Stolen Magic by coolh5000
Past Featured StorySummary:

Samuel Radley is a wizard born without magic. Coming from a family with generations of witches and wizards, his brother Adrian has never really understood why Samuel has been left without, especially when there are others, with no magical blood at all, who somehow find themselves able to do magic. As he enters his fourth year at Hogwarts, it seems that the Ministry are finally starting to do something about this imbalance and Adrian couldn't be happier. All around him however, there is resistance to the new laws, and suddenly Adrian finds himself an outsider in his class and abandoned by his friends, when all he's ever done is love his family.

This is coolh5000 of Slytherin writing in the Great Hall chaptered challenge, for the Phoenix Rising prompt. I am pleased to say this story won in its section!

I am also really thrilled to say that Adrian Radley won the Chaptered QSQ for Best Original Character 2013! The story was also nominated in the Best General category.

Categories: General Fics Characters: None
Warnings: None
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 15 Completed: Yes Word count: 51905 Read: 43208 Published: 08/03/12 Updated: 07/29/15
Chapter 7 - Detention by coolh5000
Author's Notes:
I'm back! After a hideous absence, I bring you a nice long chapter to keep you entertained. The next chapter is almost finished as well so the wait now should be days rather than months! Thanks as ever to Kara for betaing.
Adrian was safely on the train by eleven that morning, and was soon joined by Hector and Duncan, both full of tales of what they had been up to over Christmas. Adrian found he didn’t really need to talk much with the two of them chatting at a hundred miles a minute.

His thoughts instead turned to Samuel and the conversation he’d had with his dad. He knew he wasn’t quite ready to accept that Samuel just wanted to abandon their world and even though what his dad had said made sense, it was still confusing.

And there was all the other stuff. He obviously wanted Adrian to question things, but what exactly? His mother, his teachers, his friends? Why hadn’t he just come out and said exactly what he meant? This had always been his father’s way though. He never just gave them the answers; he waited for them to figure them out along the way, with just the odd hint here and there.

Adrian didn’t feel quite ready for the answers he thought his dad was trying to give him though. It was easier simply to push it to the back of his mind for the moment.

In general the conversation in their compartment on the train was light-hearted. Duncan seemed to have spent most of the holidays trying to convince his parents that he should leave school after his O.W.Ls in the summer.

–What use are N.E.W.T.s to a professional Quidditch player, anyway?” he asked. –I’m better off getting a head-start in one of the junior squads.”

–But what will you do after you retire?” asked Hector.

–Coach, of course!” Duncan replied with a grin.

–I’m don’t want to leave school a minute before I have to,” said Hector. –I don’t want to live in the real world and have to earn money and cook my own food and clean!”

Adrian nodded. –Same here!”

–Besides,” Hector added. –Who knows how much longer the Quidditch league will be able to continue.”

The atmosphere in the carriage changed suddenly with Hector’s comment. Clearly, the conversation was about to take a much more serious turn.

–Has anything happened at home over the holidays?” Duncan asked.

–My aunt has gone.”

–What do you mean, gone?”

–She left. She heard from someone that the Ministry were about to take her in for questioning and she wasn’t prepared to stick around and find out. Mum’s devastated. We haven’t heard from her since. She said it would be too dangerous to try and contact in case they’re watching us. We don’t even know if she’s alive or still in this country or anything.”

–Wow,” murmured Duncan.

Adrian wondered what could have happened to cause Hector’s aunt to have to go on the run. He knew that Hector’s dad had died when he was younger and his aunt had helped out him and his mum a lot since.

–She hasn’t done anything wrong, you know,” Hector suddenly said, seeing Adrian’s frown as he tried to figure out the situation. –It’s just…a misunderstanding.”

–Oh yeah, of course,” Adrian replied. –Sorry about that, mate. I’m sure she’ll be okay.”

He knew there was definitely more to the story than Hector had said, but he didn’t really want to hear it. He had already lost one group of friends that year and he wasn’t about to lose another by arguing about things happening outside Hogwarts that he realised he didn’t quite understand.

–We should probably get changed,” Duncan said at last.

As the boys changed into their robes, the easy atmosphere gradually returned and they were soon chatting and joking normally again.

When the train arrived at Hogsmeade, however, things took another turn for the worse. The three boys almost literally bumped into another group emerging from the next carriage. Adrian started to apologise but then looked up and realised who he was speaking to.

