First off I want to thank everyone for their support of this story. I only started this to get the idea out of my head and onto paper. Yet now it has reached over 200 followers, 150 favorites, and more than 17K views. Thank you so much!
I know you have waited extra long for this one (and I am very sorry for the extra week it took) so I will get right to it. Enjoy this newest chapter - A Very Patronus Christmas.
"Nice and easy. Wingardium Leviosa." Following the guiding movements of the Chestnut wand, the evergreen garland floated up into the air before coming to rest on the wall's decorative features. They completed the unbroken ring across the walls of the room of requirements. Susan stood back allowing herself to admire her hard work. Her outer robs laid tugged away in the corner, abandoned during the tiring work.
It was the day before the Christmas break and the girl had skipped their final dinner in the castle, in favor of getting the D.A clubroom ready for their final session of the year. This was her and Harry's holiday present to the rest of the club and she wanted to make it perfect.
The walls were decorated with garlands and simple silver ornaments that sparkled in the blue, moonlike light of the room. The decorations her partner in crime had found were old and had needed a little cleaning but there was more than enough to decorate the large space. "What do you think Dobby?" She smiled at the small elf. After she had visited him a few days prior in the kitchens to ask for his help, he immediately jumped at the request.
"It looks incredible Miss Susan." Dobby nodded his head excitedly as he hobbled over to her side. The redhead was glad that he finally seemed to feel more comfortable around her. All it took was offering him a chance to help Harry with something. "Dobby is done with the other wall. What does Miss Susan think?" Tugging at her hand he beckoned the girl to admire his work.
As she turned around, she had to bite back her laughter. In front of her hung a large banner reading 'Have a very Harry Christmas.' The banner was surrounded by dozens of gold ornaments bearing pictures of Harry. Rounding up the decoration was a single, elegant mistletoe. The one element the elf had somehow shown restraint with.
Feeling two large eyes on her, she quickly schooled her features before looking down at the elf. "It's very nice Dobby." No matter how funny it was, she knew she had to do something. Harry would die of embarrassment if he saw this, and that was without his housemates aiming their jokes at the boy. She shuddered to think what Hannah would be able to come up with from seeing this display. "However, don't you think this might be a bit… much?"
Her little helper pulled his ears over his eyes in shame. That was not the right thing to say to an elf. "What I meant is… we have used all of the decorations already, but you haven't decorated the kitchen yet." She tried to put as much enthusiasm into her voice. Praying that he would buy it.
"Dobby decorating the kitchens?" Dobby said with a small voice as he peeked out from behind his eyes. "We can do that?"
"Don't you think the other elves deserve some Christmas joy too?" She had him right where she wanted him. "What do you think the others would like?"
The moments she said it, his eyes darted to the golden ornaments. Just like she thought they would. "The gold ones would look nice with the cooking fires." Susan said nodding her head.
"Is it really okay for Dobby to be taking them?" The little guy was hopping on his feet, excited about the prospect of decorating the kitchen with pictures of Harry. As he received a nod in confirmation, he immediately snapped his fingers and all the golden ornaments floated towards the pair and into a large pile.
As all ornaments had made their way to him, the elf suddenly became very shy as he dragged his feet over the floor, looking up to the girl with large puppy eyes. "Dobby thinks the elves would like a banner too." He softly muttered.
The Hufflepuff was stumped at hearing a house-elf ask for something. She had never even heard of something like that happening. Even if he did it in a roundabout way. "Do they? Do you think they would like this one?" She asked the one-of-a-kind elf.
Before he could answer, the stone doors swung open and the leader of the D.A, Harry Potter, walked in. "I shouldn't be surprised that you're early for… What are those?" He stopped in his tracks as he looked at the golden decorations.
Dobby's eyes did the impossible and widened even further. He snapped his fingers and the decorations in question disappeared. "Those… those were nothing." At the lie, the elf slapped his hands in front of his mouth. "Dobby is needed at the kitchens." After those muffled words, he snapped his fingers one more time making the banner disappear. Giving Susan a grateful nod, he too popped away to get started on decorating the Hogwarts kitchens much to the dismay of his fellow elves.
"Did those have my face on them?" Harry asked confused as he tugged at his quidditch gloves in embarrassment. Even after knowing the little guy for nearly four years, Dobby could still leave the Gryffindor dumbstruck.
"Huh? No of course not. Why… why would they?" Deciding to spare him the embarrassment the Hufflepuff gave him a large, strained smile, hoping it was enough. From the corner of her eye, she saw that the elf had left the lone mistletoe behind in the middle of the room. "So, what do you think? Enough Christmas joy to conjure a Patronus?" She quickly moved the topic along before he could spot her little lie.
As it turned out it was enough to get the boy's attention. "It looks great Susan. The others will love it." He said as he inspected the room. "So how should we do this?"
"I can explain the incantation and the movements." Pleased with the compliment, the redhead slipped into her own teaching mode with a content smile. "Then you can talk a bit more about how the memories are supposed to work. Maybe give them some ideas where to start."
