teach.
This particular charm, the ‘disarming charm’, simply empties its target’s hand- of their wand. Hopefully. And it was very, very simple- no fancy motions required, no special ingredients, no nothing. Just point, visualize what you wanted to happen, and say the incantation.
A surprisingly large number of students were having trouble- even, Harry was rather painfully aware, Rarity herself. She hadn’t been able to get it to work at all- but that had lined up with about one third of all of the student instructors, for some reason, so it clearly wasn’t just her.
As it had turned out, he himself had a gift for these things; it had taken him all of two minutes to master every single spell they had found. He was one of only three that had managed every last one of them on that first meeting- which had then been scheduled into place, to become a regular meeting event.
In any case, for as much difficulty as Rarity had casting bolts of red light from her wand to disarm her opponents, she had absolutely no trouble catching flying wands- or other objects at times- and returning them to their proper place with her strange blue… aura. He’d called it ‘cheating’ at one point, and she’d been quick to disagree- saying that it was ‘her normal magic, as a Raeth’.
So of course, he’d asked if he could be a Raeth too.
She’d stared at him for a few seconds, before averting her gaze. “Oh, sorry, but no. That’s kinda a biological part of an Equestrian, which of the three tribes we belong to. And we can’t be changed between them, it’s been tried.”
That didn’t stop him from noticing that she did get small responses from her wand sometimes, though never enough to actually perform the spell she was asking of it. Did that mean that the Raeth magic she was using conflicted with wand magic in some way, making it difficult to do one or the other? Rarity had learned to use her Raeth magic already, and was clearly capable of wand magic, so wouldn’t the same be true the other way around? Once he learned enough wand magic, wouldn’t he be capable of learning some Raeth magic as well?
He’d have to ask Lyra. She’d seemed mighty knowledgeable about what the various magics could do back in the Leaky Cauldron… and the other Gryffindor of the magical prodigies that had taught the instructor courses was a lot harder to find. For some reason, Lyra seemed to shine at him from across the room, whether he was looking or not.
Though he couldn’t use it to identify her- he’d noticed that one of the other Gryffindors also shone at him in that same way, and he would rather stay as far away from that girl as he possibly could.
Molly Weasley heaved a sigh, after reading Professor Dumbledore’s latest missive.
She knew the man was using her and her family as tools in his plan against Voldemort… but what choice did she have? If she didn’t cooperate with him, Voldemort might return- and win!
Apparently, he’d been poking his nose about, in his usual manner… and found that Harry was not following his intended path. She knew as well as he did that her Ron had not met Harry on the train, as he was supposed to… and, as a matter of fact, had yet to meet him, even two weeks after term started.
She knew Ron was starting to get desperate- which was never a good thing. She’d done her best, but he had turned out, unlike his brothers and sister, to be the so-called ‘runt of the litter’.
He just wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box.
She wasn’t proud of it… but it made him quite susceptible to manipulation by those he trusted, and one of the most reliable pieces in Dumbledore’s puzzle of a plan.
Speaking of which, she wasn’t sure what she should tell her son. Fred and George were a lot more subtle than he in their search, and by their latest letter, they’d gotten a lead: Someone had mentioned seeing him with a bushy brown-haired British girl named Hermione Granger. She’d looked it up, and the girl was a muggleborn.
She’d informed Dumbledore, who had apparently not known of that- and his response, the letter she’d just read, had been nothing shy of relieved. Harry most certainly wasn’t following the trail Dumbledore had laid, but at least he was moving in the right direction, associating with a muggleborn. He had also, it seemed, gotten ahold of Harry’s class schedule- strange that it took him so long- and even sent her a copy.
She scowled at the page. If she sent that schedule to Ron, he’d no doubt stalk Harry and only manage to alienate himself. He needed a friendly pretext to be able to pull it off- as had been planned for the train. If, however, she sent the schedule to the Twins… They’d almost certainly find him, and they were smart enough that they’d actually be able to use it to their advantage. Meet him directly, probably somewhere innocent like the common room, introduce themselves, maybe even take advantage of being upper-year students to help him out in some way, and cement themselves in Harry’s mind as friendly figures. That’d undoubtedly help them deal with Ron’s tactlessness.
She couldn’t send it to Percy. Dumbledore had decided, and she had agreed, that Percy was best left unaware of the plan- and with his existing tendencies, he already had a rather extreme tendency to follow it. As such, Percy would probably raise all sorts of questions… and was not helping them look for Harry. He might be smart, but he was also very blunt, and would likely only alienate the boy if he knew about the search.
