JAILBREAK, blared the headline of the Daily Prophet the next morning.
Clearly circumspection was not a job requirement for Ministry officials.
The owls flew thick through the Great Hall at Hogwarts, the parents of the
students frantic with worry. The students buzzed, anxious and more than a
little frightened. Finally Dumbledore stood, and the room fell silent
immediately.
"You have all seen the headline," he said, "that states that there has been a breach in the security at Azkaban Prison. For once the Daily Prophet has printed something with a grain of truth. But you have all known about the escape since yesterday, and have had that much time to learn to deal with it. I want to assure you again that Hogwarts is the safest place in Britain to be at this time, and that you are not in danger. You are not in danger," he repeated, and his eyes met Harry's.
Harry looked away. He wished he could believe Dumbledore, but the memory of his nightmare still burned in his mind. When he closed his eyes he saw the cold dank torture chamber with all those dying people, and Voldemort's cruel laughter rang in his ears. It had not helped Harry's state of mind to find out that Voldemort's Death Eaters were no longer caged but free, free to join Voldemort in the stone torture chamber of his nightmares. And he couldn't help picturing himself chained to the slimy wall.
Professor Figg stood tapping on something they could not see at the front of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom when the Gryffindors walked in for class the next day, Wednesday. She turned and smiled when they entered.
"Good afternoon. Sit, quickly, we have a lot to cover today."
When everyone was seated she began, "The Azkaban jailbreak has increased panic tenfold over the whole issue of Voldemort's return. Rumours have been circulating that he is amassing allies, joining forces with Dark creatures to begin another uprising. I am not going to stand here and reassure you that the rumours are untrue. It is a very real threat, which means you must be prepared in any eventuality.
"Now tell me all Dark creatures you know."
"Kappas," called Dean.
"Vampires," said Neville, shivering.
"Werewolves," said Lavender. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, thinking of Lupin.
"Red Caps."
"Trolls and giants."
"Banshees."
"Dementors," said Harry softly.
Professor Figg nodded. "We will study all of those, beginning today with Dementors. What do you know about Dementors? Miss Patil?"
"They suck happiness out of humans for nourishment," Parvati said.
Hermione raised her hand and recited, "Their ultimate weapon is the Dementor's Kiss, where they drain the person's soul from their body, leaving an empty shell. Their kind were allied with the Dark side until only a few years ago, when they became guards at Azkaban Prison. Now the Dementor's Kiss is equal to a death sentence for prisoners."
"Good," said Professor Figg. "I know that Dementors came to guard Hogwarts two years ago, so I'm sure you can all envisage the Dementor's Kiss." All the students shuddered. Harry thought of his parents' screams, forced into his head by the Dementors' powers. "There is only one defence against Dementors. Are you all taking this down? It is called the Patronus Charm. Invented by the British Auror Tobias Neale in the twelfth century, the Patronus is the only spell that can weaken or even cause something like pain to a Dementor. That's because a Patronus takes all your good intentions and your honour and moulds them into a solid shape, like this. Expecto Patronum!" she shouted suddenly, making them all jump. She pointed her wand and a silvery light blossomed from her wand, taking the form of a majestic lion, which sprang furiously at Seamus just before vanishing into thin air. The Gryffindors gasped in delight. Seamus looked pale.
"Looks easy, doesn't it?" said Professor Figg. "I hope you were watching well, because fifth-years must be able to conjure a decent Patronus for the O.W.L.s at the end of the year." A collective groan rose. "Oh come now, it's not that hard. You'll get lots of practise before June. We'll start now. Everyone up!" They stood and she flicked her wand, and the tables and chairs vanished.
"We need room to practise," she explained. "The formula is Expecto Patronum. Go on, say it."
"Expecto Patronum," said the students.
"More force!" cried Professor Figg. "Saying it like that won't get you anywhere. Thomas!" Dean snapped to attention. "Draw your wand and try it."