"You really think I am the guy to explain people how to feel happy?" Harry smirked as he threw some extra logs into the burning fireplace. While agreeing with the girl that his version of the room made the Patronuses stand out more, he was already missing the lights and warmth.
"You worked with me." Susan shot right back at him. With the boy's back turned towards her she quickly acted. "Move slowly. Wingardium Leviosa" She whispered the spell. The lone mistletoe started dancing along with her wand as she guided it through the room. She decided to hang it above the mirrors to the far side of the wall, where it shouldn't be able to accidentally trap any unaware couples.
"Alright, you got me there." None the wiser, the Gryffindor turned back to her. "But you should do the demonstration before that. They will be blown away when they see Redmane." The boy spoke with such a giddiness, Susan was pretty sure he was looking forward to the surprise more than she did.
"Do we have to stick with that name?" She sighed tiredly after nearly a week of this argument. It was the latest Harry mystery. He insisted on using the name and would refuse to tell her why. All he gave her was that it had something to do with Marauders. Whatever that meant. "What about Spirit?" Just like she had done every time they spoke this past week, Susan suggested a new name.
He raised his eyebrow, unimpressed. "Really? That's almost like calling her Patronus." He immediately shot the suggestion down. Just like he did for every single one she had given him before. Even if he often made a good point. She still liked the name Daisy, no matter what he said.
Before Susan could throw out another suggestion, the stone doors once again swung open as the remaining students walked in. The lesson had begun.
The two teachers took their place on the small dueling stage as the D.A members congregated before them. Susan felt pride welling up in her as she saw many of them gaze around at the decorations, most with small smiles. Spotting her friends enter the room, the redhead gave them a small wave they eagerly returned.
When the last group of the night, the Gryffindors, entered the room, they quickly rushed to the stage. All eagerly trying to get as close to the podium as possible. Hermione specifically almost couldn't stay still from excitement, much to the amusement of Ron who snickered as she pushed her way to the front of the stage. Susan turned to a guilty-looking Harry. "So much for a surprise."
The boy flinched at her unimpressed tone before chuckling awkwardly. "Well, Hermione knew we would do this one someday so when I planned an entire weekend to practice-" At the girl's unrelenting stare, he raised his hands in surrender. "I swear she figured it out by herself."
Seeing that his partner still wasn't convinced, he took his loss and turned to the crowd. "Alright let's get started. I know we're all looking forward to the break, but we have one more lesson to get through." The twins booed at the suggestion, but their grins ruined the act. Harry continued, playing along. "Trust me, you'll be glad for this one. Susan?"
After weeks of having seen her help the Gryffindor, nobody was surprised to see the Puff on the podium. Yet those in the known about the lesson, namely all of house Gryffindor and Hannah were still taken by surprise as it was the quiet Hufflepuff who would give the demonstration instead of Harry. Were they only going to cast a shield for now?
Stepping forward, the redhead closed her eyes and let herself be taken back to the small farm in her dreams. As she felt the warmth built up in her heart, she raised her wand and called out with a clear voice. "Expecto Patronum."
The silver mist shot out of her wand and started to spiral up as it climbed into the air. The sound of hooves on stone reverberated through the stunned silence of the crowd as Redmane reared her head and bellowed out a call. The eyes of the students tracked the slender mare as she circled above them twice before descending to the ground and taking her spot between the two teachers. Susan felt a sense of calm and serenity pulse through her as she stroked the creature's manes.
Looking towards her friends she saw Justin, Leanne, and Megan look at Redmane with open mouths. She wondered if that would have been her reaction if Harry had summoned Prongs before had mastered the spell herself.
Besides them, Hannah was beaming with pride towards her. The blond already had her wand palmed in her hand and was ready to go. She loved her friend dearly but in no way would she let herself fall behind.
Susan braced herself with a deep breath before she looked towards Ernie. Her boyfriend had stepped back in shock, his eyes wide and staring towards the Patronus with mounting fear and guilt. She hadn't wanted to believe it when he yelled at her, but he really didn't think she would have been able to learn a spell like this. The revelation hurt and the girl dug her hand in the light-based fur of Redmane.
"Wouldn't it be cool if you could ride her?" Harry's words spooked the girl out of her thoughts. Standing on the tips of his toes, to be able to look over the horse, he gave her a wide but strained grin. "That might even beat flying."
His suggestion came out of nowhere and was just so ridiculous, that the Redhead couldn't help but giggle. Feeling her caster's mood had improved, Redmane gave one final bray before she faded away.
"Let's quickly go over the incantation and movements and then you can start casting your own." Unlike lessons before, Susan now had the complete undivided attention of the entire room on her. All the D.A members waited with bated breath for her instructions. "The wand work is quite simple really."
As soon as the instructions were given, the crowd split off in their usual groups along house lines. Knowing that with this spell their class would need more reassuring and guidance, the two teachers had decided to each cover separate groups. At Susan's request, Harry would help the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws while she took charge of the Gryffindors.
The redhead already fully expected to get pulled to the side by Hermione, so she kept an eye on her to avoid being caught by surprise. Right before the bushy-haired girl could reach her, Susan was jumped by a wide-eyed Ron Weasley. "Blimey, Harry told me that you were a natural at the spell but that was insane." Shocked by the fact that it was Harry's best friend that came to her first the Hufflepuff didn't know what to say. "You got to tell me how you learned to do that."
