The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Gideon Prewett's Peacock

Gideon nodded. "Long day at the Ministry. Just come from there. Fabian's not going to be joining us today - working on an important case - well, some of you lot know about Newt Scamander and the children he's rescued, yeah? Fabian's out helping him in returning them safely to their homes, freshly obliviated of course." Gideon smiled weakly, then he stood up and walked 'round the desk. "Ministry's crawling with dementors, of course, so you understand... takes a moment to recuperate... Now if you'll all turn to page 245 in your textbooks, we'll start off with a quick review... Yes Mr. Lupin?"

Remus had raised his hand and waved it insistently. He said, "Mr. Prewett, I've been reading a... a bit ahead in the Defense lessons and I found something I was hoping you could explain and... and maybe teach us. Because of the dementors."

Gideon looked confused.

"It's the Patronus Charm."

Now he looked even more confused, "Hang on, they've moved that to Year 5... no, it can't be, that's mental..." he grabbed up his copy of the textbook from the desk and started to flip to the glossary in the back.

"No, sir," Remus said, "I've read ahead. I mean way ahead. I'm talking about in the Grade 7 textbook"

Gideon looked up ."You're reading Grade 7? You know you're in Year 5, yeah?"

"I finished ours twice and read Grade 6, so when I finished that, Grade 7 seemed the next logical read," Remus replied, shrugging.

Sirius grinned down at his notetaking parchment. Moony never failed to impress. Even Lily Evans was staring over gaping-mouthed at him for it. Clearly, it never occurred to her to read so far ahead. Sirius reached an arm over and petted Remus's knee with a smile.

Gideon said, "Well, it's - it's very advanced magic, you understand. Even advanced for Grade 7. It's mentioned more of an aside - typically taught at university or in the Auror training program. When we covered them in school in my day, our teacher simply mentioned them for but a moment, showed us her Patronus."

"Can you do one?" James asked at exactly the same time a Lily asked, "What's a Patronus?" James looked at her and grinned as they spoke over one another. Lily rolled her eyes.

Gideon paused a moment, and then waved his wand in the funny pattern show in the book... and suddenly a great white mist seemed t fall from his wand, recollecting itself as it hit the floor until a ghostly peacock, with a long trail of diamond-patterned feathers streaming behind it appeared and all five of the Gryffindor fifth years stared at it with slack jaws. Remus leaned forward over his desk to see the wonderful patronus before him.

"Ruddy brilliant," whispered Peter.

"Whipping werewolves!" Sirius exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Remus looked over at him. 

Sirius grinned wickedly, "Just an expression, Moonpie."

Lily was standing up to see the full of the shimmering peacock over her desk. "What is a Patronus charm?" she asked eagerly, her fingers tightening and loosening 'round her willow wand. Just the sight of such a majestic thing as that peacock was made her wish to produce one.

"A Patronus Charm is a protective defensive force, one of the most powerful tools a wizard can utilize. The charm is the embodiment of the caster's happiest memory, and therefore is capable of driving away dementors... It will fiercely protect it's caster, whatever it is up against though, similar to a shield charm except the Patronus is a thinking, moving entity, driven by a magic of the deepest sort. It actively protects you, as opposed to the shield charm." Gideon walked 'round to where the peacock bird stood, staring about at them with blinking eyes. He ran his palm over the bird's head gently.