Before him stood Dorian, Gemma and Rosa. Dorian gave him a kind of awkward smile, but the other two just stared at him coldly. No one spoke until eventually Duncan coughed and said, –C’mon, Adrian, we’re going to miss the carriages at this rate!”

–Oh yeah, right,” Adrian replied, turning away from the other fourth years to follow Duncan and Hector off the train.

–Wow, that was awkward,” Duncan said, once the three of them were safely in a carriage, rolling towards Hogwarts. –I take it you’re still no closer to making up with them?”

Adrian shook his head. –I’m not sure we ever will,” he said sadly.

–One of the girls looked in a bit of a bad way - Gemma, isn’t it?”

–Yeah, maybe she’s been ill. I wouldn’t know - I haven’t spoken to any of them in ages.”

Adrian had been surprised at how awful she looked. There had been dark circles under her eyes and she looked like she’d lost a lot of weight over the holidays. The intensity of the look she had given him hadn’t changed, however, and it was clear that whatever else was going on, she was still determined to hate Adrian. He wasn’t sure they could ever be friends again, even if he could accept that maybe he had been wrong at the beginning of the year. And he still didn’t really know if he had been.

–What did you even fight about, anyway?” asked Duncan.

–Oh, it doesn’t matter. I’d rather not go into it all again,” Adrian replied quickly, all too aware that if the other boys knew the details of the argument, they’d probably ditch him as well. He was obviously in the minority with his opinions, which he couldn’t understand, given how sure of them he’d been until only a few weeks ago.

–Yeah, don’t bring the mood down, Dunc,” Hector said. –We’re nearly there, thank goodness, and then we can eat! Plus, I’m shattered.”

Hector did look tired. Adrian suspected that the situation with his aunt had been weighing on him more than he’d let on.

The rest of the evening past without incident. As was customary on the first night back, most people headed to bed straight after dinner, tired after the long day of travelling and having done most of their catching up with friends on the train journey.

Adrian arrived in the dormitory just as Dorian was getting in to bed.

–How was your Christmas?” he asked awkwardly while he was changing into his pyjamas.

–Quiet,” Dorian replied. –But Lana showed her magic for the first time which was quite exciting.”

–Cool. What did she do?”

–Nothing too dramatic. She made all her vegetables vanish. They turned up in Mum and Dad’s wardrobe.”

Adrian laughed. –Sounds like fun.”

–Mm, it was.”

–Dorian?” Adrian spoke again after a few minutes of silence.

–Do you think maybe we could be friends again?”

He heard the other boy sigh. –I don’t know, Adrian. Gemma’s going through a really difficult time at the moment - she really needs her friends to be there for her and I don’t want to let her down.”

–What if…what if I could speak to her, and say things have changed?”

–Have they changed?”

–I…I don’t know. Maybe. There’re lot of things I’m not sure about.”

–Then it’s not enough. Sorry, Adrian. I really want everything to be how it was before but it’s just not.”

–I understand,” Adrian replied quietly, shocked to find tears forming in his eyes.

He had decided to ask the question after the incident on the train. He knew more than ever that he wanted to be friends with the other fourth years again. He had been so sure that Dorian must want the same thing as well. But now he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to change enough for them to accept him again.

The first evening back at Hogwarts seemed to set the tone of the term. Adrian and Dorian didn’t speak again, even when they were alone in the dormitory, and Adrian reverted to spending most of his time in the library or with Hector and Duncan in the common room. He wished more than anything that they could go flying but even though Cadwallader had appealed to the Headmaster to allow them to train, he had insisted that it was still too dangerous.

There were some changes to their lessons however, particularly with the Carrows. The fourth years had Defence Against the Dark Arts on a Tuesday morning. When they arrived in the first week, Professor Carrow was waiting, a thin smile on his face.

–Good morning, class,” he said once they were all seated. No one responded. It was a pretty much universally acknowledged fact that the Carrows were unpopular and even Adrian struggled to respect them. He knew they had been hired by the headmaster and so must have demonstrated some skills but so far he didn’t feel he had learnt a great deal from either of them. And they seemed far too quick to give out detentions.

–I am sure you will all be pleased to hear that there have been some adjustments to the syllabus this term. The Ministry has decided that it would be more beneficial for us to change the focus of your classes in order to ensure you get a more well-rounded education.