The girl was promptly dragged away from the dueling stage and towards a group of fifth-year Gryffindor boys. "Ron you can't grab her like that." Neville nervously stammered out.
"Like Hermione hasn't been doing the same thing for weeks already." Ron countered truthfully. Susan blushed at the acquisition. She wasn't constantly being dragged along, was she?
"He has a point, Nev. This might be the only chance he has of winning that bet." Dean Thomas clapped the timid Lion on his back as he gave the girl a nod in greeting.
The girl sighed in defeat. She had come to know Gryffindors more than enough this year to know where this was going. "Who did you make a bet with?" She gave Ron a disappointed smile.
The boy gulped at the Puff's reaction. Harry wasn't kidding about the girl being able to make you feel like a first year being scolded by McGonigal for getting low grades. "Uhm… well I…"
"He has bet the Twins that he can cast a corporeal Patronus before Hermione." Seamus Finnigan answered for his housemate with a smirk. "Those Galleons are as good as lost pal."
"What are you doing here?" Susan's gaze turned to a glare as she looked towards the Irish boy. The entire castle knew about the animosity between Harry and Seamus and as a Hufflepuff through her core, she took the betrayal by a housemate personal. "The D.A is members only."
Throwing his hand in the air, the brunette stepped back in fear and stumbled over his words to explain himself. "Well Harry… He…I" Neither Ron nor Dean were brave enough to back up their friend against the badger's fury.
Surprisingly, it was Neville who stepped up for his housemate. "They've made up Susan. He even apologized to Harry in the common room. Right in front of everyone."
"Even offered Harry to punch him for being a total ass." Inspired by his friend, Ron threw in his own poorly worded support. "Though he didn't extend the offer to me." Dean elbowed him in the side for those last muttered words.
The redhead's glare turned back to Seamus who immediately started nodding his head in confirmation. "While I wasn't sure about… him being back I knew the Prophet had to be lying when they said Harry might have hurt Cedric. With him becoming so close with you- With the Hufflepuffs this year I knew that couldn't be true." His words were genuine, and the girl could clearly see the regret in his eyes.
Right then she saw why the boy was made a Gryffindor. It must have taken a lot of courage for him to own up to his mistakes. Especially in front of all his friends. "I'm glad you two are friends again. Welcome to the club, Seamus." She gave the Irish boy a shy smile. Slightly ashamed of chewing him out before. Slightly.
The brunette blushed at the cute sight. He looked away from the girl, mumbling under his breath. "Why are the good ones always taken."
Dean laughed at his friend's embarrassment. "Harry didn't exaggerate about you, did he? I think we made a mistake with our advice, Seam. We should have told-"
Before Susan could figure out what advice the Gryffindor was talking about Ron hit him on the back of his head, shutting him up. "Even I know it's time to shut up now." Turning back to their teacher he gave her a pleading smile. "So, about that bet?"
The Puff giggled at the group's antics and drew her wand. "You all understand the wand movement?" The four boys stood at attention and nodded. "Good. Then you now need to think of your happiest memory. One that always makes you smile." For a split second, she pictured rolling green fields.
She had to stop herself from laughing at the intense looks of concentration the boys pulled. All except for Dean, who sported a goofy grin that made the whole thing even more ridiculous. "Try to feel the memory. Put yourself back into that place. Then when you feel you are ready try the spell." It was simpler said than done, so pulling from her own struggles she gave them one last piece of advice. "If you aren't sure your memory is working it can help to talk with someone about it… or Uhm... if that is too embarrassing you can whisper them to me." Dealing with boys she was sure that it would mostly be the latter.
It was Neville who gave it the first shot, even if he kept his eyes closed while doing it. "Expecto Patronum." The incantation was barely a whisper. The timid boy opened his eyes only to drop his arm as there was no sign of silver.
"Don't worry Neville. It takes time." Susan tried to give him an encouraging smile. "Your wand tip did light up silver. I'm sure you'll get it."
She continued to encourage and teach the group of Gryffindor boys for some time. Some of them took up her offer of whispering their memory to her. She had audibled cooed when Ron admitted he was using the memory of holding his little sister when she was still a baby.
Some of them made the same mistake as her and picked memories too burdened. When Neville had shared one of the few positive memories, he had from his parents she gave him a heartfelt hug and kindly advised him to try thinking of something else.
But there were more people to teach so once all four boys were able to cast huffs of silver smoke. The girl finally started her rounds proper. Again, Hermione was foiled in securing the teacher's attention as the Gryffindor Quidditch team cornered the redhead. The twins were fishing for clues about what Ron had whispered to her, most likely thinking of new ways to tease their younger brother, but Susan held her promise and remained silent.
The chaser trio were much more restrained in their approach than usual. Asking the Hufflepuff about how it felt to cast a Patronus and if she had a way of figuring out what animal they would, instead of challenging her to competitions like usual. Though they still tried to occasionally pry into what specific memory she had used for her spell.
