Teachers Pet

chapter 23: patronus

I began to turn around to head back, there was no way I'd go in there, it's called forbidden for a reason. I looked down at the map as I began to walk away and it started to disintegrate in my hands and crumpled up into ash. "What!? Come on!" I said as it blew out of my hand. "Ughhhh!" I said slapping my forehead, this is bullshit. I looked back at the forest and walked up to the edge of it again. I squinted looking into it, "Lumos" I said, raising my wand and holding it up. I looked in trying to see as far as possible into it, but it was almost pitch black. I looked behind me at the castle and back to the forest, tapping my leg thinking about what to do, I mean what if someone's in trouble and they need my help. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked back once more, when I turned to look in the forest again I noticed a green footprint on the ground. I walked up closer to it and another illuminated after it, "No I shouldn't this is crazy '' I said looking at the footprint, the only sound I could hear was the wind in the trees. I walked a step closer and another set appeared after that. I mean if the person really didn't care if I came they wouldn't have done all this right? I cautiously stepped forward, now entering into the forest. I'd been in here before for Care of Magical Creatures, but it was daytime, and I was with a class and a teacher. I slowly began to follow the footprints holding up my wand and looking around in all directions for anything that may come at me. The footprints led me for a while taking turns and going over hills. I could barely see where I came in at this point and was growing more afraid by the minute. I looked around and didn't see anything except the trees and branches. I stopped for a moment and the footprints stopped as well, and noticed they would disappear behind me, I couldn't see the entrance anymore and started feeling very paranoid, my heart was beating faster and I started taking deep breaths to try and calm my nerves. I decided this was stupid and turned back to head out but heard a faint voice, I stopped for a moment and decided I'd seen too many scary movies, and continued walking. "Y/n" I stopped in my tracks and stiffened, I turned to where I'd just decided not to go and looked in the direction trying to figure out if I was just going crazy. I tucked my hair away from my face and slowly walked towards the voice, thinking maybe it was a teacher or friend trying to get my attention, I knew this probably wasn't the best choice, but I did it anyway. I walked back to where the footprints had been and they continued again. I looked at my watch. "How could it be almost two o'clock already?" I said as I tightened the grip on my wand and gingerly kept walking. I followed the footsteps for another fifteen minutes or so and eventually they stopped. I looked around to where I was, but I wasn't anywhere, it was just in a random spot of the forest, it looked the same as everywhere else. I tried to refrain from shaking, but it was cold, and I was terrified at this point, but i'd gone too far to not figure out why I was here. "Y/n" I looked in the direction I heard my name once more and stayed still for a moment. The voice was light, like a girls, and it seemed familiar but I wasn't sure if I'd heard it before. I looked in the direction still, debating what my next move was. "Y/n come here" my eyes grew wide as I realized, maybe I was dreaming? Or this was a weird trick the forest could do. "Connie?" I whispered as slowly walked towards where her voice was coming from. "Y/n come on follow me" I walked slower looking around me for any signs of immediate danger, my wand ready if I needed to protect myself. This was totally freaky, it had to be an illusion or something, but why would it happen out here? "Where are you?" I asked hoping she'd respond and give me a sense of where and why she was here. The twigs and leaves crunched under me as I continued forward, swallowing the lump in my throat and taking deep breaths.

    "Here look isn't it amazing" she said a little bit closer to where I was. "What Connie? What is it?" I said afraid, I knew this wasn't her, but something in me was too afraid to doubt the voice. I saw a faint glowing green light and cautiously walked towards it, I walked up the slight hill and I looked down at a clearing, a bright green light glowing from the middle. I rest my hand on a tree for balance looking at the light. I looked around it and gasped when I saw her. It was my sister, she was a ghostly looking figure, fused of blue matter that was glowing, almost sparkling. I held my breath as I lowered my arm, I pinched myself as I stayed frozen, hoping maybe it was just a dream, but I knew this was happening. "Connie what are you doing here?" I said , voice shaking, not moving from my spot. "It's gorgeous isn't it?" She said not looking at me and just staring intently at the glowing light. I slowly walked down the hill closer to the scene. "Yeah, Connie how are you here?" I said, holding my wand tightly and eyeing her intently. "I can't seem to take my eyes off it." she said, still not looking at me. I looked down at the light, approaching it more and standing in front of it, the light standing in between us. "Constance." I said trying to get her attention, but her eyes didn't leave the light. I looked back down at it. What is this thing? I looked around us not seeing anyone or anything. "I could almost touch it" she said, bending down and slowly reaching her hand out. "No Connie don't!" I said not knowing what this thing would do. I grew afraid and stepped back as her fingers grew nearer and touched the strange glowing light. As soon as she did her figure slowly dissolved and broke into a million tiny glowing blue specs and flew away in the wind, I gasped and cupped my mouth watching everything happen. I looked at the light and it began to do the same, only when all the green lights floated away, it revealed a small singular black lotus flower, the center of it faintly glowing green. I looked around me and gripped my wand together, my knuckles growing white. I was holding back any tears, I couldn't be crying in a situation like this. I squatted down in front of the flower, observing it closely. I looked into the center and got drawn into it. I couldn't seem to look away. I raised my hand but tried to stop myself, I mean after what it did to her this couldn't be a safe little ordinary flower. I thought about how this had to be why I was led here though, I mean someone wanted me to find this little flower.