Dean obeyed. "Expecto Patronum?" he said cautiously, and nothing happened.
"You see?" said Professor Figg. "Now say it like you mean it. Shout out loud, like you're facing a real Dementor and it wants a nice sloppy kiss."
Dean shuddered. "Expecto Patronum!" he shouted, and a silvery wisp blossomed from the end of his wand and dissipated. The others applauded.
"Good, Thomas," said Professor Figg. "Now all of you line up facing me." They did so. "Follow Thomas' example. Scream the words if you have to! Just get them out. Imagine I'm a Dementor. All together. now!"
"Expecto Patronum!" yelled the whole class together, and a shapeless flurry of mist was the result. Only one silver stag charged out of the smoke and halted before Professor Figg. They stared at each other.
"Potter," Professor Figg said quietly, looking at the stag, "who taught you to do this?"
"Professor Lupin," said Harry.
"I see," said Professor Figg. She reached out, and the stag vanished. "That was quite impressive. Did the rest of you see that?" she asked. "Potter's Patronus was solid and had a shape. That is what you are aiming for! That would have gotten a perfect grade at the O.W.L. exams. Keep practising!"
"How do I know what my Patronus will look like?" Lavender asked.
"A Patronus generally takes the shape of something that you think of as you personal guardian. I have always admired the noble lion, which is why mine takes that form. Mundungus Fletcher had an abusive father who was gored by a Manticore, which explains the shape of his Patronus. And Potter, for personal reasons, feels that the stag is a suitable protector. I don't know what yours will look like. I want you to show me."
So they practised, again and again and again, but as it had taken Harry many months to be able to make a solid Patrons, the others made very little progress beyond the ephemeral silvery mists that slipped from their wandtips and dispersed moments later.
Hary was trying to help Ron. Ron's Patronus was different from Harry's in that it burst from his wand, sickly grey, and floated up to the ceiling like a puff of smoke, dispersing among the rafters. "Is it a bird?" Harry asked. "An owl? Maybe a dragon?"
Ron grimaced. "After seeing the first task last year, why on earth would I think a dragon could protect me? It just looks like a grey smear."
Professor Figg appeared. "Let me see your Patronus, Weasley." Ron performed his nebulous Patronus Charm, looking doubtful, but Professor Figg smiled.
"You just need to keep practising, Weasley. It will come with time. Potter, show me your Patronus again," ordered Professor Figg. Harry pointed his wand and the silver stag leaped over Ron's head, looking somewhat fainter than before.
"Harry, I think your Patronus is getting weak," Hermione remarked.
"I'm not thinking of Dementors anymore," Harry said.
"Do you need some motivation?" asked Professor Figg.
She turned and suddenly whipped off the Invisibility Cloak that had been covering a seven-foot-tall tinted box at the front of the class. From behind a thin layer of magic a Dementor leered at them.
Everyone screamed in alarm and fled to the back of the room. Only Harry and Neville remained frozen, oddly rooted to the spot.
"Stop that!" Professor Figg cried at the students who stood with their backs flat against the wall. "A fine brave lot you are! It's not coming out. This is a bit of experimental magic that I invented for this purpose. You're all perfectly safe." She rapped on the box and the Dementor hissed at her. "Oh, shut up," she snapped, and to their astonishment the Dementor recoiled and turned away.
"How did you catch a Dementor?" Ron asked in amazement, as they slowly left the wall and rejoined Harry and Neville by the Dementor's strange cage.
"I went to Azkaban last night and nabbed one before anyone noticed. But I wouldn't advise copying me. You might get killed."
"But how did you resist their powers?" Harry asked.
Professor Figg shrugged. "Wizards all react differently to Dementors. For me, there's some kind of old magic in my blood that makes me virtually impervious to Dementors' powers. It's extremely rare. But Neale is my maiden name, and Tobias Neale, inventor of the Patronus, is my ancestor. Does anyone feel faint?" she asked. No one raised their hand. "You liars! Your faces are sheet-white. Even you, Potter," she added with a touch of mocking derision. Harry was about to protest that he wasn't scared, only surprised, but she laughed it off with a wave of her hand. "I won't make you do your spells against the Dementor. But watch me closely."