An excuse to escape the questioning was presented to her as from the corner of her eye she saw Harry being overwhelmed by questions from both Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. A large section of the club had by this point managed to produce a mist and some were even closing in on creating a shield. Yet this early success had only emboldened the group, and all were aiming for mastering the spell before the end of the night.
As a result, all of them had closed in on their teacher for extra advice. Harry held up his gloved hands in surrender as the crowd continued to push closer to him. Seeing that he was getting close to being overwhelmed Susan cut off Katie mid-question. "I'm sorry but I have to go help, Harry."
"No need to worry. Go save the boy." The chaser replied with a grin. Glad that it wasn't taken personally, the redhead gave the Quidditch team a quick wave before making her way towards her co-teacher. Along the way, she was once again approached by Hermione, but she politely excused herself. Much to the chagrin of the bushy-haired girl.
As she made her way to the group surrounding the Gryffindor he was caught right in between Cho and Megan, as both girls were badgering him with questions. The mass of people around him made it impossible for the redhead to make her way to his side, and she wasn't quite ready yet to face her housemates. All that was left was to try and get some of the Ravenclaws away from her partner.
On the outskirts of the group, she spotted Luna Lovegood patiently waiting her turn. While there were many rumors about the fourth year Ravenclaw, Harry had said nothing but good things about the girl those few times he mentioned her. So, Susan made her decision and decided to approach her. "Luna? Do you need some help?"
The blond turned around with a small smile. "Hello Susan. No, your explanation at the beginning was already very informative." Seeing the other girl's confusion, she continued. "I was just hoping to ask if Harry could conjure his Patronus for me."
This only caused more confusion for the Hufflepuff. "Why? Do you need to see the wand movements again?" She held up her wand in an offer for a demonstration.
Luna just shook her head. "You know how when you spend time with people who are happy, you become happier yourself?" Susan nodded at the explanation, unsure what this had to do with magic but following along so far. "And a Patronus is made through our happiness powering our magic right? Shouldn't then being near one make you happy?"
The redhead blinked at the hypothesis. Using a Patronus to make it easier to cast a Patronus? It sounded insane but the blond's logic made some sense. She tried thinking back to that last Saturday. She did feel happy when Harry showed her Prongs for the first time. But was that because of the stag? Or how Harry seemed to trust her? Or from how she had conjured she had succeeded at the spell just before that?
She didn't have the answer, but it was worth a try. "I can cast the spell for you if you want?" Her curiosity was sparked by the idea, and she wanted an answer.
The Ravenclaw clapped her hands together. "You will? Oh, thank you." With a twinkling in her eyes, Luna drew her wand and faced away from the crowd.
"Do you have a memory?" Even if this idea would work, Susan doubted it would be enough on its own. The girl nodded. "Okay then. Guard Luna. Expecto Patronum." The distant echoing of childish laughter rang through her mind before it was drowned out by the clattering of hooves.
For the second time that night, Redmane galloped along the walls of the Room and Requirement. Like a sentry, it circled the room once before coming to a stop beside Luna. The room had grown quieter at the summoning of the Patronus. Yet its caster only focused on the Ravenclaw. She knew that she felt happier than before, but did it extend to others as well?
"Expecto Patronum." Luna's voice joyfully rang through the room as a small streak of silver light floated out of the tip of her wand. The light pulsed and continued to grow larger as it slowly took shape. Luna laughed brightly as the spell took its final shape and a silver Hare formed itself before her. Excited by its caster's laugh the rodent started hopping around the room.
"That's incredible Luna." Harry spoke in awe beside her. Susan jumped in surprise. When did he to her? "How did you do that?"
"Redmane helped me." The girl gave a small curtsey to the Patronus. The Horse gave her a courteous nod back before fading away.
The Gryffindor turned to his co-teacher with an unspoken question. Did you tell her Redmane's name? The Puff shook her head denying everything and hoping that nobody else had heard the name.
"Who are you calling Redmane?" Her prayers went unheard as Hannah marched towards them as the rest of the group was staring awestruck at Luna for being the first of them to master the spell. "Are you making fun of Susie's hair?" She poked the boy in his chest.
"No, I didn't… It… it isn't making fun of her." He delivered his excuse with a sheepish smile. The Hufflepuff prefect looked towards her friend to gauge the girl's reaction, but Susan schooled her features. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to have right now.
"She is a horse of course." Luna skipped over to the group with a cheery smile. "And I think she very much likes the name."
The redhead was mortified as the name came out in the open. Already she could see Harry struggling to stop his chuckling. Her best friend just gave her an unimpressed look. "You named your Patronus? At least the name fits" Hannah shrugged her shoulders already accepting the name.
Feeling all eyes of the D.A on her, Susan grabbed her friend by the arm and pulled her close. "Please I will explain later." She whispered to the prefect.
The blond for her part let it go. For now. "So why did you summon Re… Your Patronus again?" She asked curiously.
"To make me happy." Luna answered dreamily. Causing the group to only become even more confused. "I was waiting to ask Harry to summon his when Susan offered to help me."
