"Dementor!" Harry yelled out, moving to run away from the others. The black creature turned towards him and continued his advance as Harry put more distance between them.
"Expecto Petronum!" Professor Flitwick called out, causing a bright white light to appear from his wand, a gout of white fog creeped towards the Dementor, causing it to flee. "Are you alright Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked, moving as fast as his legs could towards the boy.
"Yes, I'm fine. What was that spell you cast?" Harry asked, looking towards the diminutive professor.
"The Patronus charm, it's the only real defense against dementors. Powerful charm, but difficult to cast." Flitwick said through panted breaths. He hadn't run that far Harry noticed… was the spell that taxing?
"That's twice one of those Dementors has come after me…. Could you teach me that spell Professor Flitwick? Just in case it happens again?" Harry asked, looking to his mentor.
"I'd normally be happy to, but I'm afraid I'm incapable. While I know all about the theory of the spell, I'm only just able to cast it myself. It requires a powerful wizard to truly cast the spell, and I'm simply not up to snuff in that department. The true form of the patronus is meant to be a creature, that spouts forth from your wand to actively combat a dementor. My fog is called an incorporeal patronus, a lesser form of the spell. Good enough for driving a dementor away, but not for groups." Flitwick said, managing to catch his breath. "Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore are both capable of casting it, but they're likely too busy to teach you. I believe it's possible Professor Snape could as well, but I don't know that for sure."
"I don't believe Sn-" Hermione glared at him from a distance. "Professor Snape would be interested in teaching me more than he has to for his job." Harry said.
"I suppose you are right on that front." Flitwick said.
"Professor Lupin cast that spell on the train." Susan spoke up. "Maybe he could teach you, he summoned a wolf with his."
"Ah! I shouldn't be surprised. Professor Lupin was quite the exemplary student when he was here, despite his pension for mischief. I imagine that was much more your father's influence than any of his own." Flitwick said, nodding to Harry. "I would recommend asking him. Should he agree, and you are successfully able to cast the charm by the end of the school year, I would give you some points towards the house cup. I believe you are capable, and that is a post-NEWT level spell, so it would be well worth the points."
"Well now you HAVE to do it Harry, we need the extra points!" Padma called. "Got to show the other houses that Ravenclaw's the best." She said, as she stuck her tongue out at Daphne.
"If you were the best, then you wouldn't need Harry to do the extra work for you. You'd simply have enough points already." Daphne said, in a fake haughty voice. Unable to keep the charade up much longer, both Padma and Daphne broke into laughter.
The following day, Harry approached Professor Lupin after their class. "Oh yes, Mr. Potter? Is there something I can help you with?" Lupin asked, his tone curious.
"The girls said you cast the Patronus charm on the train to save me from that dementor right?" Harry asked, Lupin nodded in response. "I'd like you to teach me that charm if you would. I've been attacked by Dementors twice now, and I'd like to be able to defend myself against them."
"I see… Harry are you aware of what exactly you're asking? If this were a normal spell I'd be happy to teach you, but the Patronus charm… there are quite a number of very powerful and skilled wizards who can't cast the charm. You're an exceptional third year student for sure, but still just that, a third year student. I'm not certain if your core is even developed enough to cast it." Lupin said, his brow furrowed.
"I know… but I can't just be defenseless. If Daphne, or Hermione, or any of the girls were to be attacked by the Dementors, and I couldn't keep them safe. I don't know what I'd do. I understand it'll be difficult, maybe even impossible. But I have to try. I can't just sit by and hope for someone else to solve my problems for me." Harry said, clenching his fist in resolve.
"Guess you've got more of your mother in you than I thought, that's definitely Lily in there. Yes, I'll teach you. But I expect you to give it all you've got and then some." Lupin said.
"Thank you sir. I won't let you down." Harry said, happy to have started this journey.
"I imagine we should take this time to get started then. How much do you know about the patronus charm Harry?" Lupin asked, shifting into instructor mode.
"Not much. It wards away dementors." Harry said, a bit sheepish that he didn't know more.
"
"That's quite alright. The patronus charm is a relatively obscure spell in the grand scheme of things. Due to its limited use cases, and high casting requirements few individuals truly interact with the spell. The patronus charm is an intent based charm, it comes from a desire to protect and shield. The latin 'Expecto Patronum' literally translates to 'I await a protector', or 'I await a guardian' using your magic, you are in essence summoning a guardian to fight on your behalf against a creature you normally have no defense for. This is why the spell has such a high powerdrain, unlike transfigurations or conjuring, you aren't summoning or changing something that already exists, you are creating something wholly new. The patronus itself can take on two forms, the corporeal patronus, which is somewhat physical, it has defined shape and form, and can even apply force, and the incorporeal which is a sort of mist or fog. The latter is much easier to cast, and occasionally has it's uses even if the prior is able to be cast." Lupin said, going into his lecture. "Tell me Harry, why do you think the incorporeal one might be better for a given situation?"
-----+------
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/Vermeail
If you guys wanna check it out.