    I tried to pull away but the force in me was stronger and pulled my hand towards it. I stared into it, its glow reflecting in my eyes. My fingers grew nearer and I touched the glowing light that came from the center, immediately the light left the flower and almost absorbed into my fingertips, I felt a shock run through my body as I watched it run up my arm and across my entire body, I shivered as it made its way through and closed my eyes as it washed through me, I stumbled and fell to the side on my back as the green light traveled along my skin and disappeared. I stayed laying on the ground, trying to get up, but could barely move. I looked at the flower, noticing it was no longer glowing and reached my arm out, I pulled it from the ground and held it in my hand. I didn't know what to do as I layed there, I thought about all the books I'd read and all the spells I'd learned. None seemed to be helpful in this moment and I thought for a second I may die from a stupid decision id made. I could barely turn my head or move my arms and legs, they felt tired and sore, stiff but limp. Like if I tried to stand they'd just give out. I layed there looking up at the stars, "Come on universe, what do I do?" I spoke out softly. I saw the constellation delphinus. The dolphin, I recalled the time my sister was learning the patronus spell and found out hers was a dolphin. I always thought of her when this constellation was out. That's it, my patronus! I had never fully successfully cast it out before, I never learned what mine was, but if I had any hope of getting out anytime soon, and not being eaten by wolves this was my chance. I set my wand down for a second and tucked the flower into my cardigan sleeve. I tried to muster up some energy and bent my leg up "Ohh fuck!" I shouted quietly as I heard it pop and I used it to push myself over to a tree that was next to me, I used my arm and slowly tried to push myself up to sit against it. "Shit shit shit" I said as I squeezed my eyes shut in pain and leaned my head back once I finally sat up. I let out a couple breaths from all the effort it took and grabbed my wand.

    Ok you can do this, it's very simple, and you've seen many people do it before. I took a couple breaths and relaxed myself, trying to relax my mind and nerves as well. Connie and I had discussed what we thought my patronus might be. It wasn't a shock hers was a dolphin, she was sociable and friendly, she always thought mine might be a unicorn since she always thought I was special, but id just laugh and disagree, I was only special to her, she thought I was the best person ever im sure, she was very positive, so if anything hers would be a unicorn not mine, I always pictured mine as a cockroach, or something stupid, I could never imagine anything worthy enough for me. I was a bitch to put it simply, I was snarky to those I didn't like, and I was sarcastic and truthful to those I did like. I always pictured mine to be a panther maybe, or a fox. I guess there was only one way to find out. I looked down at my watch, it was almost 4 o'clock. I held my wand tight and winced as I lifted my arm. I relaxed my shoulders and thought about everything she had taught me. I set my intent, pointed my wand up and began to swirl my wand in a circle slowly I could see a little spurt of blue coming, but it looked like a firework that wasn't going to go off, I kept trying, closing my eyes and thinking about anything I could to encourage it. "Come on please" I said opening my eyes, the blue grew more and more consistent and I squeezed my wand tighter, I moved it faster and got ready, extracting more and more power through it. "Expecto Patronum" I yelled, it shot out some blue lights, but nothing happened. "No come one please you have to work" I lifted my wand again and pointed it to the sky. I swirled it around the blue light being stronger and I could feel the power of the spell increasing, I closed my eyes and thought of my sister, her smile when hers showed up, when her dolphin swam around us in her room, I then un intentionally thought of Severus, our lessons, his kind words, his smell, his eyes. I opened mine and yelled once more, "Expecto Patronum!" I screamed it out and out from the tip of my wand shot a bright blue light, I stared intently and a smile grew on my face, my eyes lighting up from the light, and light tears falling from my eyes, swooping down and around the trees was a beautiful magical creature, it wasn't a unicorn, but it was an Abraxan, it was a breed of winged horses, and it was beautiful, it swopped and landed down in front of me, the dirt on the ground kicking up into blue fog, I looked down at me and I looked in its eyes, it was my patronus, so it knew exactly what to do, with a strong gust of wind it flew up into the sky and over the trees out of sight. I laughed to myself so glad I was able to do it, and hoping it would get the help I needed. I relaxed against the tree and felt all my limbs go tired and numb, I was exhausted from using all that energy and felt myself drift off into sleep.