AN: I'm sorry for the long delay! Again! As I mentioned before I'm a slow writer. But the new chapter is here to your enjoyement! Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 6: The study-circle

It was Friday afternoon just after their last lesson and Harry was in a hurry. He dropped down his books on his bed and checked his wand. It was the day of the first DADA study circle and he was very excited.

He started out of the dormitory when he saw that Ron was still sitting on his bed.

„Aren't you coming?" he asked.

„Where?"

„To Professor Black's study circle, of course!"

„Oh, there!" Ron was obviously squirming.

„Yes there! What is wrong with you?"

„Nothing... but to tell the truth... you know..." stuttered the redhead, „well..." Harry threw an impatient look at him. „I don't think that I'm going" he bursted out.

„And why?" Harry asked stunned.

„You know after what people are telling about him... I don't know what you heard, because you were so occupied with quidditch in the last days... actually I think that nobody will go!"

„Nobody? But why?"

„Because everybody thinks that Professor Black is... well... a little bit crazy..."

„Oh... I don't care, I'll go anyway and I'm sure that Hermione is coming as well. She would never pass an opportunity to learn something new."

Ron just shrugged and Harry rushed out to look for Hermione. He didn't have to look for long as Hermione was sitting in the common room over a huge book.

„Hey, Hermione!" he called.

Hermione looked up but only for second, then she turned back to the book.

„Hi, Harry!" she mumbled.

„Don't you want to come to the study circle?"

„I'd wanted very much but I can't! Could you ask Professor Black if I could join you on the second lesson? I have to write a very long essay for tomorrow and I'm only halfway and have to read through this book, so..."

„I see."

So Harry went alone to the DADA classroom and waited alone there for Professor Black. He couldn't understand why nobody came. In his opinion Black was the best teacher they've ever had and he didn't seem to be crazy at all. Of course he heard the rumor about how he knocked out Lucius Malfoy in front of the fifth years but he could understand it: Malfoy was almost as annoying as his son and after he almost killed Harry last year he couldn't feel sorry for the man.

Professor Black arrived a few moments later, greeted Harry with a smile and he didn't seem to be surprised at all that Harry was the only student present. Harry however saw surprised that the professor wasn't wearing wizarding robe but casual muggle clothing: jeans and a grey shirt. His long hair was bound and Harry could see a long scar on the left side of his face. It started on his temple and ended under his ear and Harry was wondering how he could get that one and why it couldn't be healed with magic.

"You still keep the lesson, Professor?" Harry asked a anxiously.

"Of course. I expected something like this."

"You did?"

"Yes. Slytherins would never come to my lesson willingly, Raveclaws and Hufflepuffs aren't inerested in fighting and most Gryffindors don't think that I'm... totally sane."

Harry didn't know what to say to this, so he rather stayed quiet.

"But let's go to business" the teacher said with much more enthusiasm. "As there's just you and me we don't have to stick to my plans. Tell me Harry what are you interested in?"

"Well... I'd like to know very much... how you can chase away a dementor?"

Black studied him thoughtfully.

"This is very hard to do. Why do you want to learn it?"

Harry hesitated a little bit, but he could see honest interest in the professor's eyes so he decided to tell the truth.

"The dementor on the train really scared me. And when we had to think about our biggest fear the dementor came to my mind immediately. And I don't understand why... nobody else fainted on the train... why did it affect me so differently...?"

"I see. But there's nothing surprising in this, Harry! Dementors use our traumatic experiences and you have a lot of those, I suspect. What did you remember when the dementor came into the compartment?"

"I don't really know... I saw green light and heard a woman screaming..."

"The death of your parents..." Black whispered and he went pale. Then he shook his head. "It's no wonder that it wore you out... I believe you don't even remember it consciously..."

"No, I don't..." Harry mumbled.

It was stunning that those screams came from his mother. For a moment there was total silence while Harry tried to digest this information. Then something came to Harry's mind but he didn't have the opportunity to ask his question because Black cleared his throat and said:

"All right. I'll teach you the Patronus Charm."

Harry looked at him questioningly.

"The Patronus Charm is the developing of very strong positive energy. If you like, it's a barrier between the wizard and the dementor. You need the spell and concentration. While you are telling the spell you have to think about a very positive memory. There's a method to practice it that is used by the ministry to train officials. We use an illusion charm to it that creates a fake dementor that has the same affect than a real one."

Black stepped to a cupboard and took out a small vial.

"I will show you first and then you try it."

He spilled out some powder from the vial and told a spell.

"Creatus dementor!"

