Chapter 49
Meredith glanced up from her book to see Patricia coming into the dorm.
"Do I need to ask how your holiday went?" she asked. Patricia glared.
"I wouldn't," she said. "Thanks for the pendant by the way."
"Don't mention it," Meredith said. "I loved the cloak. It's beautiful."
"I thought you'd like it," Patricia said flopping down next to Meredith on the bed.
"So, you and your Dad do anything special?"
"Not really," Meredith said leaning up on her elbow. "We just opened presents and had dinner in his quarters. By the way. You didn't send me a gold locket did you?"
"A locket?" Patricia said curiously. "No. I just got you the cloak. Why?"
"Weirdest thing," Meredith said. "I got this gold locket with my presents. I don't know who sent it because it didn't have a card or a note or anything."
"Maybe one of the boys?" Patricia said intrigued.
"Not likely," Meredith said. "Neither one of them could have afforded something like this. The box it came in probably costs a few galleons itself."
"Sounds like you've got a secret admirer," Patricia said with a sly grin. "Plenty of boys in this school with money who'd be too scared to tell you they like you." Meredith rolled her eyes.
"Somehow I doubt it," she said. "There was another thing. My dad got really weird about the locket. He said it would be better if I didn't put it on."
"Well there ya go," Patricia said. "He probably thinks it's from a boy in school and he doesn't want you to encourage whoever it is by wearing it. Dads can't handle it when they think their little girls are growing up and starting to think about boys." Meredith laughed.
"That's the last thing my dad has to worry about."
"A firebolt!" Meredith rolled her eyes. Since finding out that Harry had received a firebolt for Christmas he had not shut up about it.
"With a firebolt on our team Ravenclaw won't stand a chance," he continued as they made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Calm down Oliver," Patricia said. "McGonagall is not going to let Harry have his broom back until they're finished checking it."
"It's a travesty!" Oliver moaned. "And to think she had the nerve to say I don't have my priorities in line."
"Well telling her you didn't care if the broom threw Harry off as long as he caught the snitch first, may not have been the best approach," Meredith pointed out. She knew it was important to Oliver that Gryffindor win their next match. Their little talk in the prefects bathroom had made her much more sympathetic to his need to win. However, there was a fine line between being driven and being crazy.
"Oliver," Meredith said, "I'm sure that McGonagall and Flitwick won't find anything wrong with the broom."
"Right," Percy chimed in. "I mean the man is an escaped criminal. His face is on wanted posters all over the place. He can't just waltz into Diagon Alley and purchase a broom." Meredith did not say anything. She knew there were ways Black could have sent that broom. But she kept her mouth shut. Oliver was already tense as it was. They stepped into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and found it empty. The desks, the chairs, even the teachers desk had been vanished.
"What's going on here?" Rose Bucklin huffed.
"Good morning everyone," Remus said coming into the room. "I hope everyone had a nice holiday. If you will all place your bags against the wall and form a circle around the room. You will not need your wands." A buzz of confusion was humming through the room as they did what their teacher said. Meredith opted to keep her wand in her pocket while others set theirs on top of their bags. They moved around the room forming a circle leaving plenty of space between each person. Remus stood in the center of the circle.
"Today," he said slowly. "You will be learning a subject that is rarely taught in Hogwarts. It is by special request by Dumbledore that I am teaching you this. This sort of skill cannot be achieved through the memorization of spells or quick wand movement. What I am going to teach you requires very strict mental discipline. Today you are all going to be taught Occlumency." Some like Percy looked astounded. Others, like Meredith just looked confused.
"Percy," Remus said. "Can you tell the class what Occlumency is?" Percy swallowed before answering.
"It's a mental protection where you hide your thoughts from someone who might try to use them against you."
"Yes," Remus said. "I know all of you are too young to remember but during the war the Dark Lord was known to use Legilimency against his victims. What is Legilimency? A form of control over a person's mind. The Dark Lord could read it, control it, unhinge it, make you relive your worst memories until a person was literally driven mad from the torture." Meredith shivered at the very thought.
"Professor?" Rose Bucklin said raising her hand. "Legilimency sounds a lot like a dementor."
