Sorry I have kept you all waiting for so long and also for this short, mostly filler chapter. I promise next chapter is more exciting but no promises when I will get around to posting it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Auror training occupied much of Harry's time September onwards, though he still managed to keep up with weekly visits to Teddy and bi-weekly dinner with the Mr and Mrs Weasley.
It was different sharing with Ron too, he felt different now that they were no longer in a tension-filled tent with a dark object or the Burrow.
Harry missed Hermione's presence that had acted as a buffer between the two all summer. He knew Ron still felt his actions because of the Horcrux were unjustified and despite wanting to confront his best mate, Harry just didn't know how to.
It was something Harry had discussed in a letter to Hermione and she was the one who told him to rip off the metaphorical band-aid.
Deciding that Hermione knew more about emotions than he did and that she was usually right, Harry did just that. Harry rushed through telling Ron that he didn't blame Ron for leaving, that he knew it was the locket that influenced him.
Ron seemed grateful for Harry bringing up the topic, vowing to never run away when Harry needed him like that again. And so they settled into easy friendship once again, eating breakfast together and talking about Quidditch and other light hearted matters again.
It was then that Harry finally realised that Ron, despite his earlier enthusiasm about working with his brother, was not very happy at the shop.
"I don't think I am very good with this? I can't think up new, amazing ideas like Fred does-did," Ron admitted, his ears turning red in frustration. Harry nodded sympathetically, not knowing how to help his friend, "Maybe you should talk to George?"
Ron grimaced but agreed, "That's what Hermione said too."
The start of October was filled with anticipation from all of the Auror trainees who were looking forward to the situational training they would get. Before this most of the training consisted of learning new spells and protocols needed, as well as brushing up on the Potions and History of Magic side of the curriculum.
The first few days of learning the new training style was spent in a room that was not much different from the Room of Requirement. Harry delighted in using what he learned and experienced. It wasn't difficult to see that he was easily the best despite the fact that he used to be just an average student in most of his classes at Hogwarts. The other trainees were excelling as well, the war having refined their reflexes and spell-casting.
They got their first real experience in the field though when a message was broadcasted asking for all available Aurors to apparate to location where there were rogue Dementors. The Auror trainer, Devon McGill, cancelled class to head to the site himself when Harry interrupted, "How can we help?"
When Harry saw Senior Auror McGill gearing up to say no, he said in a strong voice, "Most of us learned how to produce corporeal Patronuses during school and the others can at least produce a strong mist. We can help."
McGill looked taken aback for a moment and he glanced at each one of them before sighing and producing a portkey by tapping a long piece of frayed rope that he carried in his pocket. Harry watched it turn the telltale blue colour and then held on, feeling the hook behind his navel and bracing himself for the unfortunate landing he always had when portkeying. The others soon complied, touching the rope themselves.
McGill activated the portkey by touching his wand to the length of rope and Harry experienced the unfortunate sensation of his feet leaving the ground and the portkey pulling him onward in a howl of wind and swirling colour. He stumbled into the ground face first uponing arriving, quickly scrambling up when he noticed the unnatural chill in the air and the heavy clouds.
Harry looked over to see the others either already up or scrambling up around him. They had arrived at a park and he could see some Muggles huddling together to get warm and hiding under the trees. The cold was biting and the light was sucked from the sky despite it being daytime. Harry could see the Dementors gliding noiselessly, at least thirty, moving towards the Muggles who were being protected by three patronuses. Maybe the Dementors could taste the fear in the air? Their long fingers stretched towards the Muggles as the Patronuses protecting them started to weaken. Harry raised his wand, already seeing the others around him doing the same, taking a deep breath and remembering Ron and Hermione's friendship, Ginny's blazing look and Teddy's smile at him, he shouted "Expecto Patronum". Already he could see his stag joining Lavender's bird patronus, maybe a pigeon or a dove he couldn't tell, Katie's cat and Hank's eagle. Harry could see Terry's patronus on the verge of forming, Susan's strong silver mist accompanied by their instructor's Tiger patronus.
The Dementors had turned towards Harry and his friends as soon as they had arrived and now they seemed to be coming closer quickly, taking those dragging, rattling breaths that Harry detested. Harry struggled to keep happy thoughts and maintain his patronus. The patroni attacked the oncoming Dementors almost simultaneously, pushing them back.
It took awhile and several others had apparated in as back-up but finally the Dementors were driven away. By the time the Obliviators arrived, the sun was shining overhead again.
Auror McGill, meanwhile, got all the Auror trainees back to the training room with the same rope portkey they had used before. Several of Harry's classmates just collapsed from the drain on magic holding a Patronus had on them. Harry thought he was doing better having faced more Dementors than that before but he still needed a small piece of chocolate. At least he wasn't exhausted by the magic he cast. Trainer McGill left them, proclaiming a job well done and giving them the day off.
Smiling, Harry set off to meet Teddy over at Andromeda's house.
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