Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise; the usual rules, you know (And I got the original idea for this from 'Harry Potter and the Time Mage', even if I took the time-travel aspect out of the equation)
Feedback: Always a pleasure
Harry Potter/Granger and the Prisoner of Azkaban
As always, Christmas with the Granger family proved to be a very enjoyable experience all around. Natalie was as eager as ever to learn more about the school that she would almost certainly be attending in the upcoming year, and Harry and Hermione were glad to share their knowledge with someone in the family, even if they'd had to edit what they told her of the year's events far more than they had in the past; skimming over the Chamber incident and the potential threat of Sirius Black was only a natural precaution, but neither were ready to share their discoveries about Harry's biological family.
Aside from the Christmas and New Year parties, things at the Grangers' house were generally quiet. With their Christmas homework completed, Harry and Hermione had spent some time trying to eliminate possible candidates for who could have sent Harry the Firebolt, but none of their options made sense. The Weasleys were too poor, the rest of the Quidditch team could have collaborated on cost but wouldn't have sent it anonymously, and even if some of the teachers seemed sympathetic to Harry's loss, none of them would have sent him something like this in case they were accused of favouritism (Giving him a leg-up when he was getting started was one thing, but this was something else).
In the end, the two of them had decided to leave the whole issue alone and accept it as an unexpected bonus. They were naturally curious about who would have sent the broomstick, but since there was no reason to believe anyone had sent it with hostile intentions, and they would take all possible precautions when they had a chance to fly it back at Hogwarts. Crookshanks had developed an unusual fondness for the broom, Harry sometimes waking up to find his sister's cat sleeping on the Firebolt as though he was guarding it, but he always moved away when Harry moved towards it, and he'd decided not to bring the matter up unless Hermione did it first.
After keeping it hidden in his room for the rest of the Christmas holiday, when he finally arrived back at Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione hadn't taken long to tell Ron about Harry's gift. Ron was naturally impressed at the sight of the gift, quickly asking if he could try out a couple of moves on it once Harry had tested it out.
Waiting until the weekend so that they could test it out in reasonable privacy- even if they were fairly sure that the broom couldn't be jinxed, they didn't want to tell anyone else about it just yet, and it would be easier to sneak out then- the three took the broom down to the Quidditch pitch, Harry using one of Hermione's waterproof, inextinguishable flames in a jar as a light source as he took the Firebolt on its first test flight.
It was better than any advertisement could have described. The whole broom moved with an ease that suggested it was responding to his thoughts rather than his touch, moving with such speed that the stadium around him was only a darkened blur. Hermione and Ron had managed to 'borrow' the twins' Cleansweeps' to provide air support in case the broom did anything- they might not be able to keep up with it in a race, but they could get close enough to get Harry to safety if it had turned out to be enchanted or booby-trapped somehow- but by the time they decided to conclude the flight, all of them were satisfied that there was nothing wrong with the broom; Harry had attempted a series of increasingly daring manoeuvres as the flight went on, and none of them had prompted anything more from the Firebolt than a smooth response…
"Wow!" Ron said, staring in awe at the broom as Harry finally landed, his sister and his friend close behind him. "That was… I mean, could it really do that…?"
"Excuse me," a voice said, prompting the three students to turn and stare awkwardly at Professor McGonagall as she walked into the field, looking at them with a very pointed expression, "but may I ask where you acquired that broomstick, Mr Potter?"
"Uh… anonymous Christmas present?" Harry said, shrugging at his head of house out of a lack of anything else to say to her.
"You went flying on an anonymously-sent broomstick when you are fully aware that you are being hunted-" Professor McGonagall began, her expression becoming a firmer glare as she looked at the two of them.
"Actually, Professor," Hermione interjected anxiously, "we thought about that already, but it doesn't actually make sense; the Firebolt was delivered directly to our house, but if Sirius Black knew where Harry lived when he wasn't at Hogwarts, why wouldn't he just… well, come in and kill Harry directly?"
"Exactly!" Ron said, nodding in enthusiastic agreement with Hermione's assessment. "I mean, he blew up a whole street to kill one wizard once, and he's spent the last twelve years going round the twist in Azkaban since then; if he knew where Harry was, why would he bother being subtle when he could just charge in and blow up the house?"
"Ah," McGonagall said, her expression calming slightly as she considered that news. "A… fair assessment, I suppose…"
"We were here for the test flight to make sure nothing went wrong, and Harry will only be training with the rest of the team once we're sure they know to keep an eye on him in case it does anything," Hermione explained, looking earnestly at her teacher. "Trust me, Professor, we went over every possible reason why someone could have sent Harry a Firebolt as a trap, and I'd be the first person to panic if it had come to Harry at Hogwarts, but if Sirius Black knew our home address, would he really try something this indirect?"
"True; Black was never exactly subtle…" McGonagall noted, a brief flash of pain in her eyes at that thought before she shook it off and looked back at Harry. "Very well, Potter; so long as you and your friends continue to keep an eye on this Firebolt during your training sessions, I… see no reason for you not to continue using it."