"You are correct," Remus said. "However while they might make their victims experience similar feelings they are in fact completely different. A Legilimens is in many ways more dangerous than a Dementor. For one thing there is no warning when you are under attack from a Legilimens. In the case of a Dementor there is the coldness and the sense of misery that comes before they deliver their final blow. A Legilimens gives no warning before he or she attacks. Also while a Dementor is a creature neither human or animal a Legilimens is a person. This makes them more dangerous because they do not appear so. The man you pass on the street, or the woman who sits at the table across from you at any moment could be reading your thoughts." Meredith lifted a hand to her stomach. The thought of someone invading her mind like that, using her thoughts against her was making her queasy.
"Occlumency," Remus continued. "Is a mental shield against invasion. It blocks a Legilimens from penetrating your thoughts."
"Professor," Patricia had raised her hand this time. "Um, does Dumbledore think that we are in danger of being attacked by mind readers?"
"Dumbledore wants you to be prepared," Remus said. Meredith had a feeling there was more to it than that but obviously her dad was not at liberty to discuss it. Another thought was creeping into her mind. How was her dad going to teach them to block them to block mind invasion unless he was a….
"Professor?" she said her hand shooting up. "Does this mean you are a Legilimens?" All those times he seemed to know she was lying to him. Had he been reading her mind?
"I am," he said simply. "I have not practiced the skill for quite some time, however it is not something one forgets."
"So you're gonna be reading our minds?" Oliver said. The young man looked extremely uncomfortable at the idea. Meredith could swear she saw him blushing.
"I'm afraid so," Remus said almost apologetic. There was a murmur throughout the class.
"No doubt," Remus said with a small smile, "All your most secret, most embarrassing thoughts and memories that you would never in a million years want anyone to know about are rushing to the forefront of your brains." Meredith bit her lip. She and her dad had very few secrets between them. There was only one thing she could think of that she did not want him to know and it was the thing she suddenly could not stop thinking about.
"I give you my word that nothing that shall be seen in this classroom shall ever be revealed to another soul. Your secrets are safe with me." This promise did not seem to reassure anyone. Meredith suddenly had a bad thought. Their secrets might be safe, but were his?
"Professor?" Meredith said raising her hand. "Is it possible for a reverse effect to happen? I mean in trying to deflect an attacker from seeing one thoughts, is it possible that the one being attacked could see the thoughts of the person attacking them?" She tried to keep her voice casual but still gave her dad a meaningful stare.
"There is a chance that can happen yes," Remus said giving her a knowing look. "That is why I have taken precautions to protect those memories which I would rather not share with the class. So for those of you who hoped to get a glimpse of Meredith's first bath I'm afraid you are quite out of luck." There were several giggles and Meredith gave him an indignant look for the benefit of all. She knew her dad understood that that was not what she was worried about the class seeing.
"Now," Remus said. "To properly perform Occlumency one must clear their mind of all thought. So right now all of you, I want you to practice clearing your minds. All thoughts, worries, homework assignments, boyfriend problems, girlfriend problems, quidditch strategies, bad dreams, put them out of your mind." It was easier said than done. Meredith had so many thoughts swimming through her head at the moment.
"It is not an easy thing I know," Remus said. "It takes a great deal of mental discipline and years of practice to maintain this control." Meredith took a deep breath and tried to think of nothing. She tried to push aside all thoughts and worries and keep her mind clear. It was extremely difficult. Tiny thoughts kept nudging their way into her subconscious.
"Is there anyone willing to volunteer to be the first?" Remus asked. The question met with silence. Finally, much to Meredith's surprise Patricia stepped forward.
"Go ahead Professor," she said. "I've got nothing to hide." Remus stood directly in front of Patricia and stared into her eyes.
"Direct eye contact," Meredith thought.
"Clear your mind," Remus directed. "Legilimens!" Meredith watched with horrified fascination. Her dad was staring directly into Patricia's eyes a look of intense concentration on his face. Patricia's face was blank as she stared back. Suddenly Patricia's face began to change. She looked distressed and then it was replaced by full blown panic.
"NO!" she cried out slamming her eyes shut and stumbling backwards. Meredith stepped forward and put her hands on Patricia's shoulder.
"You all right?"
"I'm okay," she said quickly. "I'm fine. Just feels kind of odd."
"You did well," Remus said. "The block did not hold long but while it did I could not get in. That is a good start. Who will be next?" Percy stepped forward next and then Rose Bucklin. Finally Meredith could not put it off and stepped forward. Her dad gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry dear," he said. "All sins shall be forgiven in time." Meredith made a face and focused on keeping her mind clear. She felt her dad's eyes bore into her own. At that moment Meredith felt as exposed as she had that day in the prefect bathroom. NO! she could not think of that now. She had to clear her mind.
