Harry and Amelia Potter

3.12

Harry and I storm out of the pub and go towards the forest. Hermione and Ron notice the footsteps in the snow, with no bodies filling them. They begin to follow.

Harry and I sit on a boulder and cry into each other shoulder. Hermione slowly walks up and removes the cloak.

"Harry, Mia, what happened?"

"He was their friend... and he betrayed them." I mutter.

"He was their friend!" Harry exclaims angrily. "I hope he finds us. Because when he does, we're gonna be ready!"

"When he does," I pause for a moment and look to my brother. "We're gonna kill him!"

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"Harry. Mia.  There you are. You came." Professor Lupin guides us into his office. "Are you sure about this? This is very advanced magic... well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level."

"We're sure." We both say.

"Well, everything's prepared. The spell I'm going to teach you is called the Patronus Charm. Did you ever hear of it? No? Well..." he takes in a deep breath as we shake our heads no. "A Patronus is a positive force. For the wizard who conjures one... it works like a shield, with the dementor feeding on it rather than him. But in order for it to work, you need to think of a memory.
Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory. Can you do this?" We nod. "Yes. Very well. Close your eyes. Concentrate. Explore your past. Do you have a memory?" We nod again. "Allow it to fill you up. Lose yourself within it. Then speak the incantation, Expecto Patronum."

"Expecto Patronum." We repeat.

"Very good. Shall we? Harry, you go first. Wand at the ready." He opens a chest and a dementor pops out.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry says. Nothing happens. "Expecto... Expecto...Expect..."

He faints, and I quickly move to catch him before s head hits the ground.

"Here we go. Come on. Sit up. Deep breaths. It's all right. I didn't expect you to do it the first time. That would have been remarkable." He hands him another piece of chocolate. "Here, eat this. You'll feel better."

"That's one nasty dementor." My brother mutters.

"Oh, no, no, no."

"That was a boggart, Harry." I tell him.

"A boggart. The real thing would be worse. Much, much worse. As a matter of interest, what were you thinking?" Professor Lupin asks.

"Yes Harry, tell me. Which memory did you choose?" I ask, also curious.

"The first time I rode a broom."

"That's not good enough. Not nearly good enough." Professor Lupin exclaims.

"I have one. It's not happy, exactly. Well, it is. It's the happiest I've ever felt... but it's complicated." I say.

"Is it strong?" I nod. "Then let's give it a try. You feel ready? Just do it."

I take my stance and he opens the chest. When the boggart pops up, I raise my wand and say the incantation.

"Expecto Patronum!" Nothing happens. "Expecto Patronum!" The second time I say it, a bright light shines out. The boggart tries to get around to me but is unable to. I slowly push it down with my patronus charm and Professor Lupin closes the chest.

"Yes! Well done, Mia. Well done!"

"I think we've had enough for today." I mutter. Extremely weak, barely able to stand.

"Yes. Sit down. Here. Eat this, it helps. It really helps." Lupin hands me some chocolate. "And just so you know, Mia... I think you'd have given your father a run for his money. And that... is saying something."

"I was thinking of him." I say. Then turn to Harry. "And Mum. Seeing their faces. They were talking to me. Just talking. That's the memory I chose. I don't even know if it's real. But it's the best I have."

We gather ourselves and leave the professors office. Harry looks like something is troubling him.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

"Is it wrong of me to feel jealous? Since you could do it and I couldn't."

"Harry, you tried your best. You didn't know that the memory wasn't strong enough. I'm sure if you did it again, you'd be able to do the spell." I tell him. He looks down and stays quiet. "You're a great wizard, Harry. You know it, I know it." Then I look and see Hermione and Ron. "They know it."

"Know what?" Hermione questions.

"We just came from Lupins. He taught us the Patronus Charm."

"You both performed the patronus charm? That's highly advanced magic." Ron says in disbelief.

"I didn't. Mia did." Harry mutters.

"And I was just telling my brother, here, that he is a wonderful wizard. Even though he didn't get it on the first try, you are quite remarkable." I smile at him.

"She's right, Harry. No one gets it on the first try." Hermione says.

"Mia did." He walks away, towards Hagrids. I look to Ron and Hermione and then we follow him.

"Beautiful day." Hermione says to me as we walk arm in arm.

"Gorgeous. Unless you've been ripped to pieces!" Ron exclaims from behind.

"Ripped to pieces? What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Ronald has lost his rat."

"I haven't lost anything! Your cat killed him!"

"Rubbish."

"Mia, you've seen the way that bloodthirsty beast of hers... is always lurking about. And Scabbers is gone."

"Well, maybe you should take better care of your pets!"

"Your cat killed him!"

"Did not."

"Did."

"Didn't."

"Oh, will you two please, for the love of Merlin, shut up!" I yell as we stop in front of Hagrids hut. They look at me with wide eyes. I notice Harry standing behind Hagrid as he's in the lake, dressed in an odd looking suit, skipping rocks.

"How did it go, Hagrid? The hearing?" Harry asks him.

"Well, first off, the committee members took turns... talking about why we were there. I got up and did my piece. Said how Buckbeak... was a good hippogriff, always cleaned his feathers. And then Lucius Malfoy got up. Well, you can imagine." Hagrid scoffs. "He said Buckbeak was a deadly and dangerous creature... who would kill you as soon as look at you."

"And then?" I ask.

"And then he asked for the worst, did old Lucius."

"They're not sacking you!" Harry shouts.

"No, I'm not sacked." Hagrid looks down and starts to sob. "Buckbeak's been sentenced to death!"