Order Only Private message to Miss Granger

[alt_severus]

I do not wish to pile additional obligations to respond on your shoulders, so you need not reply if you are sick of discussing the matter: however, presuming you do not object, when you return from holidays we ought begin study in resisting coercive magic more readily. While it would not have been appropriate in this case to do so, you ought have the skill to hand should it prove necessary.

I am sorry that you had to undergo such an ordeal.

Comments

[alt_hermione]

It's mostly that he made me interrupt a lesson. If he'd had me do it in the Slytherin Common Room or something, I'd have just said yes and made sure Pansy and Sally-Anne would stop me before everything went too far.

And more practice would be good, yes. I've resisted before but his Imperius was--different. Hydra said his thoughts were especially hard to discern, too, like they went all off in different directions. His Imperius was sort of like that as well, in that he was constantly shifting. But never quite letting go, either. So it wasn't that it was particularly strong; it was just slippery. And sort of slimy.

But I'm all right. Really. I knew he'd try something fairly prurient, so that much wasn't a surprise.

Only, something odd did happen last night. I mean, I knew I'd need to tell Draco I was all right, and I knew Terry would want to know, so even though I really didn't want to talk to anyone I did, because I knew they were just worried. But then Draco asked me if I wanted anything.

He's never done that before, for one thing, so I just said the first thing that came to me, which was that I wished I could soak in a hot bath for a while. And the next thing I knew he was trying to get me to follow him under Harry's cloak so he could sneak me in to the Prefects' bath. Well, he was practically ordering me to come with him but that's because he said he was trying to surprise me.

Does that sound normal for Draco? It's not, is it. He just doesn't think about other people ahead of himself, not very often. And certainly not me.

Anyway, then he got all cross because I didn't immediately run out for a bath (though he said he wasn't but you can never tell with him when it's on the journals) but he started speculating that Harry would have to find a safe bathroom for me in Buckingham and I dunno, he was a bit obsessed with the idea that I needed a bath.

I was too tired to really argue the point but I really hope he wasn't trying to say I smell or anything.

It was probably nothing. Just that he didn't know what to say after that display in the lesson. I just don't want him to suddenly get all strange and have anyone else notice it. That would be really dangerous for him.

[alt_severus]

Interesting. While the victim target of an Imperius curse can often sense nuances in the strength and sensation of being under the curse, depending on whom it was who cast the spell, that does seem a dramatic difference. Perhaps I ought manufacture a reason to take a look in Nott's mind myself, or ask Albus to do so; without meaning to slight Miss Lestrange's natural talent in the least, she is very new to the discipline, and may not be as experienced as necessary in interpreting what she perceives.

Or, of course, perhaps his mind may very well be significantly unusual. Still, if I am able to ascertain the ways in which his mindset differs from the average witch or wizard, I may be able to reproduce the sensation somewhat, to allow you practise in fighting against it. As it is clear Nott has chosen you as a target, in no small part because he is challenging Mr Potter's perceived authority and your own supposed inferiourity is the battleground upon which he has chosen to fight, you will undoubtedly find yourself in another situation in future in which he attempts to suborn your will. While you may find yourself needing to feign compliance, you ought not be forced to do so without a choice.

Mr Malfoy likely wished to allow you a moment of choice in contrast to the choicelessness you had thrust upon you; it is a natural human reaction when one sees a friend in distress. I would not be concerned.

Meanwhile: I will be brewing Lupin's Wolfsbane tomorrow. Do not risk yourself to win free; I cannot imagine you will not be observed. To compensate for the loss of the brewing opportunity, I have several other projects of equal complexity you may choose from when we return to Hogwarts.