–From now on, this class will be renamed to ‘Dark Arts’ and we will widen our focus to learning about the history of the Dark Arts and some of the spells and their uses that have often been associated with the Dark Arts. Rather than only thinking about the defending yourselves from these spells, you will learn how to cast them, and when you might find yourself with cause to use them.”

There was silence in the room. Adrian could see Gemma sitting a few seats away from him, frowning. Eventually, when it became clear no one else was going to speak, she put up her hand.

–Sir,” she said, her voice dripping with derision, –Why do we need to learn to use spells that are illegal?”

–I don’t believe I asked for questions,” the professor snapped. He flicked his wand and a pile of books that had been sitting on his desk began to distribute throughout the room. –These are your new textbooks. Please begin reading on page twelve, making notes on the key points. Practical work will begin next week. I expect silence.” He glared at Gemma with this last remark but she just stared defiantly back at him, not even flinching under his gaze.

There was a moment of tension and Adrian wondered who would be the first to break the stare. Eventually it was Carrow who hissed, –Is there a problem, Miss Millar?”

It seemed that the whole class was holding their breath while they waited for Gemma to respond, but after a brief pause she simply dropped her eyes and muttered, –No, Sir.”

Adrian was surprised. It was very rare for a class with the Carrows to go by without some sort of altercation with Gemma and Adrian was sure she must spend more days in detention than out of it. She would normally never let an opportunity to complain pass her by, but the look on her face today, while defiant, was tired. The dark rings under her eyes seemed even more pronounced and it seemed to Adrian that she just didn’t have the energy for one of her usual arguments. He couldn't blame her - some days he wondered why she could never just sit back and be quiet - life would be a lot simpler for her. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on to make her look so worn out.

He didn’t have much time to dwell though, as the rest of the class had already settled down to start reading the new textbooks. With a sigh, Adrian too turned to page 12 and began reading. The rest of the class passed quietly and the fourth years breathed a collective sigh of relief when at last they were released for lunch without incident.

Over the next few weeks, Dark Arts quickly became Adrian’s least favourite subject. Professor Carrow very quickly moved to practical lessons and while he didn’t have the fourth years practicing the nasty curses they were learning about on each other, there had been a long line of different animals, mostly bugs or small mammals, presented to the fourth years. Most people didn’t put much effort into their spells but it was still obvious that they were causing pain to the creatures.

–I don’t understand,” he finally said one night to Hector and Duncan, –why they need to teach us that stuff. Is it really coming from the Ministry?”

–Oh that’s exactly where it’s coming from,” replied Hector darkly, but he didn’t elaborate.

The new syllabus definitely didn’t seem to tie in with Adrian’s previous ideas about the Ministry though. How could the people responsible for protecting them, the people who had done their best to get justice for Samuel, also be the ones forcing teenagers to learn spells that they would never need to use? As far as he could see, the only explanation was that the Carrows were following their own agenda, not one dictated by the Ministry. But then they had been hired by Professor Snape, who was appointed by the Ministry, and so did that not mean that ultimately the Ministry was still responsible?

It hurt Adrian’s head just thinking about it. In fact, he spent a lot of time in the first few weeks of term feeling increasingly distracted by everything that was happening. Samuel wasn’t speaking to him, or at least he hadn’t sent him any letters yet, and even though Adrian knew he needed to apologise, he couldn’t quite bring himself to write the words. He thought about writing to his dad but he wasn’t really sure what questions he wanted to ask - nothing really made sense to him anymore.

All the hard work he had done for his classes the previous term seemed to be quickly unravelling and he was really struggling to pay attention in class, earning himself more than one telling off from his professors. Hector and Duncan joked about him being in love and other stupid things, which Adrian just laughed off.

It was in a Muggle Studies class in early February that his lack of concentration finally came to a head though.

Professor Carrow was droning on and on about something while the class were supposedly taking notes. Adrian was barely even pretending to listen, instead doodling on his parchment.

–Adrian!”

The first time someone hissed his name, Adrian thought he might have imagined it and so he kept going with elaborate doodle of a Quidditch game, but a few minutes later he heard his name again, and this time he looked up and was surprised to see Gemma staring intently at him from the next desk.

–What?” he mouthed to her.

–I need to tell you something,” she whispered. –Take this.” She shoved a piece of parchment on his desk, knocking in to a bottle of ink as she did so, causing it to fall to the floor and smash.

