In Eastern European folklore, Veela are shape-shifting female spirits who most often take human form.
When they appear as humans, they are usually beautiful young women, dancing in sheer veils beneath the midsummer moon.
Men who fall under their spell forget everything else in the world—they neither eat nor drink nor sleep. If an unfortunate man joins their dance, he will keep dancing without rest until he collapses and dies of exhaustion.
Many wizards believe their allure to be a form of mind-affecting magic, not unlike the effect of a Love Potion...
In truth, if one regards the Veela's charm as a kind of mental magic, there are indeed ways to resist it.
Just as Draco was doing now—
Occlumency.
A branch of magic used to defend the mind against external intrusion.
Like its name suggests, it involves sealing off one's thoughts to resist magical invasion or influence.
Though the idea sounds simple, very few wizards are able to truly master it.
Beyond its difficulty, the main obstacle lies in its counterpart—a spell not only classified as a Forbidden Curse but also considered the fastest way to learn and strengthen Occlumency.
That spell, similar in nature to Veritaserum yet far more invasive, is Legilimens.
Because Legilimency is a forbidden art, all information about Occlumency has likewise been restricted to the Hogwarts library's Restricted Section.
Even at N.E.W.T. level, students cannot access or study Occlumency, no matter how practical or valuable it may be.
This was why Hermione and Astoria were so astonished—both by Draco's words and by the fact that he remained completely unaffected by the Veela.
Astoria, her cheeks flushed for reasons she couldn't quite name, stared at Draco in shock and disbelief.
"Occlumency? When did you learn that... No, judging from your expression, you've mastered more than just the basics. Even the Minister of Magic doesn't seem as proficient as you."
Unlike Hermione, whose understanding came only from books, Astoria—backed by the knowledge of an old wizarding family—understood just how significant such an achievement was.
Perhaps that was why her face had turned red with excitement, while Hermione, beside her, couldn't shake the sense that something about this felt off.
Draco finally tore his gaze away from his father's darkening expression when he noticed the two girls staring at him.
Hmm... Narcissa was smiling faintly as she placed a hand on Lucius's waist. Judging from the look on his father's face, it seemed she'd done something to him.
Turning back to Astoria, Draco nodded.
"If you're talking about Occlumency, then yes—this holiday."
"This holiday...? You're joking, right!? That quickly? And who was your instructor?"
Astoria gasped softly at his answer, then gave him a look as though she were examining a rare, slightly terrifying creature.
In truth, during the summer, Draco had turned to studying Occlumency to control the uncontrollable surges in his magic.
For an Occlumens, immense magical power was only part of it—true mastery required precise control. And for Draco, whose power had grown beyond his ability to regulate it, mental discipline was exactly what he needed.
At first, he had failed repeatedly, unable to steady his magic. But with every attempt, his control improved dramatically.
So rather than calling it pure talent, it would be more accurate to say that Occlumency was simply what suited Draco best at this point in his life...
...
The cryptic exchange between the two left Hermione, who couldn't follow the conversation, growing increasingly agitated.
"Wait—what's the problem exactly?"
"There's nothing wrong with Occlumency itself. The problem lies in the spell used to assist with learning it—and in Draco's ridiculous level of magical talent."
"So could you please explain it more clearly? Being completely lost like this feels awful."
"Legilimens. That's the prerequisite for learning Occlumency. In other words, during the training process, a wizard has to keep casting Legilimens on Draco—and it has to be an invasive form of the spell."
"Legilimens?"
"Think about it. While someone's breaking into your mind, you have to channel your magic to push them out. The difficulty of that is far beyond any ordinary charm."
As Astoria explained, Hermione finally understood.
Not only did learning Occlumency require a partner capable of casting a Forbidden Spell, but it also demanded a certain level of natural talent.
Still, rather than Draco's talent, Hermione was clearly more worried about whether Legilimens had any side effects.
After all, it was a Forbidden Spell...
A second later, Hermione was staring at Draco's head with visible concern, as though checking for signs of brain damage. Draco's expression darkened, and he reached out to flick her lightly on the forehead.
"It's not the Imperius Curse, so no, I haven't turned into an idiot. The only thing that happened was—during training, some of my memories got forcibly seen."
"Memories?!"
"Nothing serious. Mostly parts of my life at Hogwarts and... certain people. For instance, a lot of memories about you were looked at."
"..."
For some reason, Hermione had a very bad feeling about this.
She brushed his hand away, blinking her wide eyes before asking in a wary tone, "And may I ask who exactly helped you with this?"
"Someone you know. Over there. My father."
"..."
"..."
"Can I kill you?"
Hermione's face went crimson with fury. Draco's calm answer made her feel like her hair might stand on end.
She didn't know exactly what version of herself Lucius Malfoy had seen in those memories, but she did finally understand that strange, knowing look he'd given her earlier.
So, in the end—it wasn't her who'd been exposed at all.
...
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