𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 ☆ 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑛 𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝑌𝐸𝐴𝑅 𝑇𝐻𝑅𝐸𝐸 ☆ 11

"That was a bloody bad dementor," Rosalyn said. "Or was it-"

"Yes," Lupin answered as he relit the candles. "That was a boggart, Rosalyn, the real thing would've been worse. Much, much worse," he turned round. "As a matter of interest, what were you thinking of?"

"First time I rode a broom," Rosalyn said, remembering the first time Ginny and her stole Fred and George's brooms, riding them over the paddock near the burrow. It was a feeling of true happiness.

Lupin chucked the match away and looked at her. "Well that's not good enough, not nearly good enough."

Rosalyn turned round, looking at the candles. She didn't know what to do, but she said. "There is another, it's not happy, exactly," she touched the small, flickering flame on the candle. "Well it is. It's the happiest I've ever felt- but it's complicated."

"Is it strong?" Lupin asked, and again, Rosalyn had to think, but she knew the answer.

"Strongest I have," she said.

Lupin nodded, then said. "Let's give it a try, if you're ready?"

"Just do it," Rosalyn nodded, trying to prepare for the feeling of all happiness getting sucked out of her.

Lupin unlocked the trunk and the dementor came out of it again. It swooped down upon her, and she felt horrible, but she kept thinking of her memory. She kept thinking of it...

"Expecto Patronum!" Rosalyn tried, and she felt oddly protected, even though her charm hadn't conjured anything.

So she tried again.

"Expecto Patronum!"

And, magnificently, a bright light came from her wand. It, as Lupin had said, formed a sort of shield between her and the dementor. She was willing herself to keep thinking of the memory, so that the patronus charm would stay.

Lupin started laughing with joy as Rosalyn lowered the dementor into the trunk. He was happy that she had had the strength to conjure one, let alone drive a dementor away with it.

She lowered it far enough and Lupin shut the trunk, smiling to the brim.

"Well done, Rosalyn! Well done!"

Rosalyn, who was slightly out of breath, suddenly said. "I think I've had enough, for today," she needed a break for now, dementors sucked energy out of you as well as happiness.

"Yes, sit down, eat this, it helps, it really helps." Rosalyn sat down on the stone steps in his office and accepted the chocolate Lupin was, yet again, offering her.

He sat down beside her, sensing that even though she didn't want to fight the dementor anymore, she didn't want to leave. He told her. "Just so you know, Rosalyn, I think you would've given your father a run for his money, and that's saying something."

Rosalyn smiled, deciding to risk a question. "Erm... and the girl you... told me about?"

Lupin smiled. "Her too. And your mother, as well. You're a really, really good witch, Rosalyn."

"No, I'm not," Rosalyn shook her head. "People always say that stuff about Hermione, not me."

Lupin smiled. "Well... they're not wrong. Your friend Miss Granger-"

"Best friend," Rosalyn smiled.

"Okay, okay," Lupin grinned knowingly. "Your best friend Miss Granger is an extraordinary witch, but so are you, Rosalyn. You really are."

Rosalyn smiled. "Thank you very much, Professor Lupin."

He smiled. "You're very welcome Rosalyn."

Rosalyn kept her eyes focused on a point in the distance, her eyes going blurry. She wanted to ask Lupin more, to question him. To ask him how she knew that her father had conjured a great patronus. She wanted to know what her father, and mother, had been like, if Lupin had known them.