Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter Twelve | Patronuses and Emotions

Ariana had soon completed her spell and decided to follow up on the Patronus. Yes, she had conjured it once, but she had never used it practically, so she figured the best person to talk to was the only person she'd ever seen perform the charm before: Professor Lupin. She could still recall seeing the bright shield emit from the tip of his wand before the darkness swallowed her vision.

The witch jogged down the ever-changing marble staircases, making her way down from the seventh to the third floor. It was a short way from the main staircases to the DADA classroom, in which lay Lupin's office.
She pushed through the heavy door and saw the room she had come to like. It had an iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a skeleton of a dragon was also suspended from the ceiling - its sheer length impressed any who looked at it. Many desks sat in rows and large windows stretched from just above the floor to the ceiling, allowing the sunlight to stream in.

Ariana walked towards the other end of the room, and stepped up the stone staircase. Once she reached the heavy door at the top, she knocked and waited on a response.

"Come in," Lupin called.

Ariana pushed the wooden door open. She immediately saw that the room was neatly littered with a few tattered trunks, bookshelves packed with various books and a gramaphone also sat in the far corner.

Lupin was sat at his desk in the center of the room, quill in hand. He looked up from the roll of yellow-ish parchment he was writing on, his eyes meeting the white-haired witch's piercing blue ones. "Ah, Ariana. It's nice to see you."

"Likewise, Professor."

"Take a seat," he said, motioning to a wooden chair opposite him. Ariana thanked him and obliged, lowering herself into the chair. "Now, what can I help you with?"

"I wanted to enquire about the Patronus Charm," Ariana said, crossing her right leg over her left.

"Yes, I thought you would be interested in that particular charm," he hummed, setting his quill aside. "I'd be happy to teach you how to preform it."

"Oh, thank you, but that's the thing: I've already learned."

"You've already learned how to preform a Patronus?" Lupin enquired, looking quite shocked.

"As of two hours ago, yes," Ariana stated, shifting in her seat. She didn't want to seem like she was boasting, as she hated being celebrated for her achievements.

"How did you learn how to conjure the Patronus?"

"After I left you and Harry, I went straight to the Library to research Dementors. While doing so, I came across the Patronus Charm. I ended up reading a book on the Patronus and decided to attempt it. Much to my shock, I was able to conjure one," Ariana explained, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but tried everything to sound humble when she said that. "My problem is: I've never used the Charm defensively."

After recovering from the initial shock, Lupin smiled. "I think I can help you. Follow me."

He rose from his desk and made his way out of the office and down the stairs. Ariana walked behind him, curious as to what he intended to do.

"If I'm correct, this Boggart should turn into a Dementor, just as it did for Harry," Lupin thought aloud, striding towards a large, heavy chest. "Wand at the ready."

Ariana nodded and done as she was told, pulling her wand from her pocket, which she had put an enchantment on so she could fit her wand inside. She took a defensive stance in about five feet from the trunk, her muscles taut and ready for a fight.

"On three?"

Ariana nodded, perfectly aiming her wand at the chest.

"One... Two... Three."

With a wave of Lupin's hand, the iron bolts on the chest slid back with a thunk. The lid lurched open and a ghastly Dementor rose from inside, taking deep, rattling breaths. Its torn black cloak hung from its black skeletal body, reminding Ariana of Death; she thought it would ofnlooked more the part if it had a menacing scythe.

The with never missed a beat as it loomed towards her. She allowed the memory of her friends to absorb into every molecule on her body. "Expecto Patronum!" she said, allowing her chosen memory to work its way though her mind and body.

Evidently it worked, because a fierce lion appeared and roared loudly. It pounced at the Boggart, its long claws embedding in the Dementor's black cloaked chest. The lion continued to attack until it beat the Dementor back into the chest, roaring triumphantly once it had succeeded. The magnificent silver animal rubbed up against Ariana's leg, then sat protectively by her side. As much as the witch could of sat with her Patronus all day, she made it disappear with a swift flick of her wand.

"Well done!" Lupin praised, smiling widely. "You should be very proud of yourself. I've encountered fully-fledged wizards who cannot produce a Corporeal Patronus."

Ariana gave a small smile and slowly lowered herself to the ground, suddenly feeling like her legs were going to collapse underneath her. The energy had, once again, been drained from her body, leaving it feeling rather like jelly. She slid down a stone column beside her and sat on one of the three steps that lead to a raised area at the back of the classroom. She rolled her shoulders and inhaled deeply, willing the dizziness that had taken residence in her head to leave.

"Here, eat this. It really helps," said Lupin, holding out another chunk of chocolate. He proceeded to sit down on the step beside her.

"We're beginning to make a habit of this," Ariana stated, the corners of her lips turning up a little.

"Yes," Lupin chuckled, turning to look at her. "Out of interest, may I ask what memory you were recalling?"

"Of course. I was thinking about the day I met Harry, Ron and Hermione," Ariana said, taking a small bite of the sweet chocolate. "The first of September, 1991. It's the happiest memory I have."

Lupin frowned. "The happiest one you have?"

"Yes," Ariana nodded, running her hands over her wand, eyes staring straight ahead.

Sensing she didn't wish to further discuss her memories, Lupin changed the subject, "A lion. I can't say I'm surprised."

"Yeah." Ariana gave a breathy laugh, "nor was I."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a good ten minutes. For some reason, Ariana felt comfortable with Lupin, although she couldn't explain the warm feeling in her stomach. She had always been forced to turn any fond feelings about people into hate, no matter how gut-wrenchingly difficult it was. She had flat out refused to do this with Harry, Ron and Hermione, and she definitely paid for it, but it was worth it.

Ariana did, however, feel that it was completely inappropriate for her to feel this naturally comfortable with a professor... so she did what she had been doing for the past thirteen years; push the emotion down and dismiss it, no matter how much it hurt in the inside.

~~~~~

Question:
Which two 'Harry Potter' characters share a Patronus?

A: Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall

B: Harry Potter and James Potter

C: Arthur Weasley and Ginny Weasley

Congratulations to Blackstars36 for answering the previous question correctly.