"One, two, three," Remus said as Meredith braced herself. "Legilimens." Meredith felt the attack. It was like a tiny probe digging into her subconscious. She felt like a tiny wall was going up around her brain and a small hammer was tapping at it, testing it for weaknesses.
"Hold on," she whispered. "Hold on. Don't let him in." It happened in a flash.
She sat with her new friends in the cabin of the train….She tried to breathe as the sorting hat was placed upon her head….She shivered under the thin, itchy blanket on the hard bed in the girls dormitory of the orphanage….She stood in front of a mirror and stared at a vision of herself giving a vial of potion to her father as the full moon rose, staring in wonder as he did not change….
"Enough!" she shouted holding up her hands in front of her. Her father was not supposed to see that.
"I think we will leave it there for today," Remus said. Meredith ran a hand through her hair. She hurried to gather up her things. She could hear Percy and Patricia talking around her. Oliver was being oddly silent.
"You okay Mere?" he asked not meeting her eye.
"I'm fine," she said.
"It was the oddest feeling in the world," Percy said. "Just wait till it's your turn, Oliver."
"Yeah," Oliver said grabbing his bag. "Can't wait."
"For homework," Remus called after them, "practice clearing your minds before you go to sleep each night till next class. That will be all."
"Coming Mere?" Patricia asked. Meredith was biting her lip. She glanced over to where her dad stood at the front of the class. He looked deep in thought.
"I'll be along in a minute," she said. She waited until everyone else had left the room before she approached him.
"Dad?" she said tentatively. He glanced up at her and smiled gently.
"How are you love?" he said. She glanced down at the floor.
"I'm not sure," she said. "It's weird to think of you getting into Patricia's, Percy's and Oliver's heads." Her dad nodded.
"I had a feeling you would have a bit of difficulty with this. It is a rather unique situation, and I admit I had serious misgivings when Dumbledore asked me to do it."
"Dad," Meredith said slowly, "how…um…I mean why…"
"Why did I never tell you I was a Legilimens?" he said. Meredith was staring at him in astonishment. She found herself thinking back to all those times when he just seemed to know what she was thinking, or when she was holding something back. Had he been using this power on her?
"Back during the war it was a useful skill to have, particularly when spying on the enemy. But I hated it. It wasn't a power I had ever wanted. Most Legilimens have to practice for years before they can do it. For me it just came naturally, yet another part of the curse I have been forced to bear."
"What do you mean?" Meredith asked.
"As a werewolf," he said the words obviously causing him pain, "I am more attune to the emotions and feelings around me. It was almost suffocating at times but I have learned to control it. I didn't know I was a Legilimens until I came to Hogwarts. My friends and I were fooling around, just having a laugh and then I was staring into the eyes of my best friend and I could see every thought that was going on in his head. It made people even more weary of me than they already were. People would duck their heads as they passed me, afraid I was reading their thoughts. Only my closest friends did not treat me like a pariah. During the war Dumbledore begged me to let my gift out. We did not know who we could trust, who had gone over to the other side."
"And being able to tell what they were thinking…" Meredith said.
"It disgusted me," Remus said. "Prying into the minds of people I'd known since childhood. Digging around in people's private thoughts and memories. I swore I'd never use the power again and I haven't till today."
"So you've never…"she hated to ask it but she had to know.
"I have never used Legilimency on you," he said firmly. "And outside of this class I never will. I could never do that to you." Meredith believed him. But something still bothered her.
"If you've never used Legilimency on me, then how do you always seem to know when I'm holding something back?" At this he grinned.
"You have a tell," he said. Meredith looked at him strangely.
"A tell?"
"A small involuntary action brought about by stress or emotion. In your case, when you are holding something back you raise your chin just a little."
"My chin?" Meredith said incredulously touching her chin with the tips of her fingers.
"Hardly noticeable to someone who does not know you as well as I do, but it gives you away all the time." Meredith blushed. Did she truly raise her chin whenever she was not being entirely truthful? If it was true she'd had no idea she'd even been doing it.
