Harry was sitting in Charms on Monday when suddenly he felt a sharp
jab to his ribcage.
"Earth to Harry."
"What?" Harry asked, a little dazed.
"You seem a bit distracted," Ron sniggered.
Harry didn't admit it, but he was distracted. Luna had just walked in.
Luna handed a note to Professor Flitwick and walked away as the Professor beamed and squeaked, "Thank you!" He fell off the pile of books he was standing on behind his desk. It had recently become common knowledge that Luna was one of Flitwick's favorite students-second only to Hermione. Now he stood up and looked at the note, blinked in surprise, and came over and put it in Harry's hand. He gave Harry's shoulder a slight squeeze, as though encouraging him, before returning to the lesson on heating charms.
"Open the note, Harry!" Ron whispered urgently.
Harry suddenly found himself reluctant to read it. If Flitwick thought he needed encouraging, it couldn't possibly be good. He opened it slowly. The writing was unfamiliar.
Mister Potter,
Please report to my classroom immediately. Bring your
books and things with you, you shall not be returning to your
current class.
Professor Delano
"What does it say, Harry?" asked Hermione.
He showed her the note and began to pack his charms book and notes into his schoolbag. Hermione read the note and passed it to Ron.
"What would she want with you, Harry?"
"I don't know, but it can't be good." He stood up and walked out.
The halls were silent and his footfalls seemed much too loud to his own ears.
He paused, and then opened the door of Delano's classroom and was surprised-though he shouldn't have been-to find her class was 5th year Ravenclaws.
"Mr. Potter, it's taken you long enough to arrive. We have been discussing Patronuses."
"Really?" he tried to act surprised, figures this is what they'd call him in for.
"Yes, and we are looking forward to a demonstration. I've been told you have experience in that area."
He approached her.
She spoke quietly. "In this cupboard we have a boggart. Your boggarts turn into Dementors, correct?"
"Yes."
"Good. When I open this cupboard, you'll perform the Patronus charm on the Dementor-boggart and I shall then vanish the boggart or lock it up again."
He nodded and she opened the cupboard.
Harry saw the Dementor-boggart approach. The coldness was beginning to start. He had to think of a happy memory. He saw Luna out of the corner of his eye. If he couldn't think of a happy memory Luna would see him mess up. That was not a happy thought. The Dementor-boggart came closer. The first happy thought that came to Harry's mind (it probably came because he could see her from where he was standing) was Luna kissing him at the station before Christmas. That was definitely a happy memory. He shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
A silvery stag erupted from his wand and charged down the Dementor.
Professor Delano shut the boggart in the cupboard again.
The class was fairly pleased with what Harry had done but Professor Delano seemed less than impressed; she made him repeat the spell a half dozen times before class ended.
After class ended, Harry remained behind. "Why did you bother pulling me out of class when you already had a student here who could make a Patronus? I missed some difficult charms work." For that matter, why hadn't Delano demonstrated the charm herself?
Luna had not left the room. She said in her dazed way, "Because I've never used a Patronus against a Dementor before. You have."
"Oh. Professor, why didn't you do the charm yourself?"
"This is highly difficult and advanced magic. I thought it'd be more of a confidence boost for the students if they saw another student performing the charm. I wouldn't want any of them discouraged. You seemed the obvious choice. Miss Lovegood will help you make up the work you missed today later on this evening."
"Luna doesn't even know what we're learning, she's a year younger."
Luna said something that Harry couldn't quite hear, but it took only a few second for him to realize his shoes were getting warmer and warmer until they were downright hot. She smiled blandly, "Heating charms are relatively simple." She muttered again, performing a cooling charm. "Cooling charm. You'll be working on that for your next charms class."
"Miss Lovegood will be a more than adequate tutor. The Headmaster tells me that it's thanks to her you are progressing so well with Occlumency." This last sentence sounded a little stiff to Harry's ears. Obviously his lack of progress working with her was a sore spot, just as it had been with Snape. "Return to my classroom directly after dinner."
"I have Quiditch practice."
"Then don't make up the work. It's your grade that will suffer."
"I'll come." He stalked out of the room angrily.
*
*
*
Okay, weird chapter. Let me know what you think. No preview this time unfortunately because I've only got the first 10 lines of the next chapter done and none of it would make a good preview. But I'll put the next chapter up soon as possible.
