27/4/22

Jack spent the hour that was meant for Divination in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom with Professor Lupin setting up for their lesson which would be that afternoon.

Today they were doing some foreign creatures starting with a Pukwudgie.

Though this being Scotland and not America, Lupin was setting up the projector that Snape used when he told the class about Werewolves.

"I hope you're liking your Moonband, Professor," Jack said out of nowhere once they had put all the correct slides into the machine.

Blinking in surprise, Professor Lupin looked up at Jack.

"It's been helping me with my illness, yes," Lupin said carefully.

"You mean your little furry problem?" Jack asked getting a mini beating from Baby Tooth telling him to keep quiet.

"How?" Lupin asked looking scared now.

"Partly from Snape, partly from your Boggart, partly from the fact you get sick each month around the full moon." Jack listed smiling "I'm not as dumb as I look you know sir."

Sighing Professor Lupin chuckled a little, shaking his head.

"Well to be honest Jack, even though it's helping me feel a little more human than it would without it, I still change on the night of the full moon, even when the silver is exposed." he said looking at the bracelet and pressing the button to reveal and hide the metal in question. "Where did you get this from anyway?"

"A friend in America," Jack said smiling noting down what his teacher had just said to send them the results later. "I think they might be related to you sir, unless 'Lupin' is more common than I thought it was."

"Well if they are, then I would like to see them, but I think we should find that part out first. However for today, we will be focusing on Pukwudgies." Lupin concluded just as the bell rang and soon the rest of the class came in.

o0o

After a reasonably good lesson learning about these cute but deadly hedgehogs (in Jack's opinion), Harry stayed back to ask Lupin about their Dementor repelling lessons.

"Ah yes," the teacher said calmly remembering. "Let me see... how about 8 o'clock on Thursday evening?" The History of Magic classroom should be big enough... I'll have to think carefully on how we're going to do this... after all, we can't bring a real Dementor into the castle to practice on can we?"

"I've invited some friends to learn the spell too," Jack spoke up smiling as he waited for Harry "Is that ok?"

"What? Oh yes of course, the more who know the spell the better, but not everyone can do it, you must understand." Lupin said in reply.

"Still looks ill doesn't he?" Ron said as they all left the class room.

Jack rolled his eyes, but stayed quiet as Hermione tutted, and she and Ron got into another argument.

Quicker than expected the argument ended and Hermione walked off.

"She doesn't know," Ron said staring after her "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again."

"Well that sort of worked didn't it?" Jack said getting out his wand and tapping it against the walls to make ice patterns because he was bored "You started talking to her when she tutted, by asking what she was tutting about." Jack explained before Ron could question him "And I bet, let's see... 25 of your mum's home-made chocolate chip cookies, that she does know what is wrong with Professor Lupin."

"Oh yeah? And what would you be putting up then?" Ron asked him.

"What is it that you want?" Jack asked shrugging.

After a bit of thought, Ron said he would like a broomstick of his own.

"Ok. If you win this bet, I will get North to get you a broomstick for you," Jack said smiling "But when I win, you write to your mum, explain why you need these cookies, and ask her to bake them for me. Deal?"

"Deal." Ron said shaking his hand with Jack's so to confirm it.

"One thing though boys," Harry said really wishing Ron would have learnt by not to make bets with Jack. "If she's not talking to us and we're not talking to her, how would we know if she really does know what's wrong with him?" he asked thumbing over his shoulder back to the classroom.

"I guess we'll just have to wait." Jack said shrugging and walked off in the direction Hermione went.

o0o

On Thursday evening, Jack (with Baby Tooth in his pocket), Harry, Elisa, and Annie met up, after dinner, in the History of Magic classroom and lit some of the candles to make it more welcoming as they played some card games while they waited for Professor Lupin.

They were only waiting for about 5 minutes when Lupin came in with a trunk under his arm.

Coming to help, Jack and Harry took a handle each and heaved it onto Professor Binns' desk.

"What's that?" Annie asked curious.

"That my dear, is a Boggart," Lupin said, taking is cloak off, needing to quickly explain to Annie about these creatures as they were not in the Second Year teachings. "I've been combing around the castle looking for one since Tuesday, and was very lucky to find this one lurking inside Mr Flitch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest thing we'll get to a real Dementor, especially since they're not allowed in the school." he said, thinking back to the Quidditch match.