–Radley!” Professor Carrow snapped, looking over the source of the disturbance. –What are you doing that is more important than my class?”

–Nothing, P…Professor, it was just an accident,” Adrian stuttered, but it was too late. The Professor had marched over to where he was sitting. After frowning at the pool of ink on the floor, she looked at the parchment and saw Adrian’s doodling.

–I see you don’t feel the need to take notes in my class, Radley. Perhaps a detention will teach you to pay attention. Report to my office this evening at seven. And clear this mess up!” she snapped.

–Yes, Professor,” Adrian replied, doing his best to mop up the ink and clear the broken glass with his wand as Carrow made her way back to the front of the room.

When he was sure she was once again engrossed in her lecture, Adrian stole a quick glance at Gemma. He expected to see her looking apologetic or at least a little worried, but she had a small grin on his face and even though she was studiously avoiding his gaze, he could see a gleam in her eye.

He opened the piece of the parchment she had slipped over to him, which had luckily avoided the deluge of ink, and frowned. There was nothing written on it. He flipped it over but the parchment was completely blank on both sides. What on earth was going on? Had she actually meant to get him in trouble?

The fourth years were soon dismissed for lunch and as soon as they were in the corridor, Adrian rounded on Gemma. –What the hell are you playing at?”

Gemma looked blank. –I don’t know what you mean, Adrian. Don’t blame me for your clumsiness.”

–It was you that knocked that ink on the floor and you know it! You wanted me to get detention.”

–Oh yeah? Well prove it! You’re just such a goodie two shoes, you can’t handle the fact that for once you got a detention! Well boohoo, now you know how the rest of us feel!”

The other fourth years had gathered round them, obviously expecting some sort of fight.

–I don’t get detentions, because unlike you I know when to keep my mouth shut. Don’t pretend to be some sort of martyr just because you can’t shut up in class. You’re not exactly helping people locked in detention are you?”

–Oh you have no idea, do you? Just wait until tonight!”

–You’re completely off your head, Gemma, do you know that?”

He was fairly certain that she would have launched at him at that point if Professor McGonagall hadn’t rounded the corner.

–What on earth is going on?” she snapped. –You should all be at lunch. Go to the Great Hall immediately. Radley and Millar stay behind.”

The other fourth years dispersed, clearly disappointed that the fight had been broken up.

–I don’t know what has got into the pair of you,” the Professor said when the three of them were alone. –I don’t want to hear it!” she continued, holding up her hand as both Adrian and Gemma started to argue. –I’m too busy to worry about your teenage arguments, but I would have thought you would both have realised that there are far more important things going at the moment than whatever has happened between the pair of you. Now go to lunch.”

–Yes, Professor,” they both muttered, before following the direction of the other fourth years.

Adrian was careful not to look at Gemma as they walked down the corridor. He was fuming. How dare she get him in trouble and then lie about it. She had been content enough not talking to him for months - why suddenly decide she wanted a fight now?

When they reached the Great Hall, they immediately separated, Gemma to sit with the people Adrian had once called friends, while he went over to Hector and Duncan.

–What on earth happened to you?” Duncan asked. –You look like you could kill someone.”

–I’ve got detention with the Carrows tonight, thanks to her,” he spat, glaring in Gemma’s direction.

–Ouch,” Duncan replied. –Sorry mate, at least it’s only one night.”

–Have you two had one?”

–Nah, we don’t usually mess around in their classes and the other teachers don’t really give out detentions now they have to send everyone to those two. Not that it stops McGonagall assigning extra homework of course,” Hector added, shuddering. –I’ve got write an extra foot tonight and I’ve already struggled to fill six inches.”

–Well maybe enlarging rather than transfiguring your mouse wasn’t the best idea then,” Duncan retorted.

–The look on Lucy Pritchard’s face was worth it though.”

Duncan laughed. –Yeah, maybe.”

Adrian found himself joining in. Even though the evening would be a pain, his two friends had at least managed to take his mind off the argument with Gemma and whatever her problem with him was.

As the time approached seven however, he began to feel a lot more nervous. He didn’t really know what happened in the Carrows’ detentions but he didn’t think it could be anything good.

After a quick dinner, he joined the small queue of people outside Professor Carrow’s Muggle Studies classroom. Most of the others were from older years but there were a pair of second years there too, looking terrified.

