"Harry!" Remus said standing above Harry in his study. "There you are. You came. Are you sure about this, Harry? This is very advanced magic, well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Levels."

"I'm sure." Harry said.

Remus came down the stairs. "Well, everything's prepared. The spell I am going to teach you is called the Patronus Charm. Did you ever hear of it?" Harry shook his head. "No? Well…a Patronus is a positive force. For the wizard who conjures on it works something like a shield, with the Dementor feeding on it rather than him. But in order for it to work you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory. Can you do this?" Harry nodded. "Yes. Very well. Close your eyes." Harry did so. "Concentrate. Explore your past. Do you have a memory?" Harry nodded again. "Allow it to fill you up. Lose yourself within it. Then speak the incantation. Expecto Patronum."

Harry repeated it. "Expecto Patronum."

"Very good. Shall we? Wand at the ready."

Harry took his wand out and Lupin opened the box. A dementor appeared. Harry yelled. "Expecto Patronum!" It came closer. "Expecto…Expecto…" His mum screamed in his head as he blacked out.

"Here we go. Come on. Sit up. Deep breaths." Remus helped him sit up. "It's all right. I didn't expect you to do it the first time. That would have been remarkable. Here eat this. You'll feel better." Remus gave him some chocolate.

"That's one nasty Dementor." Harry commented as he ate the chocolate.

"Oh, no, no, no. That was a boggart, Harry. A boggart. The real thing would be worse. Much, much worse." Harry got up and fell against the wall trying to regain his balance. "As a matter of interest, what were you thinking? Which memory did you choose?"

"The first time I rode a broom." Harry said.

"That's not good enough." Remus said. "Not nearly good enough."

Harry sighed. "There's another. It's not happy, exactly. Well, it is. It's the happiest I've ever felt…but it's complicated."

"Is it strong?" Harry nodded. "Then let's give it a try. You feel ready?"

"Just do it." Harry said and Remus let the boggart out again. It rose above Harry. "Expecto Patronum!" He yelled and then again. "Expecto Patronum!" A bluish-white light came from his wand sending the boggart-dementor back into the trunk.

Remus laughed. "Well done, Harry, well done!"

"I think I've had enough for today." Harry said sounding tired.

"Yes. Sit down. Here." He gave Harry some more chocolate and they sat down on some steps. "Eat this, it helps. It really helps. And just so you know, Harry, I think you would have given your father a run for his money. And that is saying something."

"I was thinking about him. And mum. Seeing their faces. They were talking to me. Just talking. That's the memory I chose. I don't even know if it's real. But it's the best I have."

"Harry," Remus began. "I wanted to talk to you about Erin."

Harry swallowed. "Yes, sir?"

"I talked to Erin earlier…she told me you know about Sirius and other things."

Harry nodded. "Why didn't you tell me you knew him?"

"Does it matter, Harry? Does it really matter if I knew him?"

"I guess not. What was he like?"

"Sirius?" Remus asked. "I thought I knew him. He and James were the best of friends. Inseparable even. They did everything together. I never expected to hear that Sirius betrayed James and Lily. I would have preferred to hear it from his own mouth, but that wasn't to be."

"What about Xenia?" Harry asked him.

Remus smiled then. "When I look at Erin I see so much of her mother in her, but I also see a lot of her father, just as I do you, Harry. Xenia was quite a beauty in school, I would say the most beautiful, but of course, I am biased. From the beginning though she had her heart set on Sirius. They were both from pureblood families and both despised their families. Xenia was Lily's best friend. Xenia was a witch of uncommon abilities. She was a seer, Harry, and she was also one of the smartest witches of her age. I hear Erin is following right along right in her footsteps."

Harry nodded smiling. "Her and Hermione always get top grades in everything."

"I have heard a lot about Erin these last few years. She's stayed by your side, hasn't she, Harry? Through every sort of trial and never wavered?"

Harry looked at Remus. "Yes, in first year she let herself get knocked out by a mountain troll just so it wouldn't hit me with its club. She was also there every step of the way to save the Sorcerer's Stone. Last year while we were in the Chamber of Secrets she pushed me out of the way of falling rocks letting herself be buried instead. Even now she just wants to be by my side…"

"Harry, I don't mean to pry, but I know Erin has feelings for you…do you?"

Harry looked away. "I don't know…I care about her, certainly and I like her…I just don't know if I like her the same way or as much as she does me…I never really thought about it before the boggart. So I can't really tell you, yet."

"Just don't hurt her, Harry." Remus said. "I care about her the way one would a daughter."

"She told you about last night?" Harry asked suddenly.

Remus sighed. "Oh, yes, she told me. I suspected it when she came to see me. She left just before you got here. Believe me the lecture I gave her was enough to stop her from ever having a drink of anything stronger than butterbeer ever again."