EXPECTO PATRONUM!
DECEMBER 1976
6th Year
• • • •
Maxine smiled slightly, as she sat on her bed in her, Holland and Bronwyn's dorm, French-plaiting Bronwyn's hair.
"I wish Reggie would let me plait his hair." The red head sighed.
Holland chuckled, tying her tie in the mirror, "I'll pin him down if you plait."
Maxine laughed, "Deal," She smiled, before finishing her best friend's hair, "And done."
"Thanks." Bronwyn grinned, looking at her neatly plaited hair, making Maxine smile and hug her from behind, as Holland watched the pair with a soft smile on her face.
***
"And then what?" Bronwyn asked Holland at breakfast.
"Then say: the method of performing the Ridikkulus charm is," The Irish girl dictated, making Bronwyn furiously scribble it down, before looking at her friend in anticipation, "And then explain what it is." Holland instructed, Bronwyn complying.
The dark-haired girl smiled softly at her friend, taking a bite of her toast, her eyes wandering over to the Gryffindor table, swallowing thickly when they landed on her boyfriend, who was in a conversation with Sirius and Peter. Her werewolf boyfriend.
Margaret and Helena had both given her good and wise advice for her situation, yet she was still at a loss on what to do.
Thinking of her blonde friend made Holland discreetly look at Margaret - who was staring at a shaggy-haired Gryffindor. Feeling eyes on her, the Hufflepuff look around, before making eye contact with the Slytherin, who sent her a smirk, making Margaret look away with a blush.
Bronwyn's struggle with her essay brought Holland back into her conversation with her friends.
"What's a good example of a boggart?" The girl asked.
"Why not just use what your boggart was as an example?" Maxine asked with a chuckle.
"Because I can't remember what it is." Bronwyn admitted. laughing slightly, making her friends join in.
"Yours is a wolf." Maxine reminded her best friend.
"You turned it into an adorable puppy, remember?" Holland said through a mouthful of toast.
"Your boggart's your biggest fear." Regulus stated, looking at Bronwyn confused.
"Well, yeah, but I think it's changed," The older girl shrugged, "I'm not as afraid of them as I used to be."
"Well, just use what you did to the wolf in third year as your example." Holland advised her friend, shrugging slightly.
"Thanks." Bronwyn smiled, messily scribbling her answer down.
Zoning out of the conversation again, Holland felt someone looking at her, causing the Irish girl to look up, noticing a certain redhead looking at her with what only could be described as curiosity and indifference. Holland gave Lily a slight smile, gaining a small one back, before Bronwyn noisily putting her supplies away and resting her head on the table with a loud sigh rediverted her attention back to her fellow Slytherins.
"I hate Monday mornings," The brunette girl groaned, "I'm so done with this term and just want to go home."
"There's only two more weeks to go." Regulus reminded her.
"And besides, the big match against Gryffindor is this Saturday," Holland added, "You've got to be excited for that."
Bronwyn smirked, "Well, I am excited to absolutely destroy Gryffindor.
"That's the spirit." Holland grinned, before they all stood up to go to class, the dark-haired girl unaware of the Gryffindor Seeker's calculating stare.
***
"Just think happy thoughts?" Bronwyn asked, as she, Holland and Maxine were stood by their desks in Defence Against the Dark Arts, as they - like their fellow classmates - were trying to produce the Patronus Charm.
"After three lessons of theory on the subject, you would hope your solutions would be a little more complex than 'Just think happy thoughts'." Holland snickered, crossing her arms with an amused smile.
"Well isn't that what you have to do?" Bronwyn questioned.
"I don't think the textbook would've sold as much if that was in there." Maxine chuckled.
"'The Patronus Charm is an incredibly complex charm that will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory'." Holland said, looking up at friends, large textbook in hands.
"Now that's a best seller." Maxine nodded.
"Alright," The Irish girl sighed, placing the textbook on her desk and taking her green robe off, her friends following suit, as they joined their peers in trying to produce the charm, "Let's give this a go."
Holland's brain racked through happy memories in her head, smiling at the memory of her and her Grandparents in their cottage, reading in front of the crackling fire.
"Expecto Patronum."
A small wisp of a beautiful silver smoke emitted form the Slytherin's wand, making the girl sigh slightly, before shaking her head and trying again.
She thought of Maxine, Regulus and Bronwyn. The four of them in the booth in the corner of the Hogshead on that snowy Saturday afternoon.
"Expecto Patronum."
More silver smoke danced out of her wand.
New friendships. Lily and Margaret were another thought that made her smile.
"Expecto Patronum."
This time, a burst of silver smoke came from her wand, making her smile, earning some impressed looks.
Margaret watched Holland perform her incorporeal patronus with a soft smile on her face, before going back to think of her friendship with the said girl, Lily and her family, hoping that one of them would be the source of her patronus and that she would get further than little bursts of silver smoke from her wand.
Holland let out a slight sigh, thinking of what made her the happiest, before realising what - or who - that was. Closing her eyes, the sixth year thought of all the happy memories, a soft smile playing on her face.
"So? This just means she's not a prejudice Pureblood."
"Are, um, are you going to the Halloween ball thing?"
"See you around, Juliet."
"You know, with kindness and beliefs like that, one would assume you'd be a Hufflepuff."
"Don't drink the pumpkin juice tomorrow morning."
"Good Night Good Night Parting is such sweet sorrow."
"That I shall say good night till it be morrow?"
"Nice costume, Juliet."
"About last night, I had fun."
"You're so beautiful."
"You're incredible, Romeo."
"And you're pulchritudinous, Juliet."
"I wanna take you on a date"
"I love you."
"Why do you love me?"
"How could I not? You're perfect, kind, pulchritudinous."
"But I'm a wimp of a Slytherin."
"You're not a wimp. And the fact you're proud about your house makes you brave. You see the world in a way that I never could. Do you know what 'Lux' means in Latin?"
"No."
"Light You're the light of my life."
"You're cheesy."
"I know, But you still think I'm incredible."
"That I do,"
"Expecto Patronum."
Holland's eyes fluttered open, gasping and smiling at the pulchritudinous sight in frotn of her.
A silver dove flew gracefully around the classroom, making students stop and stare at the beautiful scene that Holland had created. The dove was soon joined by a magnificent horse, and Margaret was soon also being stared at.
Putting her wand down and making the patronus disappear, Holland smiled to herself.
"He makes me happy."