"Thanks," Harry said, smiling at the older woman before hurrying off with Ron and Hermione; she might have seen their point, but he didn't want to push their luck in case they started being criticised for carelessness anyway.
"Ah, Harry," another voice said as they approached a turn in the corridor, quickly revealing its source as Oliver Wood, hurrying down a nearby flight of stairs towards them. "I just heard you were on the pitch, and- is that a Firebolt?"
"Uh… yeah," Harry said, nodding slightly awkwardly at Wood's obvious enthusiasm at the sight of the new broom. "I got it for Christmas."
"A Firebolt?" Wood said, staring in awe at the broom. "A genuine Firebolt?"
"Talk about trading up, right?" Hermione said with a slight smile at the seventh-year student.
"Oh my god… a Seeker on a Firebolt… we'll really clear the field now…" Wood said, before he shook his head and looked urgently at Harry. "Look, that actually brings up something else; after the last match… well, I know the Dementors didn't affect you that much- you made it clear that you could still fly, after all- but if they come to the next one and you still react like that… I mean, we can't afford for you to-"
"I'm working on it," Harry said quickly. "Professor Lupin said he'd train me to ward the Dementors off. We should be starting this week; he said he'd have time after Christmas."
"Ah, good," Wood said, his expression becoming relieved once again as he nodded in confirmation at Harry. "Well then, so long as you have that sorted, keep up the great effort; I'll try and arrange a new practise session as soon as possible."
"Thanks," Harry said, nodding in agreement at the seventh-year student; whatever else he thought of Oliver's approach to quidditch practise, it was a welcome addition to his schedule in that it allowed him to do something fun amid the stress of his other lessons.
When classes resumed the following day, Harry was relieved when Hagrid's first class for the year involved a bonfire full of salamanders. With the primary objective of the lesson being to keep the fire burning, they were able to stay consistently warm while studying their latest creatures, gathering dry wood and leaves as additional fuel. Even Ancient Runes acknowledged the weather, with most of their current lessons focusing on runes relating to generating heat, whether for warmth or as a gentle warning about coming too close to something that should be left alone. When Harry spoke with Lupin about the anti-Dementor lessons after a rather enjoyable Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Lupin assured him that he had already made arrangements to practise in the History of Magic classroom with a dementor substitute.
Ron had noted that Lupin still looked somewhat ill after the lesson, but Harry declined to comment on it; he and Hermione had a few theories about that issue, but as long as it didn't seem to affect Lupin's work, they felt that 'don't ask, don't tell' was the appropriate response to the situation. Maybe Lupin was potentially dangerous, but in a school where people walked around with the ability to blow someone's head off in their pockets all the time if they said the right words, the fact that a man could potentially turn into a dangerous animal was fairly minor in Harry and Hermione's opinion. After a few discussions with Hermione and a promise that he'd tell her anything he learned in the lesson, Harry had left to meet with Lupin for his first private lesson.
"Ah, Harry," Lupin said, looking up from a large packing case that he'd placed on Professor Binn's desk as Harry entered the classroom. "Good to see you."
"Sorry I'm a bit late; I was getting in some practice on the quidditch field," Harry explained.
"Ah yes, your new Firebolt," Lupin said, smiling in approval before he looked more carefully at Harry. "Regarding that-"
"Hermione and I already went over this with Professor McGonagall," Harry explained, guessing where Lupin was going to go with that comment. "If Sirius Black knew my home address outside of Hogwarts, he'd just go there and try to kill me; he doesn't strike me as the kind of person who'd do something as discreet as sending me a rigged broomstick when he could just… blow up my house or something."
"True," Lupin noted, his expression grim even as he nodded in acknowledgement at the statement. "He was never particularly subtle when he didn't have to be…"
"You knew him?" Harry said, looking at the professor in surprise.
"I thought I did, once," Lupin said solemnly, before he sighed and turned back to the chest. "Anyway, to focus on our reason for being here, I was lucky enough to find this boggart lurking inside Mr Filch's filing cabinet. So long as you focus on your fear of the dementors when in its presence, it should make a viable substitute, and I can store it in my office when not in use."
"OK…" Harry said, hoping that this would pay off; all he had to do was think of the dementors and ignore his fear of familial rejection, and he should be fine…
"So," Professor Lupin said, taking out his wand and indicating for Harry to do the same. "The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry, well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."
"How does it work?"
"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus," Lupin explained. "This is a kind of anti-Dementor, acting as a guardian and shield between you and the Dementor. The Patronus is a positive force, a projection of the positive emotions that the Dementor feeds upon, but its inability to feel negative emotions prevents the Dementor from hurting it. However, I should warn you that this charm is very advanced; many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."
"What does it look like?"
"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."
"And how do you conjure it?"
"With an incantation which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."
Harry took a moment to think about what he could use for that kind of recollection, and eventually settled on the moment when he'd first learned that the Grangers were planning to adopt him; he'd experienced some happy moments since learning that he was a wizard, but the first moment when he'd felt that someone actually wanted him was a really defining moment for him…
"Right," he said, looking firmly at Lupin.