She went to the side of the classroom and drew a line across the floor with her wand. From the line a translucent magic wall sprang up and fixed itself to the ceiling. The students were on one side and Professor Figg and the caged Dementor were on the other.
"Oh no," said Hermione, as all the students jumped up and pressed their faces up against the tinted screen.
"She's never going to release the Dementor?" Ron said incredulously.
"I am going to release the Dementor," Professor Figg said through the wall. "Pay attention."
"What if something goes wrong?" Harry called. He was having flashbacks to the time that Gilderoy Lockhart had let loose a cage of Cornish pixies on the class.
"Don't be ridiculous, Potter, I'm a professional," said Professor Figg airily. She raised her wand and the box over the Dementor spontaneously shattered. The shards vanished in the air.
The Dementor stalked forward, making rattling, sucking noises. It was starved and enraged. Professor Figg, however, barely flinched as it advanced. She aimed her wand and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
The silvery lion burst from her wand as before and lunged at the Dementor. The Dementor halted and raised its thin arm defensively against the lion's attack. Harry could see pale white rents in the filthy grey cloak where the lion's claws slashed at the Dementor. The Dementor retreated, hissing and rattling angrily, as the steadfast lion paced before Professor Figg.
"Now I box it in," said Professor Figg, holding her wand above her head pointing at the Dementor. The wand point described a large circle and a wide, shadowy ribbon flowed from the wand tip to the floor round the Dementor, which could not step over the line. In a few seconds it was imprisoned like before. The Patronus lion shook its shaggy mane and dissolved in thin air.
Professor Figg, satisfied, broke the tinted wall dividing the room and threw the Invisibility Cloak back over the Dementor's cage. Then she noticed their wide-eyed, shocked expressions. "You've all worked very hard today," she said kindly. "I think an early dismissal is in order, don't you? Don't tell the other teachers." The students grabbed their books and left, talking excitedly.
"You have all seen the headline," he said, "that states that there has been a breach in the security at Azkaban Prison. For once the Daily Prophet has printed something with a grain of truth. But you have all known about the escape since yesterday, and have had that much time to learn to deal with it. I want to assure you again that Hogwarts is the safest place in Britain to be at this time, and that you are not in danger. You are not in danger," he repeated, and his eyes met Harry's.
Harry looked away. He wished he could believe Dumbledore, but the memory of his nightmare still burned in his mind. When he closed his eyes he saw the cold dank torture chamber with all those dying people, and Voldemort's cruel laughter rang in his ears. It had not helped Harry's state of mind to find out that Voldemort's Death Eaters were no longer caged but free, free to join Voldemort in the stone torture chamber of his nightmares. And he couldn't help picturing himself chained to the slimy wall.
Professor Figg stood tapping on something they could not see at the front of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom when the Gryffindors walked in for class the next day, Wednesday. She turned and smiled when they entered.
"Good afternoon. Sit, quickly, we have a lot to cover today."
When everyone was seated she began, "The Azkaban jailbreak has increased panic tenfold over the whole issue of Voldemort's return. Rumours have been circulating that he is amassing allies, joining forces with Dark creatures to begin another uprising. I am not going to stand here and reassure you that the rumours are untrue. It is a very real threat, which means you must be prepared in any eventuality.
"Now tell me all Dark creatures you know."
"Kappas," called Dean.
"Vampires," said Neville, shivering.
"Werewolves," said Lavender. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, thinking of Lupin.
"Red Caps."
"Trolls and giants."
"Banshees."
"Dementors," said Harry softly.
Professor Figg nodded. "We will study all of those, beginning today with Dementors. What do you know about Dementors? Miss Patil?"
"They suck happiness out of humans for nourishment," Parvati said.