It was up to the Hufflepuff to clear up the confusion. "She thought that since a Patronus is made from feelings of happiness, being near one makes you feel happier. Which made it easier to cast the spell."
"And that worked?" Hannah asked with wide eyes as her respect for the odd Ravenclaw increased. It sounded so simple, how hadn't she thought of it herself?
"It makes sense. A Patronus stops a Dementor by overwhelming them with joy. It would make sense that you feel some of that as well. I certainly felt better the first time I summoned Prongs." Harry mused. While chuckling Hannah nudged Susan in the side while mouthing 'Prongs'.
The redhead shushed her friend. There was no way she could explain all that now, not that she understood where it came from. Unaware of their wordless argument, the boy turned back to the girl. "Should we give it a try?"
"We claim Susie." It was her friend that answered for Susan. Hannah grabbed hold of her arm and started dragging her to an empty space in the room. "Talk to you and Prongs later."
The pair was soon joined by the other Hufflepuffs. Already feeling some drain from having cast the spell twice Susan first had her friends continue practicing by themselves. Most of them had progressed to creating small shields.
On the other side of the room, she saw the now familiar white veil that indicated Harry's Patronus charm and soon Prongs stepped out. The large animal scanned the room until his eyes met those of Susan. Letting out a loud bellow he started prancing around the group of Gryffs and Claws.
Some of the students tried to get closer to the stag but he paid them no mind as he continued his patrol. Already the room felt brighter, and the girl felt reinvigorated. Perhaps this was what Luna had meant.
It was no longer an individual practice as with each success it fueled the magic of all other students. There were still some stragglers, Neville and Ernie being the furthest behind the rest, but even they all were already forming small shields.
Just as she had with the Gryffindors she offered a listening ear to the memories they tried to use. Leanne had no grievance with telling the whole group about the 'perfect' game of quidditch she had two summers ago. Others were less confident and took up the redhead's offer for hushed whispers.
Megan's memory from the Yule ball lit up Susan's smile, while Justin's recounting of visiting Diagon Alley for the first time left her feeling a little jealous at her inability to fully experience the wonder of that day as the muggle-born had. She offered them gentle pointers on what specific parts to focus on and how to strengthen the feelings. The more general tips she made sure to say loud enough, that even those further away could hear them. Hannah and Ernie both refused to share.
Already she saw all of them progressing at a rapid pace. Each time someone jumped forwards the rest quickly followed suit. With a quick glance towards Harry, she saw that the same was true for him. With the added boost of Prongs, some students like Hermione and Alicia were getting close to casting something corporeal.
Not wanting to let her friends fall behind Susan raised her wand. "Guard them. Expecto Patronum." She had expected Redmane to be slightly dimmer to account for the strain on her magic. Instead, she was just as bright as ever as she approached the group with slow steps.
The Hufflepuffs stopped for a second to gaze at the animal in awe. Ernie took a step forward, holding out his hand towards the horse. But as his eyes met those of Redmane, he stopped in his track and his hand fell back down.
"That's it." Leanne's shout broke the reverent silence as she raised her wand with renewed energy. "Expecto Patronum." A cloud of mist shot out of her wand which quickly started to shrink into itself. As the spell lost its brightness and energy two distinct shapes shot out of either side of the mist. The image of a hawk floated through her mind.
The pair of wings gave one resounding beat in the air before they faded away. "It has wings. It has wings!" The Hufflepuff was tackled into a hug by Megan as the group began to celebrate. Briefly, Leanne's eyes met Susan's and the redhead was certain she had never seen her friend this ecstatic.
Redmane racked her hooves over the stones. She was ready to keep going. With a flick of her wand, Susan signaled her to go, and the horse took off in a gallop. Thinking back to a friendly bet, the Puff made sure to send her towards Ron first.
Prongs raised his head at the sound of clattering hooves on stone. With a loud bellow, the stag took off in pursuit and quickly fell in step with the other Patronus. The noise died down, yet the two animals continued circling the students.
" Luna, wasn't kidding." Hannah stepped up beside her friend. Behind her, the remaining Puffs returned to practicing under the loud cheering of Leanne. "It actually worked."
"I guess we now know why she is in Ravenclaw." Susan replied, her eyes never leaving the two spells as she smiled softly. "I can call my Patronus back to help you. I'm sure you'll get it too." Feeling a tap on her shoulder she turned around to see the blond hold out her arms open for a hug. Not caring for the eyes around them she took her friend in a deep hug.
"This will do." The prefect let go of her friend, took a deep breath, and raised her wand. "Expecto Patronum." She spoke with defiance and the spell shot out of her wand like a silver arrow. It rapidly gained speed and size, forming a large cloud. Suddenly it turned around completely and slammed Hannah into the ground as shrill laughter rang through the air. Susan looked on in shock as the last remains of the mist dissipated, revealing a tall and skinny hyena standing on her friend's chest.
"What are you…" The blond glared at the Patronus. But before she could finish the African animal leaned forward and licked her face. While not wet, the silvery tongue still felt warm causing the girl to shudder in disgust. Around her, the D.A burst out in laughter.
"Get off me." Pushing the creature off her she quickly scattered back to her feet and away from it. "What is that thing?"
