The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

42. A Proper Patronus

After their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the term, Harry quickly elbowed Althea and whispered, "Let's ask him about lessons."

"All right," she replied, finishing her packing up.

When the rest of the class had trickled out, Harry and Althea approached Professor Lupin where he was packing up his things at his desk.

"Professor," Harry said. He looked up. "You said once this term started you could teach us how to fight off the dementors?"

"Ah, yes," he said. "Let me see...how about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough...I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this...We can't bring a real dementor into the castle to practice on..."

When it became clear he did not know how to resume, Althea said, "Thank you, Professor."

"Of course," he said kindly, giving them both affectionate glances before he put his bag over his shoulder and led them out.

.

When Harry and Althea arrived for their first lesson, it was to find the History of Magic classroom completely abandoned. As Harry lit the lamps, Althea sat on the teacher's desk, crossing her legs under her as she began to fidget with the ring Neville had given her. The thestral was antsy now, on its feet and shifting uncomfortably even as it shook its wings in excitement. She had discovered that it responded to her touch as though alive. When she gently prodded it, it would nestle against her finger, often soothing both her and the creature as a result.

"Thea," Harry said, pausing in front of her. "What do you hear when the dementors get close?"

The thestral instantly began silently shifting uncomfortably on its feet again, flapping its wings as though trying to shake off a fly.

"Nothing important," she said, the lie searing her tongue. She was telling too many lies. As though forced from her, she amended, "Well, not really. Just little stuff. My mum crying. Ron's scream when he was hit by the chess piece first year. Stuff like that."

The other memories passed through her mind. Harry being carried out after fighting Quirrel. Neville crying in a corner after Draco had bullied him so badly he had hidden himself away the entire day. Nights spent alone as she cried, wondering who her father was and why he didn't seem to care she was alive.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she asked, "Why?"

Before Harry could answer, Professor Lupin appeared, leading in front of him a large, rattling crate.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Another boggart," Lupin explained. "I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real dementor. The boggart will turn into a dementor when he sees you, Harry, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."

"Okay," Harry said, slightly nervously.

"So," Lupin began, drawing out his wand and indicating both Harry and Althea should do the same. "As you both already know, the spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic - well beyond Ordinary Wizard Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" Harry asked, looking between Professor Lupin and Althea who he knew probably had as good of an understanding of the theory of the spell as Professor Lupin himself.

"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus," Lupin explained, giving Althea a both slightly amused and yet encouraging look. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"I thought you said what I did was impressive," she said, grinning.

"It was," he said, still smiling. "Very, in fact, but nonetheless, it was still ineffective." Turning back to Harry, he explained, "A Patronus is a kind of anti-dementor - a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the dementor. The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the dementor feeds upon - hope, happiness, the desire to survive - but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you both that this charm may be too advanced for both of you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

"What does a Patronus look like?" Harry asked.

Althea quickly began digging in her bag as Lupin replied, "Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."

"But this is what one looks like," Althea said, flipping to the page in her book that showed the animation of a Patronus.

Harry stared at it for a moment, thinking, before he asked, "How do you conjure it?"

"With an incantation," Lupin explained. "Which will only work if you are concentrating with all your might on a single, very happy memory."

Harry and Althea were silent, both searching their memories for one happy enough. While Harry was settling on his first time riding on a broomstick, Althea thought of nights spent sitting by the fireplace, sipping on hot cocoa as her mother told her stories of her time at Hogwarts.

"Right," Harry said, shifting slightly to prepare himself.

"You first, Harry," Lupin said, backing toward the case. "The incantation is this...expecto patronum!" When Harry had muttered it a few times under his breath, Lupin asked, "Concentrating on your happy memory?"

Harry repeated the spell, his eyes closed as he focused on the memory before a wisp of silver left his wand.

"Did you see that?" Harry cried excitedly. "Something happened!"

"Very good," Lupin said with a smile. "Right, then - ready to try on a dementor?"

"Yes," Harry said.

Lupin opened the case. The moment the boggart appeared, it had already taken the form of a dementor, rising slowly into the air to face them. Althea felt her insides freeze as she began to shake. Her mind lost control of itself as her mind's eye turned toward deeply buried memories she did not know she possessed.