~ Epilogue ~
Love and the Physiological Effects: The Soulmate Principle
Student: Lily Rose Potter, Gryffindor, Year 3.
Professor: Professor Luna Lovegood
Subject: Magical Anomalies and Muggle Irregularities
Note:
Dear Professor Lovegood
Here's the rewrite of my essay that you requested. I do understand what you meant, my last effort was probably somewhat 'soul-less' as you pointed out. I hope this is an improvement; it did help to know that this will be kept fairly confidential. I think it's a bit different from my usual work but I hope it's what you were expecting. I really hope it can go towards the extra credits we discussed for my OWLS next year.
The Soulmate Principle.
Even though the word soulmate is a Muggle term, I use this title for my essay because I think it sums up brilliantly the effects on a witch or wizard when he or she falls in love.
To investigate this however, we must look to the effects of love on magic in general, right from the beginning.
I am, as you pointed out Professor, fortunate enough to have personal family experience on this very subject. My father, Harry James Potter remains the only known survivor of the Avada Kedavra killing curse, as we studied last year. It is well known that his survival was due to the sacrifice of love provided by my grandmother and namesake, Lily Potter (nee Evans) when she gave her life for his. The love of family is a powerful tool in a witch or wizards' arsenal as it is well known that dark magic finds the selfless nature of deeply held love intolerable.
However, as we speculated in class, it was also Lily's enhanced powers from her relationship with my grandfather, James Potter that made her sacrifice particularly powerful.
This brings me to the concept of soulmates. A muggle principle, this refers to the one other person in the world whose soul recognises yours instantly. They are like another part of you that's been missing. Sometimes you know straight away as soon as you meet them, other times it's a slow discovery. You realise little things, like how you know exactly what they're thinking without them having to speak. You can feel when they're thinking about you, no matter how far away they are.
I know these things because my parents are soulmates.
I've known this even before speaking to my mother about this essay - it's just always been the way they are together. They know each other so well; they don't even have to speak. I know when they're having this silent communication because they make eye contact, smiling slightly. It doesn't bother me that I don't know what they're saying; I only hope I have that bond with someone else myself one day.
Their discovery happened slowly. My Dad says he was a fool not to realise it sooner, but my Mum laughs it off and says that she was glad they took a while to work it out, it made it more special. They both say they suppressed their feelings, due to the fact that they were both with other people at the time. I can't imagine them being with anyone else, to be honest, it just makes me laugh to think that Dad was ever with my 'Aunty' Ginny and my Mum with my 'Uncle' Ron but I'm just glad that they all still stayed great friends because their children (your children Professor!) are like my brothers and sisters. I try to imagine how it used to be when you were all at school, but I do think everything turned out as it was meant to be.
I'm so grateful for the love they have because I had a brilliant childhood. We traveled a lot before I came to Hogwarts but I didn't mind it, in fact I still love traveling and I miss it. Mum and Dad did a lot of work at Ministries around the world and we experienced life in many different cultures, in Canada, all over Europe, Japan, and Australia to name a few, I got a thirst for knowledge to match my Mum's and a taste for adventure to match my Dad's. I do realise that their constant traveling was in part running away from all the attention their 'fame' brought them, but we never really escaped that - they were well known all over the world. They were always well respected though, and I think some of the interest was and still is on the rumors over the extent of their powers.
I'm not even sure if they know the true extent of their powers, but they are definitely enhanced by each others presence, and the love they have for one another. My Dad told me a long time ago that he first became aware of his love for my Mum when he found he was able to fly.
It's not something he talks about freely - but it still seems to be common knowledge amongst the wizarding world at large. He has no problem using it for his work as an Auror, along with his other powers. It is my favourite of his skills because he's taken me up with him at times for a treat. It's the most amazing feeling; I couldn't even begin to describe it.
I think it is quite special to him because he says it's thanks to Mum that he can fly. And it's thanks to flying that he has Mum. He says it was his heart's way of telling him that he was in love with her before his mind caught up.
He says all his enhanced powers are a result of the certainty he felt that Mum was his soulmate. It's like the principle of apparition, deliberation is a big part of your control of it. Once he learnt to be honest with himself, his powers grew overnight.
He has enhanced eyesight - capable of seeing great distances and in the dark. He's able to perform silent apparition, even to destinations he hasn't been to before. His disillusionment charms can render him invisible and is able to see through them too - including Polyjuice illusions. It is likely he's an accomplished Legilmens, though he prefers not to confirm or deny that. All of this he can perform without a wand though he does still prefer to carry it with him. These powers manifested not long after his last year at Hogwarts, particularly during his Auror training.
