Playing with Light
Title: Playing with Light
Author: starduchess
Characters: Draco, Severus
Rating: PG
Word Count: 495
Warnings: none
Summary: To redeem himself after the Astronomy Tower debacle, Draco Malfoy is given a new assignment.
A/N: Written for week 7 of darkarts_drabs, prompt: coercion.
Draco glared at the lamppost in disgust. Nothing was working. He’d tried spells and charms and transformations and even potions, yet the light remained just that -- light. It was tricky business, getting an inanimate object to mimic mental thoughts, but the end results were well worth it, if only this damn lamppost wouldn’t continue to elude him. With a sneer he turned and Apparated back to the Manor, glad he did not have to report to the Dark Lord just yet. He had one week left before the deadline.
He lived in the library for the next few days, digging through tomes in search of an answer.
Severus Snape came to check on him. “How are you faring in the new task?”
Not turning to face him, Draco glanced up, quelling the fear that plagued him if he failed again after the Dumbledore incident. No, he had succeeded at the Vanishing Cabinet and he would succeed at this; there could be no doubt.
“Still working. It’s not conforming to the magic. But I’ll get there.”
Draco could feel Snape staring at him. After a minute, Snape said, “Perhaps a study in Muggle technology would help. It tends to react strangely to magic unless you understand it.” He then took out a textbook from his pocket, enlarged it and handed it over. “The chapter on basic electricity should do, but you might read over the one on light waves as well.”
Draco looked at the strange cover with its image of glass and metal and light, not moving. The book was bound not in leather but some odd paper material, and the pages were thinner than parchment and packed more tightly. Thumbing through the volume, he read strange terminology and saw confusing photographs and charts. He scoffed. “This is supposed to help?”
Snape just glared at him with angry eyes. “Yes, but by all means ignore it.” He abruptly stood and swooped out of the library.
Sometimes Draco didn’t understand that man. Why should wizards worth their salt be interested in Muggle things? But even though he hated the topic, he began to read anyway. Three hours later he closed the text and headed back to the lamppost, throbbing with excitement.
He cast his magic, directing the flow of electrons in the wires and the lightbulb inside, adding the compulsion charm to the frequencies emanating out of it. He smirked with delight when the light pulsed with energy, subtle but active. He remained for a while to watch the crowds pass under the lamp, glad that the awful Muggles took the compulsion and turned into the street, directly into the path of oncoming traffic. One unlucky sod was hit, a thud and a crack resounding throughout the street upon impact. Draco smiled. Maybe there was something to this Muggle electricity after all. He would have to study more, but he was sure his Lord would be pleased.
The Muggle world would soon be immersed in chaos.
--
Author: starduchess
Characters: Draco, Severus
Rating: PG
Word Count: 495
Warnings: none
Summary: To redeem himself after the Astronomy Tower debacle, Draco Malfoy is given a new assignment.
A/N: Written for week 7 of darkarts_drabs, prompt: coercion.
Draco glared at the lamppost in disgust. Nothing was working. He’d tried spells and charms and transformations and even potions, yet the light remained just that -- light. It was tricky business, getting an inanimate object to mimic mental thoughts, but the end results were well worth it, if only this damn lamppost wouldn’t continue to elude him. With a sneer he turned and Apparated back to the Manor, glad he did not have to report to the Dark Lord just yet. He had one week left before the deadline.
He lived in the library for the next few days, digging through tomes in search of an answer.
Severus Snape came to check on him. “How are you faring in the new task?”
Not turning to face him, Draco glanced up, quelling the fear that plagued him if he failed again after the Dumbledore incident. No, he had succeeded at the Vanishing Cabinet and he would succeed at this; there could be no doubt.
“Still working. It’s not conforming to the magic. But I’ll get there.”
Draco could feel Snape staring at him. After a minute, Snape said, “Perhaps a study in Muggle technology would help. It tends to react strangely to magic unless you understand it.” He then took out a textbook from his pocket, enlarged it and handed it over. “The chapter on basic electricity should do, but you might read over the one on light waves as well.”
Draco looked at the strange cover with its image of glass and metal and light, not moving. The book was bound not in leather but some odd paper material, and the pages were thinner than parchment and packed more tightly. Thumbing through the volume, he read strange terminology and saw confusing photographs and charts. He scoffed. “This is supposed to help?”
Snape just glared at him with angry eyes. “Yes, but by all means ignore it.” He abruptly stood and swooped out of the library.
Sometimes Draco didn’t understand that man. Why should wizards worth their salt be interested in Muggle things? But even though he hated the topic, he began to read anyway. Three hours later he closed the text and headed back to the lamppost, throbbing with excitement.
He cast his magic, directing the flow of electrons in the wires and the lightbulb inside, adding the compulsion charm to the frequencies emanating out of it. He smirked with delight when the light pulsed with energy, subtle but active. He remained for a while to watch the crowds pass under the lamp, glad that the awful Muggles took the compulsion and turned into the street, directly into the path of oncoming traffic. One unlucky sod was hit, a thud and a crack resounding throughout the street upon impact. Draco smiled. Maybe there was something to this Muggle electricity after all. He would have to study more, but he was sure his Lord would be pleased.
The Muggle world would soon be immersed in chaos.
--