Written for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments) Assignment #9 Religious Education Task #8 Totems – Write about someone producing a patronus charm for the first time.

Writing Club May:

Character Appreciation (27) trait - loyal

Shannon's Showcase (4) Word: Fear, Theme: Failure leading to success

Showtime (31) Emotion: Fear

Word Count: 686

"Expecto Patronum." Draco utters softly, his tone shaky and just above a whisper, yet his wand movements is measured and precise.

A silvery mist escapes the end of his wand, making him snarl.

Despite his unease Draco keeps his impeccable posture, drilled into him from an early age.

It's this proud determination which keeps him upright these days; helping him ignore the urge to shudder as he spots the first slither of two dementors in the darkened sky.

It's funny the things that come back to you; karma they say.

Draco can remember teasing Potter incessantly for his reaction to the dementors back at Hogwarts. When Draco himself had not faced real terror as yet; but the summer after 5th year after his father was sentenced to Azkaban Draco got his first taste.

A boy forced to take over the mantle from his father by the Dark Lord; a task Draco had foolishly thought he was ready for.

His initiation act for the Death Eaters was to survive his father's punishment, for failing in the Department of Mysteries, in the presence of not only the Dark Lord and his loyal followers but also his mother. Thrice the Crucio curse was used on him that night, in increasing minute intervals. Draco Malfoy can finally say he has truly experienced fear and pain.

"Expecto Patronum." Draco stutters out; this attempt is pitiful his mist is quite weak.

As the dementors edge closer, crossing half the distance it isn't courage and determination which roots him in the spot. No, the Slytherin way is self preservation at all costs; it's fear which roots him in place, freezing his veins and cutting his breath.

While he can never forget his own screams, it's the screams of his mother which really haunts him. Draco doesn't recall anything more of the night, after blacking out he remembers nothing at all, not being revived. His mother's punishment for crying out is what awakes him in cold sweat; not knowing the unknown.

As an unspoken rule neither mother nor son brings up that night ever. Although his Aunt Bella had began to bring that night up a few occasions but one frosty look from his mother and she quits.

Now each time the dementors are near him, Draco experiences the effects: his blood runs cold as ice through his veins and his skin becoming clammy with cold sweat, his breathing quickens running out as his throat closes and mouth runs dry.

In this frozen state one can't even fathom the thought of feeling happy ever again; Draco isn't able to do anything – absolutely losing all feeling and control of his body.

As the dementors continue to edge closer Draco feels his legs tremble as his feelings get stronger, but he grits his teeth as he drops to his knees.

A happy memory, a happy memory; does he have a happy memory? Something in all those years before Hogwarts, but he was so sheltered then.

Receiving his Hogwarts letter, his mother's smile was so radiant he remembers her joy. Draco cracks a smile as the memory brings a flicker of warmth. He remembers other moments when his mother was beaming with pride and the flicker of warmth catches and burns bright.

"Expecto patronum, EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Draco shouts in desperation, not confidence but amazingly the magic is expelled, the light it produces blinding.

His patronus races out of the wand forcefully charging out snarling at the two dementors; Draco stares in awe at the four-legged creature more braver than him as it charges the dementors away.

He watches them slink back from whence they came, exhausted he falls back to catch his breath only opening his eyes to the bright light hovering in front of his lids. A grin forms on his lips as he takes in the white wolf before him, it's quite large and sleek – a wonderfully powerful creature with wise eyes.

The wolf cocks its head to the side, gazing almost sternly at him.

"Thank you." Draco breathes out and his voice carries a chuckle and he would swear that the wolf's eyes twinkled.