Hermione raised her hand and recited, "Their ultimate weapon is the Dementor's Kiss, where they drain the person's soul from their body, leaving an empty shell. Their kind were allied with the Dark side until only a few years ago, when they became guards at Azkaban Prison. Now the Dementor's Kiss is equal to a death sentence for prisoners."
"Good," said Professor Figg. "I know that Dementors came to guard Hogwarts two years ago, so I'm sure you can all envisage the Dementor's Kiss." All the students shuddered. Harry thought of his parents' screams, forced into his head by the Dementors' powers. "There is only one defence against Dementors. Are you all taking this down? It is called the Patronus Charm. Invented by the British Auror Tobias Neale in the twelfth century, the Patronus is the only spell that can weaken or even cause something like pain to a Dementor. That's because a Patronus takes all your good intentions and your honour and moulds them into a solid shape, like this. Expecto Patronum!" she shouted suddenly, making them all jump. She pointed her wand and a silvery light blossomed from her wand, taking the form of a majestic lion, which sprang furiously at Seamus just before vanishing into thin air. The Gryffindors gasped in delight. Seamus looked pale.
"Looks easy, doesn't it?" said Professor Figg. "I hope you were watching well, because fifth-years must be able to conjure a decent Patronus for the O.W.L.s at the end of the year." A collective groan rose. "Oh come now, it's not that hard. You'll get lots of practise before June. We'll start now. Everyone up!" They stood and she flicked her wand, and the tables and chairs vanished.
"We need room to practise," she explained. "The formula is Expecto Patronum. Go on, say it."
"Expecto Patronum," said the students.
"More force!" cried Professor Figg. "Saying it like that won't get you anywhere. Thomas!" Dean snapped to attention. "Draw your wand and try it."
Dean obeyed. "Expecto Patronum?" he said cautiously, and nothing happened.
"You see?" said Professor Figg. "Now say it like you mean it. Shout out loud, like you're facing a real Dementor and it wants a nice sloppy kiss."
Dean shuddered. "Expecto Patronum!" he shouted, and a silvery wisp blossomed from the end of his wand and dissipated. The others applauded.
"Good, Thomas," said Professor Figg. "Now all of you line up facing me." They did so. "Follow Thomas' example. Scream the words if you have to! Just get them out. Imagine I'm a Dementor. All together. now!"
"Expecto Patronum!" yelled the whole class together, and a shapeless flurry of mist was the result. Only one silver stag charged out of the smoke and halted before Professor Figg. They stared at each other.
"Potter," Professor Figg said quietly, looking at the stag, "who taught you to do this?"
"Professor Lupin," said Harry.
"I see," said Professor Figg. She reached out, and the stag vanished. "That was quite impressive. Did the rest of you see that?" she asked. "Potter's Patronus was solid and had a shape. That is what you are aiming for! That would have gotten a perfect grade at the O.W.L. exams. Keep practising!"
"How do I know what my Patronus will look like?" Lavender asked.
"A Patronus generally takes the shape of something that you think of as you personal guardian. I have always admired the noble lion, which is why mine takes that form. Mundungus Fletcher had an abusive father who was gored by a Manticore, which explains the shape of his Patronus. And Potter, for personal reasons, feels that the stag is a suitable protector. I don't know what yours will look like. I want you to show me."
So they practised, again and again and again, but as it had taken Harry many months to be able to make a solid Patrons, the others made very little progress beyond the ephemeral silvery mists that slipped from their wandtips and dispersed moments later.
Hary was trying to help Ron. Ron's Patronus was different from Harry's in that it burst from his wand, sickly grey, and floated up to the ceiling like a puff of smoke, dispersing among the rafters. "Is it a bird?" Harry asked. "An owl? Maybe a dragon?"
Ron grimaced. "After seeing the first task last year, why on earth would I think a dragon could protect me? It just looks like a grey smear."
