At 8 o'clock Thursday evening, Harry left the Gryffindor Common room for the History of Magic classroom where he was having his first lesson with Professor Lupin.
He waited a few minutes in the dimly lighted room before Lupin showed up, carrying a large packing case which he dropped on Professor Binn's desk with an astonishing 'bang'.
Harry looked at the case, apprehensively, "what's that?" He asked raising his eyebrow at the Professor.
"Another Boggart," Lupin chuckled, seeing Harry's expression, "I found it in Mr. Filch's filing cabinet, closest thing we're going to get to an actual dementor." The man pulled off his cloak and draped it over a chair, turning to Harry with a small grin on his face.
"So..." Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand and indicated that Harry should do the same. "The spell that I am going to try to teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry, well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."
"And that will keep Dementors away?" Harry shuddered with the memory of the women, his mother, screaming and the flashing green light before his fell during the quidditch game.
"Your Patronus acts as a protector of sorts, if done right, it will ward off dementors, your Patronus cannot feel despair, therefore the dementors have no effect." Lupin explained, "each Patronus is individual to the caster, it will take form of an animal."
"How do you conjure it?" Harry asked.
"With an incantation. However for the spell to work you must be focusing on a happy memory," Lupin looked at Harry with a serious expression, "now, Harry, don't be discouraged if you cannot preform this charm, it is very advanced magic and witches and wizards more advanced than you struggle with it."
Harry nodded.
"Ok now repeat after me; Expecto Patronum."
"Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum." Harry muttered under his breath.
"Ok, good, now focus very hard on a good memory." Lupin instructed.
Harry thought back to the time when he first rode a broom, "Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum!" A wisp of white spewed from the tip of Harry's wand. "Did you see that?" He asked excitedly, turning to Lupin.
"Very good, Harry," Lupin patted his shoulder, smiling, "are you up to trying it on the boggart now?"
"Yes!" Harry said eagerly. His grip tightened on his wand and he moved to the center of the classroom. Lupin got the case from the desk and placed it infront of Harry.
Harry's worries grew as Lupin began to take the lid off, however he had no time to back out as a hooded, black figure grew infront of him.
As the Dementor moved towards Harry, a piercing chill covered the room.
The lights flickered and the rattling breaths of the dementor echoed in Harry's skull.
"Expecto Patronum..." Harry said weakly, "Expecto Patronum. Expecto Patronum!"
"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please! I'll do anything!"
Harry woke up on the floor of the classroom.
The lights were back on, the temperature normal and no dementors in sight. Harry didn't have to ask what happened. He sighed and threw his head back in defeat.
"Sorry." He apologized to Professor Lupin.
"Are you alright?" Lupin asked.
Harry nodded, pulling his glasses from his face so he could wipe the droplets of sweat that were trickling down from his forehead.
Lupin handed him a chocolate frog and Harry tried again.
This went on for about an hour and Harry was able to make a shield with the charm but his progress was not what he hoped for.
"Let's call it a night, Harry, you've ought to be proud of yourself, you made plenty progress for one night." Lupin remarked, retrieving his cloak. "Your father would be proud."
Harry gave the defense Professor a uncertain smile, "thank you, Professor, but I have to be ready for the Quidditch game against Ravenclaw! If the Dementors show up..."
Lupin interrupted, "Professor Dumbledore has spoken to the Dementors, the chances of an event like that happening again are slim, however if it does, I am confident that you could handle yourself. Now off to bed, it's getting quite late."
Harry nodded and stuck his wand in the pocket of his trousers. He bid the man Goodnight and retired to his dormitory.
>•<
"A Firebolt!" A very shocked Oliver Wood stood in the middle of the great hall, eyes wide, jaw slacked, staring at 3rd year Harry Potter.
Harry just nodded.
"There's no way we can loose now!" The captain exclaimed, excitedly bouncing on his toes, "Merlin, a Firebolt, Ravenclaw won't know what hit them."
Harry watched as Wood walked away, mumbling to himself about the possibility's now open to the Gryffindor team due to Harry's miraculous Christmas gift.
"You ready for the game?" Ginny smiled at Harry as he took a seat across from her.
"You bet," Harry grinned, "with my new stick and the charm Lupin taught me I have no doubt this game is going to be a great one."
"Brilliant," Ginny returned his smile. "Pass me the jam, will you?"
Harry did as she asked, rambling on about his broom and how fast he could go.
"Really I bet you I could make it from here to London in a mere hour on my Firebolt."
Ginny sighed and nodded, munching on her toast.
>•<
Players! Take your positions." Madam Hooch called from the center on the field.
She brought her whistle to his lips and blew, throwing the Quaffle into the air, "Begin!"
"And they're off!" Lee Jordan announced, "Gryffindor in possession!"
Harry kicked off the ground and went soaring into the air.
He steadily gained height, eyes scanning the pitch for any sign of the golden snitch. He could feel his wand pressed up on his leg, just incase anything went wrong during the match.
The Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang, hovered above the match a few feet from Harry's right. Harry leaned forward and decided to take a lap around the pitch in search for the snitch, Cho followed him close behind.