"The first time was at the hearing," he said. Meredith bit her lip. She hadn't given a great deal of thought to that day until it had been dragged out of her subconscious and displayed to her dad. Now she could remember as clear as day everything she'd thought and felt that day. She'd been terrified that they would lose and she would be taken away from her dad. She remembered sitting on the hard bench outside the courtroom, her heart pounding waiting to be called in. She'd been so scared that she would say the wrong thing, or that that horrid woman Umbridge would twist her words around and paint her dad in a bad light. She remembered Dumbledore sitting with her, assuring her that it would be all right, being reassured by Snape of all people when he gave her a draught to calm her nerves. Mostly, she remembered Dumbledore telling her that no matter what she saw in the mirror she would have to lie and say that she saw herself and only herself. She'd been quivering inside when Umbridge had challenged the lie.
"Only the happiest man on earth could look into that mirror and see only himself exactly as he was," Remus said. Meredith ducked her eyes and ran a hand through her hair.
"It's not that I wasn't happy…" Meredith said quickly but her Dad waved it off.
"No twelve year old is completely content exactly as they are," he said. "Someone that young has things that they desire. Dreams, goals." Meredith bit her lip again.
"At that moment all I could think was that if I could find a cure for Lycanthropy it would solve everything. No one would have questioned if you were fit to be my father if you weren't a werewolf."
"The number of things that could happen if I weren't a werewolf," he said wistfully. "But it does no good to dwell on it."
"I haven't given up that dream you know?" she said. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her.
"I didn't think you would," he said. "But there is something I do wish to ask you."
"Okay." Remus moved to stand in front of her and took her shoulders.
"If there's anything that's been bothering you, anything at all I want you to tell me. I want you to be honest with me always. No matter what it is." Meredith felt her face get hot as that one memory crept back into her mind. NO!
"Okay Dad," she said keeping her chin as still as possible. "I promise." Her Dad squeezed her shoulder and gave her a smile. They looked up as the door opened and Professor McGonagall came in.
"Good afternoon Remus," McGonagall said. "Meredith."
"Professor," Meredith greeted her.
"We have found what you were looking for Remus," McGonagall said.
"Excellent," Remus said. Meredith looked up at him in confusion.
"Filch found it in his filing cabinet," McGonagall said. "He said it's all yours but please take care of it straight away."
"Of course," Remus said. Mcgonagall nodded and took her leave.
"What was that about?"
"I've been searching the castle for a boggart," Remus said.
"I thought the third years learned about boggarts already," Meredith said .
"This is a special case," he said quietly. "I'm going to be teaching Harry to do a Patronus Charm." Meredith's eyes widened.
"A Patronus? Harry's only a third year do you think he'll be able to do it?"
"I don't know," Remus said. "But I'm concerned about the Dementors. They seem to have fixated on him."
"Yeah," Meredith said remembering what Patricia had said about how they'd gone after Harry at the match.
"It's not natural," Remus said. "I'm worried and so is Dumbledore. If they come after him again he needs to know how to defend himself. Even if he is unable to form a full Patronus he needs to be able to at least hold them at bay until help comes." Meredith could not disagree. She only hoped Harry would be able to do it. It had taken students her own age months to get any kind of spark. Would a thirteen year old be able to do such a difficult spell?
"So what's the boggart for?"
"Well," Remus said. "In our first class I prevented Harry from facing the boggart. I feared it would become Lord Voldemort which would be quite upsetting not just to Harry but to the whole class." Meredith nodded. That would upset anyone.
"Anyway, Harry told me later that it was a dementor he was thinking of when he prepared to face the boggart."
"So if Harry faces the boggart it will turn into a dementor and he can practice the Patronus on it."
"Exactly," Remus said. "As you said, Harry's only a third year so I feel he may need a bit of a visual aid and obviously I can't bring a real dementor in here." Meredith shuddered at the thought.
"You better get going love," Remus said. "Don't want to be late for your next class." Meredith nodded and hurried off to Charms.
After Charms the foursome headed to the library to study a bit before dinner. They grabbed a table and spread out their books. Meredith was reading over the Fidelious Charm, she'd been most curious about it since that visit to Hogsmeade, when she looked up and saw Patricia staring blankly in front of her.
"Patricia," Meredith said. Patricia blinked and turned an annoyed look at her.
"Um, what were you doing?"
"I was attempting to clear my mind like your dad told us to until you busted in. Now I have all these thoughts. Thanks." Meredith shook her head thoughtfully. With all that was going on with NEWTS coming up and a murderer on the loose she wondered if anyone would be able to have a clear head.
"Mere," Oliver said suddenly. "Could you help me find that book on protection spells we were talking about?"
"Sure," Meredith said without skipping a beat.