Professor Figg appeared. "Let me see your Patronus, Weasley." Ron performed his nebulous Patronus Charm, looking doubtful, but Professor Figg smiled.
"You just need to keep practising, Weasley. It will come with time. Potter, show me your Patronus again," ordered Professor Figg. Harry pointed his wand and the silver stag leaped over Ron's head, looking somewhat fainter than before.
"Harry, I think your Patronus is getting weak," Hermione remarked.
"I'm not thinking of Dementors anymore," Harry said.
"Do you need some motivation?" asked Professor Figg.
She turned and suddenly whipped off the Invisibility Cloak that had been covering a seven-foot-tall tinted box at the front of the class. From behind a thin layer of magic a Dementor leered at them.
Everyone screamed in alarm and fled to the back of the room. Only Harry and Neville remained frozen, oddly rooted to the spot.
"Stop that!" Professor Figg cried at the students who stood with their backs flat against the wall. "A fine brave lot you are! It's not coming out. This is a bit of experimental magic that I invented for this purpose. You're all perfectly safe." She rapped on the box and the Dementor hissed at her. "Oh, shut up," she snapped, and to their astonishment the Dementor recoiled and turned away.
"How did you catch a Dementor?" Ron asked in amazement, as they slowly left the wall and rejoined Harry and Neville by the Dementor's strange cage.
"I went to Azkaban last night and nabbed one before anyone noticed. But I wouldn't advise copying me. You might get killed."
"But how did you resist their powers?" Harry asked.
Professor Figg shrugged. "Wizards all react differently to Dementors. For me, there's some kind of old magic in my blood that makes me virtually impervious to Dementors' powers. It's extremely rare. But Neale is my maiden name, and Tobias Neale, inventor of the Patronus, is my ancestor. Does anyone feel faint?" she asked. No one raised their hand. "You liars! Your faces are sheet-white. Even you, Potter," she added with a touch of mocking derision. Harry was about to protest that he wasn't scared, only surprised, but she laughed it off with a wave of her hand. "I won't make you do your spells against the Dementor. But watch me closely."
She went to the side of the classroom and drew a line across the floor with her wand. From the line a translucent magic wall sprang up and fixed itself to the ceiling. The students were on one side and Professor Figg and the caged Dementor were on the other.
"Oh no," said Hermione, as all the students jumped up and pressed their faces up against the tinted screen.
"She's never going to release the Dementor?" Ron said incredulously.
"I am going to release the Dementor," Professor Figg said through the wall. "Pay attention."
"What if something goes wrong?" Harry called. He was having flashbacks to the time that Gilderoy Lockhart had let loose a cage of Cornish pixies on the class.
"Don't be ridiculous, Potter, I'm a professional," said Professor Figg airily. She raised her wand and the box over the Dementor spontaneously shattered. The shards vanished in the air.
The Dementor stalked forward, making rattling, sucking noises. It was starved and enraged. Professor Figg, however, barely flinched as it advanced. She aimed her wand and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
The silvery lion burst from her wand as before and lunged at the Dementor. The Dementor halted and raised its thin arm defensively against the lion's attack. Harry could see pale white rents in the filthy grey cloak where the lion's claws slashed at the Dementor. The Dementor retreated, hissing and rattling angrily, as the steadfast lion paced before Professor Figg.
"Now I box it in," said Professor Figg, holding her wand above her head pointing at the Dementor. The wand point described a large circle and a wide, shadowy ribbon flowed from the wand tip to the floor round the Dementor, which could not step over the line. In a few seconds it was imprisoned like before. The Patronus lion shook its shaggy mane and dissolved in thin air.
Professor Figg, satisfied, broke the tinted wall dividing the room and threw the Invisibility Cloak back over the Dementor's cage. Then she noticed their wide-eyed, shocked expressions. "You've all worked very hard today," she said kindly. "I think an early dismissal is in order, don't you? Don't tell the other teachers." The students grabbed their books and left, talking excitedly.