Not five minutes later, Harry spotted the snitch besides Fred Weasley's bat. He quickly shot into a dive and caught the tiny ball besides Fred's ear.
"Gryffindor Wins!" Roared Lee Jordan and the stadium erupted in applause.
"Way to go Harry!" Oliver Wood congratulated the seeker on the way to the locker room.
"Yeah great job, Harry" Fred and George pounded him on the back.
Harry couldn't wipe the smile off his face, he was back. After the horrible match against the Hufflepuffs he made up for it and Gryffindor was back in the running.
"Party in the common room tonight!" George yelled and everyone cheered, man it felt good to win.
"Good game, Harry." Draco complimented, catching Harry on his way to the broom shed.
"Thanks Draco." Harry smiled, "ready for me to crush you in next weeks match Malfoy?"
"Oh you're on Potter." Draco smirked, "looser does the dishes the entire summer?" The blond stuck out his hand.
Harry took it, "have fun scrubbing, mate."
The Gryffindor Common room was not very functional for studying that night.
Fred and George had snuck food from the kitchens and the whole house was up partying until the early morning hours when McGonagall finally came to shut it down.
Harry, who was avoiding Hermione and still not speaking to Ron, hung around Ginny, Neville, Fred and George the whole night.
He was quite exhausted from the days events when he made it back to his dorm and fell asleep the second his head hit his pillow, glasses and all.
Harry had a very peculiar dream, he was walking through the forest his Firebolt over his shoulder following something silvery white.
It was winding its way through the trees ahead and he can only catch glimpses of it between the leaves. Anxious to catch up with it, he sped up, but as he moved faster, so did his quarry. Harry broke into a run in a head he heard hooves gathering speed. Now he was running at a full sprint and could hear galloping. Then he turned the corner into a clearing and then...
"AAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH,NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Harry woke as suddenly as though he was hit in the face.
Disoriented and in total darkness Harry fumbled with his curtains, he could hear movement around him, an Seamus Finnegan's voice from the other side of the room.
'What's going on?' Harry thought as he heard the dormitory door slam. At last finding the divide in his curtains, he ripped them back, and at the same moment, Dean Thomas lit his lamp.
Ron was sitting up in his bed, the hangings torn from one side, A look of utmost terror on his face, "Black," he gasped, "Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!"
"What?"
"Here, just now, woke me up. Slashed my curtains!" Ron gestured to the torn drapery around his four poster.
"You sure you weren't dreaming Ron?" Dean asked.
"Look at my curtains! I tell you! He was here!" Ron defended.
They all scrambled out of bed, Harry reached the dormitory door first and they all sprinted down the staircase and into the common room.
Doors opened and annoyed, sleepy voices called after them, "Who shouted?", "What's happening?", "What're you doing?"
The common room was lit by the glow of the dying fire still littered with debris from the party. It was deserted.
"Are you sure you weren't dreaming Ron?" Seamus asked.
"I'm telling you! I saw him."
"What's all this noise? McGonagall told us to go to bed!" A girl yelled down the staircase.
A few of the girls had come down to see what was going on, yawning and pulling on their dressing gowns.
Boys too were reappearing in the common room.
"Excellent, are we carrying on?" Asked Fred Weasley brightly.
"Everyone, back upstairs!" Yelled Percy Weasley, hurrying into the common room while pinning his head boy badge onto his pajamas as he spoke.
"Perce, Sirius Black! In our dormitory!" Said Ron faintly, "with a knife, woke me up."
Gasps came from the gathered crowd. Then the common room went very still.
"Nonsense!" Percy said, looking startled, "it must've been a nightmare, stop talking rubbish, Ron, you're going to worry people."
"Now, now, that's enough!" McGonagall's voice pierced the room, alerting everyone that she was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously at the crowd with fire dancing in her eyes.
"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match but this is ridiculous, Percy I expected more from you." She looked at the head boy with disappointment.
"I certainly didn't authorize this," Percy looked appalled, "I was just telling them all to return to bed, my brother, Ron, had a nightmare, you see."
"IT WAS NOT A NIGHTMARE!" Ron shouted, everyone's head snapped around to look at him. "PROFESSOR I WOKE UP AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"
McGonagall stared at the youngest Weasley brother with shock. "Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?" She raised her eyebrow.
"Ask him!" Ron pointed to the back of Sir Cadogan's picture with a shaking finger. "Ask him if he saw anything."
Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside.
The whole common room listed with bated breath.
McGonagall cleared her throat, "Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter the Gryffindor tower?"
"Certainly, good lady!" Cries the knight.
There was a stunned silence both inside and outside the common room.
"You, you did?" Asked McGonagall, "but, but the password!"
"He has them!" Cried Sir Cadogan proudly, "he had the whole week's, my lady! Read them off a slip of parchment."
McGonagall pulled herself back together as she reentered the common room, facing the crowd, her skin as white as chalk. "Which," she started, scanning the entire group of stunned Gryffindors, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them laying around?"
There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy slippered toes, raised his hand.