"Protection spells?" Percy said. "But we're not covering protection spells…." Percy's confused voiced trailed off as Meredith followed Oliver to the back of the library. There were no books on protection spells in this section but that was not what Oliver had wanted. Whenever Oliver had wanted to talk to her without the other two hearing he always asked her to help him find a book on something they had learned the year before. She wondered that Percy and Patricia hadn't caught onto their code.
"What's up?" she asked him once they were well out of earshot. Oliver ran a hand over his hair. He looked rather uncomfortable.
"Have you told your Dad about Flint?" he said bluntly. Meredith felt the breath go out of her.
"No," she said quietly. "Why?" Oliver frowned.
"When he was doing Legilimency on you and you kind of looked upset…"
"That was something else," Meredith said quickly. "He doesn't know anything about what that git did." Oliver sighed.
"Don't you think it's time you told him?" Meredith looked away. She thought about her dad and the promise she had made him. It had been more than two years since Flint had attacked her in the Prefects bathroom and to this day Oliver was the only one who knew about it. She had gotten over the trauma of it a long time ago and Flint hadn't looked at her cross eyed since.
"What's the point?" Meredith said. "It happened a long time ago. What's point of bringing it up now?"
"Because it was the first thing you thought of when your Dad said he'd be reading our minds," Oliver said seriously. Meredith bit her lip. She didn't even ask how he knew that.
"He's going to be poking around in your head Mere," Oliver continued. "He's bound to see that memory."
"Not if I suppress it," Meredith said defiantly. "I just won't think about it."
"You and I both know it's not going to be that easy," Oliver said. "Whether you're thinking about it or not it's still there. You can't just make it vanish." Meredith knew he was right. She hadn't thought about the sorting hat, or the orphanage or even the trial in years but there it had been.
"I can block him," she said. "I'll keep my mind clear. It was working today. I'll just practice until I can block him entirely."
"Even if you can Mere," Olive said doubtfully, "I'm not sure I can." Meredith felt a little sick just then. It was true. The memory of the assault was just as imprinted on Oliver's memory as her own. Her dad hadn't had a crack at Oliver yet. Occlumency called for strict mental discipline and Oliver, god love him, did not exactly fit that description
"Mere," Oliver said gently. "Don't you think it would be better if your dad heard about it from you before he sees it in one of our heads?" Meredith stared at the floor. She knew he was right. But she just couldn't bring herself to admit to her dad that this had happened to her.
"I can't," she said her voice soft. She tasted blood as she bit her lip too hard. Oliver reached up and wiped a smear of blood from her mouth. Meredith glanced up at him and sighed.
"Oops." Meredith turned and saw Patricia standing there looking slightly annoyed. "Sorry to interrupt but we need to get to dinner." She then turned on her heel and walked away. Meredith wondered at her behavior.
"I guess we better go," Meredith said. She turned to go but Oliver grabbed her hand.
"Just think about what I said Mere," he said. She nodded and together they went to the Great Hall where most of the house was already eating. Patricia did not look at her as she slid onto the bench next to Harry. Meredith was a little puzzled at what could be bothering her friend. She made a mental note to talk to her about it later.
"Hey Harry," she said as she took a piece of chicken.
"Oh hey," Harry said.
"So my Dad told me about the lessons he's gonna give you," she said.
"He did?" Harry asked astonished. Meredith grinned.
"Dad and I don't have any secrets from each other," she said. Harry blushed.
"I just hope it works," Harry said. "If they come to another match I have to be able to protect myself." Meredith squeezed his shoulder.
"Don't worry Harry," Meredith said. "My dad knows what he's doing. If anyone can help you he can." Meredith turned back to her dinner. She could feel Patricia frowning at her but when she turned to look her friend looked away quickly.
Patricia hardly spoke to Meredith for the next few days. When they paired off in class Patricia would pair off with Percy or Oliver. When the boys were not with them Patricia would make up some reason to not be with Meredith. By Thursday night Meredith was sick of it. They had been studying in the library with the boys and Patricia had only spoken to them and acted as though she were deaf whenever Meredith spoke to her directly. Meredith had racked her brain but she could not think of what she had done to offend the other girl. Percy and Oliver did not know what to make of it either. As they departed the library Meredith grabbed Patricia's arm and forced her to stop.
"What the bloody hell is your problem lately!" she demanded. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the boys making a hasty departure.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Patricia said huffily.
