No Body No Crime □■ Hermione Granger

Chapter 28

As though Arlene was not already overworked from Quidditch, her piling school work, detention and the Newspaper, Professor Lupin decided to start the dementor training sessions.

Arlene barely had time to breath, she copied homework off Sage, stayed up all night and slept in class, she got Theo and Blaise to help her in her detentions, went to practice late and left early and drank coffee instead of sleeping. She couldn't believe Hermione would overwork herself the same way willingly.

She considered quitting it, dementors weren't a fundamental issue for her, unlike Harry, and they would learn in Sixth year anyways. Still, Arlene loved new skills, that's why she knows sign language, Morse code and how to read Braille.

But that meant that she would keep fainting whenever they got too close.

And plus, Blacks aren't quitters.

"I'm here, I'm queer, and I'm ready to die." Arlene declared as soon as she entered the Defense Against Dark Arts Classroom, plopping on one of the desks.

"Good morning to you too, Arlene." Lupin, who looked too much like a suburban dad with his tan trousers, white shirt and plaid sweater, said with an amused undertone while taking a sip from his coffee mug.

"So," Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated that Harry and Arlene should do the same "The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, it's beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" said Harry nervously, Arlene didn't blame him, she was starting to doubt her decision as well.

"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus," said Lupin, "which is a kind of anti-Dementor, a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor."

Arlene had a mental image of holding Medieval shield and sword while attempting to fight a Dementor who looked at her the way you look at a dog who got his head stuck in a peanut butter jar, Professor Lupin continued, "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 two that the charm might be too advanced for you, many qualified wizards failed it in Sixth year."

"Are all your pep talks this motivational?" Arlene asked sarcastically.

"I've been told several times that I'm very inspiring." Lupin replied with equal levels of sarcasm.

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

"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it." Lupin replied, leaning against the desk and taking another sip from his coffee "Professor McGongall's is a cat, Dumbledore's is a Phoenix, but not everyone can conjure a corporeal Patronus."

"And how do you conjure it?" Harry continued, drinking up every word Professor Lupin was saying.

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory," He finished "it could be a birthday, first Quidditch game. For me, it's the day I got my Hogwarts letter."

'He didn't think he'd be able to attend because he's a werewolf' Arlene realized, feeling guilt and shame for all the nights she lied in bed wondering whether Lupin was helping Sirius or not.

She pushed these thoughts out of her head and tried focusing on her happy memory. Meeting her aunt Andromeda? Going to Hogsmead with Hermione? Winning the Quidditch tryouts? Telling Snape to fuck himself is definitely a strong competitor.