She glanced up as Ginny walked into the room. She was basically the complete opposite of Ron. Very smart, sensitive, and all around a very nice little girl- she was her mother’s pride. As a matter of fact, she was such a perfect girl that Dumbledore had worked her into his plan a few years back and, with Molly’s permission, had put a marriage contract on the books between Ginny and Harry.
It had been one of the toughest decisions of her life. She hated to take the freedom of choice away from Ginny, but the benefits… Not only did it force Dumbledore to plan for Harry to survive to marry her, but it also gave Ginny a quality groom… and Harry a quality bride. She’d hoped they’d be happy together.
Then, two weeks ago, at King’s Cross, one of the other Hogwarts first-years had stopped by her family to ask how to get onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. He must have been a muggleborn… but Ginny had fallen for him, developed an instant crush on him. Neither she nor any of her boys knew who he was; even Percy had been asked, in her effort to sate Ginny’s burning curiosity, but none had recognized him, even after the fact.
Of course, Ginny was aware of her part in the plan… and the marriage contract. She had been aware for over a year, as a matter of fact. For the first week after King’s Cross, she had seen that knowledge tearing the girl apart- she’d never be able to marry that strange boy.
Then one day, she’d come to breakfast with reddened eyes, like she’d been crying… and a smile on her face.
“If I can’t marry him, I’ll just have to make good friends with him,” she’d stated- or declared, more like. She said it very decisively, almost like the universe was listening. “And, of course, make sure Harry gets along well with him. He can be a ‘family friend’ that we invite on a regular basis.”
After that, she’d been spending most of her free time staring off into space, a dreamy smile and, sometimes, a blush on her face. She was more than willing to work with the plan… but also a very ambitious child.
She would go far in life, definitely. She mostly hoped that Harry wouldn’t be too… restrictive of her- the girl had a lot of potential, definitely.
Draco braced himself for a new batch of symptoms at the three day mark for the second set; Madam Pomfrey had noticed that the first set had lasted for exactly three days.
He wasn’t disappointed.
His entire body burned, like he’d been dropped into an active volcano.
It didn’t last long, fortunately- just a few seconds.
The headache, however, magnified itself to the point where he almost couldn’t think. He spent most of his time curled up in a ball, his arms wrapped around his head, trying to calm the pain. Madam Pomfrey fed him at mealtimes- and though he couldn’t see anything more than a strange wash of random colors when he opened his eyes, he did notice that the food she was giving him seemed to be rather exclusively vegetables. He wanted a good steak, but she didn’t once give him anything that tasted like meat of any kind. Something felt off about his body, but his head hurt too much for him to care.
You mean that Draco is not turning into an unicorn (or a kirin)?
10264018
I was referring to things like Dumbledore's plan, and so on.
So....is Silversong not returning? But either way, poor Draco. And how dare Dumbledore set up a marriage contract with Ginny?! Obviously Harry belongs with Draco!!
I feel like I should know who Harry is referring to there, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
Someone really should tell the Brits that the tribal names are just that, tribes, not titles or something that they can just join. Though that was a very 11 year old statement for Harry to make, lol.
10264070
The author has mentioned Silversong multiple times in blog posts and other comments, so have no fear there. The author even mentioned that Silversong is the entire reason that they are releasing chapters this fast right now, because they were so insipired they wrote a lot ahead.
10264077
Me too with the Gryffindor, as well as Silversong. But still, poor Draco.
10264083
Aye to that, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
10264093
Do you think Lyra told Madam Pomfrey to only give him vegetables just in case he was already starting to transform?
10264094
It's possible. It is also possible that it isn't actually her feeding him at that point since the headache is bad enough that he can't see. Who knows how much subjective time Lyra has already spent in research.
10264102
Ah, good point. It could also be she's the one feeding him because either Bonnie lectured her into guilt or she felt guilty on her own.
10264108
True, I would expect that she probably got multiple lectures, to possibly include Luna herself (vacation or no, you can't just have Lyra running around doing experiments that directly affect people's cores witout even telling them or getting consent).
10264077
You know, I hear this word "Tribe" thrown around a lot when referring to the different pony types. Why not use a more biologically accurate term? I always thought of the ponies as belonging to different breeds, or strains. Tribe is a term that is more associated with civilization and culture, not biology.