"Don't give me that!" Meredith snapped. "You've been treating me like I killed your hamster since Monday and dammit I'm bloody sick of it! Now we are not moving until you tell me what I did to make you mad at me." Patricia pressed her lips together in an angry line and refused to meet her eyes for a long time.
"Are you and Oliver together now?" she finally burst out. Meredith's mouth dropped open. Of all the things Patricia could have said to her that was the thing Meredith never would have expected.
"What?" she gasped. "No of course we're not together. Why would you think that?" Patricia scowled.
"When I saw you in the library…" Patricia said. "And he's always so quick to defend you…and I found you sleeping on his bed together for goodness sake!"
"That's not…" Meredith started but once she thought about it she had to admit that it was not totally illogical for Patricia to draw that conclusion.
"Before fifth year it was always the four of us," Patricia said. "Then Percy started dating Penelope and you and Oliver…"
"Patricia," Meredith said grabbing her hands. "I was attacked in the Prefect's bathroom our fifth year." Patricia's eyes widened.
"What do you mean attacked?" she said shocked. Meredith sighed. She wanted to reveal this to her best friend even less than she wanted to reveal it to her dad but if it was going to make Patricia resent her …
"I went in there to take a bath. When I got out of the tub Flint was there. He stole my wand and he backed me into the cabinets. He had me pinned. I tried to fight him but he was much stronger than me. I couldn't even call for help because he'd put a silencing charm on me."
"Oh my god," Patricia gasped her face horror struck. "Did he…I mean were you…"
"Oliver saved me before he could do anything," Meredith explained. "He'd heard that I was being attacked from Moaning Myrtle and came to help me. He stunned Flint. I think he wanted to do worse to him. I'm not sure he didn't after he'd removed the git from my sight."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Patricia said, tears brimming in her eyes now. Meredith sighed.
"I was too embarrassed," she admitted. "I swore Oliver to secrecy. I didn't want anyone to know about what had happened. Not even my dad."
"Your dad doesn't know?" Patricia was astounded.
"No," Meredith said. "That's what Oliver was talking to me about in the library. He thinks with Dad teaching Occlumency that he'll find out from one of our memories and thinks I should tell him before it happens."
"Is that why he asked Percy and I to keep watch over you?" Patricia asked. Meredith nodded.
"He's kind of been like a guard dog ever since it happened," Meredith said. "But I swear to you we're not anything more than friends." Patricia smiled a little.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you," she said lowering her eyes. "It must have been so awful."
"It was," Meredith said. "But it's over now. I honestly haven't thought of it much this last year."
"So are you going to tell your dad?" Meredith sighed.
"I know I should," Meredith said.
"But you don't want to," Patricia said nodding. "You should tell him Mere. Trust me it's not good to keep secrets from the people you love." Meredith smiled weakly. She suddenly felt very very small.
"All right," she said. "I'll tell him. But will you come with me?"
"Of course," Patricia said with a real smile now. She held up her scarred palm. "Blood sisters stick together." Meredith smiled and held up her own palm with the faint pink scar across it.
"Well, we better go now. If I don't do it now I'll lose my nerve." The two girls linked arms and hurried down to the DADA classroom. As they drew closer they could hear noises that sounded like someone was in distress.
"Oh," Meredith said. "We can't go in there. Dad's teaching Harry to do a Patronus." Patricia looked confused.
"Harry's boggart turns into a dementor," Meredith explained. "Dad's having him practice the charm on the boggart/dementor."
"Clever," Patricia said. "Why didn't we get a boggart to practice on?" Meredith rolled her eyes.
"Because a Patronus isn't going to get rid an image of McGonagall telling Percy he failed all his courses." Patricia looked sheepish.
"Excellent Harry!" They could hear her dad from inside the classroom. "That was definitely a start!"
"Can we have one more go?" Harry's voice was heard.
"Now now," he dad said. "That's enough for tonight. Here, eat the lot or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood." Meredith figured her dad must have given Harry some chocolate.
"Professor Lupin," Harry said now. "If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well." Meredith sucked in her breath.
"What gives you that idea?" Meredith detected a sharpness to her dads tone.
"Nothing," Harry said "I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts too…" How did Harry know that, Meredith wondered.
"Yes, I knew him," her dad said. "Or I thought I did." Meredith mind felt numb. Her dad had known both James Potter and Sirius Black. What did that all mean? She turned and looked at Patricia. Her friend looked just as mystified as she did.