Harry Potter and the Bucket List

Year 3 - 5

Beta: Cloudy

(≖‿‿≖)ノ⌒●~*

Our first week back at Hogwarts meant it was time for our Patronus lessons. Harry and I met Remus in his office where he began to explain how we could defend ourselves against the dementors.

Harry was quite determined, while I was admittedly more curious what my Patronus looked like than worried about being knocked out by a dementor.

"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus," said Remus, "which is a kind of anti-dementor—a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the dementor. The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the dementor feeds upon—hope, happiness, the desire to survive—but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

"What does a Patronus look like?" said Harry curiously.

"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."

"And how do you conjure it?"

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

"The incantation is this—" Remus cleared his throat and did a flowy wand movement. "Expecto Patronum!"

Harry and I mimicked his movements several times until he was satisfied.

"Now, since Harry's boggart is that of a dementor, I figured that would be the best way to practice. Rosie, please stand back while Harry practices. I don't want the boggart to take on your fear."

"Agree with you there," I dryly muttered.

Harry took a stand against the chest the boggart was captured in. Remus gave him a few more seconds to get ready then he opened the chest and the boggart-dementor popped out. I honestly felt no presence from it. Only Harry was affected since it was his fear. He seized, unable to conjure anything before he fell to the ground and Remus had to banish the boggart back into the chest.

"Are you all right?" worriedly asked Remus.

"Yes." Harry pulled himself up on one of the desks and leaned against it.

"Here—" Remus handed him a Chocolate Frog. "Eat this before we try again. I didn't expect you to do it your first time; in fact, I would have been astounded if you had."

"It's getting worse," Harry muttered, biting off the Frog's head. "I could hear her louder that time—and him—Voldemort—"

Remus paled, his face darkened in grief. "Harry, if you don't want to continue, I will more than understand—"

"I do!" said Harry fiercely, stuffing the rest of the Chocolate Frog into his mouth. "I've got to! What if the dementors turn up at our match against Ravenclaw? I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose this game we've lost the Quidditch Cup!"

"All right then," Remus soothed. "You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on. That one doesn't seem to have been strong enough."

Again they tried, but that time around Harry fainted for a solid thirty seconds. Remus tapped Harry hard on the face to wake him back up. Harry was groggy and I offered him my hand to help him sit up properly.

"I heard Dad," Harry mumbled. "That's the first time I've ever heard him—he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give us time to run for it..."