10264125
Oh yes, definitely Luna. But I bet with all those lectures (
probablydefinitely got a few from Twilight) I'm sure it was either Bon Bon or Luna that got through to her.10264129
As far as this story goes, state secrecy most likely. If you call them tribes, even if you mention genetic quirks like Raeth levitation, you keep the non-human status much farther back in the distance. If you start talking about breeds or strains, you might still be able to talk around the various secrets, but you run the risk of them either coming closer to your non-human status, or you get your entire people investigated for eugenics.
For the show, just to keep it simpler for the kids, probably.
10264058
Damn you're young
10264176
Yep, I turn 23 this month.
10264125
10264130
Or it could be Madam Pomfrey, responding to a changing situation and performing magical scans of her own to determine what is suitable.
10264195
Oh, yeah. I'm assuming that's what it is...? Still, I'm betting Lyra was lectured.
10264200
Yes, she was no-doubt lectured quite hard, and very possibly deprived herself of access to Draco while she researched the information left behind in her spellwork.
10264203
I would like to see that, like asking Harry or Hermione to check on Draco for her because she couldn't.
10264212
That's the thing: I don't think it's so much that she can't as that she's counting on Madam Pomfrey to notify her when something changes (which obviously she won't, but Lyra doesn't realize that), and otherwise doesn't have any reason to come because she's already learned all she can.
10264215
Aww, so Harry, Hermione, and Draco don't get to meet yet?
10264222
Not yet, no. They do eventually, though- we already know from last chapter that Draco is in the class Hermione teaches, for one.
10264246
Okay. So...who was the Gryffindor? I wanna guess Romilda Vane, but...I don't think she was in school at that time...
10264251
The Gryffindor...
Do you mean the other Gryffindor of the magical prodigies, Sunset Shimmer?
Or the other Gryffindor with the same "shiny" aura as Lyra, currently (deliberately) unspecified?
10264255
The latter
10264259
Ahh. Well... that Gryffindor is currently deliberately unspecified, though yes, she has a specific identity. Harry's determined avoidance of her is meant to be a clue (albeit a small one) as to her identity.
10264260
Ah. Well, I'll just wait and see.
10264525
... I suppose that would work, but that's not how Lyra's doing it.
I refuse to believe Dumbledore planned out Ginny and Harry getting together.
And I'm very much hoping this isn't going to crap on Ron too much more.
But, I've been disappointed before.
10264574
You're welcome to believe what you will.
I first saw the marriage contract angle in another fic, and decided it would fit with the flow. As for Ron... Unfortunately, he does still have some flak to catch, but he'll very quickly be relegated to near-total absence- even, possibly, at the Weasley home. There's only so much "bashing" I can do before even the people that agree with me are turned away.
... Besides, he's not so bad as to deserve the "bashing", so I don't "bash" him- he's just... Well, I take a strong dislike to his character, and leaving him straight-up "absent" (as in The Gate) didn't sit right.
10264621
Mm. Fair warning, at least. Thank you. I think I’ll just take my leave then. Good luck to you.
10264645
You're welcome.
Lyra: You have a marriage contract?
Ginny: Yep.
Lyra: Do not let Cadence know.
Cadence: I HEARD. WHO DARES TO STAND IN THE WAY OF LOVE WITH SUCH STUPIDITY? SHOW THEM TO ME, SO THAT I MAY TEACH THEM THE ERROR OF THEIR WAYS!
Lyra: Yeah. Those myths you have of Aphrodite? Cadence is those given form.
10264660
... Not quite what I had in mind...
But yeah, that contract is toast. Even though, if you consider who that "boy on the station" that Ginny fell for really was, it's irrelevant.
She doesn't know that.
Oh come on. If there's one thing "Fine Print" has taught us, contracts are contracts :).
Seriously though: You've done something to Dumbledore. You're making him much more bashable than canon Dumbledore. Heck, Ron's a nice guy in comparison now.
Would a marriage contract even have any legal standing anymore?
And, as I mentioned on the Discord: First year canon Harry was massively insecure, low self esteem, lacking the most basic background knowledge of wands, wizards, magic, etc -- there is no way that it makes sense that Harry would be chosen as a student teacher.
I can see Draco, seriously; he got underage training from his dad.
I can see Hermione, maybe; she studied this from books before going to hogwarts.
But in reality, either of them being used would mean that they could not get enough from years 2-7, which means that even with this student program they are horribly short-staffed.
Harry? There must be (hmm ... 5 males, 5 females, per house, so 40 first year students) at least 3 other first-years that are better qualified than him.
