Serendipity (S. Black)

TEN

"they stood there pretending to be just friends when everyone in the room could see that they only existed for each other"

*

"All right, students, calm down," Professor McGonagall called over the many teenage voices creating quite a din in her classroom. She peered at them sternly over her wire glasses. "Settle down. And yes, Mr. Potter, that includes you."

"Oh deer," James replied cheekily, "my apologies." Remus groaned.

"As I was trying to say, today we will continue our work on Patronus charms. This is a very complex bit of magic, as you all know. Today we are going to attempt corporeal Patronuses. Can anyone explain what a corporeal Patronus is?"

Lily raised her hand to answer, but Sirius tuned out the conversation. He glanced at Eva's notebook, where she was doodling a list she quickly covered up when she caught him looking. He didn't know what to make of that.

"Do you think Patronuses are the same as Animagi?" James whispered, leaning over when McGonagall wasn't looking. "Like, do you think I'll be a stag?"

"Probably. I don't know, ask Moony or something." Sirius wasn't in the mood to talk to his friend, not after what he had seen the night before. James frowned at his short answer.

"As I was saying," McGonagall said, fixing the two with a glare. "Some Patronuses will just become a shield, but the most powerful is a corporeal Patronus. A guardian. The incantation will be Expecto Patronum. Everyone, out of the seats, wands out, please."

The students all stood and shuffled around the large classroom, waiting for more instructions.

"This is very complex magic. I don't expect everyone to grasp it right away. However, you are sixth years now and therefore approaching adulthood. Due to the... current situations of the world, it is useful to know. I believe that many of you have the capabilities to perform this spell. Now, to produce a Patronus, you need to think of a strong, happy, powerful memory. Close your eyes. Let it fill you up."

James closed his eyes and pictured winning the Quidditch Cup the previous year. He remembered it vividly: scoring the final goal, the team group hug, celebrating all night with his brothers and butterbeer. And when he whispered the incantation, a silver stag erupted from his wand. It surveyed the room, hopped up and down a few times in excitement, and ran off. James grinned, and Remus slapped him on the back.

Marlene took a deep breath and searched her memories, landing on a day in Hogsmeade with Lily and Eva. Snow in their hair, candy bags in their arms, breath materializing in front of their faces. A smile formed on her face, and after a few tries, she saw a spirited horse trot over to James' stag.

Remus closed his eyes and didn't immediately think of a happy memory. He first rattled off a prayer, a plea, before recalling all of the nights he and his friends stayed up late learning how to be Animagi. It took a moment, but a silver wolf appeared and stared at him. Remus stared right back at the Patronus before he quickly got rid of it. Professor McGonagall frowned at his dismissal but thankfully didn't comment.

Eva bit her lip as she concentrated. A happy memory, a happy memory... She settled on messing around with Sirius the other night outside. A subconscious smile spread to her face as she pictured him rolling down the hill, laughing all of the way, and a silver butterfly burst forth from her wand. It was by far the smallest Patronus in the room. She laughed as it fluttered around, just imagining her soft little guardian banishing a dementor.

Peter couldn't quite get the hang of this spell. Each time he pictured hanging out with his friends on the Hogwarts Express, all he could produce was a silver mist. He frowned, but Remus assured him that a non-corporeal Patronus could be just as powerful against dementors if used as a barrier, which made him feel slightly better. Remus cast his Patronus again but made sure to only produce a shield-like one himself, ashamed of its corporeal form.