The Untold Story of the Witches of Hogwarts

Patronuses

"I guess Umbridge was right. I guess I am nothing but a giant a failure," Elphaba sighed sadly as she and Galinda sat down in defeat, hiding away in the Room of Requirement.

"Oh, Elphie! Is that what all of this is about?" Galinda asked her best friend gently.

"Yes," Elphaba confessed with an unhappy sigh.

"Oh, Elphie! Don't! You simply can't let that fat, ugly, old toad get to you!" the little blond pleaded. She wrapped her arms around Elphaba comfortingly, trying to cheer the green girl back up. It didn't work.

"Galinda! She threatened to fail me if I can't make a Patronus for her by tomorrow and we've been at it for hours!" the Gryffindor cried.

"Well, with her as professor, the grade is worthless anyway!" Galinda tried to joke. It still didn't work.

For a few minutes more, the two witches sat together in silence, one trying to comfort the other. At one point, Galinda even rested her head upon Elphaba's shoulder, still holding her close. As Galinda rested her head on Elphaba's shoulder, however, she noticed something red upon the back of Elphaba's green hand. Galinda narrowed her eyes at once.

"Elphie. What is that?" she demanded. Elphaba, quickly realizing what Galinda had seen, tried to cover up her hand, but to no avail. Instead, Galinda only grabbed Elphaba's arm and forced her hand into the light.

"Merlin's beard!" the little blond exclaimed in disgust and horror. There, carved in the back of Elphaba's hand, were four bloody words: "I must not argue". She dropped Elphaba's hand again, fuming with anger.

"It doesn't hurt much," Elphaba said self-consciously, hiding her hand back in the fold of her robes again.

"Much!" Galinda mocked, voice high-pitched with anger. Then she began to rant and swear, cursing Umbridge's name with every swear word that she could think of. It was a very long and thorough list.

By the end of it, even though Galinda was red in the face from screaming and shoving all those cuss words into one breath, Elphaba was finally smiling again. Perhaps it was a bit selfish to say, but she liked it when Galinda got angry on her behalf. It made her feel loved. And sitting there, watching Galinda get redder and redder as she screamed swear words in about eight different languages, made Elphaba's heart warm and shine like the sun. By the end of it all, even though Galinda was panting, Elphaba felt her confidence return to her.

"You know what?" she asked her friend. "I think I'm ready to try again!" then she raised her wand high...

"You did it!" Galinda cried in awe as a silver swan burst out of the tip of Elphaba's wand. Although she was still panting from the swearing, the shock from seeing a real, fully-formed patronus bursting from Elphaba's wand made her forget how out of breath she was.

"I know, right?" Elphaba laughed in amazement and triumph as the swan continued to soar over their heads.

"But how?" Galinda asked. "What was the memory?" and Elphaba's confident smile turned sheepish as she confessed.

"You," she admitted softly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Me?" Galinda was stunned. Elphaba nodded shyly in response.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I just thought about you and all of the nice things you've ever done for me. They really are my best memories, and you really are the only friend that I've ever had..."

"Oh! Elphie!" Galinda looked so touched that Elphaba was worried she would start crying. Right before the waterworks could start, however, Galinda hopped up, suddenly eager to try her own patronus now that Elphaba had found her own.