(Hermione, Draco, ... sheesh I didn't pay enough attention to the background characters)
I admitted that Molly paragraph really gave me pause. It was an interesting interpretation I have never considered before since the Weasleys are usually portrayed as a straight-forward, easy-going kind of family - instead of some shadow-worker characters.
Its always nice when I see someone who realizes that Ginny's crush is on "the cute boy from the train station" instead of "The legendary Harry Potter."
10264974
10264910
Yeah... I have something planned for when poor Ginny realizes the two are actually one and the same...
And of course, a contract is a contract. She knows that.
Seriously now I feel really bad for Ron. His and Harry's friendship is so plastics for both boys, the Wesley's are a net positive for Harry and the Ponies might unknowingly deny Harry one of his best allies and best friends. Also getting shades of the game lots seem to have for the movie, where Ron is made dumber cause the director liked Emma Watson more. Like how lots of Harry/Hermione shipping it actual Daniel Radcliff/Emma Watson Shipping. Harry and Hermione are a horrible match but Daniel and Emma are both attactive.
10264129
I see someone already answered the case for the term in this story, but in terms of the actual show (which also uses the term)? They originally were separate cultures that just happened to interact on a regular basis. Only after the Windigos were defeated were they truly united. And considering the tale of the event was retold every year afterwards (barring the first few most likely)... yeah, it stuck.
So unicorns are actually rather lousy at wand magic? How amusing. And it seems that Draco has picked up some remarkably vile disease, something has clearly disagreed with him. Equestria should double-check the portal's biological filters, something has clearly slipped through.
OH nooossss, Draco is turning into a pony! LOL
And Ron was actually the smartest one in the bunch. It was that second-hand wand that was doing him in. All he needs is a new wand.
10265478
My headcanon on that is that a unicorn has to learn how to redirect their magic away from where their horn would be to their hand in order to do wand magic. They are actually doing quite well in this story given they are doing unicorn magic without their normal focus point.
10265746
My headcanon... is a little different. Because their magic is much more naturally active, they're used to restraining it as a matter of course- preventing it from flowing into their wands. The younger ones, that haven't learned to use their magic yet, haven't learned to restrain it- allowing it to flow into their wands... however, it flows in a wild, unstable manner, and produces unpredictable results.
I think that's actually a wonderful description of Molly right there. Note that Harry is never actually included in her considerations, other than that this has a side effect to make the person likely to kill him off possibly more likely to let him survive... which I imagine he would have if not for all that interference!
This is when you start running away. That's a bit creepy. Even if they happen to be the same person, that's not really a healthy attitude at all (I also blame Molly for that one, since the contract is again her fault). Hopefully there is a way he can get out of it...?
I'm guessing Ginevra's the other one who "glowed" to Harry, but the one that scared him off? Then again, she shouldn't be in first year, so that may not make sense. I wonder who the person was, then?
10266032
No. That is a metric fuckton creepy. This is a 10-year old girl in 2021 who has been told she's going to be forcibly married to someone she thinks she has never met, and is already speculating about cheating on her unwanted husband with a piece of ass she has only seen for a minute or two at a train station.
These are not the thoughts of a 10-year old girl. Charitably, they could be the thoughts of a 17-year old girl (but even that's a stretch), which exemplifies a problem many HP fanfics have: writing the canon characters as they are in the final book, all throughout their schooling.
10265090
But they're not. The Harry Potter that lived in a castle, wrestled trolls, and rescued princesses in the bedtime stories Molly read her and that growth stunted boy from the cupboard are two completely different people. It's why the Weasleys didn't recognize him. They expected a mighty prince on horseback not a peasant looking like the last time he ate was trash day.
10272358
They might even be...
Because all she really knows- or cares- about "Harry Potter" is that she has a marriage contract with him. She doesn't know that the boy she saw at the train station was Harry Potter... it's her finding that out that I have plans for.
That is to say, whether the two people are the same in her mind or not, they are one and the same entity, which cannot change no matter how big the difference is between what she expected and the reality.
I really like how you've characterized Molly here. In a lot of circumstances like this she's only portrayed as being completely obsessed with her children's "happily ever after" to the point of doing horrible things. Here, I can understand why she's making the choices she is. I may not agree with them, but I can understand them. They still come from a place of wanting what's best for her family, as with any good mother, but not to the point of mania.
This is not Ginny, this is some Slytherin girl who is masquerading as Ginny. I hope Equestrians would caught on that and would not let it continue.
Intense burning and pain that overcones everything else?
Draco is turning into a vampire, the sparkly type at that.