"Earth to Harry."
"What?" Harry asked, a little dazed.
"You seem a bit distracted," Ron sniggered.
Harry didn't admit it, but he was distracted. Luna had just walked in.
Luna handed a note to Professor Flitwick and walked away as the Professor beamed and squeaked, "Thank you!" He fell off the pile of books he was standing on behind his desk. It had recently become common knowledge that Luna was one of Flitwick's favorite students-second only to Hermione. Now he stood up and looked at the note, blinked in surprise, and came over and put it in Harry's hand. He gave Harry's shoulder a slight squeeze, as though encouraging him, before returning to the lesson on heating charms.
"Open the note, Harry!" Ron whispered urgently.
Harry suddenly found himself reluctant to read it. If Flitwick thought he needed encouraging, it couldn't possibly be good. He opened it slowly. The writing was unfamiliar.
Mister Potter,
Please report to my classroom immediately. Bring your
books and things with you, you shall not be returning to your
current class.
Professor Delano
"What does it say, Harry?" asked Hermione.
He showed her the note and began to pack his charms book and notes into his schoolbag. Hermione read the note and passed it to Ron.
"What would she want with you, Harry?"
"I don't know, but it can't be good." He stood up and walked out.
The halls were silent and his footfalls seemed much too loud to his own ears.
He paused, and then opened the door of Delano's classroom and was surprised-though he shouldn't have been-to find her class was 5th year Ravenclaws.
"Mr. Potter, it's taken you long enough to arrive. We have been discussing Patronuses."
"Really?" he tried to act surprised, figures this is what they'd call him in for.
"Yes, and we are looking forward to a demonstration. I've been told you have experience in that area."
He approached her.
She spoke quietly. "In this cupboard we have a boggart. Your boggarts turn into Dementors, correct?"
"Yes."
"Good. When I open this cupboard, you'll perform the Patronus charm on the Dementor-boggart and I shall then vanish the boggart or lock it up again."
He nodded and she opened the cupboard.
Harry saw the Dementor-boggart approach. The coldness was beginning to start. He had to think of a happy memory. He saw Luna out of the corner of his eye. If he couldn't think of a happy memory Luna would see him mess up. That was not a happy thought. The Dementor-boggart came closer. The first happy thought that came to Harry's mind (it probably came because he could see her from where he was standing) was Luna kissing him at the station before Christmas. That was definitely a happy memory. He shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
A silvery stag erupted from his wand and charged down the Dementor.
Professor Delano shut the boggart in the cupboard again.
The class was fairly pleased with what Harry had done but Professor Delano seemed less than impressed; she made him repeat the spell a half dozen times before class ended.
After class ended, Harry remained behind. "Why did you bother pulling me out of class when you already had a student here who could make a Patronus? I missed some difficult charms work." For that matter, why hadn't Delano demonstrated the charm herself?
Luna had not left the room. She said in her dazed way, "Because I've never used a Patronus against a Dementor before. You have."
"Oh. Professor, why didn't you do the charm yourself?"
"This is highly difficult and advanced magic. I thought it'd be more of a confidence boost for the students if they saw another student performing the charm. I wouldn't want any of them discouraged. You seemed the obvious choice. Miss Lovegood will help you make up the work you missed today later on this evening."
"Luna doesn't even know what we're learning, she's a year younger."
Luna said something that Harry couldn't quite hear, but it took only a few second for him to realize his shoes were getting warmer and warmer until they were downright hot. She smiled blandly, "Heating charms are relatively simple." She muttered again, performing a cooling charm. "Cooling charm. You'll be working on that for your next charms class."
"Miss Lovegood will be a more than adequate tutor. The Headmaster tells me that it's thanks to her you are progressing so well with Occlumency." This last sentence sounded a little stiff to Harry's ears. Obviously his lack of progress working with her was a sore spot, just as it had been with Snape. "Return to my classroom directly after dinner."
"I have Quiditch practice."
"Then don't make up the work. It's your grade that will suffer."
"I'll come." He stalked out of the room angrily.
*
*
*
Okay, weird chapter. Let me know what you think. No preview this time unfortunately because I've only got the first 10 lines of the next chapter done and none of it would make a good preview. But I'll put the next chapter up soon as possible.