Harry Potter 50 Shades of Gray

Professor Flitwick awarded Slytherins yet another handful of points. "I see someone has been reading ahead—and I'm happy to inform you that it is certainly plausible, Mr. Nott! You've described forceful spell activation—a method that costs the most magic, and is considered the most wasteful with its unecessary magic expenditure. The better method would be to improve your control, so that you could achieve the same effect at a lower magical cost. However, improving one's innate ability to control their magic is an arduous process, and thus, we have developed incantations and wandwork to artificially supplement for innate control. Of course, if you were gifted with superior control, you would theoretically be capable of achieving the effects of Bombarda Maxima with the spellwork of its weaker variant, Bombarda. And that," the diminutive professor declared, "is why control is by far the most important factor to train—just my opinion as a Charms Master, of course."

The class murmured amongst themselves.

"But power has got to count for more than a way to avoid proper wandwork," Draco said.

Professor Flitwick gave him a stern look, "Please raise your hand before you speak next time, Mr. Malfoy—but yes, it does have its place." The professor frowned thoughtfully. "When it comes to head-on collisions of spells, the difference of power could indeed decide the victor. If the difference is significant, and neither are counter-spells of the other, then the more powerful spell will consume the weaker one. But power can always be crippled by a well-placed spell."

Draco raised his hand, and the professor nodded at him to continue.

"But what if you had a lot of power?" Draco pushed.

"Theoretically, that much power would allow you to rise above many others. It would allow for an expansive spell repertoire, you would be able to force many spells to activate without proper spellwork, and it would make it simpler to overpower and outlast your opponent. Such power and control would place you at the very top. But, Mr. Malfoy," His words were quiet as he stared at Draco, "If ever someone was to obtain that much power, the individual should be very wary for power has proven again and again its propensity to corrupt."

Draco shared a smirk with some other Slytherins, and Professor Flitwick turned to the rest of the class. "Perhaps it might be a bit too difficult to understand, but you would do well to remember it."

Filius Flitwick observed the Slytherin girl who always sat quietly in the back row and was gratified to see her thoughtful. Their eyes met and she averted her gaze, hunching slightly into herself.

Apart from Severus, who was perpetually unenthused, all the professors had imitated his mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension after her sorting. The sheer force of untrained magic that coiled in the air around her—almost visible; it was an unprecedented amount for a child. Her magical reserves were comparable to the seventh years, students who had gone through their magical maturity. It was sheer raw potential, and no good teacher would turn down the chance to shape that.

Then she had been sorted into Slytherin.

It was as if history was replaying itself. Tom Riddle had entered Hogwarts with less magic than she, but greater magic than most. However, in his seventh year, Riddle's magical maturity had offered him one of the greatest expansions to his reserves that Filius had ever seen in a human. Paired with his cunning and charisma, no one, save Albus, had foreseen the coming of Voldemort.

He had been a similarly polite child.

But where he drew numerous people in, Miss Raine seemed to prefer solitude and her handful of friends. Truly, she was a strange little girl. A Slytherin who, against the wishes of her House, befriended the boy who had defeated Voldemort as a babe, the blood traitor, and a muggle-born?

Severus' remarks on Miss Raine's odd friendship were sheer acid. But for the other professors, that friendship was something they found relief in. Maybe history would not repeat itself. A notion further cemented when she was found to be unmotivated in learning and had perfectly average grades. It was a source of disappointment for some, while others took comfort in it. He was the former.

No one could determine the Headmaster's thoughts on the matter.

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