In a moment a dark cloud appeared that soon took up a solid form, the form of a dementor. Harry felt the cold and the hair raised on the back of his head. Professor Black stepped in front of the dark creature, raised his wand and in a strong voice he said:

"Expecto patronum!"

Silver light came from the tip of his wand and seeing the smoke-like material the dementor seemed to deter and it staggered backwards. Then the energy turned into something else: it took on the form of an animal... After a while Harry realized that it was a dog and as if it were a real dog it rushed forward and attacked the dementor. The creature vanished into nothingness.

"This was amazing, Professor!" Harry said enthusiastically.

Black turned at him with a slight smile:

"All right! It's your turn now! Did you observe the spell?"

"Yes. Expecto patronum."

"Correct. And don't forget: You have to think about a happy memory, the happiest one you can come up with."

"Okay..."

"Good" he took out another portion of the powder and the dementor appeared again.

This timed though Harry stepped up to it. The cold surrounded him immediately and he felt as if he were pushed under cold water. He raised his wand determined.

"Expecto patronum!" he cried with all his might.

The lights blinked and it seemed as if fog started to overrun everything and Harry heard the screams again.

'Not Harry! Not Harry! Please... I'll do anything..."

Then everything went black for Harry.

"Harry?"

He opened his eyes and came face to face with Professor Black.

"Uh..." he moaned. "What happened?"

"You weren't lucky! But this isn't surprising. You need a lot of practicing to manage this spell."

He helped Harry up and gave him a good piece of chocolate.

"Eat! Would you tell me what you were thinking about?"

"About flying. The first time I sat on a broom."

"Just like your father..." the teacher said quietly.

"You knew my father?" Harry asked with stunned excitement his thoughs from before came back again.

"Well... yes... You know we went to school together... we were friends."

"Would you tell me about him?" he asked eagerly then – because he thought it needed some explanation – he added: "I don't know much about my parents... my relatives who I live with don't talk about them...

He didn't want to admit that when the Dursleys talked about James and Lily Potter they told only lies.

"Your father adored Quidditsh. He was the captain in our sixth and seventh year and he deranged everybody with his obsession to win the cup. Then we didn't win and he practically fell into depression."

Harry listened to every word with a smile on his face.

"His other mania was Lily, your mother. He didn't let her alone until she went out with him. It happened in sixth year. They were always arguing about the most trivial topics but in the really important things they always agreed. They were both swimming in happiness when you were born."

"You must have known them really well..."

"Yes... But let's get back to our lesson! Do you feel better?"

"Yep... I mean, yes" Harry almost forgot that he was talking to a teacher.

"Then are you up to a second try?"

"Yes."

"But you will need a more powerful memory!"

Harry thought about it and then nodded.

"I think I'm ready."

The dementor appeared again and Harry put everything in the spell. He concentrated very hard and tried to remember the scene in details. The fog was there again and the voice came.

'Not Harry, please...!' and a voice of a man: 'Stand aside...!'

"Expecto patronum!"

A dim light appeared on the tip on his wand. The dementor stopped hesitantly.

"Do it again!" Harry heard Professor Black's voice from behind.

"Expecto patronum!" he cried again and concentrated even harder.

The light got stronger and suddenly it shot out, the dementor staggered and in a second it was gone.

Harry felt totally exhausted and he would have fallen if Black hadn't caught him from behind.

"Come, sit down!"

He was led to a chair and Black give him another piece of chocolate.

"This was great Harry! You are very talented! I've never seen anybody manage the Patronus Charm for the second try!"

Harry smiled broadly but tiredly.

"Of course you still have to practice but I think it was enough for today."

"I agree."

"What were you thinking about this time?" Black asked but then added. "Of course, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay... This wasn't a real memory... I thought about my parents. You know, in first year I found Edevis' mirror accidentally..."

He saw in Black's expression that he knew what the mirror caused.

"I saw my parents in it and now I thought about that picture."

"I see. Do you have photos about them?"

"Yes. Hagrid gave me an album in first year."

They sat in silence for a while until Harry finished the chocolate and started to feel better. By that time it was getting dark outside.

"I think it's time for you to go back to dormitory" said Black looking out the window.

Harry stood up to leave but before he reached the door the professor's voice stopped him.

"Harry!"

"Yes, professor?"

Black studied him with strange eyes but then shook his head.

"I'll see you in next lesson..."

Harry left the room but he had a feeling that the professor wanted to tell something else entirely.

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AN2: I'm desperately looking for a beta so if somebody feels like helping me out then please e-mail me or let me know in a review I need somebody who speaks English very well and who knows the HP universe. Thank you!