CHAPTER NINE – EXPECTO PATRONUM

Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster Dippet, and the other teachers were furious when they discovered that Ravenna had been chanced upon by a dementor, and the whole story ran in The Daily Prophet for about a week. Ravenna was personally disgusted – why wouldn't people just learn to leave her alone?

However, she quickly gained a new-found respect for Professor Rindow, who decided to begin taking her under his wing and teaching her new, more complicated forms of magic. Three days after the dementor sighting, she received her first lesson from him – and it was a lesson she was happy to get.

"Hello, Ravenna," he said with a big smile, sweeping his robes, "Come on in – I have much to teach you."

Ravenna found his ebullient flamboyance annoying, as well as his constant compliments. However…when was there ever a time when she didn't find people annoying or obnoxious? When was there ever a time when she didn't dislike people?

Ravenna wished she could change her ways – wished she could be open with people. She wanted to like them, trust them, and accept them into her circle. Unfortunately…they didn't think the way she did, did not feel the constant need to train or learn, or had much of any ambition to speak of.

That was something that annoyed her to no end – a lack of ambition. Ravenna craved achieving goals and becoming the best. If people did not want her, she would get to a point where people could not avoid her. To make matters worse, she had a massive target on her back – and if she didn't want that target to be hit, she had to get stronger.

Rindow showed her to a grandfather clock. "I'm going to teach you a very difficult piece of magic to master…one not usually taught until the fifth year. However…if you're already being targeted by dementors, then you need a defense against them. That defense, Ravenna, is a Patronus."

Ravenna's eyes got wide as he continued. "I have a boggart here…one that I have personally bewitched to be stuck in the form of a dementor. Tell me, Ravenna, have you studied boggarts yet?"

"A bit…I took a peek in my Care of Magical Creatures book. Apparently, it is an invisible creature that takes the form of whatever a person fears most."

"Exactly – between you and me, twenty points for Slytherin."

Ravenna smiled – these teachers and their points were so silly. Rindow showed her the hand gesture and incantation, and then, he moved to open up the clock. "Ravenna…before I do this, find your happiest memory. Latch on to it – that is the key to a Patronus."

Without even thinking about it…Ravenna's mind went straight back to that day in Wool's Orphanage with Tom. She recalled every detail of what the young man looked like…every letter he had ever sent…everything he was and ever would be. There was no reason for the eleven-year-old girl to latch onto a complete stranger as she had…but Tom, despite the fact that the pair were not in a relationship, much less in love, completed her. He was everything she was not.

And she never wanted to lose him. Ever. Why was he so different from all the others? Was there something he had…that she could not see?

She barely heard the clock door open and the dementor come out – in fact, she didn't even look at the beast. The thread between herself and Tom…weak though it was…could never be broken.

Not by Grindelwald. Not by the Ministry. Not by anyone. Even if her soul was indeed sucked out by one of these creatures…she would never be separated from Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" she screamed, and…much to the surprise of both Rindow and Royston, a massive, yet illusory, snake flew out of Ravenna's wand. It hit the floor, and the dementor – a beast that reminded Ravenna of the Grim Reaper – couldn't get away from the snake fast enough.

"Ravenna…that's not possible," Rindow finally said when the snake disappeared. "You…you're a first-year, and yet…you cast a full Patronus?"

"It was easy," Ravenna replied. "I had the happiest memory of my life at my disposal."

"No wonder you make my class look like a game!" he said, smiling before taking a swig from his hip flask. Ravenna wondered what he was drinking…but didn't want to ask.

…

Ravenna left Rindow's classroom, headed for the Slytherin common-room to continue her studies…when she was met by two Slytherin classmates. One was Abraxas Malfoy…the other, a prefect.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

The boys paused, but then, the prefect spoke up. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Royston?" he asked. "Do you think you're not a Slytherin, or what?"

"I don't feel like a Slytherin," Ravenna admitted. "You all make me feel like a beast."

The prefect and Abraxas looked like they wanted to argue, but then, they turned away, and Ravenna was met with the cold, dead stares of Slytherin House.

That night…Ravenna cried.