"That thing is your Patronus." Leanne smirked. "Potter was right. They do fit its caster."
"Yours could still turn out to be a Pidgeon." Megan scolded her teasing friend. She looked back at the creature with an inquisitive look. "I'm not really sure what it is though. It looks like some kind of dog."
Justin shook his head. Wizards and witches never failed to surprise him and not always in a good way. "Have you guys never been to a zoo before? It's a hyena. They live in Africa."
Susan walked up to the animal, kneeled to eye level, and held out her hand. "Hey there." The animal tentatively sniffed at the outreached hand before letting out another laugh and leaning into the touch. "Ahh, Hannah she is so cute!" She called to her friend as she petted the hyena, who purred in content.
"Yeah. Cute." Sarcasm dripped from the blond's words causing the rest of her housemates to giggle once more. But as she looked at her best friend playing with the animal a small smile broke through.
The hyena's headshot into the air before it turned back towards its caster. Knowing its job was done it gave out one last heckle before fading away.
"Nice job Abbot!" Fred called from across the room. Nearly all eyes were on their small little group as the second person to grasp the spell. "Bones 2, Potter 0. Seems we are figuring out who is the better teacher Harriekins." Susan blushed at George's taunting while Harry just laughed.
"I figured that one out a long time ago, Gred." The Gryffindor said as he winked towards his teaching partner.
Before she could stop the boy from stoking the fire further, the Hufflepuff found herself surrounded by students eager to get her help. She had been pulled aside by groups of D.A members before, the Gryffindors were a frequent perpetrator, but this was the first time were all houses descended upon her at once.
The role reversal with Harry lasted for the rest of the lesson. The redhead found herself in the center of the room, encouraging people, handing out advice, and dodging the ever-increasing number of Patronuses.
Luna's theory turned out better than any of them could have guessed. With every new successful cast, one more animal started parading the room, energizing the remaining students even further. The group became rowdier as time wore on. Each time someone new succeeded at the task the group cheered loudly as if celebrating a goal in Quidditch. Most would wake up the next day with sore throats and crackly voices.
Soon after Hannah's success, Hermione became the first Gryffindor to create a corporeal Patronus. Susan tried to console Ron about his lost bet but found that it was in vain. The youngest Weasley boy looked on with a smile as his friend played with the silver Otter fluttering around her. A few minutes later Ron became the second Gryffindor to master the spell.
While his partner was trapped in the spotlight, Harry moved around the edge of the room. Picking out students from the crowd to help them one-on-one. At that meeting in the Hog's Head, he had expected this to become the hardest lesson of the group. Instead, as he walked around the decorated classroom, the raven-haired boy felt like the holidays had already begun.
After more than two and a half hours the boy decided to call the lesson. Even if they had already run long, nobody seemed eager to leave just yet. But with Umbridge roaming the castle he couldn't take the risk.
In the end, nearly two-thirds of the group had managed to form a corporeal Patronus, with Neville and Ernie retaining their place at the back of the group. Ginny Weasley took the honor of being the last person to succeed at the spell. Susan and Harry, accompanied by their Patronuses, had just reconvened in the center of the room to call the lesson to an end when they heard loud cheering.
Ginny watched in awe with her friends as her Patronus, a tall, broad horse, reared his front legs into the air in a prideful display of power. The youngest Weasley spun around to face her fellow Gryffindors and her teachers, with a large smile on her face. Her housemates cheered her on and the Twins threw their arms over the girl's shoulder, leading her into a clumsy celebration dance.
Susan watched as the horse, both taller and broader than Redmane, walked towards Prongs with its head held high. The Stag held the creature's gaze for a moment before returning to Redmane's side. Her Patronus in turn took a defensive step forward.
"Great work, Ginny." Harry said with the smile of a proud teacher. "I think that is as good a place to end it as we'll get. You all did great today."
"Don't worry if you didn't get it yet today." Seeing still some lingering frowns in the crowd, Susan jumped in. "You already learned enough to defend yourself and we will continue to work on it after the holidays."
"Susan is right. It took me weeks to get where all of you are now so you should be proud of yourselves." Some in the crowd puffed up their chests at the boy's praise. "I wonder what was different this time?" He mumbled with a smile towards his co-teacher, making her giggle.
"Give it up for Potter and Bones." The three Gryffindor chasers shouted in unison, unleashing a wave of cheers and applause from the rest of the D.A. Neither teacher knew what to do with the praise, so both stood there with small blushes waiting for the crowd to die down.
"Good night, everyone." Harry said as the cheering finally ended. "And Merry Christmas," Susan added at the end a little embarrassed. It either went unnoticed or the others had gotten used to the girl's behavior as many of them gave their own season's greetings in return.
Seeing the hour most left the room with the excited shattering following in their wake. Amongst them were most of the Hufflepuffs leaving only Hannah to walk up to the girl. "Susie, that was so great." The blond took her best friend in a hug.
She eagerly returned the embrace but as she did the prefect whispered in her ear. "So Redmane huh?" She pushed her friend at arm's length back only to find Hannah smirking. "It's so cute of you to name your spell."