'Now, the Boggart will turn into a Dementor when it confronts Harry," Lupin said turning to the others. "But when it turns onto you three, it will turn into your worse fears, but there is no need to worry because it is not real. And we will be here to help you if things go wrong. Ok?"

"Unless Harry takes the lead and we stand far enough back that the Fearling can't see us, right Professor?" Jack asked smiling innocently.

"I suppose Jack, but for now, let's take turns at this, ok?" Lupin asked, calmly, getting nods of understanding.

"So..." Lupin said, pulling out his wand and telling the four of students to do the same. "The spell I am going to teach you is highly advanced magic – well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" Harry asked, politely ignoring Elisa noting all of this down, it being the Ravenclaw in her.

"Well, when done correctly, it conjurers a Patronus – which is a shield between you and the Dementor," Lupin explained. "The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very thing that the Dementor feeds upon – hope, happiness, the desire to survive – but it can not feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you all, that the Charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified Wizards have difficulty with it."

"That might be because they haven't tried hard enough to get it to work," Jack said to the room, but no one followed his statement.

Instead Harry asked, curiously "What does a Patronus look like?"

"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjured it." Lupin answered.

"Is that why yours is a wolf, and Professor McGonagall's is a cat?" Annie asked remembering back to the night they arrived at Hogwarts.

"Yes, Annie," Lupin said smiling "The Patronus is conjured with an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single very happy memory.

"Well I know what mine will be then sir," Jack said smiling, gently wafting Baby Tooth away who was pulling on his hair to make him stop talking.

"I can't think of any myself," Annie said frowning a little.

"Me neither," Elisa agreed looking at the little fairy. "Can you help us Baby Tooth?"

Baby stopped and looked at the sisters, then at Jack not sure if it would be a good idea to leave him.

"Go help them Baby, I'll be ok," Jack said smiling.

Baby went over to Elisa first and placed her tiny hands onto the girls forehead, using her Tooth Fairy magic to look through her memories looking for a good one.

Lots of images, and clips, whizzed past Elisa's mind's eye, most of them featuring friends, family, Annie, some newer ones featuring Jack.

Slowly they got sorted and one started to play out, it was of the day she had first seen baby Annie in her mother's arms at the hospital a little over 12 years ago now.

Not sure it would count as a 'Happy memory' but saying she'd give it a go, Elisa thanked Baby Tooth and the fairy went to Annie, doing the same thing to her.

Annie's memories were full of her and her sister playing together as children, her other friends, her family, her excitement of getting her very own Hogwarts letter, her first time riding an actual riding horse, and seeing Santa at the supermarket when she was 7.

After a few minutes, Baby Tooth picked one out that seemed to be of a nice happy family reunion / village competition where siblings worked together in a race to win a nice pair of ribbons, and she and Elisa were competing in.

The little fairy pulled away from Annie and rubbed her head a little, dropping from the air a bit, a little out of energy.

She was about to go to Harry to help him, but he stopped her.

"It's ok Baby Tooth, I have my memory," he said catching her before she fell out of the air. "You just have a quick rest."

Nodding Baby Tooth let herself be placed on the desks and watched the lesson go on.

Everyone looked at Lupin smiling smiles to show they were ready.

"The incantation is this – " Lupin said clearing his throat "expecto patronum!"

"Expecto patronum," the four students said together, the only one being able to get anything out of their wands being Jack.

It was a silvery mist that had a sort of animal body, but it wasn't a fixed form yet.

"Try again," Lupin said calmly "Remember to focus on your happy memory."

They all try again and this time a silver dolphin made itself known and swam around in the air before disappearing.

All eyes turned to Jack, all faces showing mixed expressions of shock and surprise.

"What?" Jack asked in an innocent 'I don't know what's wrong' way.

"Jack, you managed to make a corporal Patronus on your second try." Lupin said calmly.

"The memory is very powerful and very, very happy," Jack said shrugging.

Not wanting to pry into it, the others tried again until they all got a little whisps of silver out of their wands.

"Right then, ready to try your luck, with a Dementor?" Lupin asked looking at everyone who nodded, Harry at the front.

"One... Two... Three." Lupin counted as he lifted the top off the suitcase.