At exactly seven o’clock, the door opened and Professor Carrow’s voice ordered them to enter. Adrian followed the others in to the room and sat behind one of the desks. Both Carrows were in there, watching the students closely as they entered.

–Radley,” the Muggle Studies teacher snapped once they were all seated. –Come to the front of the room. Bring your wand.”

–I was surprised to have to give you this detention, Radley,” the Professor said once Adrian was standing at the front of small group. –You have always been such a model pupil. Perhaps you can prove to me that you still are.

–I believe you have been learning the Dolorem curse in your Dark Arts classes, correct?”

Adrian nodded.

–I would like you to demonstrate that curse now.”

Adrian looked around, confused. There were no animals or other targets in the room. What was he supposed to do?

–Professor, I don’t understand,” he said quietly.

At this point, the other Carrow stepped forward, a small smile on his face. –Jones, up front now,” he ordered and one of the second years rose, shaking slightly.

–Thank you, Professor,” the Muggle Studies professor replied. –Jones will be your target, Radley. Focus the centre of the spell on his left arm.”

–Professor, I…”

–I don’t want to hear any arguments, Radley. You are in detention and you will obey my instruction.”

Adrian didn’t know what to do. The Dolorem curse was designed to inflict pain on the victim. It was not as powerful as the Cruciatus Curse and involved targeting a specific area of the body but it was still a nasty curse, one which Adrian knew was illegal.

For a moment he held his wand up towards the second year, who had his eyes closed and his fists clenched, anticipating the curse. He tried to summon the curse, but the words just wouldn’t come.

–Professor, I can’t,” he said at last. –It’s against the law.”

–It is permitted within this classroom. You will not get into any sort of trouble.”

–Can I not do something else instead?”

–You do not get to choose your punishment, Radley. But if you refuse to show us your abilities with this spell, Professor Carrow will demonstrate it for you.”

The Dark Arts teacher stepped forwards and before Adrian could say another word, he heard the incantation hissed and suddenly a horrible pain shot up his arm. It was an ice cold pain and though he did his best not to cry out it was difficult. When the spell was lifted, he was shaking.

–Do you understand now, Radley?”

Adrian nodded. How could he do what he had just experienced to this kid who was barely older than Samuel? The thought of someone inflicting pain on his younger brother made him feel sick.

–We are waiting, Radley,” the Professor snapped but before Adrian could respond, he heard the incantation again and held his breath, waiting for the pain. Instead, he heard a cry and looked up to see the second year clutching his arm.

–My spell is far more powerful than yours will be, Radley. You can save him further the pain by doing as you have been instructed. Alternatively I will ensure that everyone in this room suffers more as a consequence.”

Adrian was hit with the spell again, this time down his leg. It buckled under him and he fell to the ground. He heard someone laugh. With great effort, he forced himself to stand again and pointed his wand at the second year. The boy’s eyes were closed again, and this time, Adrian didn’t stop to think before he muttered the spell.

The boys cry haunted him for a long time afterwards and it was all Adrian could do not to cry too. He released the spell almost immediately and Carrow sneered at him. –You are not the person we hoped, Radley.” Another spell was hissed and pain hit Adrian again but this time it spread throughout his body, like every part of him was on fire. He heard his own voice shouting out but the pain didn’t stop. Even once the spell was lifted he could still feel spasms rippling through his body. One look at the second year told him that he had undergone the same treatment.

–Sit down, both of you,” Carrow snapped.

Adrian was ignored for the rest of the detention but instead had to watch the other students cursing each other. Some barely hesitated and most seemed to have decided that having watched Adrian, it was easier to simply obey than try to fight. It was clear that for some of them, this was not their first time and they just wanted the time to pass as quickly as possible. The session passed in a daze for Adrian. His joints ached and all he wanted was sleep. When at last they were released, he stumbled back the common room alone, the only Hufflepuff who’d had detention.

It was getting late and the common room was quiet, but the first person he saw when he entered was Gemma, sitting with Dorian and Rosa. The other two didn’t look up, but she fixed him with a stare, almost as if she was waiting for him to say or do something.

He wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction though. He knew now why she had wanted him to get detention, what she had wanted him to see. And even though he was overwhelmed by the horror of it all, he was still furious with her for doing it.

He couldn’t bring himself to speak to her and instead headed straight to the dormitory without looking at anyone. Still fully clothed, he lay on his bed, and for the first time since he could remember, he cried himself to sleep.
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