Thank you again to my very patient betas for helping me make sure this chapter was acceptable. It is short, unfortunately, but that is because the next few are a fair bit longer. Also, I apologize for the delay in posting but…life lol. Another note, I can't cross out words cuz I'm doing this on my phone and still kinda...learning so I underlined the ones that were meant to be scratched out. -sigh-
Dear Proff Professor Snape,
I know I am Probably the last person you expect to have writing to you but… First, thank you sir for try protecting us from Professor Lupin. Second, and this might sound weird but, have you ever heard of a Patronus that can kill dementors? And um…it's about Hedwig sir do you know who that white owl belongs to? I want to let the know they'r their owl was super helpful and probably saved our lives.
Thanks,
Harry Potter
-o-o-0-o-o-
Severus re-read the letter that Potter's owl delivered then looked back at the bird now perched beside Artemis in his office.
Large gold eyes stared, unblinkingly, back at him.
His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Hedwig turned her head, unimpressed.
Severus ran his fingertips over his wand then shook his head. The boy probably thought something happened to his owl when both birds attacked Lupin. There didn't appear to be any signs of injury on either bird, in spite of their frenzied attacks. Perhaps it was more concern over the highly protective nature that both owls had displayed. If that was the case, he could safely say that owls were particularly aggressive what they considered to be theirs. Though, if it made the boy feel better, he would keep an eye on Hedwig when they returned to the school. Merlin knows it wasn't like he didn't see her in the owlery often enough as it was anyway.
As for the patronus question…he frowned and browsed through his mental library to see what he could remember about their capabilities. Unfortunately, his knowledge of the charm was limited to the sources he'd been able to find in the school library. Not once did he recall seeing anything about a patronus capable of destroying dementors. Although, he postulated that it was possible if one's patronus happened to be suitably aggressive enough.
Perhaps an American wolverine, several of the large cats even. Or…Terra's honey badger might have had the disposition to do so. Though he was not aware of any one currently capable of casting the charm even having one of those particular forms as their patronus.
He drummed his fingers on his desk while he thought. Obviously something happened in the forest before he and Albus got there to retrieve Potter and Black. But, without more information, he wasn't sure what to tell the boy. And now he found himself reviewing his own memory of running into the brightly lit clearing where a large stag patronus paced back and forth beside two unconscious people. Now that he was forcing himself to recall everything he'd noticed, there had been strange bits of shredded cloth littering the ground.
Severus blinked, his mind clearing, when Hedwig landed beside his hand and placed one taloned foot over his fingers, stilling the repetitive drumming motion.
Odd. And strangely familiar in a way that tickled at the back of his mind.
He studied her again, noting once more how her facial scar mirrored Artemis'. Lifting his other hand, he carefully traced the line of the scar. It even felt similar to the one on Artemis. Somehow, Hedwig had also run afoul of a dark creature in her past. A pulse of magic flared from his pocket, startling both of them and, with affronted bark, Hedwig leapt away, flying through his open office door and disappearing down the hall.
But Severus was no longer paying attention to Potter's owl. Face paler than usual, he reached shaking fingers into his pocket and withdrew the battered envelope from within. Turning it over and unfolding the envelope, he stared at it and the faintly glowing seal.
That...was impossible.