"The incantation is this," Lupin cleared his throat. "Expectro Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum…" Harry repeated thoughtfully under his breath.
"Concentrating hard on your happy memory?"
"Yeah…" Harry said, focusing on the moment when Alan and Jane had told him that they were thinking of adopting him. "Expecto Patronum… Expecto Patronum… Expecto Patronum…"
As he spoke, something that looked like a wisp of silvery gas emerged from the end of his wand, prompting him to stare in surprise.
"Good job," Lupin said, smiling in approval. "Right then; ready to try it on a Dementor?"
"Yes," Harry said, gripping his wand and moving to the middle of the deserted classroom, trying to focus on the memory of when his adopted parents had expressed their interest in taking on that role for the first time; if that didn't qualify as a happy memory, he didn't know what would.
As Lupin grasped the lid of the packing case, Harry's focus suddenly faltered at the thought of what he was about to hear; it was the only chance he'd ever have to hear his mother's voice…
The lid of the case was removed and a dementor emerged from it, leaving Harry staring up at it as he tightened his grip on his wand. As the lights flickered around him, Harry tried to ignore the voices whispering in his ears as he raised his wand and cast the spell, focusing on the recollection of that brilliant moment when he'd first learned that he would have a family again…
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's Him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-!"
"Ex-Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled, trying to focus more, ignoring the new voice he was hearing in his mind. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!"
At the last desperate yell of the incantation, Harry concentrating on that incredible moment when the Grangers had asked him to come back to live with them, something emerged from the tip of his wand, producing a cloud of white smoke that shaped itself into a vague form with what looked like very long ears as it charged towards the Dementor. The patronus didn't present a clear image, but it was enough to force the dementor back into its box, prompting an approved smile from Lupin.
"Excellent work, Harry!" he said, smiling at him before he noticed Harry's slightly shaken expression. "Are you all right?"
"Just… I think I heard my dad," Harry said, feeling the need to clarify as Lupin looked curiously at him. "My biological- my birth dad, I mean; when the Dementor was there, I heard something about him asking my mum to take me and run while he bought us time…"
"You heard James?" Lupin said, his voice suddenly strained as he looked at Harry.
"Yeah…" Harry began, before he realised the implication of Lupin's tone. "Wait; did you know my dad?"
"I-I did, actually," Lupin said. "Your parents and I were friends when we were at Hogwarts; they were there for me at a time when nobody else was…"
He shook his head and smiled at Harry in an awkward manner. "Anyway, that was exceptional work for a first attempt at the charm; congratulations."
"Thanks," Harry said, smiling gratefully back at Lupin before he looked at the trunk. "I just wish it did more…"
"Considering your age and that this was your first lesson, that was far better than I'd ever expected," Lupin said reassuringly. "I admit that a true Patronus should have a coherent form and actually attack the dementors, but this is your first attempt; like any spell, it will become clearer as you get a better understanding of how to channel your magic. In the meantime, you should eat this; whatever you've achieved, you'll still need it."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Harry sat in silence for a moment as he studied the trunk while eating the offered chocolate, before a thought occurred to him.
"What's actually under a Dementor's cloak?"
"Mmm…" Lupin said, looking thoughtful but grim for a moment before replying. "Unfortunately, the only people who really know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the Dementor only lowers its hood to use its last and worst weapon."
"What's that?"
"They call it the Dementor's Kiss," Lupin said solemnly. "It's what Dementors do to those they wish to destroy utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and… and suck out his soul."
Harry nearly choked on the chocolate.
"Suck out their soul?" he repeated. "What-what happens to them?"
"They're not dead, if that's what you mean," Lupin said, looking particularly grim at the thought. "Nobody's entirely clear what happens to the soul after it is consumed, for obvious reasons- popular theory is that the soul is either consumed or passes on to some kind of limbo state- but the body left behind is essentially reduced to little more than a blank slate, with no memory or sense of self, and lost to the rest of the world forever…"
He sighed for a moment before he spoke again. "It's the fate that awaits Sirius Black; it hasn't been officially announced yet, but Dumbledore has reported that the Ministry are considering giving the Dementors permission to perform it if they find him."
Harry decided not to say anything to that revelation; his own feelings about Black were just too complicated right now.
"In any case," Lupin said, standing up and smiling slightly at Harry, "if that lesson set a precedent, we've made a good start, but you may want to call that it for now; no point over-exerting yourself, after all."
Harry thought about protesting, but when he stopped to think, he had to concede that Lupin was correct; he didn't feel tired exactly, but he did feel a bit drained, as though he hadn't eaten for a while…
"Professor," he said, another thought occurring to him just as he was about to leave, "did you meet Sirius Black through my parents?"
"What makes you ask that?" Lupin asked, looking very sharply at Harry.
"I just… heard that they knew each other from somewhere…" Harry said, glad that he didn't have to feign his discomfort at being put on the spot like that about his unusual knowledge.
"Yes, we were all friends at the same time," Lupin said, his face relaxing slightly even as his short tone showed his discomfort at that topic. "Or I thought we were, at any rate... You'd better be off, Harry; it's getting late."