"It wasn't me. Harry keeps saying that's her name." Susan, her cheeks dusted red, tried to defend herself. "He won't even let me pick a different one."
If she had hoped her friend to choose her side the redhead was sadly wrong. "He's probably right. You're terrible at coming up with names." The blond was unrelenting in her response. "What did you even suggest? Buttercup?"
She refused to answer the question making it pretty clear to Hannah that it was indeed one of the names the girl had suggested. "Really? Buttercup?" Deciding to give the girl a pass, she let it go. "So why does Harry give names to his spells?"
"I don't know." The two puffs turned towards the raven-haired boy. The boy was corned by Cho Chang as the Ravenclaw was seemingly asking him something. "He said it had to do with Marauders. Maybe it's a nickname?"
"It sounds like a group name. Like the Weird Sisters." Her friend mauled over the question. "Him, Ron, and Hermione do often get in trouble. Maybe it's what they call themselves?" Behind the duo, the stone door fell shut. Leaving only them, Harry, and Cho in the room.
"Maybe." The redhead wasn't sure. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the Ravenclaw put her hand on Harry's arm. The older girl was now leading the boy towards the edge of the room where the mirrors stood. And where Susan had put the mistletoe. Whatever the girl was planning it couldn't be good.
"Maybe you should ask him." Having seen her friend's eyes linger on the scene before them, Hannah nudged her in the side with a small smile. "I will wait for you in the common room."
Seeing her friend nod back, the blond made her way to the entrance. As the doors opened before her, she looked back one last time to her friend. "Just don't come back too late, alright? We don't want anyone worrying about you." The girl walked through the stone doors before they shut behind her.
Susan steeled herself and made her way to the last remaining people in the room, fighting the small pang of guilt. She knew her friends would worry about her no matter what. "It's hard to think of a memory. Everything seems so dark these dark." Cho slowly closed the distance with Harry and that feeling was forgotten as she hurried forward.
"How do you do it? How do you still have hope?" The boy was nearly backed into the mirror as the Ravenclaw continued to move closer.
The Gryffindor stumbled with mustering a response when the puff moved to his side. "Is everything alright?" The redhead's smile became more strained as she looked at the other girl.
"Sue? Oh... uhm Cho still had some questions about the charm." The tension in the boy's shoulder's eased as he took a partial step behind her and, much to her relief, away from the mirror.
Susan narrowed her eyes as she saw Cho frown at the reaction. She knew that she would have to keep an eye on the girl from now on. "Oh, do you think I can maybe help?" She smiled at the raven-haired girl, yet it didn't quite reach her eyes.
The Claw opened her mouth to retaliate but reconsidered. After a deep breath, she put on a pained smile. "No, I think I get it now. I should go before Marietta starts to worry. Merry Christmas Harry." She gave them a quick wave before moving towards the door. Giving Harry one last mournful glance before disappearing around the corner.
The boy released a deep breath as the stone doors closed behind the final student. "I thought it would never be over." Shaking his head, he took a seat in front of the fireplace. Tossing in one more log, he held up his gloved hands to warm himself.
"She good at least have wished us both a nice break." The Hufflepuff huffed at the slight. Shaking her head, she summoned a pillow to herself and sat down beside him. "She misses Cedric." It was hard to stay mad at the girl.
"I know. It makes it hard to talk to her sometimes." The boy says as he stared into the flames. "Almost like Cedric's ghost hangs above her."
Just like you. Susan stopped herself just short of saying the words. "He liked you, you know. Cedric." Instead, she tried to alleviate a little bit of his guilt. "Never said anything mean about you and even spoke up for you during our fourth year once. He thought of you of as a rival, never as an enemy."
Harry didn't move his gaze away from the flames, nor did he release the tension from his shoulders. But she saw a small smile tug at his lips and decided that was enough for now.
Grabbing her wand, she aimed towards her outer robes tugged away in the far corner of the room. "Float to me. Accio robes." Catching the cloth, she rifled through its pockets. She could feel the Gryffindor's quizzical eyes on her back.
Finding what she was looking for, she made sure to hide it from sight as she turned back towards the boy. "It's not quite our holiday break yet but I wanted to give you this today." She gave him a giddy smile as she held the small present, wrapped in Gryffindor red paper with a small yellow bow on top, out in front of her. "Merry Christmas Harry."
"But I… it isn't Christmas yet and…" He took the package from the girl, his hands trembling. "And I don't have your present with- I mean…"
"You got me something too?" While the girl loved giving presents to her friends, she loved getting them just as much.
The boy hung his head knowing he gave the surprise away. "I was hoping to surprise you on Christmas." He softly wined.
"You can still do that if you want. What the gift is will still be a surprise." Susan instantly replied, seeing his dejected look. "It's just… I always like giving my gifts in person. I make sure to do it the last day before we go on break." Since her first year in Hogwarts, she made sure to give all her year mates their present before leaving the castle. The only exception was Hannah as it was a yearly tradition to spend Boxing Day at the Abbots. "Please."