He may have built these powers over time anyway, but there is no doubt he is exceptionally young to have these talents. Studies done by a select group of Healers at the St Mungos Academy proved that his DNA structure seemed to have a "superior vibration", when my Mother was close. They never completed full tests - my Dad being too impatient with it in the end - but the results were still conclusive that her power affected his directly.
My Mum apparently had similar results but she also draws much power from her wand, because it's the most powerful wand in the world - The Elder Wand. It came into her possession from my Dad, who she disarmed when she was trying to help him in their school years.
After the war, there was some discussion between Mum, Dad and the Wizengamot about the best thing to do with the wand. But it seemed the wand had a mind of its own.
When the council decided they would attempt to disarm Mum simultaneously, and keep the wand interned in the Ministry dungeons, the wand emitted a high pitched shrieking sound, shattering all the glass in the room. It flew around the room and back to nestle firmly in my Mum's palm. After much deliberation, the council decided my Mother was a worthy master of the wand and she vowed to use it to cause no harm.
With the wand, she can perform many of the same charms my Dad can do, but unlike him, she has seven registered Animagi forms. Thanks to these talents, together they've kept their promise, to 'cause no harm'; in fact it's well known that they have eradicated some of the world's darkest witches and wizards, and even some of the Muggle world's most despicable individuals too. They live a quieter life since they had me, but they still put their extraordinary powers to good use in helping others.
Despite all this, they've always remained down to earth and prioritized family and friends above everything. Dad still always says their greatest achievement to date is that they both feature on their own Chocolate Frog Cards.
I know that they would've liked to have more children, but it wasn't to be. So it's just me. But between all the Weasley and Malfoy kids, I feel like I have brothers and sisters anyway. I've never felt lonely and my parents make me feel loved and treasured, and tell me that everyday.
In conclusion, I know that love of all kinds will enhance a witch or wizards' power, if they know, trust and believe in that love. It has the power to modify our very molecular structure when it is powerful enough, to allow flight and possibly limitless other powers.
I have a feeling that the powerful love that made me has made me different in itself, but that, of course, remains to be seen.
~*~
The girl placed the parchment on her Professors desk, sealing it with a charm to make sure that only Professor Lovegood could open it. She walked out of the deserted classroom hugging books to her chest as well as lugging a large satchel full of more books over her shoulder.
Lily glanced down the hallways, deciding the best route to take. She'd said she'd meet Scorpius and Andromeda before their potions exam to take them through the Felix Felicis potion one last time. She didn't know why they were so worried, they were both the best in Slytherin at potions for their respective years, but she guessed they knew Lily was top of the school at it so maybe they thought she could give them an edge.
She hurried along the corridors, taking a sharp right as she caught a quick glimpse of Peeves. Damn, she'd have to take another route now. If only she had the Marauders Map on her and not tucked away in her dorm. She could have found a secret passageway to avoid the pesky poltergeist. She really should study it better, she, James and Hugo were getting too big to fit under the Invisibility Cloak together if they were rustling around trying to look at the map at the same time. She smiled to herself, deciding right then to try and get them to agree for a midnight mission to the fifth floor again - try and finally find out what was in the off limits bathroom.
She checked her watch and broke into a jog as she saw how late she was. Rounding the corner, she stopped suddenly, her long black curls flying forward as she halted on the lip of a ledge hanging over the huge central stairwell. The stairs that had been there ten seconds earlier had pulled away, deciding to float to the opposite doorway.
She ground her teeth in frustration. She couldn't go back where she'd come from without running into Peeves. She tapped her lip for a moment, considering, and then slowly let her beautiful almond shaped eyes travel around to the hall behind her, and to all other openings in the stairwell she could see, looking to see if anyone was around. She bit her lip, her eyes seemingly troubled in their chocolate brown depths for a moment. Then she smiled and turned around.
Lily took a few steps back along the hall and then turned. Making sure her books were secure she ran at the chasm of stairwell, happily anticipating the rush of warm air that would take her to her destination.
~the end~
Thanks so much for reading - (if u review…please be gentle? xxx) If u have any questions - which u may because I've left a bit for you to make up yourself - ask me and I'll answer. I'm glad I finally got this finished and sorry again for late update. I have a spin off for the Ginny/Draco tale of this story making bunnies in my head so if you're interested let me know and I might write it.
Thanks again
GG x