The minute Harry looked up to the girl's large puppy eyes, he knew he was doomed to fail. "Fine, I will open it. But I am giving you yours tomorrow." This earned him a large smile in return as he tore open the packaging. "Padfoot will never let me live it down if hears about this." He muttered under his breath, much to the girl's amusement.
His eyes widened as the dark brown leather was revealed by the packaging. In a panic, he looked back up to Susan to see nothing but understanding and kindness in her gaze. "I've noticed how you've been wearing them more often lately." The raven-haired boy flinched as he held up the pair of beautiful leather dueling gloves. "You don't have to say anything. I just hope you like them."
Ever since dueling lesson, whenever the pair met the Gryffindor would wear his old Quidditch gloves. It didn't matter if it was for a lesson or to do some research in the library. Neither was it for comfort as he was always busy tugging them back into place or scratching the top of his hand. Whatever it was, he didn't wear them because he liked them. Knowing Harry, she wouldn't figure out the answer unless he told her. She was willing to wait but the least she could do was make it a little more bearable for him.
His thumb stroked the gloves' inner fur lining. "They are nice." He mumbled as his cheeks became dusted with red. If it came from the embarrassment of how he reacted or gratitude for the gift the redhead wasn't quite sure.
"It's Jackalope fur. Approved by Amelia Bones herself." She decided that it was most likely a mix of both. "She says it brings you luck during duels." Despite being a high-ranking official, her Auntie still held on to her superstitions.
"Thank you, Susan." Finally, he returned her smile as he clutched the items close to his chest. "Though now I really feel bad about not having your present with me."
"Don't be. You can just give it to me tomorrow." She grinned cheekily. Already her mind was racing to figure out just what Harry Potter would give as a present to someone. "I won't tell Padfoot if you don't."
"I think you just became his favorite Hufflepuff." The boy laughed loudly. Susan smiled at how at ease and happy the boy seemed when he was talking about his godfather. They truly must be very close. "At least let me make it up to you somehow. How about a hot cocoa from the kitchens? My treat." He joked with a tone of hope.
"You mean Dobby's treat?" The Hufflepuff shot back. "Let's have them up here. I think the elves are still busy decorating the kitchens. Besides I still need to give Dobby his present." She patted the pocket of her robe holding a pair of bright yellow Hufflepuff socks.
"Sounds like a plan." They sat together, huddled by the flames, and enjoying their chocolate drinks, for the better part of an hour. As not to worry Hannah or her friends too much Susan left soon after, but the boy insisted on escorting her back to the Den. Guided by his enchanted map they made their way through the castle in a comfortable silence.
After saying goodbye at the entrance to her common room, the redhead was greeted by her friends and soon retreated to her bed. Thoughts and speculations about a Christmas present floated through her mind.
The following day Harry Potter had disappeared from Hogwarts.
Now the rest of the D.A has finally learned the Patronus charm as well. I know we now had multiple Patronus-focused lessons in a row but it was a great event to center this short arc around. The status quo has been shaken up with Susan and Ernie's relationship in rough waters. While on the flipside she and Harry are closer than they have ever been and making a strong teaching team. Susan's growth as a teacher was a big focus in this chapter and I wanted to show that at least when it comes to helping people she can confidently stand next to the boy who lived.
Many of you will also have spotted the many small deviations to the canon timeline in this chapter. All of these had to do with the way the relations between the students developed during Order of the Pheonix. With some of the larger moments (the Patronus lesson, Seamus and Harry making up) being sped up. All of which have been caused by our favorite Hufflepuff. This lesson was planned for her and Seamus made up with Harry, after the other boy had asked his roommates for advice on what to do with his crush on the Badger. His growth in his social skills has been quicker than in canon and it has improved his status in the school.
None of these were related to the Voldemort plotline so the major plot elements are still set to take place in their usual timeframe. But that is for future chapters.
Now for the reviews (I swear I'll try to keep them short):
qwe123 - Glad you enjoyed the mood of the chapter. I pictured the husband and kids in that scene more as stand-ins for real people. Almost like generic body doubles that look close enough to what Susan dreams her future family would look like. So I am afraid I can't give you those spoilers.
But there might be a chance we will visit that mental place again and then perhaps they will look just a little more like a certain character in this story ;)
Sir Gewen Baudelaire - Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it and to hear your feedback. Never thought about it but yeah his snake talking skills might definitely be praised in other parts of the world. It's a shame we have only really visited the Anglo wizarding world (UK, US) with a small excursion to Paris. It could be really fun to apply the rules and worldbuilding of this series and set it in different cultures.
While I never described the eye color of the kids, they never did face Susan directly now did they? So who knows what color they could be.
Guest - Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad you are enjoying it so far and hope you will continue so going forward.
Everyone else who reviewed thank you so much. This story has now finished its second act and we are approaching the end rather quickly. The next chapters will move rather quickly in time as the Voldemort plot kicks it up a gear. And so you know this story will end at the end of Order of the Pheonix. I do have some ideas where I would take it after that point but that will most likely be in the form of a series of connected one-shots that are purely relationship focussed. If you are interested in reading that (or maybe even writing one!) please let me know!
Have a great weekend everyone,
- Endlessjournals